Congress to consider national heritage area designation for Willamette Falls and landings

If everything goes according to plan, the United States Congress will designate the first National Heritage Area within the state of Oregon next year.

For more than a decade the Willamette Falls and Landings Heritage Area Coalition has worked toward this special designation for Willamette Falls and the 56 miles of the Willamette River between Lake Oswego and Keizer. Now, with a feasibility study complete in accordance with regulations from the National Park Service, the coalition announced that new legislation, which would create the National Heritage Area, is ready for Congress to consider in 2025.

“A National Heritage Area designation would recognize the historical, cultural, and natural significance of the Willamette Falls & landings region, encompassing areas rich in Native American history, industrial heritage, and environmental diversity,” the coalition wrote in a press release. “The Coalition’s efforts seek to enhance, assist, and promote the region for current and future generations. The proposed legislation highlights the desire of local stakeholders, community organizations, and governmental entities to advocate for the preservation and promotion of the Willamette Falls and river region’s historical and cultural resources.”

Though the National Parks Service oversees the National Heritage Area program, designation of National Heritage Area status must come through an act of Congress. Across the country, there are 62 National Heritage Areas — defined as places where historic, cultural and natural resources combine to form cohesive, nationally important landscapes — but none in Oregon.

The coalition believes the region, which is already a state heritage area, meets these criteria.

For thousands of years Willamette Falls played a crucial role in the lives of Native Americans living in the area and across the region. Indigenous people gathered at the falls for fishing, trading and cultural ceremonies. As colonizing settlers pushed westward into the region, displacing these Indigenous peoples, the area around Willamette Falls became a hub for industrialization in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The National Heritage Area designation would recognize both aspects of the region’s history.

The proposal also includes “Support for heritage tourism initiatives that highlight local attractions, landmarks, and cultural institutions,” as well as “Enhancement of community engagement and education programs focused on the region’s heritage and environmental conservation,” according to the coalition.

The falls and landings were named a state heritage area in 2015, thanks in large part to the advocacy efforts of the coalition.