Oregon Caves Natl Monument to Expand Would Preserve Hunting 12/13 Update

[bigtex]

Oregon Caves Natl Monument is a 480 acre National Monument in southern Oregon managed by the National Park Service. Since the monument is managed by the NPS, no hunting is allowed. The monument is surrounded by USFS lands. Through the decades that the monument has been in existance there have been numerous bills to expand the monument, it looks like that may now happen.

Several weeks ago the US Senate voted unanimously to move 4,070 acres of US Forest Service lands to the NPS. These 4,070 acres would be managed as a "preserve" and Oregon Caves Natl Monument would become "Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve."  Earlier today the US House Natural Resource Committee Chaired by WA Rep Doc Hastings passed the bill out of committee unanimously. The bill will now go to a full House vote then onto the President for approval. It's interesting to note that the House NRC in it's current leadership is very anti-federal land management, they have only approved one wilderness bill, very little park expansion bills get passed, etc.

So what does this all mean? Well National Preserves managed by the NPS are actually open to hunting and that was one of the important aspects of this bill. Basically they didn't want to take huntable USFS lands and turn it into un-huntable NPS lands. There is a provision in the bill that says hunting will continue in the preserve portion in conjunction with Oregon DFW. There have been a couple letter's to the editors basically saying the feds could take that away, etc. That simply can't happen, and if you read the bill you see that. As far as grazing goes, the active grazing lease in that area will be transferred to the NPS and the current leasee has said he is willing to sell his grazing permit to the NPS to essentially end grazing in that allotment.

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Oregon Caves expansion bill clears second-to-last hurdle to congressional passage
By Jeff Mapes | jmapes@oregonian.com The Oregonian
on July 30, 2014 at 9:52 AM 

A bill that would expand the Oregon Caves National Monument by 4,070 acres and provide additional protections for the River Styx passed the House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday.

If the Senate-passed measure is approved by the full House, it will then head to President Barack Obama for his signature.

Supporters of the national monument in southern Oregon have been seeking for years to provide an additional buffer zone around the 480-acre monument that would better protect the watershed for the caves.  The monument consists of the longest marble cave -- 3.5 miles -- west of the Continental Divide that is open to the public.

Under the measure, the River Styx, which flows through the cave system, would become the first underground river to receive wild and scenic designation, according to Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.

DeFazio, the ranking Democrat on the natural resources committee, hailed the passage of the bill, which he said would better protect the resource and attract more visitors to the monument.

"This legislation is supported by more than 50 local businesses, it's supported by community members, and today the House Natural Resources Committee passed it without objection," DeFazio said in a press release. "I will continue to fight to bring it to the House floor when Congress returns in September and get it signed into law as quickly as possible."

http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2014/07/oregon_caves_expansion_bill_cl.html

[Elkaholic daWg]

There have been a couple letter's to the editors basically saying the feds could take that away, etc. That simply can't happen,


 And we can keep our health plans? I don't know about you, but I would never  put my life on the line for that statement


Quick edit.......Maybe they actually read it, and you are right.

[bigtex]

There have been a couple letter's to the editors basically saying the feds could take that away, etc. That simply can't happen,

 And we can keep our health plans? I don't know about you, but I would never  put my life on the line for that statement

Quick edit.......Maybe they actually read it, and you are right.

Well there's one difference here. When Obama said "you can keep your doctors" the healthcare law had already been passed, his statement was essentially going against what was already in the verbage.

With the Oregon Caves bill it states that hunting will continue in conjuction with ODFW, no if's and's or but's.

Now could Congress in 10 years in come back and ban hunting at this area? Certainly. However, Congress could change any law at anytime. Who knows maybe next year Congress will open Mt Rainier to hunting.

[bigtex]

UPDATE

This bill has been added to the 2015 Defense Program Authorization bill that is set to pass both houses of Congress and be signed by the President by the end of the year. Numerous other land bills were added to this bill.

[bigtex]

The National Defense Authorization Act passed the House today. It will go to the Senate for vote next week and then to the President.

[bigtex]

The bill was passed by Congress and is waiting for the President's signature.

[csaaphill]

not sure I guess if it allows hunting then that's good