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

OOD~H

of deterioration or scenic values and
increase~ administrative sts and becatlSe
States are precluded fror ~inating rivers
that are bordered by lary. ~Jocks of fed-
erally owned land. (See pp. ].7 to 19.)

The Bureau of Outdo6r Recreation 1/ Rn~ Forest
Service have issued suggested stuay ti~e
frames of 22 1/2 months and 30 months, resnec-
tively. (See p. 10.) I<i',er studies, however,
are not meeting these target completion dates
for ~ number of reas~ns.

The primary reasons are that (1) the two study
agencies have not developed 0r issued formal
instructions to guide the conduct of river
studies and (2) the study teams often lack ex-
perienced, qualified personnel. (See pp. 14 to
16.)

I
Many studies -have been delayed because the
agencies tookoa long time--about 3 years--to
issue instructicns for carrying ~ut require-
ments of environmental impact statements and
the Nate. Resource Council's standards for water
resource projects. (See p. 15.)

The wild and scenic values of some rivers have
deteriorated due, in part, to slow progress in
designating rivers to the national system.
For example, visitor use increased substan-
tially on che Snake River in Wyoming following
its designation as a potential wild and scenic
river in 1968 and subsequent publicity. The
Forest Service study team recorded a recrea-
tional use increaFe of 27 percent annually
from 1974 through 1977. (See p. 12.) The

liOn Jan. 30, 1978, the Bureau of Outdoor
- Recreation was renamed the Heritage Conser-
vation and Recreation Service. The responsi-
bility foe conducting river studies ane preparing
reports tu the President and t~e Congress
was tr~nsferLed from the Bureau of Outdoor
Recreation tc the National Park Service ef-
fective Apr. 1, 1978.

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