Preservation

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski says it's time for more Wilderness in Oregon.

Thirty years ago today, President Jimmy Carter signed the Endangered American Wilderness Act, protecting treasured areas such as the Rogue River in southern Oregon and French Pete in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area.

This anniversary honors Oregonians' commitment to preserving the amazing wilderness areas that make Oregon unique. Our appreciation for natural beauty and our love of the outdoors is part of the Oregon identity, and we need to make sure that what defines us as Oregonians is not lost.

While Oregon has a rich history of preserving our natural treasures, the reality is that far fewer of our state lands are protected by the federal wilderness act than in our neighboring states. Only 3.7 percent of Oregon's land is protected under the National Wilderness Preservation System. California protects 14.4 percent and Washington protects 10.1 percent. Idaho and Nevada are also ahead of Oregon. While this is not a competition, Oregon has one of the richest landscapes of anywhere in the United States, with far more areas deserving wilderness status than are currently protected.

In Oregon, we are fortunate to have wilderness advocates on both sides of the aisle in our congressional delegation and, as governor, I will continue to work with them to protect more of Oregon's wilderness. I have supported the work of Sens. Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith and Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Greg Walden to include more wilderness areas in the Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Bill. I have supported the establishment of the Copper-Salmon Wilderness Area, and I am now lending my support to additional areas like the Badlands Wilderness Area outside of Bend and the Spring Basin Wilderness Area near John Day. The addition of these, and other areas, would build on Oregon's conservation legacy.

As I look back at the many great achievements Oregonians have made in protecting our environment, it is clear that we place high value on the mountains, rivers, streams and forests that make up this beautiful landscape.

There is no other place in the world I would want to live, and I am committed to building on the legacy of our protected wilderness. I want my grandchildren to hike the same trails and gaze over the same vistas I have and understand, too, that there is nowhere more beautiful than Oregon's most wild places.

Ted Kulongoski has served as governor of Oregon since 2003. He frequently backpacks in Oregon's wilderness areas. As a state representative in 1978, Kulongoski testified in support of the Endangered American Wilderness Act before the Senate Subcommittee on Parks and Recreation and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.