Printer
Friendly Version
Senate
Committee Approves Wyden-Smith Bill
to Aid Tourism for Oregon Dunes, Winchester Bay
Land transfer will improve recreational
management, policing
July 23, 2003
Washington, DC – U.S.
Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today announced
the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s unanimous
approval of their bipartisan 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.
“Restoring Oregon’s
economy is my first priority, and Winchester Bay needs the economic
opportunities that a thriving tourism industry provides,”
said Wyden. “This vote brings Douglas County one step closer
to improving its tourist trade, and I’ll keep working with
Senator Smith to see this legislation move to the President’s
desk.”
“Transferring this land
will boost tourism on the south coast where dollars are so badly
needed,” said Smith. “It is a win-win situation for
the economy, the environment, and most of all for the people of
Douglas County.”
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 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.