This article was published on: 05/19/19 12:00 AM
Stamp set commemorates Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
By Kyle Spurr
The U.S. Postal Service will host a dedication ceremony Tuesday near Bend for its new Wild and Scenic Rivers Forever stamps that include one featuring the Deschutes River.
The collection of new stamps highlights 12 rivers and river segments that were protected under the Wild and Scenic River Act, a federal law that limits development along portions of distinctive rivers, including the Deschutes.
Other rivers in the collection include the Snake, Skagit, Flathead and Ontonagon, which were all photographed by Tim Palmer, a resident of the Southern Oregon coast town of Port Orford. Palmer is a renowned author, photographer and river advocate who plans to speak at the dedication ceremony.
The ceremony will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Tumalo State Park, 64170 O.B. Riley Road. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP at usps.com/wildrivers.
Ernie Swanson, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service, said the agency chose Tumalo State Park for its ceremony because it is on one of the rivers in the new stamp collection and can accommodate a crowd.
“Bend is a beautiful place,” Swanson said. “It is quite an honor to get a stamp dedication like this.”
Swanson said the Postal Service releases about 15 to 20 new Forever stamp collections each year, which are designed to celebrate people, events and cultural milestones across the country.
The Postal Service receives thousands of suggestions for Forever stamps, Swanson said. Those ideas are reviewed by a 12-member citizens’ stamp advisory committee, which sends its recommendations to the postmaster general for final approval.
That process was used to select the Wild and Scenic River Act stamps, Swanson said.
The federal act, signed into law in 1968, protected rivers deemed to have outstanding natural, cultural and recreational values, In addition, it protected rivers that flow freely through natural settings, and mostly without man-made alterations, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
More than 200 rivers and river segments, covering 13,000 miles, are designated under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
The stamp depicting the Deschutes River features a photo of Steelhead Falls near Crooked River Ranch. The photo was taken by Bob Wick, a staff photographer for the Bureau of Land Management.
The Wild and Scenic Rivers stamps will be available for up to a year, or until the Postal Service sells out, Swanson said.
— Reporter: 541-617-7820, kspurr@bendbulletin.com