Under New Public Lands Conservation Package, Oregon Would Have Most Protected Rivers of Any U.S. State

The federal lands package was approved by the U.S. House and Senate and now awaits President Trump’s signature.

Rogue Wild and Scenic River, Oregon (Bureau of Land Management)

On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the largest public lands conservation in bill in a decade.

The bill, which passed through the U.S. Senate earlier this month, designates 1.3 million acres of land in Oregon, Utah, New Mexico and California as wilderness and classifies 280 miles of Oregon rivers as wild and scenic.

Under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, designated rivers are safeguarded from development for their current and future "natural, cultural, and recreational values."

Should President Trump sign the bill, which he is expected to do, Oregon would have the most of protected rivers of any U.S. state.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said in a statement Tuesday: "Today, I celebrate yet another proud chapter of Oregon's conservation legacy, but this book is far from finished—and I'll be coming back for more."

The measure, which marks a rare instance of bipartisan cooperation and is an important win for environmentalists, includes protections for the Devil's Staircase Wilderness in the Oregon Coast Range; the Chetco River in southwest Oregon; 250 miles of salmon- and steelhead-producing streams in the Rogue River, Molalla River, Jenny Creek, Wasson Creek, Franklin Creek and Elk River; and 40 miles of Rogue River tributaries that are at risk of being mined and dammed.

The bill also includes provisions to support the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's wildfire management efforts in Central Oregon.

Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that Oregon would have the most miles of protected rivers. It would have the most protected rivers. 

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