The New Oregon Wilderness

Oregon has just received a wilderness designation on more than 200,000 acres of land. Environmentalists are welcoming the move, which they hope will protect sensitive lands from development and misuse.

1 minute read

April 8, 2009, 9:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"When President Barack Obama's signing pen lifted off a public lands bill April 6, great pieces of Oregon were immediately surrounded by invisible lines."

"Everything inside those lines is now wilderness, the most protected class of federal land. "

"In simple terms, that means no logging or non-human-powered recreation. But wilderness amounts to more than a list of don'ts, and visiting just one corner of the state's 200,000 acres of freshly minted wilderness can explain why."

"Specifically, it means no cars, no roads, no permanent structures, no mountain bikes, no paragliding and in general nothing mechanized. Fernandez likes to say that you can still go hunting, hiking, fishing and camping there, but 'you just have to leave your chain saw and bulldozer at home.'"

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 in The Oregonian

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight