Wyden hears concerns at visit to Wonder No. 1, Crater Lake

CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK, Ore. — Crater Lake National Park was stop No. 1 on Sen. Ron Wyden’s week-long tour of the Seven Wonders of Oregon, but a proposed change in the designation for Lava Beds National Monument, located just south of the Oregon-California state line, was an item that drew Wyden’s interest.

jim Chadderdon, Discover Klamath’s executive director, said making Lava Beds a national park could benefit the Klamath Basin’s and Southern Oregon’s economies during Wyden’s “listening” session with Southern Oregon business leaders at Crater Lake.

“We think we could see increases in tourism that would benefit Southern Oregon,” Chadderdon said, noting Lava Beds had 142,000 visits last year.

He said about 80 percent of the tourism dollars from Lava Beds are spent in the Klamath Falls area, and noted national parks draw more visitors than national monuments.

Wyden promised to consider the idea. Former Lava Beds superintendent Jim Sleznick suggested the designation change a few years ago but it drew relatively little interest.

At Chadderdon’s urging, Wyden also said his office is willing to work with Klamath Basin business leaders on finding a commercial air service, something that has been lacking since Sky West ended its Klamath Falls service a year ago.

“We are struggling to get a new air carrier,” Chadderdon said, noting talks with PenAir of Alaska are continuing. “We are possibly one phone call away.”

“We’ll be glad to work with you,” Wyden replied.

During Tuesday’s hour-plus session, Oregon’s senior U.S. senator also heard outfitters express frustration with mandated permitting processes, heard reports that land management agencies are not maintaining many popular hiking trails, heard a plea asking that Crater Lake’s access roads be opened sooner and stay open longer, and was expressed surprise when it has taken Roe Outfitters of Klamath Falls 3-1/2 years to navigate the permitting process for a soon-to-open open zip line.

“You can believe I will be on the phone,” Wyden said after hearing Jenifer Roe explain the process. “It’s just eye-opening . Maybe this is time to deliver a wake-up call.”

Roe, who was not critical of Fremont-Winema National Forerst officials, said the permitting process with the National Park Service to offer guided fishing trips and hikes, which will begin this summer, “worked like clockwork.”

Wyden expressed support for Karen and Fred Wickman, owners of the Prospect Historic Hotel, who said they lose business because would-be visitors believe the park is closed in the winter. They also asked if park roads could open sooner and close later.

“That’s a very appealing idea,” Wyden said. “I’m really interested in that. It’s practical.”

Most years the park’s north entrance doesn’t open until about Memorial Day and it often closes after the first winter snows, often in October. The ongoing drought has allowed park roads to be cleared of snow earlier than usual — this year the park received 298 inches of snow, well below its winter season average of 523 inches — but an earlier opening is often complicated because of heavy snow and a lack of seasonal staff.

Some people, including owners of the Union Creek Resort, located just outside the park’s west boundary, said the lack of trail clearing crews have made access to popular trails difficult to impossible.

Others echoed those sentiments. Brad Niva of Rogue Wilderness Adventures, which offers hiking and combination rafting-hiking trips along the Wild and Scenic Rogue River, said he has paid his own staff to clear trails.

Like Roe, Niva and Robert Hanlon of Hellgate Jetboat Excursions expressed frustration with the permitting process. Niva said one agency is requiring him to provide a form of insurance that is not available, and said the turnover in agency personnel also causes delays.

“It’s like a revolving door,” Niva said. “The permit system gets bogged down.”

Hamlin echoed Niva’s frustrations, calling the process increasingly burdensome. Because of fears of being accountable for applying rules and regulations, Hamlin said, “I think it’s difficult for government employees to apply any common sense.”

Wyden promised to set up meetings with the Army Corps of Engineers, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and other federal agencies and people involved in recreational businesses to discuss issues and work toward solving concerns.

Following the Crater Lake meeting, Wyden is continuing his Seven Wonders of Oregon tour. Along with Crater Lake, the state’s other wonders include the Oregon Coast, Smith Rock, Mount Hood, the Painted Hills, the Wallowas and the Columbia Gorge.

The Seven Wonders designation, created by Travel Oregon, is credited with helping to make 2014 a record-breaking year for tourism’s economic impact and job numbers in Oregon.

Todd Davidson, Travel Oregon CEO who attended the Crater Lake session, said travel and tourism in Oregon generates $10.3 billion for the state’s economy and directly employs more than 101,000 Oregonians.