"Wilderness in Name Only" - Episode 30

Podcast Interview about the Oregon Malheur/Oyhwee "Wilderness" Disaster

Wilderness in Name Only | Katie Fite | WildLands Defense | Ep. 030

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In this episode, I speak with Katie Fite, Director of Public Lands with WildLands Defense. We talk about the disastrous new Malheur/Owyhee Wilderness Bill (S. 2828) proposed in Oregon and its failings (releases over one million acres of wilderness-suitable lands to multiple use!), the original Owyhee Bill in Idaho and eerie parallels, the livestock industry and their grip on public lands management decisions, the destructive nature of cows and livestock on fragile high desert and canyon ecosystems, the abysmal state of the Wilderness movement and the shortcomings of the organizations at the helm, the Federal Lands Management Policy Act, The Wilderness Idea and inspiring a wilderness ethic in land management across the board.

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"The new Malheur Bill in Oregon, really elevates the power of ranchers in public lands management decisions and that’s a significant problem. What the land needs is fewer cows or no cows altogether. Everything gets overrun with cheatgrass and is degraded. It just becomes a very, very bleak landscape." - Katie Fite

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Take Action Through Wilderness Watch! Tell Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley to Oppose Bill S.2828

Click Here ----> https://wildernesswatch.salsalabs.org/s2828/index.html

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http://wildlandsdefense.org/

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For an in-depth look at livestock industry “capture” of public wild lands.

http://nationalaglawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/assets/bibarticles/donahue_westernpart1.pdf

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Katie's CounterPunch articles on the Oregon Malheur/Ohywee Bill:

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https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/11/26/a-cattle-industry-and-local-control-power-grab-inside-the-malheur-owyhee-public-lands-bill/

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https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/01/20/owyhee-initiative-wilderness-and-public-lands-deal-critique-ten-years-after/

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See all of her articles here:

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https://www.counterpunch.org/author/l3lveldlldl3l3ld/

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More Reading on the Oregon Malheur/Ohywee "Wilderness" Bill...

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George Wuerthner

https://www.bendbulletin.com/opinion/guest-column-owyhee-legislation-is-flawed/article_77414e38-37bb-11ea-9c02-ffb64f4d9d0f.html

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https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/01/10/wilderness-for-ranchers-the-bad-owyhee-wilderness-bill/

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Andy Kerr

http://www.andykerr.net/kerr-public-lands-blog/2020/1/8/laffaire-malheur-part-1-the-proposed-legislation

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http://www.andykerr.net/kerr-public-lands-blog/2020/1/16/laffaire-malheurnbsppart-2-backstory-and-analysis?rq=mALHEUR

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Katie Fite's Bio

Director of Public Lands

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Katie Fite brings over 30 years of on-the-ground experience to WildLands Defense’s advocacy. Katie has monitored public ground across much of the West–from Modena to the Modoc to Mcdermitt, the Lemhis to Little Blue Table to the Little Lost to Leslie Gulch, from Jarbidge to Jump Creek to Jim Sage, the Pahsimeroi to the Pancake Range, Calico Mountains to Castleford–working to ensure the land is valued and protected by the anti-environmental bureaucrats at BLM and Forest Service than arguably any other single person in the Western United States.