U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have doubled down on their commitment to Oregon's natural beauty and local economies with the reintroduction of the Oregon Recreation Enhancement (ORE) Act, a piece of legislation aimed directly at fostering recreation while also focusing on wildfire prevention in Southwestern Oregon and the Molalla River area. The bill, first unveiled on March 6th, proposes to establish new recreation areas and expand existing wilderness, alongside protecting land from mining operations, as per the information from Wyden's Senate page.
Under the Act, the Rogue Canyon and Molalla Recreation Areas would be created, encompassing 98,000 and 30,000 acres, respectively. Wyden characterizes the legislation as essential to boosting wildfire prevention, and Merkley hails the bill as vital in supporting Oregon’s economy and addressing climate chaos. The Wild Rogue Wilderness Area is also slated to grow by about 60,000 acres, a move that intends to directly ensure ongoing forest health and fire resiliency efforts, as detailed in Wyden's Senate release.
The ORE Act also definitively stances against irresponsible mining by seeking to halt it on over 100,000 acres of Forest Service land that houses the headwaters for several National Wild and Scenic Rivers. This proactive measure aligns with a past decision by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, which issued a 20-year mineral withdrawal for the area in 2016, reflecting broad public input and local consensus on the issue.
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