03.04.04

Cantwell Pushes for Protection of Lewis and Clark Sites

Senator introduces bipartisan bill to protect three important sites

WASHINGTON, D.C . - In preparation for next year’s bicentennial celebration of Lewis and Clark’s historic expedition, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced a bill today that would protect three sites significant to Lewis and Clark’s original journey. Cantwell’s legislation will also create a "Lewis and Clark National Historic Park," encompassing Fort Clatsop National Memorial, other state parks and the sites proposed for protection.

"I am proud to be able to join the efforts of southwestern Washington citizens in celebrating the Bicentennial of Lewis and Clark’s extraordinary endeavor. Adding these three sites on the lower Columbia River that played crucial roles during the Expedition’s dramatic arrival at the Pacific Ocean will help make the expedition come alive to the million plus visitors to next year’s celebration," said Cantwell. "The new park will be an exciting way to pass on history to northwest families now and to generations to come."

Cantwell’s bill, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park Act, will protect three sites, totaling 560 acres, on the lower Columbia River that played crucial roles during the Corps of Discovery expedition’s dramatic arrival at the Pacific Ocean. It will protect Clark’s Dismal Nitch, where the expedition first viewed the ocean and was trapped during a horrific six-day storm. It will also set aside Station Camp, where the group held a historic vote among all group members—including Sacagawea and the African American slave York—on where the expedition should stay for the winter. Finally, Cantwell’s bill will preserve Fort Canby, marking the furthest point westward reached by Lewis and Clark.

With lead co-sponsor Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) and co-sponsors Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), the legislation should move forward this year, in time to be enjoyed by the million-plus visitors expected at the bicentennial celebration in November of 2005.

"I am proud to support this effort to expand and protect this piece of history," Senator Murray said. "The local community has worked hard to make the Clarkston Lewis and Clark Bicentennial a success for both visitors and for the region’s economy and this bill will help bring the experience to life for generations to come."

Wyden stated, "Renaming and expanding Fort Clatsop will commemorate Lewis and Clark’s great journey and allow tourists a historical adventure of their own into the rich history of the Northwest. I am pleased to have had the opportunity to work with members of both the Oregon and Washington congressional delegations in an effort to make this a bipartisan, regional success."

The bill also designates an umbrella park, "Lewis and Clark National Historic Park," encompassing all of Fort Clatsop National Memorial, Oregon's Ecola State Park and Fort Stevens State Park, and Washington's Fort Columbia State Park and Cape Disappointment State Park. Together, these lands will help tell the story of the explorers for visitors at the bicentennial and for many years to come.

Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA-03) introduced a version of the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives last week.

"We have an opportunity to create a unique historical park that tells the story of Lewis and Clark in the Pacific Northwest," said Rep. Baird. "Thanks to support from the Senators and a tremendous amount of local involvement, we are moving forward to coordinate the sites at the mouth of the Columbia and provide an economic shot in the arm for local communities in time for the bicentennial."

Cantwell’s legislation comes after the National Park Service completed a year long public process, determining these three sites of "national significance, suitability, and feasibility" and recommended they be added to Fort Clatsop. The study was a result of legislation Cantwell cosponsored in 2002, called the Fort Clatsop Expansion Act. The bill also expanded Fort Clatsop National Memorial from 125 acres to 1500 acres. The park is the only national park solely dedicated to Lewis and Clark.

Cantwell is a member of the Senate Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Congressional Caucus and serves on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.