[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 24]
[Senate]
[Pages 33150-33151]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      THREE SISTERS SCENIC BIKEWAY

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, too many of our communities are 
hemorrhaging jobs. That is especially true in rural areas, where 
industries have suffered and companies have had to let lots of people 
go. In Oregon, for example, changes in forest policy have hit rural 
communities particularly hard in recent years. I am constantly working 
to find solutions that will help those communities not just survive but 
thrive.
  It is indisputable that many rural communities and small towns in 
Oregon contain some of the most beautiful scenery in America. When I 
look at their future, I see that the scenic beauty and solitude of 
beautiful places like Sisters, OR, which sits in the shadow of the 
Cascade Mountains, can be a big engine to drive the economy. 
Investments in amenities like parks and scenic bikeways can be valuable 
for communities because they aren't fleeting. They build infrastructure 
that lasts for generations. The beauty of nature, especially out in the 
countryside, attracts tourists--particularly bicyclists.
  The League of American Bicyclists estimates that biking contributes 
$133 billion per year to our national economy, provides 1.1 million 
jobs, and generates $17.7 billion in Federal, State, and local taxes. 
They estimate that another $46.9 billion is spent on meals, 
transportation, lodging, gifts, and entertainment during bike trips and 
tours.
  Savvy entrepreneurs in Oregon have come together to capitalize on the 
benefits that being a destination for bicyclists can bring to a 
community. Cycle Oregon--called ``the best bike ride in America''--
attracted 2,200 people from 44 States and 11 foreign countries to its 
2008 ride, which took hardy bicyclists through some of Oregon's most 
beautiful sites. But it is not just Oregon entrepreneurs who have 
figured this out. It is a nationwide phenomenon. Bloomington, Indiana's 
``Hilly 100 ride,'' for example, draws 5,000 riders and over $1 million 
in lodging and food sales. And in Iowa, the week-long Register's Annual 
Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa has become so

[[Page 33151]]

popular that last year, they had to turn people away after more than 
9,000 applied to cycle across the State.
  It is often through outdoor events like bike races that you will find 
a CEO or company leader visiting Central Oregon on a vacation and 
having the brainstorm that it would make a great place to locate a new 
enterprise. Many high-tech companies, for example, are locating in 
places with unique, scenic beauty to set them apart from their 
competition in the big cities and to give them an added bonus to 
attract the talent they need to succeed.
  I thought there must be a way to tap the full recreation potential of 
central Oregon and create a model that could be replicated in other 
parts of the country. So, 2 years ago I asked recreation leaders in 
Deschutes County to look at how recreation could add value to its 
recreation assets, creating the strongest possible engine for economic 
development.
  Since then, the Sisters area has decided that much of its economy is 
tied to broadening the set of recreation experiences they can offer to 
visitors. They have developed many miles of new, spectacular mountain 
bike trails in the cascade foothills of Peterson Ridge as part of that 
effort. They see the development of a better cycling route to Bend as a 
vital addition to the menu of recreation opportunities in the area.
  Community and business leaders from across Deschutes County have 
worked for the past two years on ideas like those developed in Sisters. 
They came together recently to formally launch an effort to create the 
Three Sisters Scenic Bikeway--a scenic bike route connecting each of 
the cities in that county, via cycling-friendly routes that take you 
past spectacular scenery.
  Government officials are pitching in too. The Oregon Department of 
Transportation and the U.S. Forest Service are working together to 
implement the committee's vision of a paved bike path connecting Bend 
to Sunriver. The Forest Service is about halfway through their decision 
making process on a paved path from Sunriver out to Lava Lands Visitors 
Center, and ODOT is pursuing a variety of funding options to get the 
work done while crews are still working on the major reconstruction of 
Highway 97 nearby.
  As we rebuild our country's infrastructure and seek new ways to 
create jobs, we would do well to follow the lesson of Deschutes County 
and The Three Sisters Scenic Bikeway. It was an idea that was first 
proposed by concerned members of the community. It answers local needs 
and they have a lot of confidence it will work. And as representatives 
of those communities, my colleagues and I have the ability to help 
water the seeds of those ideas when government can help out.
  This kind of collaborative effort by local groups can be the kind of 
national model other struggling rural communities should consider as 
they work to rebuild their infrastructure and economies. Cities across 
America are realizing that investing in outdoor recreation options like 
bikeways is an affordable way to significantly improve their quality of 
life and, in the process, improve their competitiveness to attract new 
businesses and jobs.
  It is time to remember that our infrastructure can't just be focused 
on ways to bring more cars onto our already stressed roads. Fixing 
highways and bridges is critically important, but for better health, 
relaxation, and the economic benefits they can bring, bikeways can also 
be part of the solution to fix our infrastructure and help revive 
struggling communities back home.

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