A new push for wilderness: Keep the idea alive in Oregon

the Register Guard ^ | 28 April 02 | A Register Guard masthead editorial

[Glutton]

A new push for wilderness: Keep the idea alive in Oregon

A Register-Guard Editorial 

	Recommend this story to others.

When U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer and a coalition of environmental groups met earlier this month to launch a campaign to expand Oregon wilderness areas, the idea seemed destined for referral to the Federal Department of Lost Causes. The Bush administration is more interested in rolling back protection for lands within national monuments than in declaring more acres off limits to development.

But wilderness is not a lost cause until there are no more wild lands to protect. That's not the case in Oregon.

At Blumenauer's forum, the Oregon Wilderness Coalition presented a proposal to add 400,000 acres to the state's 2.3 million acres of wilderness. Whether specific tracts of federal land included in the proposal are worthy of wilderness designations is debatable. But the debate itself is important, with its implicit message that Oregon's inventory of wilderness areas is not yet complete.

Under the 1964 Wilderness Act, Congress can protect undeveloped public lands in their natural state - no roads, no motorized vehicles, no logging, no mining. At the time, wilderness areas were seen primarily as a preserve for backcountry recreation. In the final decades of the 20th century, appreciation of their value as sources of clean water, as wildlife habitat and as ecological preserves has steadily grown.

The last substantial addition to Oregon's wilderness system came in 1984, when President Reagan signed bills designating new wilderness lands in 20 states. U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield brokered the compromise for the Oregon Wilderness Act, which gave permanent protection to 930,000 acres in 13 national forests. That addition came under a conservative Republican president in the midst of a deep recession.

Since then, wilderness legislation affecting Oregon has related to single areas, such as Opal Creek east of Salem and Steens Mountain south of Burns.

Nearly 40 years after the original act, 3.6 percent of federal lands in Oregon are designated as wilderness. In Washington, 10 percent of federal lands are wilderness, and in California the figure is 13 percent. The higher percentages in neighboring states is partly a consequence of their having large national parks, portions of which are protected as wilderness. Oregon has only one national park, Crater Lake.

But the diversity and beauty of Oregon's public lands is unmatched, and many of these areas retain the untouched character that would qualify them for wilderness designation. Many are de facto wilderness areas already, lacking only the permanent protection that congressional action could provide.

Blumenauer and other wilderness supporters face an uphill struggle in the Republican controlled House of Representatives, in the Bush White House and even in the Democrat-led Senate, which has a limited amount of political capital to spend on environmental issues.

But members of Congress, the president and Oregonians should not consider the wilderness system complete. Fifty or 100 years from now, it's a safe bet that no one will be saying that Oregon has too much wilderness.

---

Copyright © 2002 The Register-Guard

[anniegetyourgun]

"The Bush administration is more interested in rolling back protection for lands within national monuments than in declaring more acres off limits to development."

Oh, thank heavens. People on FR will be so glad to know that it's all Bush's fault.

[Glutton]

ping

[jimtorr]

Many are de facto wilderness areas already

So, why mess with what is working already?

[jimtorr]

I've spent a great deal of time in the central Cascade Mountains in Oregon. The state and feds have already destroyed nearly all of my families favorite recreation areas by removing camp grounds entirely, making former campgrounds day-use only, imposing severe permit systems and such-like.

No more spur-of-the-moment weekend trips into hike-in mountain lakes. The Wilderness Boy Scout camps are all gone. If you want to hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, up over and around ancient and not-so-ancient volcanoes, you need to plan two weeks ahead. Even then, you get dirty looks from self-appointed wilderness guardians, as well as being interrogated by rangers.

[Glutton]

There is some good fromsome of the regulation. The Cougar Hot Springs had had over a thousand Rainbow family types living there year round, running kitchens, and establishing turf.

They had left garbage and abandoned cars. And the crimes of theft and assault were too much to take.

Perhaps that is an attitude of a rural cleansing of a sort; but it is the sort of thing causing the regulations and closures you speak of.

There has to be a better way to regulate the use of wildlands to protect them without locking out the good people with the bad. But sometimes it is even hard to determine the good from the bad in some instances.

I am not sympathetic with allowing snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park for example. And considering the explosion of population in Deschutes county that is causing strong competition for camping spots in Central Oregon, I can understand some of the dynamics causing the complaints you have.

In any event, thanks for your feedback.

[Glutton]

ping

[okie01]

"Even then, you get dirty looks from self-appointed wilderness guardians, as well as being interrogated by rangers."

Sounds like a perfect excuse to fire up a stogie.

[madfly]

ping

[mfulstone]

Wilderness?

Let's see - less than 5% of this nation's lands have been developed. What seems to be the problem???

[RightWhale]

As soon as we port our show to outer space, the meek can convert the entire planet to wilderness. Until then this kind of environmentalism is slowing our progress and guaranteeing that earth will be the only planet in the economic system.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Under the 1964 Wilderness Act, Congress can protect undeveloped public lands in their natural state - no roads, no motorized vehicles, no logging, no mining. At the time, wilderness areas were seen primarily as a preserve for backcountry recreation. In the final decades of the 20th century, appreciation of their value as sources of clean water, as wildlife habitat and as ecological preserves has steadily grown.

High and Dry in the Klamath Basin -

The Road to Eco-Serfdom

Implementing UN Plans through "Urban Sprawl" Regulations

US Senate Gives UN Control Over 70% Of World's Land Mass

A BRIEF ANALYSIS OF IPF-3

Freinds of the earth and Globalization

AND HERES A GOLDMINE

full coverage: forests::: The OneWorld database contains tens of thousands of documents on forests from the partners' websites.

HAVE FUN FINDING OUT WHO OWNS WHAT IT MOSTLY LOOKS LIKE WE DONT AND THEY DO !!!

[hammerdown]

bttt

[B Knotts]

You know, the urban masses wanted to stop logging on federal lands. Well, that's pretty much what's happened now. Oh, sure, there's a sale here and there, but more forests are burning than being harvested. The funny thing is that the urban recreationists, with their trash, cars and dogs, have now made more of a mess through recreation than the loggers ever did.

[Glutton]

I love camping. I usually backpack into an area and tote out ant trash I can fit in where my eaten food was packed. Or, I take a several day run camping via bicycle touring.

People with swineobagos who bring all their toys, TV, stereos, and quad-runners should try to dig down and remember what camping is all about. Solitude, theirs and that of others around them should be beter respected.

When I watch my fellow Americans bring the city with them to get away from it all, I question their sanity.

The best way to defuse the wilderness area expansion movement is to camp lighter, quieter, and more respectfully then is popular with some folks. Supporters of these areas have alot of ammunition to expend in fighting to expand and create them.

[blackie]

Stop the attacks by the wacko, enviro-nazis terrorist's on our Freedoms !!

Freedom Is Worth Fighting For !!

Molon Labe !!