[Comm-Council] FW: NEWS RELEASE: Governor Celebrates Completion of the Willamette River Water Trail

[HOKLIN Lonn * DAS DO]

Lonn Hoklin
Public Affairs Manager
Oregon Department of Administrative Services
503.378.2627
503.428.2169 (cell)

_____________________________________________
From: SHERWOOD Jodi L * Governor's Office 
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 12:07 PM
To: EXEC Net List
Subject: NEWS RELEASE: Governor Celebrates Completion of the Willamette
River Water Trail

 
 
Theodore R. Kulongoski
          Governor	           <<Picture (Metafile)>> 	
 	 	
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                    
June 2, 2007

Contact: 
Jake Weigler, Governor's Office: 503.510.1158 (cell)
Chris Havel, Oregon Parks & Recreation, 503.931.2590 (cell)
Beth Sorensen, Portland Parks & Recreation: 503.823.6634 (cell)

Governor Celebrates Completion of the Willamette River Water Trail
Trail offers recreational opportunities along the river, while
contributing to a healthy, sustainable Willamette River Basin

Portland - Governor Ted Kulongoski was joined by federal, state and
local leaders to celebrate the completion of the Willamette River Water
Trail today with a ribbon-cutting dedication at Willamette Park. This
marks the third and final section of the trail, creating a seamless
recreational stretch of the Willamette from Eugene to the Columbia River
for canoers and kayakers. 

"The trail we are dedicating today will create economic and tourist
opportunities for communities along the Willamette, while also improving
our quality of life," said the Governor. "It is another important step
to cleaning up the crown jewel of Oregon's river systems and ensuring
that we can pass this legacy on to future generations."

The completed water trail is a major component of the Governor's
Willamette River Legacy Program. Under the program, Governor Kulongoski
has identified the priority areas of repair, restoration and recreation
as central to creating a healthy, sustainable Willamette River Basin
that will serve the people of Oregon for years to come. 

"This trail offers Oregonians an opportunity to experience the
Willamette from a new perspective," said the Governor. "As a canoeing
enthusiast, I know my fellow paddlers are looking forward to being able
to enjoy the natural beauty of the river. I appreciate the hard work of
the public and private parties that came together to make this trail a
reality."

A water trail is a stretch of the river that has been mapped out to
create an educational, scenic, and enjoyable experience for canoers and
kayakers.  The Willamette River Trail, created by connecting existing
federal, state, county and city properties, provides paddlers with
convenient, well-marked places to enter and leave the river, making the
trail more accessible while protecting private property.

In dedicating the trail, the Governor was joined by Deputy Secretary of
the U.S. Department of the Interior Lynn Scarlett, Congressman David Wu,
and many other state and local leaders from communities along the
Willamette River. In addition, members of the public received free
copies of the latest waterproof Willamette River Water Trail guide and
were offered educational opportunities including boat demonstrations,
displays and the chance to get out on the water.

 "On National Trails Day, the U.S. Department of the Interior
congratulates the citizens of Oregon on this newest asset to your
beautiful State," said Scarlett.  "The water trail is a great example of
cooperative conservation, with support from the community-based
Willamette American Heritage River Initiative, Bureau of Land
Management, and National Park Service's Rivers & Trails Program. Working
in a public-private partnership, local communities, state agencies, and
private organizations have realized a shared vision that reconnects
locals and visitors to the river."

Today's celebration is the culmination of a five year local partnership
effort to reconnect river communities with the Willamette.  Through a
series of open houses hosted by the Mid-Willamette River Connections
group, the public overwhelmingly endorsed increasing water recreation
opportunities and improving access to the river - identifying the water
trail as an opportunity to promote the river.  

The completion of the water trail was realized through a cooperative
partnership involving the communities and counties along the route, the
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), Oregon State Marine
Board, Oregon Tourism Commission, U.S. Bureau of Land Management's
American Heritage Rivers Initiative, the National Park Service's Rivers,
Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, and the Willamette
Riverkeeper.  Private funding and support has been provided through REI
and fundraising campaign by the Oregon State Parks Trust involving GI
Joe's and Columbia Sportswear Company.  

"The Willamette River Water Trail demonstrates what can be achieved by
working together," said Keizer City Council President Richard Walsh.
"It is wonderful to see our dream become a reality that all Oregonians
can enjoy."

For more information on Willamette River Water Trail, see:
http://willamette-riverkeeper.org/WTrail/ .

-30-


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