III 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 387 

Congratulating the Historic Columbia River Highway on its 100th year. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 3, 2016 

Mr. WYDEN (for himself and Mr. MERKLEY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Environment and Public 

Works 

MAY 16, 2016 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Congratulating the Historic Columbia River Highway on its 

100th year. 

Whereas June 7, 2016, marks the 100th anniversary of the 

Historic Columbia River Highway, a 75-mile-long scenic 

highway designed by Samuel C. Lancaster that runs 

through the Columbia River Gorge between Troutdale 

and The Dalles, Oregon; 

Whereas the Historic Columbia River Highway, the first scenic highway in the United States and the first modern 

highway in the Pacific Northwest, is a National Historic 

Landmark; 

Whereas Samuel C. Lancaster wrote that, when engineering 

the Historic Columbia River Highway, Lancaster aimed 


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SRES 387 ATS 

‘‘to find . . . the points where the most beautiful things 

along the line might be seen to the best advantage, and 

if possible to locate the road in such a way as to reach 

them’’; 

Whereas the Historic Columbia River Highway is an engineering masterpiece that successfully used innovative engineering techniques to complement the magnificent natural landscape of the Columbia River Gorge; 

Whereas the Historic Columbia River Highway showcases all 

aspects of the rich and diverse natural landscape of Oregon, including Multnomah Falls, the fourth-largest waterfall in the United States; 

Whereas the construction of a water-level route through the 

Columbia River Gorge, now Interstate 84, destroyed 

many sections of the Historic Columbia River Highway; 

Whereas, in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area 

Act of 1986 (Public Law 99–663; 100 Stat. 4274), Congress directed the Oregon Department of Transportation 

to prepare a program to preserve and restore the Historic 

Columbia River Highway for public use as a historic 

road; 

Whereas the State of Oregon is working to connect intact and 

usable highway segments with recreation trails, where 

feasible, to create a continuous historic road route 

through the Columbia River Gorge that links local, State, 

and Federal recreation facilities; and 

Whereas the continued preservation and restoration of the 

Historic Columbia River Highway will provide greater access to the Columbia River Gorge for recreation and 

tourism, which will help to boost the economies of the region: Now, therefore, be it 


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SRES 387 ATS 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) congratulates the Historic Columbia River 

3 Highway on its 100th year; 

4 (2) recognizes the cultural, economic, and envi5 ronmental importance of the Historic Columbia 

6 River Highway; 

7 (3) expresses support for the continued success 

8 of the restoration of the Historic Columbia River 

9 Highway; and 

10 (4) requests that the Secretary of the Senate 

11 prepare an official copy of this resolution for presen12 tation to Senator Wyden, Senator Merkley, and 

13 Kevin Gorman of Friends of the Columbia Gorge. 

Æ 


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