Emotions run high when pondering Owyhee Canyonlands future (video)

Thursday's meeting at Adrian in southeast Oregon's Malheur County, about the possible proclamation of the Owyhee Canyonlands as a national monument, could be the first cog in forming a partnership. Environmentalists have been trying for years to get the state congressional delegation to act and also to bring Malheur County residents to the bargaining table to create the Owyhee Canyonlands Conservation Area. Whether possible designation as a national monument by President Barack Obama brings the groups together should be learned in the coming weeks...more

Nothing like a little good old fashioned bribery to bring the local folks to their knees.  Work with the enviros on a legislative proposal or Señor Obama will bash you over the head with a National Monument.  This is going on all over the West.

And this article says:

These lands, one of the most pristine settings in the contiguous 48 states with colorful rock formations and outstanding wildlife habitat, drew a crowd of 500 to a town hall meeting Thursday night in the high school gymnasium of Adrian, a small farm town. The meeting was called by elected officials of Malheur County, spearheaded by Rep. Cliff Bentz of Ontario, to mobilize residents against an environmental community initiative. Environmental groups hope to persuade President Barack Obama to declare 2.5 million acres of federal land as the Owyhee Canyonlands National Monument before he leaves office in 2017. It didn't seem to matter that the Obama administration has not formally addressed the subject, nor that any legislation is before Congress that would determine the future of Oregon's vast Owyhee country...The cloud of uncertainty has left a coalition against a monument proclamation, the Citizens in Opposition to the Owyhee Canyonlands Monument Committee, pondering its next move.  "We know there is a lot of work to be done, at any table we gather around, to do a credible job of determining the size and scope of whatever designation is chosen,'' Bentz said, "be it national monument, conservation area or wilderness. "It's going to require much time and money, of which we and the people of a half-dozen eastern Oregon counties are willing to give. But there's no reason to invest that time and effort if the president can shortcut the process.''
 
Below is the Oregonian's live video: