Sec. 2. Findings
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/bill/117/s/192/is/section-2·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds that— on October 2, 2019, Senator Ron Wyden announced a statewide public process to collect nominations from residents of the State of Oregon for Oregon rivers to be designated as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; over a period of less than 90 days, more than 2,200 residents of the State of Oregon submitted more than 15,000 nominations of free-flowing stream segments for designation as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, demonstrating a deep love and support for components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System enhance and protect community drinking water, recreation opportunities, and wildlife habitat; the free-flowing streams of the State of Oregon are an unparalleled resource for the residents of the State of Oregon and all people of the United States; the residents of the State of Oregon— are proud of and cherish the natural heritage of wild and scenic rivers in the State; and wish to expand the legacy of wild and scenic rivers for the benefit of future generations of residents of the State of Oregon and people of the United States; there are 110,994 miles of rivers and streams in the State of Oregon, but only 2,173 miles of streams were previously included as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; existing and proposed components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in the State of Oregon range from remote wilderness land to developed recreation areas readily accessible by roads and trails; components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in the State of Oregon and the outdoor recreation economy benefit local communities and businesses in rural Oregon and across the State of Oregon, generating $15,600,000,000 in consumer spending and more than 224,000 jobs in 2019, including jobs relating to hunting, fishing, rafting, and guiding; components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System provide essential habitat for— elk, deer, and other game animals; and species affected by climate change, including— salmon, steelhead, lamprey, and the Lost River and shortnose sucker; cutthroat, rainbow, redband, and bull trout (including the Lahontan cutthroat trout); and numerous other wildlife species; components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System are important to Indian Tribes because the components— conserve resources for Tribal use; and preserve the cultural history of Indian Tribes dating back more than 10,000 years; and the components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System within the State of Oregon have the outstandingly remarkable value of landscape connectivity, with the components serving as habitat corridors that facilitate the vital movements of animals, plants, genes, water, and energy between and within ecosystems.