Oregon’s Devil’s Staircase Wilderness Act is off to a positive start in Congress.

U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief Joel Holtrop testified in support of the proposed Wilderness Area at a House Natural Resource Committee hearing on Oct. 1. He cited the area as one of the last remaining stands of old-growth forest in the Oregon Coast Range and its benefits as critical habitat for dozens of species, including the threatened Northern Spotted Owl and the Marbled Murrelet.