The conservation group Oregon Wild today cheered the introduction of legislation by US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to protect 200,000 acres of Oregon wildlands and wild rivers as havens for recreation and a legacy for future generations.
The 2015 Oregon Wildlands Act would:
- Expand the Wild Rogue Wilderness by more than 56,000 acres to include roadless wild areas beloved by rafters and hikers. The legislation would also protect an additional 125 miles of Rogue as a designated Wild and Scenic River.
- Establish the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness by protecting 30,500 acres of remote, old-growth forests in the Oregon Coast Range. The bill would also designate 14.6 miles of Franklin Creek and Wasson Creek as Wild and Scenic Rivers.
- Protect almost 95,000 acres as a haven for tourism and outdoor recreation through the creation of the Rogue Canyon National Recreation Area.
- Safeguard 24,000 acres to create the Molalla National Recreation Area to protect and enhance the unique fish and wildlife and recreational values of both areas.
“This legislation is an important step forward in protecting the wildlands, wildlife, and waters that make Oregon such a special place,” said Steve Pedery, Conservation Director for Oregon Wild. “We applaud Senators Wyden and Merkley for their work to protect these places for fish and wildlife, and for Oregon families to use and enjoy.”
“We are pleased that the Oregon Wildlands Act does not link the conservation of these special places to more controversial public lands proposals,” continued Pedery. Oregon Wild has long advocated for protections of these areas as stand-alone legislation in the US Senate. In previous Congresses, protection for these wild areas has been linked to increased logging in Western Oregon.
