Interior Secretary Sally Jewell visits Harney County, talks collaboration

A high-ranking member of the Obama administration visited Harney County and the Malheur Wildlife National Refuge Monday, focusing more on efforts to foster collaboration on land use issues with local residents and the reopening of the refuge to the public than the 41-day occupation that drew national headlines.

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell met with employees from government agencies and area ranchers, as well as the Burns Paiute Tribe, which objected strongly to the occupiers’ actions.

Refuge staff are working to get the facilities open after armed occupiers took it over for 41 days starting in early January.

There are some repairs needed on the building after the occupation, Jewell told reporters at a brief news conference Monday afternoon.

Jewell also spoke about working with local leaders and ranchers to get rid of the red tape and barriers they face when trying to ranch on federal lands.

She also said it was because of the incredible leadership and resistance from the community that the occupation didn’t last as long as some feared.

“The ranchers of Harney County want these landscapes to be here, so that their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren can continues to be ranchers if they choose to,” Jewell said.

She also noted that the Bureau of Land Management has moved 117,000 acres of federal land to private ownership as part of the Steens Act.

Jewell said the Malheur refuge has gotten a lot of national attention, and that has had some positive effects. Employees have added more birding tours in the coming weeks to meet high demand.

Although the refuge headquarters remains closed at present, the wildlife areas are open to the public.

“The wildlife refuge is open, and we hope people from all over the world but certainly people from this region come visit the refuge as the birds come,” Jewell said.

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters should reopen by early summer, she said.