Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - June 05, 2008)

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By Mr. WYDEN:

S. 3088. A bill to designate certain land in the State of Oregon as wilderness, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce two bills to protect two unique places in the high desert of Central and Eastern Oregon as wilderness. These areas both reflect the wild, rugged beauty that makes Oregon's terrain east of the Cascade Mountains so incomparable.

The first bill I am introducing, the Oregon Badlands Wilderness Act of 2008, S. 3088, would designate as wilderness almost 30,000 acres of the area known as the Badlands. The Badlands consists of high desert that is located just 15 miles east of Bend, Oregon, and straddles the Deschutes-Crook county border. The Badlands is made up of pockets of soft sand, lichen-covered lava flows and 1,000-year-old ancient junipers. It is home to pronghorn, deer, and elk.

The effort to protect the Badlands was led by a Bend schoolteacher, Alice Elshoff, in the 1980s. According to an article about Ms. Elshoff's efforts, ``Huge chunks of basalt rock jut out of the soft desert sand like blisters that burst from within the earth. Twisted juniper trees, some hundreds of years old, seem to desperately cling to the jagged rock formations. And beneath the trees and nearly hidden in narrow hideaways among the rocks are faint red drawings, messages left by prehistoric Indians who called this rugged part of the world home. This is the Badlands.''

In addition to its natural attributes, many Bend business leaders understand that an Oregon Badlands Wilderness adds to the area's national reputation as a hub for diverse outdoor recreation. In the Bend area, people can enjoy almost any outdoor activity--boating, biking, skiing, horseback riding, hunting, riding off-road vehicles and hiking. Within roughly an hour's drive of Bend, there are more than 400,000 acres of public lands available to motorized recreation--and I look forward to continuing to work with the Central Oregon off road and snowmobile communities. The region's diverse recreational options are a true example of multiple use. Into that mix we now add the peace and solitude of a wilderness recreation experience. These kinds of diverse recreational opportunities and scenic natural areas are part of what has attracted companies and new residents to the Bend area and, with them, booming economic development. According to the 2007 article in The Economist entitled ``Booming Bend,'' ``Fabulous scenery attracts people with fabulous amounts of money.'' To sum it up, people seek places to live and work with the kind of high quality of life the Bend area can offer. The natural beauty and recreational opportunities of an area like Bend propel this growth.

The Bend community has been talking about protecting the special place known as the Badlands for many years. Volunteers have been working with long-time Oregon ranchers, notably Bev and Ray Clarno, whose family has worked the land for generations, along with conservationists, irrigators, and more than 200 local businesses to gain protection for the Badlands as wilderness.

This designation is also a tribute to a remarkable young woman, Rachel Scdoris, who grew up driving and training her sled dog team through this area--and the bill provides that she may continue doing so for as long as she chooses. Ms. Scdoris is legally blind, and she recently completed in her third Iditarod sled dog race.

This wilderness designation has been a long time in coming; it has been over two decades since the BLM began reviewing which lands should be considered candidates for wilderness. From that time forward, BLM has repeatedly concluded that the Badlands should be protected as Wilderness. It is time to make it happen. This unique part of the Oregon high desert needs to be permanently protected for generations to come.

The second bill I am introducing is the Spring Basin Wilderness Act of 2008, S. 3089. This region is further east and even more remote than the Badlands. Spring Basin is one of Central Oregon's premier wild areas. Overlooking the John Day Wild and Scenic River, the rolling hills of Spring Basin burst with color during the spring wildflower bloom. It boasts canyons and diverse geology that offers recreational opportunities for hikers, horseback riders, hunters, botanists, and other outdoor enthusiasts. The area is important habitat for populations of Mule Deer and Rocky Mountain Elk, as well as many bird species. To preserve this natural treasure, my bill would designate approximately 8,600 acres as the Spring Basin Wilderness.

During the past several years, many community leaders and adjacent landowners have approached me advocating for Wilderness designation for this spectacular land that borders the Wild and Scenic John Day River and the nearby John Day Fossil Beds. The area is known across Oregon for its profusion of spring wildflowers. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, local landowners, the County Commission and the Federal Bureau of Land Management all support Wilderness designation for Spring Basin. In fact, Spring Basin was recommended to Congress as a wilderness area by the Bureau of Land Management in 1989. Protecting this scenic jewel will add to Oregon's treasured wilderness and the unique recreational opportunities it provides.

I want to express my thanks to all the volunteers and supporters who have worked tirelessly to protect this area and reached out to diverse community groups to build support. I also want to thank the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs for their engagement and support. The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs own and manage approximately 30,000 acres of adjacent land that they manage to the north and east of Spring Basin. The Tribes manage these lands for the improvement of fish and wildlife habitat and I look forward to working with them to implement this legislation.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bills be printed in the Record.

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