[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 7, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2680-S2681]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS POSTAGE STAMP

  Mr. WYDEN. Madam President, on May 21, 2019, the U.S. Postal Service 
will release a series of postage stamps commemorating America's Wild 
and Scenic River system. These are America's remarkable rivers and 
streams unique for their free-flowing beauty, along with their 
contribution to recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and countless 
other important benefits.
  As we recognize the 50th anniversary of this landmark conservation 
law, I want to make a point that Oregon has always been a leader in 
protecting rivers and just this year added more than 250 miles of Wild 
and Scenic Rivers designations, increasing our miles of protected 
rivers from 1,916 to a grand total of over 2,170 miles. That gives 
Oregon the State with the most miles of Wild and Scenic River 
designations in the contiguous United States.
  Three Oregon rivers are being recognized by the U.S. Postal Service 
in this commemorative stamp edition: the Deschutes, the Owyhee, and the 
Snake Rivers. Each is remarkable and unique in its own way, and 
together, these rivers embody Oregon's tradition of providing habitat 
for endangered salmon and steelhead, clean drinking water, and 
recreation opportunities for countless outdoor enthusiasts from all 
over the United States and the world.
  One of these rivers, the Owyhee, carves its way through some of the 
harshest and most arid and remote landscape of Oregon's high desert in 
the easternmost parts of our State. The Owyhee River flows through a 
steep, eroded canyon with cliffs towering hundreds of feet above. Added 
to the Wild and Scenic Rivers system in 1984, this river is revered for 
its remarkable cultural, geologic, recreational, and scenic values. It 
is of particular historical significance to Tribes across Oregon, 
Idaho, and Nevada. Beyond its significance as a Wild and Scenic River, 
the Owyhee region is a critical lifeline to the rural economy of 
eastern Oregon and the local ranching community.
  Moving westward to central Oregon, the Deschutes River is an oasis 
that winds through sandy, pumice-filled soils and sloping plateaus. A 
Wild and Scenic River since 1988, the Deschutes is world renowned for 
its fly fishing, rafting, and hiking opportunities. For centuries, 
Native Americans have honored the cultural and fishing uses of the 
river and venerated its historical value.
  The final Oregon river honored in this series is back to the east in 
Oregon but north of the Owyhee: the mighty Snake River. It flows 
through Hells Canyon--the deepest gorge in North America--on the border 
between Idaho and Oregon. First designated a Wild and Scenic River in 
1975, the Snake River holds significant cultural value for the people 
of the Shoshone and Nez

[[Page S2681]]

Perce Tribes. It also holds an important part of our State's history; 
emigrant pioneers risked their lives crossing the Snake in search of 
their future in Oregon. Pristine sections of this river and its 
stunning landscapes provide bountiful opportunities for salmon fishing, 
rafting, and exploration.
  These Oregon rivers and others recognized by the U.S. Postal Service 
in these stamps contribute to the most stunning landscapes in the 
country and protect the very qualities that make America's and Oregon's 
natural treasures so incredible.

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