Cathedral Rock along the John Day River. Photo from the National Park Service.
It looks like the Wyden-Merkley bill creating a new Wilderness Area in Eastern Oregon finally gets a hearing this morning.
The Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests will take testimony starting at 11:30am Pacfic time. The hearing will be streamed live.
The bill sets up a complicated land swap between the federal government and private landowners. The result is two chunks of land, totaling 16,000 acres, to be preserved as Wilderness.
Some of the land holds a unique place in Oregon’s history. It was home to the followers of Bagwhan Shree Rajneesh. It now belongs to a Christian Youth Camp.
Here’s the link to the web stream. Remember the hearing may not start on time, and the Cathedral Rock and Horse Heaven Wilderness Act may not be the first item on the agenda.
