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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.

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