Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act of 2004 Draft Legislative Proposal

LEWIS AND CLARK MOUNT HOOD WILDERNESS ACT OF 2004 DRAFT LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL

Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss a draft legislative proposal I have developed and am soliciting comment from people in my State to add 160,000 acres of new wilderness in the Mount Hood National Forest.

The year 2004 is momentous for wilderness in Oregon. It marks the 40th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act and the 20th anniversary of the last Oregon wilderness bill. Perhaps most importantly, 2004 marks the bicentennial of the single most important exploratory committee ever launched by the Federal Government and that is the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

One way to mark this very special time would be to enact a new Oregon wilderness bill, which I could conceive of as the Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act of 2004. In tribute to the great river-dependent journey of Lewis and Clark, I believe it would also be appropriate to add four free-flowing stretches of rivers to the National Wild and Scenic River System.

In the last few years, Congress has protected some of my home State's most important treasures: Steens Mountain is now home to 170,000 acres of wilderness. The Little Sandy watershed is now part of the Bull Run Management unit and will help provide drinking water for over 700,000 Oregonians. Soda Mountain has been designated a national monument. Fort Clatsop National Memorial has been expanded, and this year it may be designated as Oregon's second national park.

The draft I have been discussing with my constituents would take a fresh look at protecting the lower elevation forests surrounding Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge. These forests symbolize the natural beauty of my home State. 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, and of course the majestic bald eagle. These are the forests that provide unparalleled recreational opportunities for millions of Oregonians and all of our visitors.

Mount Hood is the highest mountain in my home State. 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 as my home State, these forests and 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 our famous salmon which were described as so plentiful one could walk across the river on their backs.

Although the history of Mount Hood and her environs are fascinating, the need to designate these areas as protected wilderness and wild and scenic rivers is best expressed by the very modern stories of increased pressures from development and recreational use that are at the heart of our State's future.

The need to protect and build on Oregon's wilderness system that is as important now as it was in 1804, 1964, or 1984. There are currently 189,200 acres of designated wilderness on the Mount Hood National Forest. I believe it would be appropriate this year, 2004, to discuss a draft bill which would almost double that amount by designating approximately 160,000 new acres of wilderness thereby lessening the pressures of overuse while also staving off the threat of development.

Today, the economic role of these important public lands has shifted. Communities on the highway to Mount Hood often market themselves as the "Gateway to Mount Hood," and see this as a special opportunity to improve their tourism.

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, the population in the local counties has increased significantly-20 percent in my home county of Multnomah, 24 percent in Hood River County, and 41 percent in Clackamas County.

With increasing emphasis on wild scenery, unspoiled wildlife habitats, free flowing rivers, wilderness, and the need for opportunities for diverse outdoor recreation, it seems to me that very often 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 who could hike the south side of Mount Hood. I can tell you the public outcry was staggering.

So it seems to me, rather than to tell people 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 historic, scientific, cultural, environmental, scenic, and recreational values that contribute to the quality of life of which the people of my State are so proud.

The protection of the special Oregon places is going to depend on the hard work and dedication of all Oregonians, and especially my colleagues in the Congress.

I have had a chance already to discuss this with Senator Smith. He and I always work in a bipartisan way. As always, he has been very gracious with respect to saying he would work with me and will join me in listening to the people of Oregon.

I have also been pleased today to be able to talk to Congressman Walden, who is the new chair of an important subcommittee who will be in a position to listen to the people of our State, take their ideas, and take their input on this draft. I also have talked to Congressman Blumenauer today, who represents the congressional district that I was so proud to represent for 15 years in the House of Representatives.

I believe the four of us in particular will take the time now to listen to the people of our State, the county commissioners, the environmentalists, the entrepreneurs, the chambers of commerce, the Governor, various State-elected officials who have an interest in this issue, and other interested parties and work to try to get this important work done in the right fashion.
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I have been very proud to have been involved in two natural resource efforts in the last few years where people thought the polarization was so great that you could not get anything done. With respect to the county payments legislation Senator Craig and I teamed up on a matter that was absolutely critical to funding schools and roads. We worked in a bipartisan way, listened to people, and got an important piece of legislation passed.

We did the same thing with respect to forest health legislation earlier in this Congress. People said we couldn't get a bill out of the Senate. A lot of people of good will, including the Presiding Officer tonight, came together and we got 80 votes for it in the Senate.

When you listen to people, it is possible to get important natural resources legislation passed. I think it would be very appropriate to take the draft I am now circulating to the people of Oregon, spend the necessary time listening to people of our State, and turn it into legislation that could be considered formally by the Congress and perfect it in the coming weeks and days ahead. Congress ought to try to pass this legislation after listening to the people of my home State. The grandeur of Mount Hood and other Oregon treasures can be assured for future generations if we can come together and approach this in a bipartisan way.

That is what I am committed to doing based on my conversations today with Congressman Walden and Congressman Blumenauer, the Members who are most affected by the legislation, and Senator Smith who has joined me so often. I am convinced our delegation is committed to doing this job right, recognizing that 2004 is a momentous year for wilderness in our State.

I would very much like to see the people of our State, working with our congressional delegation, coming together and passing a Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act of 2004. We have a lot of work ahead of us in the days ahead, but we are committed to approaching this in a responsible and bipartisan fashion. I want to tell the people of my State I think it would be exciting to make sure that we could take steps in this session to ensure that, for the millions who will come to visit Mount Hood in the days ahead, we have acted to preserve the grandeur of this spectacular treasure.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.