What does the designation mean?
Protects and enhances a river’s “outstandingly remarkable” values that can include wildlife, recreation, fisheries, cultural attributes, geology, scenery, or other regionally significant values.
Protects and enhances values for which the river is designated that can include recreational activities such as fishing and boating.
Protects a river’s free-flowing character and prohibits federally-licensed dams and other harmful water projects.
Establishes a 1/4-mile corridor on both sides of the river representing the zone of management focus; any changes to public land management practices are made with the full input of local residents and stakeholders without giving the federal government control over private property.
Requires the creation of a cooperative river management plan developed through a public process that addresses resource protection, land development and facilities, public use, and overall management.
Can often help leverage federal funding for improved recreation access and habitat restoration projects.
Requires an Act of Congress (legislation).
Rivers in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System are administered with the goal of protecting and enhancing the values for which they were designated. Designation does not give the federal government control over private property. Recreation, forestry practices, and other uses may continue.
JD: I’d love to say this was going to make a big impact and improve fishing in all the newly designated rivers, but wild salmon and steelhead numbers have continued to decline in a few of the rivers already on the list. Just calling something wild and scenic doesn’t make it all better. Action and a plan to improve habitat would be a much better place to start.