MEDFORD, OR — Congress is considering new legislation to expand the Oregon Caves National Monument in Josephine County. The U.S. Senate voted unanimously to expand the Oregon Caves National Monument. The legislation must be passed in the U.S. House before the Forest Service transfers 4,000 acres to the Parks Service. Because the Parks Service has more money for forest restoration, supporters of the measure say the expansion would improve forest health.
Recreational access to hunters and others would still be allowed. Logging operations, however, would no longer take place. Passing the bill would also designate the underground River Styx that travels through the caves as a scenic river.
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