Eric Fernandez of Oregon Wild says wild areas still allow for a lot of activity - "just leave your chainsaws and bulldozers at home." (Photo by Sadie Babits)
More than two million acres in nine states could soon become permanent wilderness. Congress is expected to vote on the plan today. Sadie Babits recently visited one of the sites, Mount Hood in Oregon:
Transcript
More than two million acres in nine states could soon become permanent wilderness. Congress is expected to vote on the plan today. Sadie Babits recently visited one of the sites, Mount Hood in Oregon:
A steady stream of traffic runs through the small town of Sandy, Oregon every day.
It’s known as the “Gateway to Mount Hood.”
This used to be a town of lumberjacks. The timber industry was king here.
And a wilderness designation means no logging.
“It wasn’t that long ago that this was a mill town so for the city council unanimously support wilderness is an interesting thing.”
That’s Scott Lazenby. He’s the town’s city manager. He says in the past a wilderness proposal would end up in a Paul Bunyan sized tussle.
But Lazenby says the city council saw real benefits to having wilderness in Sandy’s backyard.
“We do have a watershed that our city water comes from. It’s important to protect that and part of that watershed would be protected by the wilderness bill.”
Not only that. Lazenby says these days, it’s not timber – it’s tourism that brings money to Sandy.
“Even though the number of people who can go into wilderness is relatively limited, the presence of wilderness is a very positive thing.”
Under a massive bundle of bills now before Congress, 127,000 acres surrounding Mount Hood would become wilderness along with other sites across the nation.
“Right now we’re standing in White River Canyon and in the winter this is a really popular place for cross country skiing, snow showing.”
That’s Eric Fernandez. He’s the wilderness coordinator for Oregon Wild – a conservation group out of Portland.
He says a wilderness designation still leaves a place open to all kinds of activities hunting fishing camping.
“You just have to leave your chainsaw and bulldozer at home.”
Fernandez says, yes, this entire area will mean clean drinking water, and wildlife protection.
“But in this instance, the reason I’m so excited about protecting this area of White River Canyon as wilderness is because it has the world’s best sledding habitat.”
Yep, he said sledding – like tobogganing. There’s nobody sledding today.
But, we did bump into Jeff McKnown, who’s out skiing.
“It’s great to come here on the weekday when no one is here.”
McKnown says he loves the trees and the snow so bright it hurts your eyes.
He’s been escaping to White River canyon when he can for the last fifteen years.
“You know when you have a wife and five kids these moments are pretty precious.”
The law that makes wilderness designations possible has been around since 1964. There are more than 700 wilderness areas in 44 states.
But Oregon has lagged behind. Even conservative Idaho has more wilderness than the more progressive Oregon.
Mike Matz thinks that could change. He leads the ‘Campaign for America’s Wilderness’. It’s been pushing for the new wilderness designations before Congress.
“It’s really become amazingly so a motherhood and apple pie issue. This is something that Republicans and Democrats alike have gotten strongly behind.”
And from Oregon’s Mount Hood, to rolling hills in West Virginia, from red rock country in southern Utah, to sand dunes along the Great Lakes – it looks like Congress will preserve two million acres more as wilderness.
For The Environment Report, I’m Sadie Babits.