Washington, DC
– U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.)
today introduced legislation to improve the management of and recreational
access to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area in Douglas County,
Oregon. The Wyden-Smith bill directs the Secretary of the Interior
to convey approximately 68.5 acres from the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) in Douglas County, Oregon, to Douglas County to be managed
for open space and for recreational purposes. This land transfer
will improve tourism on Oregon’s economically challenged South
Coast, as well as improve public safety and reduce traffic congestion
along Salmon Harbor Drive.
“Through downturns in the timber and
fishing industries and the loss of International Paper, the people
of Winchester Bay have never given up on their community’s
economic prospects. They deserve the Federal government’s
cooperation in their efforts to grow tourism in Douglas County,”
said Wyden. “This bill is critical to Winchester Bay’s
future, and Senator Smith and I are going to work together to win
its passage.”
“The tourism encouraged by this bill
is vital to the economy of the South Coast,” said Smith. “Providing
Douglas County the means to share the beauty of the Oregon Dunes
while protecting its environment will bring a much needed economic
boon to their community.”
The acreage to be transferred is located just
west of tourist and recreational area developments already owned
and run by Douglas County. The County will use the land to provide
a staging area for off-highway vehicles, thereby consolidating and
improving USFS management of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation
Area. The land transfer also facilitates the policing of unlawful
camping and parking along Salmon Harbor Drive and adjacent areas.
The Wyden-Smith bill is expected to be referred
to the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests for consideration.
It has the support of the entire Oregon delegation, as well as the
BLM, the Douglas County Commissioners, and the community of Winchester
Bay. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) has introduced this land transfer
legislation (H.R. 514) in the House of Representatives.
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