President Signs Public Lands Bill into Law

Legislation Preserves over 200,000 Acres of Oregon as Wilderness.

White House photo by Chuck Kennedy

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden issued the following statement today after witnessing President Obama sign the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (H.R. 146) into law.

The legislation contains seven Wyden-authored provisions designating more than 200,000 Oregon acres as Wilderness. Wyden joined President Obama in the East Room of the White House today for the signing ceremony.

“With a stroke of the pen today, President Obama cemented Oregon’s Wilderness legacy for generations to come. This is a special day for myself and the countless Oregonians who have literally dedicated years to making this Wilderness a reality as well as all those who hunt, hike, fish or just share pride in the unparalleled nature that makes Oregon so special.”

Also at the White House today was Oregonian Jeffrey Kohnstamm whose late father restored the historic Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood and helped the mountain become a destination area for skiing. The Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act, which was signed into law as part of H.R. 146, establishes the Richard L. Kohnstamm Memorial Area in his honor.

To learn more about the Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Area and the other Oregon Wilderness Areas included in the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009, visit: wyden.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=310479&.

Wyden chairs the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests, with primary jurisdiction over wilderness legislation. Even prior to his committee chairmanship, he had been a long-time advocate for preserving natural areas of the state for both economic and environmental protection reasons.

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