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

OODHG

--using experienced personnel to conduct
3dditional studies,

--integrating environmental im~act studies
into river studie~, a~d

--using the pxpertise and information avail-
able in other Pederal and State agencies
rather than researching and developing
already available information. (See pp. 20 and
21.)

~ne two Secretaries should also reguire the
heads of their services and bureaus to work
with Slate and local qovernments to minimize
landacguisitions by coordinating Federal
Management with lu~~l zoninq to preserve
e~isting as well as additional proposed wild
and scenic rivers. Buying lands and easements
ShOllld be used only if local yovernments
gran~ permits fornoncompatible use and for
[he ~cguisition of ap~ropriate public access
sites. (See p. 35.)

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CONGRESSIONAL ACTIOK

States are relLctant to participate in help-
ing Federal ~gen~ies protect and preserve
wild, sC9ni~, and recreational rive~s be-
cause of increased administrative costs and
because of the Department of the Interior's
ruling that States cannot lIominate rivers
bordered by large blocks of fEderally owned
land. Conversely, Federal a~encies are not
always workinq with States and local govern-
ments to use zoning as a means of preserving
rivers but are buying land and easement riahts,
which may be unnecessarily costly.

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To bring about a greater "ederal-State-lccal
government partnership, the Congress should
(1) provide financial assistance to States
to administer nationally desig~ated rivers,
thereby reducing Federal involvement and
related costs, and (2) am~nd the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 to remeve the pr&-
vision which precludes States from nominat-
ing rivers bordered by larqe blocks of fed-
erally owned land. (See p. 21.)

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