KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — Lava Beds National Monument could soon be recognized as one of America’s “best of the best.”
On June 22, Discover Klamath Executive Director Jim Chadderdon and other stakeholders will meet with California Sen. Barbara Boxer to ask her to support designating Lava Beds as a national park.
According to Chadderdon, a national park can come into existence in one of two ways: by presidential proclamation or by an act of Congress.
He said partners along the Oregon-California Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway will ask Boxer to draft a bill upgrading Lava Beds classification in the park system.
Volcanic Scenic Byway
The Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway is 500-mile stretch of highway that runs between Crater Lake National Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park in California.
Chadderdon said he and stakeholders who belong to the Volcanic Legacy Community Partnership — a nonprofit group that advocates for and markets the volcanic byway — believe the new designation could boost tourism in Southern Oregon and Northern California.
“People want to see the best of the best, so national parks get a lot of exposure and a lot of visitation,” Chadderdon said. “Our national park system is the envy of the globe.”
Chadderdon noted that out of hundreds of scenic byways in the U.S., only 31 — including the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway — are designated as an “All-American Road,” meaning it is one of the nation’s most scenic routes.
Economic impact
Chadderdon said about 80 percent of the economic impact from Lava Beds’ tourism accrues to Klamath Falls. He noted that Lava Beds gets about 140,000 visitors per year. Crater Lake gets about 600,000 visitors per year, he said.
“We’ve always marketed this as a ‘two-fer’ — go one day to Crater Lake and one day down to Lava Beds,” he said.
Chadderdon estimated the new designation could increase Lava Beds visitation by at least 15 percent, and boost Klamath Falls’ tourism economy “substantially and sustainably.”
He said Klamath Falls tourism economy generates about $150 million per year. With a new national park in the area, that amount could increase by 5 percent.
Chadderdon said it would not cost the National Park Service if Lava Beds’ classification was upgraded.
