(5) Gray’s trip through the River opened up the 
River to trade with east coast cities, European coun-
tries, and Asian kingdoms; 
(6) during the 13 years before the Lewis and 
Clark Corps of Discovery arrived overland, more 
than 88 ships entered the River as part of a sophis-
ticated global trade network that became known as 
the ‘‘Golden Round’’, which stimulated the economy 
of the newly freed colonies and accelerated the devel-
opment of the international fur trade; 
(7) ports and communities along the River con-
tinue to support the traditional industries of fishing, 
seafood processing, timber harvesting, and trade; 
(8) in 1805 Lewis and Clark, seeking an all 
water route to the Pacific Ocean for commerce to ex-
pand the American claim to the Pacific Ocean, ar-
rived at the mouth of the Columbia River where the 
group built a fort to spend the winter; 
(9) the legacy of Lewis and Clark continues to 
be available to the public at the newly expanded 
units of the Lewis and Clark National Historical 
Park; 
(10) in 1811 John Jacob Astor established a 
permanent settlement for commerce at the mouth of 
the Columbia River known as ‘‘Astoria’’, which be-
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
01:41 Jan 14, 2007
Jkt 059196
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H407.IH
H407
jcorcoran on PROD1PC62 with BILLS
came the first American city west of the Rocky 
Mountains; 
(11) Astoria was sold to the Hudson Bay Com-
pany and during the period from 1812 to 1828, was 
a British territory; 
(12) Astoria was ultimately returned to the 
United States making Astoria the only city in the 
United States to become the territory of another 
country and then revert back to the United States; 
(13) for several thousand years the approaches 
to the mouth of the River have served as the original 
homeland defense system as the Chinookan people 
established villages on headlands and promontories 
of the River in order to watch the traffic entering, 
leaving, and traveling on the River; 
(14) with the start of the Civil War, the native 
villages were replaced with forts operated by the 
United States Army; 
(15) the Army forts at Cape Disappointment, 
Fort Columbia, and Fort Stevens were in continuous 
operation through the end of World War II; 
(16) the United States Coast Guard maintains 
a large homeland security operation through Group 
Astoria with the Cape Disappointment Motor Life-
boat Station, Astoria Air Station, 2 cutters oper-
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
01:41 Jan 14, 2007
Jkt 059196
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H407.IH
H407
jcorcoran on PROD1PC62 with BILLS
ating out of Astoria, and the Tongue Point mainte-
nance yard; 
(17) through the United States Coast Guard 
operations, the River continues to serve as the guard 
post for the protection of international commerce of 
the largest river transport system on the west coast; 
(18) the water offshore Clatsop County, Or-
egon, and Pacific County, Washington, is known as 
the ‘‘Graveyard of the Pacific’’, because thousands 
of vessels and lives have been lost in the water, with 
survivors struggling ashore and seeking refuge in the 
historic beach communities of Cannon Beach, Sea-
side, Gearhart, Seaview, Long Beach, Ocean Park, 
and Oysterville; 
(19) shipwrecks and storm waters are still a 
threat to commercial and recreational boaters in the 
area; 
(20) modern navigation aids include light-
houses, lightships, and lifesaving stations; 
(21) the United States Coast Guard continues 
to operate the Cape Disappointment Lifesaving Sta-
tion and the National Motor Lifeboat School; 
(22) members of the United States Coast 
Guard from throughout the United States are sent 
to the ‘‘Top Gun’’ training center to— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
01:41 Jan 14, 2007
Jkt 059196
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H407.IH
H407
jcorcoran on PROD1PC62 with BILLS
(A) challenge some of the most dangerous 
waters in the world; and 
(B) 
prepare 
for 
service 
at 
stations 
throughout the United States; 
(23) the River is home to one of the most abun-
dant commercial and sport fisheries in the world; 
(24) for centuries, the people in the Columbia- 
Pacific region have made a living from the River, in-
cluding— 
(A) the Chinookan people, who developed a 
sophisticated and vibrant culture using the re-
sources of the River; and 
(B) beginning in the 1840’s, American set-
tlers and European and Asian immigrants, who 
developed a vibrant economy around the salmon 
fisheries; 
(25) the communities of Astoria, Warrenton, 
Hammond, Chinook, and Ilwaco— 
(A) have their roots in the development of 
the early fishing industry; and 
(B) continue to support both commercial 
and sport fisheries that— 
(i) provide— 
(I) economic opportunities for 
residents; and 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
01:41 Jan 14, 2007
Jkt 059196
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H407.IH
H407
jcorcoran on PROD1PC62 with BILLS
(II) recreational opportunities for 
visitors; and 
(ii) preserve over a century of cultural 
traditions; 
(26) commercial timber harvesting has been an 
important component of the culture of the River for 
over 150 years; 
(27) timber has been harvested and used in 
local mills or transported, primarily along the River 
to the Pacific Ocean; and 
(28) raw logs and forest products continue to 
be transported along the River and across the Bar 
to markets around the world. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) HERITAGE
AREA.—The term ‘‘Heritage 
Area’’ means the Columbia-Pacific National Herit-
age Area. 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(3) STUDY
AREA.—The term ‘‘study area’’ 
means— 
(A) the coastal areas of Clatsop and Pa-
cific Counties (also known as the North Beach 
Peninsula); and 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
01:41 Jan 14, 2007
Jkt 059196
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H407.IH
H407
jcorcoran on PROD1PC62 with BILLS