Plan expands Oregon Caves, protects Rogue tributaries

Provisions would be added to 'Oregon Treasure' bill that focuses mostly on Mount Hood National Forest

More than 142 miles of tributaries would be protected by the Lower Rogue Wild and Scenic River designation under a proposal announced Monday by Oregon U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer.

The Democrats also are calling for expanding the 480-acre Oregon Caves National Monument by about 4,000 acres.

The additions are part of the "Oregon Treasures" legislation whose main focus is adding 132,000 acres of wilderness, 34,550 acres of recreation area and some 80 miles of wild and scenic river designation to the Mount Hood National Forest.

"From the tributaries of the Wild Rogue, to the Cave Creek watershed, to the iconic Mount Hood, we have an historic opportunity to leave a natural legacy for the next generation," DeFazio said in a prepared statement.

The bill is expected to be introduced later this year, according to DeFazio spokeswoman Molly Simmons.

DeFazio represents the state's 4th Congressional District, which covers most the Oregon's southwest corner. Blumenauer's 3rd Congressional District covers Multnomah County, including portions of the proposed Mount Hood wilderness expansion.

Blumenauer and U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, a Republican from Hood River, introduced the "Mount Hood Stewardship Legacy Act" which would have expanded the Mount Hood wilderness area. It passed the House but died in the Senate.

Last year, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed the Lewis and Clark Mt. Hood Wilderness Bill which also expanded the Mount Hood wilderness. That bill has yet to clear the full Senate.

The Oregon Treasures legislation includes some 6,500 acres not included in the Senate bill.

Walden has not had a chance to study DeFazio and Blumenauer's proposal, said Andrew Whelan, his press secretary.

"We're looking forward to getting more information on it," Whelan said. "We can then go to the stakeholders to make sure it has broad-based support."

Basically, the legislation would designate 142.9 miles of tributaries of the Lower Rogue Wild and Scenic River, then classify them as either wild, scenic or recreational, according to Simmons.

In 1968, Congress protected 84 river miles from the confluence of the Applegate River downstream to Lobster Creek. Under that law, the designated corridor is protected by an average quarter-mile-wide strip of land on either side of the river.

About 15,000 people float the lower Rogue during the annual permit season from May 15 through Oct. 15, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Another 2,500 hike the historic Rogue River Trail each year.

At the Oregon Caves National Monument some two dozen miles southeast of Cave Junction, the proposed expansion would increase natural resources protection, increase public recreation opportunities, expand local economic development opportunities and protect the drinking water source, Simmons said.

Citing BLM estimates, David Moryc, wild rivers program director for American Rivers, said the lower Rogue generates $13 million in tourism revenue each year.

"This is the kind of leadership and vision we need if we are going to protect the drinking water sources for millions of Oregonians, along with the recreation and fish and wildlife that give this state such a high quality of life," he said of the proposal.

Longtime lower Rogue river runner Frank Armendariz, general manager of Oregon River Sports in Eugene, said the bill will help the state's economy in the long term.

"On any given weekend, a good 25 percent of the gear we sell is on the way to the Rogue," he said. "This bill will add a couple of layers of protection to the main stem. This ensures the Rogue will be a viable recreational and natural resource for many years to come."

It will also protect valuable salmon and steelhead habitat, added George Sexton, conservation director for the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center in Ashland.

"Most Americans see the tributaries of the lower Rogue and the headwaters of Sucker Creek in the Oregon Caves National Monument as national treasures," he said. "Unfortunately, that hasn't always been how they have been managed."

The legislation would provide permanent protection for those watersheds, he said.

Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at pfattig@mailtribune.com.