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

000474

land acquired by cooperating with State Gnd local governments
to provide the necessary control over development. By coordi-
nating Federal manage~ent with State and local land use con-
trols, not only are costs potentially reduced, but private
owners can continue to enjoy the use of their lands. The
Forest Service, in commenting on our drdft report, said that
placing the burd~n on the county or other local unit of
government to implement and enforce zoning regulations to
protect rivers is often an impractical solution.

The Senate r0port on the wild and Scenic Rivers Act
stated that the intention of the committee was that (1) both
Secretaries would encouraae lo~al units of aovernment to
adopt zoning ordinances that are consistent with the pur-
poses of the act and (2) where such valid ~oning ordinances
were in effect and where there was no need for further
Federal acquisition, that the appropriate Secretary would
suspend acquisition. Fcr example, the report added that
for the portion of the St. Croix River that was added to the
system in 1968, acquisition would be limited to less than
1,000 acres to be used as access points and that the remain-
der would be primarily controlled by local zoning ordinances.

The Congressional Record for the Senate bill clarified
the Sp.nate committee's intent by notinq that the Secretaries'
power of cOlldernnation was to be used to protect scenic and
wild rivers from commercial and industrial destructicn, not
for indiscriminate acquisition. This bill was not a "land
grab," and the condemnation power was primarily for the
acquisition of appropriate public access sites.

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act limits the amount of
land and scenic easements that can be acquired and directs
the Federal agencies to work with State and local aovern-
ments to protect the pri~ate lands through which t~e rivers
flow. The Federal agencies have not been working with State
and local governments to establish zoning controls as anti-
cipated in the act but ha\2 been relying only on the acaui-
sition of lands in fee and scenic easements to control -
development along the rivers' bank3.

!~ger~!-Ecquisitio~_str~~y
.!:~~.!9~ cO':"Ele~L-~~~costly

When the 15 federally administered rivers were admitted
to the national system. land acquisition costs were estimated
to be $36.8 million. As of June 30, 1977. the agencies
estimated that a minimum of $93 million would be needed to
acquire c6ntrol over the river corcidor lands, or over 2 1/2
times the original estimate.

24

i

~
~

'I

I:
i
I
[,

,

!