[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 133 (Monday, September 10, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11328-S11329]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Mr. WYDEN:
S. 2034. A bill to amend the Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984 to
designate the Copper Salmon Wilderness and to amend the Wild and Scenic
Rivers Act to designate segments of the North and South Forks of the
Elk River in the
[[Page S11329]]
State of Oregon as wild or scenic rivers, and for other purposes; to
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, Oregon's coastal forests contain many
hidden gems. Within the lush rainforests of the Siskiyou-Rogue River
National Forest, we find one of these gems--the headwaters of the North
Fork of the Elk River, known as the Copper Salmon area. Today I
introduce a bill to protect this natural treasure, which lies adjacent
to the existing Grassy Knob Wilderness.
During the last decade, a dedicated group of local conservationists
has been working hard to protect Copper Salmon. It is one of the last
intact watersheds on the southwest Oregon coast. Copper Salmon is
renowned among fishermen. For anglers seeking to catch a trophy chinook
salmon or winter steelhead for the barbeque or smoker in Oregon, this
is the place. Few watersheds in Oregon can match the Elk River
drainage. Even after torrential rainstorms, anglers are still able to
fish the Elk. When 25 inches of rain fell over 18 straight days last
December, the Elk was still fishable while the other rivers in
southwest Oregon, Rogue, Umpqua, Coquille, were clouded with debris and
mud. Copper Salmon also supports healthy populations of blacktail deer,
elk, black bear and mountain lion. This beautiful gem on the
southwestern Oregon coast provides great and challenging opportunities
here to hunt in freedom and solitude.
Mr. President, 80 percent of the watershed in this region is still
intact. The Elk has healthy wild runs of winter steelhead and chinook.
It also has some coho salmon and sea-run cutthroat trout, as well as
resident cutthroats and rainbow trout. Oregon State University
researchers believe it is one of the healthiest anadromous fish streams
in the lower 48. There is a reason why: intact habitat.
My bill would provide permanent protections to 13,700 acres of new
wilderness. It would also designate 9.3 miles of wild and scenic
rivers. Wilderness and wild and scenic designations will protect this
watershed and ensure that hunting and fishing opportunities are
protected in the Copper Salmon area. Wilderness designation is popular
in the local area, as evidenced by resolutions in favor of it from the
Port Orford Chamber of Commerce, the mayor of Port Orford, and the
Curry County Commissioners. Additionally, a majority of the guides,
lodges and local citizens have supported this proposal. It is time now
that we all come together and permanently protect this special place.
As Oregon's population grows, I believe that we must match this
growth and the corresponding development with protection of our natural
heritage. Protection of these areas will ensure that Oregonians and
visitors will continue to enjoy opportunities to hike in the
wilderness, hunt healthy populations of elk, blacktail deer, black
bear, mountain lion and to catch trophy-sized chinook and steelhead.
I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2034
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Copper Salmon Wilderness
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) the proposed Copper Salmon Wilderness, comprising
13,700 acres, includes a significant portion of an
inventoried roadless area adjacent to the Grassy Knob
Wilderness area protected by the Oregon Wilderness Act of
1984 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; Public Law 98-328);
(2) the proposed Copper Salmon Wilderness includes--
(A) the North Fork and South Fork of the Elk River;
(B) the upper Middle Fork of the Sixes River; and
(C) tributaries of the South Fork of Coquille River;
(3) the Elk River is designated as a Tier 1 Key Watershed;
(4) the fisheries of the Elk River are recognized as 1 of
the best salmon and steelhead producers in the 48 contiguous
States, producing more salmon per square meter than most
rivers outside the State of Alaska;
(5) designation of the proposed Wilderness would provide
permanent protection for the last remaining mammoth Port
Orford Cedars in the Elk River watershed;
(6) the protection of the proposed Copper Salmon Wilderness
is supported by the local communities near the proposed
Wilderness, which have passed resolutions supporting the
designation of the proposed Wilderness;
(7) the master plan for the economic stability of Curry
County, Oregon, includes ecotourism and recreation as primary
sources of income; and
(8) permanent protection for the proposed Copper Salmon
Wilderness is needed to conserve the environment in
southwestern Oregon.
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF THE COPPER SALMON WILDERNESS.
Section 3 of the Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984 (16 U.S.C.
1132 note; Public Law 98-328) is amended--
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
``eight hundred fifty-nine thousand six hundred acres'' and
inserting ``873,300 acres''; and
(2) in paragraph (29), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(30) certain land in the Siskiyou National Forest,
comprising approximately 13,700 acres, as generally depicted
on the map entitled `Proposed Copper Salmon Wilderness Area',
to be known as the `Copper Salmon Wilderness'.''.
SEC. 4. WILD AND SCENIC RIVER DESIGNATIONS, ELK RIVER,
OREGON.
Section 3(a)(76) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16
U.S.C. 1274(a)(76)) is amended--
(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
``19-mile segment'' and inserting ``29-mile segment'';
(2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a period; and
(3) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the
following:
``(B) The approximately 0.4-mile segment of the North Fork
Elk from the source of the North Fork Elk in sec. 21, T. 33
S., R. 12 W., of the Willamette Meridian, downstream to 0.01
miles downstream of Forest Service Road 3353, as a scenic
river.
``(C) The approximately 5.3-mile segment of the North Fork
Elk from 0.01 miles downstream of Forest Service Road 3353
downstream to its confluence with the South Fork Elk, as a
wild river.
``(D) The approximately 0.9-mile segment of the South Fork
Elk from the source of the North Fork Elk in sec. 32, T. 33
S., R. 12 W., of the Willamette Meridian, downstream to 0.01
miles downstream of Forest Service Road 3353, as a scenic
river.
``(E) The approximately 4.2-mile segment of the South Fork
Elk from 0.01 miles downstream of Forest Service Road 3353
downstream to the confluence with the North Fork Elk, as a
wild river.''.
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