WSP04519

• File Number: 7630.285
• Description: Wild and Scenic - General
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 5/22/1978
• Author: US GAO
• Title: Federal Protection and Preservation of Wild and Scenic Rivers is Slow and Costly - By the Comptroller General - Report to the Congress of the United States
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

000471

--using the eXDertis~ and information available
in other Federal and Stote agencies rather than
researching and devclopirig already a'lailable
informatioh~

~OHM~ND~TIONS 1'0 THE _ CO~<;Rr;SS

To bring about a greater Federal-l',tate-local governme...t
partnershi~, the Congress should (1) provide financial
assistance to States to administer rivers given national
designation, thereby relieving the Federal Government of the
total responsibility and costs of administering these rivers
and (2) amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Ac~ of 1968 to re-
move the provision that precludes St~tes from nominating
rivers. bcrd~red by large blocks of federally owned land.

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AGENCY COMHENTS AND OUR EVALUATION

Regarding our recommendations to improve the timeliness
of river studies:

--The Department of Agriculture stated (see app. V)
that it recognized that many river studies have
taken an inordinate arr.0unt of time from inception
to completion and, as a ~2sult, in some cases
adverse development has occurred in the river
corridor and land acquisition ~osts have escala-
ted. The Department stated that it was looking
at ways to expedite the river study process.

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--The Department of the Interior stated (see app. VI)
that it recognized the slow pace of past river pro-
tection efforts and in October 1977 assembled a
river cor.servation ~ask force under the Bureau of
Outdoor ft,'creatinn to ~tudy this matter. Interior
cited a number of task force recommendations to
improve the river study process, which related to
our recommendations, and stated that our report
generally reinforced and supported many of the
task force's conclusions. Interior further stated
that it is preparing instructions directing study
team leaders to have river studies ~ornpleted
within 46 weeks.

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Both Depa~trnents recognize the need to improve the
timeliness of river studies and have indicated that they are
taking steps to i~plement our recommendations. We believe
that the agencies should promptly prepare instructions to
impl~ment our recommend~tions. The Departmellt of Agriculture

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