Political Quotes

“in the 106th Congress, we were the sponsors of the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000, a landmark piece of legislation to enhance the protection of the Steens Mountain area in southern Oregon, while preserving the historic ranching and recreational opportunities in the area. It took us over 1 year to negotiate out the provisions of this bill between Members of Congress, the Secretary of the Interior, the Governor of Oregon, the local ranching community, local outfitters, and environmental organizations. It was clear at the time that we were trying to create a new, innovative approach to cooperative management of the area between the federal government and the local landowners. We believed that Oregonians, as leaders in environmental stewardship, could craft a new, locally supported approach that did not attempt to impose on this management area an existing land management classification. That is why the area is called the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area. We also created a Steens Mountain Advisory Council, a diverse group of stakeholders who are to provide ongoing input concerning the management of the area to the Bureau of Land Management. I am becoming increasingly concerned, however, about efforts to harm the operations of the Steens Mountain Running Camp, an excellent facility that has trained thousands of runners and has operated on the mountain for the past quarter century.”