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Prepared remarks of U.S.
Senator Ron Wyden
Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act of
2004 proposal
March 25, 2004
Two-thousand four is a momentous
year for wilderness in Oregon. It marks the 40th anniversary
of the 1964 Wilderness Act and the 20th anniversary of the last
Oregon Wilderness bill (1984).
But perhaps most importantly, 2004 marks the bicentennial of
the single most important exploratory committee ever to be launched
by this Federal government: the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
I can see no better way to mark this
auspicious year than by enacting a new Oregon Wilderness bill:
the "Lewis and Clark
Mount Hood Wilderness Act of 2004" which includes, in tribute
to the great river-dependent journey of Lewis and Clark, the
addition of four free-flowing stretches of rivers to the National
Wild and Scenic River System.
In the last few years, we have protected some of Oregon's most
important treasures:
My current draft legislative wilderness proposal takes a fresh
look at protecting the lower elevation forests surrounding Mount
Hood and the Columbia River Gorge. These forests symbolize the
natural beauty of Oregon; they provide the clean water for the
biological survival of threatened steelhead, Coho and Chinook
salmon. These forests provide critical habitat and diverse ecosystems
for elk, deer, lynx and the majestic bald eagle. And these are
the forests that provide unparalleled recreational opportunities
for Oregonians and our visitors.
Mount Hood is the highest mountain
in Oregon. Captain Clark described it as "a mountain of immense height, covered with
snow" while John Muir described Mount Hood a bit more poetically
as "one glorious manifestation of divine power."
"
Wy'East" is the American Indian name for Mount Hood. Before
Lewis and Clark came to what we now know of as Oregon, these
forests and the species they supported in turn supported native
Indians for thousands of years. These are the forests that connect
the high elevation snowfields with the rich diverse lower valleys
that produce the famous salmon, which were described as so plentiful
you could walk across the river on their backs.
Though the history of Mount Hood and her environs are fascinating,
the need to designate these areas as protected wilderness and
wild and scenic rivers lie in the very modern stories of rising
pressures from increased use and development.
The need to protect and build on Oregon's
Wilderness system is as important today as it was in 1804,
1964 or 1984 – and
is arguably more so. There are currently 189,200 acres of designated
wilderness on the Mount Hood National Forest. This bill would
almost double that amount by designating approximately 160,000
new acres of wilderness thereby hopefully lessening the pressures
of overuse while finally staving off threats of development.
Today, the economic role of these
public lands has shifted. Communities on the highway to Mount
Hood often market themselves
as the "Gateway to Mount Hood" as a way to improve
their tourism opportunities. And well they should: on weekends,
crowds of Oregonians come out of the cities seeking a natural,
and often wild, experience. In the 20 years that has elapsed
since any new wilderness has been designated in the Mount Hood
area (wild and scenic rivers were last set aside 16 years ago),
the population in local counties has increased significantly
-- 20% in Multnomah, 24% in Hood River, and 41% in Clackamas.
With increasing emphasis on wild scenery,
unspoiled wildlife habitats, free flowing rivers, wilderness
and the need for opportunities
for diverse outdoor recreation sometimes it seems we are in jeopardy
of "loving our wild places to death." A few years ago,
the Forest Service made a proposal to limit the number of people
that could hike the south side of Mount Hood and the public outcry
was enormous.
Seems to me, rather than tell people that they are going to
be restricted from using our public lands, the solution lies
in providing more opportunities for them to enjoy our great places.
I have heard from community after community that they fear a
threat to their local drinking water, or the need for further
protections from development. Congressional statutory designation
as wilderness provides the only real protection of the historical,
scientific, cultural, education, environmental, scenic, and recreational
values that contribute to the quality of life of which Oregonians
are so proud.
The protection of these important Oregon places will depend
on the hard work and dedication of all Oregonians, and particularly
that of my Oregon colleagues here in the Congress. Everyone will
have to pull together: county Commissioners, environmentalists,
entrepreneurs, chambers of commerce, state elected officials,
the governor, and the Oregon delegation here in the Capitol.
I look forward to perfecting this draft legislation together
in the coming weeks, and seeing its swift adoption by Congress
thereafter. Then the grandeur of Mount Hood and other Oregon
treasures can be assured for future generations.
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