Lewis-Clark park gains 921 acres in Oregon
WARRENTON, Ore. – The Conservation Fund has transferred 921 acres to the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, land critical to completion of the 5.5-mile Fort-to-Sea Trail, the fund and the National Park Service said Monday.
The acquisition expands land in the national park and state parks it has partnered with to about 10,000 acres in Oregon and southwest Washington.
The newly protected coastal forestland safeguards scenic vistas and historic resources.
The park is the newest of the nation’s 388 national parks and the second one in Oregon. It is made up of several sites in Oregon and Washington tied to the westward end of the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-1806.
The expedition spent the winter of 1805-1806 near present-day Warrenton at Fort Clatsop, the park headquarters.
The hiking trail, under construction, will connect Fort Clatsop to Sunset Beach State Park.
The Conservation Fund bought the land in December 2004 from Weyerhaeuser Co. and held it until more than $5 million in federal funding could be approved.
“Protecting this land is helping to fulfill a 50-year-old vision for the park,” said Chip Jenkins, superintendent of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. “Once completed, this legacy project will serve as a living memorial and outdoor classroom to commemorate the historic events associated with the journey of Lewis and Clark.”
Park officials hope to have the trail ready for dedication at the region’s Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Celebration in November.
“Hundreds of acres of historical scenery will be available as a result of the transfer, and ultimately Oregon’s visitors and tourism economy will benefit,” said Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore.
The acquisition also will safeguard habitats for wildlife such as beavers, bald eagles, mountain lions, black bears and Roosevelt elk.
“This project is a perfect example of the government and private enterprise working together to protect our state’s heritage and preserve our natural environment,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
The fund is negotiating with sellers to preserve one additional site in Oregon and Station Camp and Clark’s Dismal Nitch in Washington.
Since 1985, The Conservation Fund has helped to preserve more than 20,000 acres including 26 miles of river frontage along the route the explorers followed.
The sites include Montana’s Crimson Bluffs and the Charbonneau Gravesite in Eastern Oregon, where Sacagawea’s son is buried.