Ron Wyden urges protection of Crater Lake, calls for restored park funding

Ron Wyden, speaking at Crater Lake, urged protection of the site and said national parks across the country have been damaged by federal cuts to services. "This is about our national inheritance," he said, adding that the issue transcends partisan politics.

Wyden said advocates from volunteer groups, businesses and others gathered at the park to deliver a unified message on funding and protection. "We had advocates from volunteer groups to businesses and others, and we all had the same message," he said.

He argued that the reductions in services originate in Washington, D.C., and have left parks "getting hammered". "And all over the country, we're seeing parks get hammered because of these cuts in services back in Washington, DC," Wyden said.

Wyden framed the effort as nonpartisan, saying, "This isn't about politics, it's not about blue, and it's not about red." He added that those gathered were determined to work together to recover funds and ensure parks are protected. "And we're determined, all of us, to come together and get some of those additional funds back, and make sure that our parks are protected," he said.

No formal vote or action was recorded in the remarks; Wyden described the event as a gathering of advocates pressing for restored funding and protection for national parks, with an expressed intent to pursue additional funding from federal sources.