Air Force wants to use Owyhee Canyonlands for training

(AUGUST 8, 2021) The Owyhee Canyonlands are a special and unusual part of Oregon. They are in the far southeastern corner at the borders of Idaho and Nevada. The area is very remote; there are few roads, and very few people.

The canyonlands surround the Owyhee River and other streams. It's a wilderness area protected by the U.S. government. Not much has changed over the years. It's far from cities and highways, and there is no cell phone service. People come here to enjoy rafting, hiking, fishing, camping, and hunting.

Now, however, the U.S. Air Force wants to use this land for "low-altitude training." That means that planes will fly very low to the ground. In fact, the Air Force wants permission to fly as low as 5,000 feet for supersonic planes (supersonic means faster than the speed of sound), while regular planes would be able to fly as low as 100 feet off the ground.

The military thinks that remote places like this are good for training. There are very few people here, and there are no tall buildings or towers. But that is why people say the area deserves protection.

“The Owyhee is such a special area,” said Tim Davis. He is the leader of an organization called the Friends of the Owyhee. This organization wants to keep the area as it is. “[Planes] flying this low … that’s going to impact the solitude of the Owyhee right off the bat.”

Research by the Air Force agrees that the new training would affect recreation in the Owyhee area. It would also have a strong effect on minority and low-income populations. It adds, however, that wildlife will get used to the new noises, such as sonic booms (loud noises caused when planes cross the speed of sound).

The Air Force says the changes are necessary. It needs space for pilots to practice flying and fighting in more realistic ways.

“Efforts for protection have been going for a long time in this area,” Davis said. “With the Air Force wanting to just use this because, ‘Oh nobody’s there,’ well, that’s what makes it special and warrants some of the protection.”