[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 50 (Thursday, April 7, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2276-S2277]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. WYDEN (for himself and Mr. Merkley):
  S. 764. A bill to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to make 
technical corrections to the segment designations for the Chetco River, 
Oregon; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, part of my job as a Senator from a 
beautiful State like Oregon is to keep that beauty protected for the 
next generation of Oregonians. Today it is my pleasure to reintroduce 
three bills to better protect three of Oregon's special natural 
resources, S. 764, 765, and 766. I have introduced all of these bills 
before, one of these in both of the last two Congresses. The Oregon 
Caves Revitalization Act of 2011 was first introduced in 2008, and 
again in the last Congress. It progressed out of the Energy and Natural 
Resources Committee in the last Congress but unfortunately there wasn't 
an opportunity to vote on it on the Senate Floor. The Devil's Staircase 
Wilderness Act of 2011 also moved out of the Committee but failed to 
get a vote in the full Senate. The Chetco River Protection Act of 2011 
was also introduced last session, but there was not enough time to get 
a hearing before the Senate adjourned. I am pleased to again introduce 
these bills with my colleague from Oregon, Senator Merkley. My 
colleague in the House of Representatives, Representative DeFazio, will 
also be introducing companion legislation today.
  The first bill I am introducing, the Oregon Caves Revitalization Act 
of 2011, will expand the boundary of the National Park Service land to 
create the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve. Under this 
bill, the stunning majesty of both the underground and the aboveground 
treasures found at this National Monument site will be protected for 
future generations.
  Established by a Presidential Proclamation in 1909, the Oregon Caves 
National Monument is a 480-acre natural wonder located in the 
botanically-rich Siskiyou Mountains. It was originally set aside 
because of its unusual scientific interest and importance. Oregon Caves 
has a unique geologic history and is particularly known as the longest 
marble cave open to the public west of the Continental Divide.
  A perennial stream, the ``River Styx''--an underground portion of 
Cave Creek--flows through part of the cave and is one of the dynamic 
natural forces at work in the National Monument. The cave ecosystem 
provides habitat for numerous plants and animals, including some state-
sensitive species such as Townsend's big-eared

[[Page S2277]]

bats and several cave-adapted species of arthropods found only in only 
one place on Earth: the Oregon Caves. The caves possess a significant 
collection of Pleistocene aged fossils, including jaguar and grizzly 
bear. In 1995, grizzly bear bones found in the cave were estimated to 
be at least 50,000 years old, the oldest known from either North or 
South America.
  Today, I am proposing legislation that will enhance the protection 
for treasures such as these found within the Oregon Caves National 
Monument and that will increase public recreation opportunities by 
adding surrounding lands to the National Park Service site. My bill 
would expand the park site by 4,070 acres to include the entire Cave 
Creek Watershed, and transfer management of the land from the United 
States Forest Service to the National Park Service. The newly acquired 
lands will be designated as a Preserve so that hunters can still use 
them. In addition, my legislation would designate at least 9.6 miles of 
rivers and tributaries as Wild, Scenic, or Recreational, under the 
federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, including the first subterranean 
Wild and Scenic River, the River Styx. This bill would also authorize 
the retirement of existing grazing allotments.

  When the Oregon Caves National Monument was established in 1909, the 
focus was on the unique subsurface resources, and the small rectangular 
boundary was thought to be adequate to protect the cave. Through the 
years, however, scientific research and technology have provided new 
information about the cave's ecology, and the impacts from the surface 
environment and the related hydrological processes. The current 480-
acre boundary simply can't adequately protect this cave system. The 
National Park Service has formally proposed a boundary modification 
numerous times, first in 1939, again in 1949, and most recently in 
2000. Today, I am happy to again propose legislation to enact that 
boundary adjustment into law.
  The Oregon Caves National Monument makes a unique contribution to 
Southern Oregon's economy and to the national heritage. The Monument 
receives over 80,000 visitors annually and a larger Monument boundary 
will help showcase more fully the recreational opportunities on the 
above-ground lands within the proposed Monument boundary. The 
Monument's above-ground lands in the Siskiyou Mountains possess a 
beauty and diversity that is unique in America, and indeed the world. 
The Oregon Caves National Monument's approximately 500 plants, 5,000 
animals, 2,000 fungi, and over a million bacteria per acre that make 
the spot have one of the highest concentrations of biological diversity 
anywhere.
  Expanding the Monument's boundary will also preserve the caves' 
resources by protecting the water that enters the cave. By granting the 
National Park Service the ability to safeguard these resources, and by 
providing for a voluntary donation of grazing permits, my legislation 
will be able to better protect these resources. Over the decades, the 
number of allowed livestock has diminished, but the livestock still has 
an impact on the drinking water supply and the water quality of this 
natural gem. The current grazing permitee, Phil Krouse's family, has 
had the Big Grayback Grazing Allotment, 19,703 acre, since 1937. Mr. 
Krouse has publicly stated that he would look favorably upon retirement 
with private compensation for his allotment, which my legislation will 
allow to proceed.
  The second bill I am introducing is the Devil's Staircase Wilderness 
Act of 2011, which designates approximately 30,540 acres surrounding 
the Wasson Creek area as Wilderness. Devil's Staircase personifies what 
Wilderness in Oregon is all about. It is rugged, wild, pristine and 
remote. So rugged, in fact, that land managers have repeatedly 
withdrawn this landslide-prone forest from all timbering activity and 
intrepid hikers must follow elk and deer trails and keep a sharp eye on 
a compass. The proposed Devil's Staircase Wilderness is the finest old-
growth forest remaining in Oregon's Coast Range, boasting huge Douglas-
fir, cedar and hemlock and a wealth of threatened and endangered 
species. Wildlife include threatened marbled murrelets and the highest 
density of Northern Spotted Owls in the coastal mountains.
  My proposal would not only protect the forests surrounding Wasson 
Creek but would also designate approximately 4.5 miles of Franklin 
Creek and approximately 10.1 miles of Wasson Creek as Wild and Scenic 
Rivers. Franklin Creek, a critically important tributary to the Umpqua 
River, is one of the best examples of pristine salmon habitat left in 
Oregon. Together with Wasson Creek, these two streams in the Devil's 
Staircase area deserve Wild and Scenic River designation by Congress.
  The ecological significance of this treasure is apparent. The land is 
protected as a Late-Successional Reserve by the Northwest Forest Plan, 
as critical habitat for the northern spotted owl, and as an Area of 
Critical Environmental Concern by the Bureau of Land Management. 
Preserving these majestic forests as Wilderness for their wildlife and 
spectacular scenery matches the goals of the existing land management 
plans. I look forward to protecting this gem for future generations.
  For over a decade, I've advocated for protections for the Chetco and 
other threatened waterways in Southwest Oregon. I'm reintroducing a 
third piece of legislation today that would continue that effort. The 
Chetco River Protection Act of 2011 would withdraw about three miles of 
the Chetco River from mineral entry, while upgrading the designations 
for some portions.
  This river is under immediate threat from out-of-state suction dredge 
miners. The group American Rivers said last year that the Chetco was 
the seventh most endangered river in the country because of those 
threats. This is a river that is hugely important for salmon habitat 
and local sport fishing. The passage of this legislation would mean 
protecting that habitat, and promoting the continued success of the 
fishing industry throughout the West Coast.
  Withdrawing these portions of the river from future mineral entry 
will prevent future harmful mining claims and make sure that those 
claims that already exist are valid I am pleased the Obama 
administration has taken some steps to protect this area, but the 
passage of this legislation is needed to ensure long-term protection 
for this important river.
  Finally, I want to express my thanks to the conservation, recreation 
and business communities of Southern and Coastal Oregon, and Phil 
Krouse for his strong conservation ethic. All of them have worked 
diligently to protect these special places. I look forward to working 
with Senator Merkley, Representative DeFazio, and other colleagues and 
the bill's other supporters to keep up the fight for these unique 
places in Oregon and get these pieces of legislation to the President's 
desk for his signature.
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