Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon's Congressional delegation is celebrating the likely passage of a public lands bill that includes long-sought expansions for the Mount Hood National Wilderness. April Baer reports.

The bill has been through many incarnations, and benefits projects across nine states. It will protect 128,000 acres of forest land on Mount Hood from logging and development.

It also promises protections for old-growth in the Siskyou National Forest at Soda and Copper Mountains; the Badlands, East of Bend; as well as land overlooking the John Day River. 

In many areas, cattle grazing leases are being bought out.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden chairs a subcommittee on public lands and forest, was credited for preserving parts of the bill that pertain to Oregon. But many other members of the Oregon Congressional delegation helped build support for earlier versions of the bill, including former Senator Gordon Smith.

Smith's replacement, Jeff Merkley, also had a role to play, albeit a smaller one. The vote to move the public lands bill forward was his first as the junior Senator from Oregon.

Final passage in both chambers is expected later this week.