S.1942 - Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act

What does this mean for the Wild Horses on these HMA’s?

The Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act, would create a land health management program on federal lands in Malheur County, Oregon.

Establishes a Grazing Management Program on Bureau of Land Management lands in Malheur County, granting ranchers more flexibility to react to ecological conditions—such as drought or fire—while also requiring cooperative rangeland monitoring and health objectives

Designates ~1.1 million acres of new wilderness, including areas like the Mary Gautreaux Owyhee River Canyon and Upper West Little Owyhee

Conveys and holds in trust lands for the Burns Paiute Tribe, such as Jonesboro Ranch and parts of Castle Rock, and formally establishes a Castle Rock Co‑Stewardship Area

Creates the "Malheur CEO Group", a local stakeholder council including ranchers, tribes, environmentalists, and others to guide ecological restoration, invasive species control, recreation, cultural site protection, and economic development

Directs infrastructure and tourism-related investments, partnering with the Bureau of Transportation and Travel Oregon to build loop roads near Owyhee Dam, improve dam safety, and support recreational facilities like campgrounds or marinas