The Bulletin recently ran an article discussing the Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness proposal and how it relates to mountain bikes. The article did a thorough job of discussing the positive relationship formed between wilderness advocates and bike groups; however, it could have used a little more explanation as to why so many Oregonians feel wilderness preservation is vital to the future of these lands.The wilderness designation is the most effective tool we have to safeguard America's heritage, public lands. It ensures that our nation's natural legacy remains free of bulldozers, chainsaws and development, so that a century from now our great-grandchildren can still enjoy activities like hiking, camping, hunting and fishing in a pristine setting. Wilderness also safeguards our healthiest rivers and streams from logging and mining, ensuring future generations will always have safe, clean drinking water.Currently, Oregon's Congressional delegation is working to preserve some of the last intact areas around Mount Hood and in the Columbia Gorge as wilderness. In a time when bipartisanship is a rare commodity, having Republicans like Sen. Gordon Smith and Congressman Greg Walden working together with Democrats like Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Sen. Ron Wyden is the kind of common-sense, compromise approach we can all celebrate.Earlier this year, Walden and Blumenauer crafted and passed a bipartisan bill, The Mount Hood Stewardship Legacy Act, through the U.S. House of Representatives. In September, Smith brokered a compromise between this plan and the more ambitious proposal introduced by Wyden in 2004. The compromise, which would protect 128,000 acres, is called the Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act. It recently received a hearing before a key committee in the U.S. Senate.As The Bulletin article explained, one potential outcome of the Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness bill is a compromise plan to designate several recreation areas, leaving them open for use by mountain bikes. While the wilderness proposal would not close any popular bike trails, Oregon Wild and other conservation groups recognize that some areas, like Shellrock Mountain and Hellroaring Creek, are important to bikers. That is why we have agreed to compromise. We aren't convinced that this will be the strongest protection for the area, but we realize the importance of finding solutions that work for everyone.However, wilderness is the solution for the majority of the wild areas left around Mount Hood and in the Columbia Gorge. While other designations offer some protection, they often fall short.For instance, the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area doesn't prevent logging in this spectacular region. Several years ago the Bush administration proposed allowing clear-cuts in the scenic area, and more recently tried to sell off some of the land within it. Hells Canyon National Recreation Area in Eastern Oregon provides another good example. Every 10 years the management plan is rewritten, and every 10 years Oregonians have to re-fight old battles over off-road vehicles and reckless logging.Wilderness areas near Bend, such as the Three Sisters and Mount Jefferson, attract thousands of visitors to the region each year. Bend's wilderness areas are important engines for the region's tourism and recreation, and provide local families with world-class opportunities to enjoy outdoor recreation in a spectacular setting. Protecting the last wild lands around Mount Hood and in the Gorge is similarly important for communities like Hood River, Sandy and Estacada.Oregon's elected officials are on the right course with Mount Hood Wilderness, but time is short. Members of Congress are returning to Washington, D.C., to finish a number of important pieces of legislation.Oregonians should urge their elected officials to work hard to reach a final agreement on Mount Hood Wilderness, and to pass it quickly. We can leave our children a legacy of old-growth forests, clean water, fish and wildlife by passing a strong wilderness bill this year that protects places around Mount Hood like Boulder Lake and Fifteenmile Creek.Erik Fernandez is the wilderness coordinator for Oregon Wild, formerly the Oregon Natural Resources Council.
