A news story by the Oregonian (12-3-03) revealed that a private consulting company, Enviroscientists Inc., which was hired by the BLM to help draft the management plan for the 1.6 million-acre Andrews Resource Management Area, has strong ties to the mining industry. The plan will have direct impacts on Steens Mountain and the surrounding Alvord Desert, Pueblo Mountains, and Trout Creek Mountains.

In response to this revelation, the Steens-Alvord Coalition (a group of local and national conservation organizations, including ONDA), sent a letter urging Oregon's congressional delegation to initiate a formal investigation of the controversial contract.

Reps. Blumenauer, DeFazio, Hooley and Wu responded by requesting that Interior Secretary Gail Norton conduct an internal investigation, while Senator Wyden sent a letter asking the Inspector General to launch an inquiry into the contract between Enviroscientists and the BLM. Additionally, Rep. Rahall (D-WV), Democratic minority leader on the House Resources Committee, also sent a letter to Secretary Norton requesting an investigation.

View the map (PDF format, 212K) showing the 448,000 acres where mining would be allowed in the draft Steens management plan.