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000372 . . INFORMATION ON THE TWELVE RIVER STUDIES IN COLORADO The wild and Scenic Rivers Act was passed in 1968 and amended in 1975 to authorize the study of twelve rivers in Colorado, shown on the attached map. The Act was passed to complement the nation's fOrmer policy of developing its rivers with a policy for preserving them. These studies have been carried out by the Heritage Conser- vation and Recreation Service and the National Park Service for rivers that cross lands administered by the Department of the Inte- rior, and by the Forest Service for rivers that cross Department of Agriculture lands. To ensure the studies recognized local and regional concerns, the state of Colorado took advantage of a pro- vision of the Act which permits states to be partners in the studies and has been a co-leader of each of the twelve studies. What Does the Act DO? When a river or river segment is designated to the system, it is, 50 to speak, frozen; it is preserved in the condition it was in when designated. If it has been found to be free-flowing and to have certain outstanding values, these are preserved and protected. The Act allows recreation, 50 long as it does not imperil the values that earned the river a place in the system; generally, the agency managing the river institutes limits on floating and installs sites, 50 that the recreation that takes place is scheduled and confined to areas that can withstand the use. The Act provides several mechanisms for preserving the river as it is, whether it be an eastern river lined with towns like the st. Croix or a mountain river like the Middle Fork of the Salmon. It enforces certain prohibitions on public agencies: they cannot dam it or assist others in damming it, and they cannot use any management techniques that degrade its outstanding values. While the agencies cannot halt any existing use of the land, like mining, they may have to make and enforce regulations that protect the scenery and water quality. Only the wild river areas discussed below are closed to future mineral entry and, even there, valid existing rights continue. Grazing is permitted. The theory by which the Act operates on private landowners is similar. They can continue any land use they practiced before designation; the Act specifically says 50. This includes mainten- ance and replacement. They are precluded, however, from chanqinq their land use to practices which degrade the river's values. The Act enforces this prohibition on changes that degrade the river corridor--an area of up to 320 acres per mile or the line of sight from the river, whichever is smaller--by scenic easements, ex- plained below. The Act also permits the managing agency to accept local zoning regulations in place of scenic easements if they meet the preservative standards of the Act.