Oregon Recreation Enhancement Act

Key Points

• This bill creates two new recreation areas in Oregon: the Rogue Canyon Recreation Area covering about 98,000 acres and the Molalla Recreation Area covering nearly 30,000 acres. It also adds roughly 60,000 acres to the existing Wild Rogue Wilderness to protect local wildlife and scenery.
• The plan blocks new mining, mineral leasing, and geothermal drilling on these lands. This is intended to protect the water quality of the Rogue and Molalla rivers and preserve the natural landscape for future generations.
• To address safety, the government must complete a wildfire risk assessment within 280 days. Within one year after that, officials must create a plan to reduce fire risks for nearby communities, which includes clearing brush and planning emergency evacuation routes.
• The bill generally bans the construction of new permanent or temporary roads in these areas to keep them wild. However, exceptions are made for public safety and for carrying out the wildfire protection plan.
• Existing rights for hunting, fishing, and other authorized outdoor activities will remain in place. The bill also ensures that the treaty rights of Native American tribes are not changed or reduced by these new designations.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.