S.1942, the Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act, would create a land health management program on federal lands in Malheur County, Oregon.
Among the provisions are greater operational flexibility in livestock grazing and the designation of 1.1 million acres as wilderness areas.
Grazing would be allowed on those lands if established before the Act becomes law.
The bill would create a C.E.O. Group consisting of ten voting members, three of whom represent grazing interests and one representing hunting or fishing interests.
Eight nonvoting members would sit on the committee.
The State would be authorized to use aircraft (including helicopters) in the wilderness areas to capture, transplant, monitor and provide water for wildlife populations, including bighorn sheep and feral stock, feral horses and feral burros.
The Hog Creek, Cold Springs, Three Fingers, Sand Springs, Sheepshead-Heath Creek, Coyote Lake-Alvord-Tule Springs and Jackies Butte HMAs are in Malheur County.
The bill was introduced on June 4 and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Western Horse Watchers Association 