WSP06980 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The Flathead River in Montana is one 01 the most recent additoons to the Nat'onal Syslrm. of river and dictates its manage- ment direction. Along the Lochsa and Clearwaler sections a number of actIVities are underway or being initiated These include: development of a nature trail with a Wild and Scenic River theme, a hlSlorlcal ranger slat Ion. visitor center comple:w:, water Quality monitoring at key points, coordma- lion wllh stale highway and power company people to reduce adverse impacts of their activities, mom tor. ing Quality in tributary streams draining a proposed mining devel. opment, cooperallon with State Fisheries people in anadromous Ilsh programs The land and easemenl acquisi- tion program is about 50 percent complete, Filly conservation ease- ments have been obtained covering 1,900 acres Five parcels totaling 53 acres have been acquired In fee. Managers are currently working With landowners 10 develop admin- Istrative plans lor the easements The Forest Service's Wild and Scenic Rivers Studies of the Pnesl and Moy,e Rivers m Idaho are In the analysis stage In preparation of lhe Oral! Environmental Impact Slatemenls The DEIS tor the Moyie River is expected to be released In lhe early fait 01 1977. The Priesl River Study is approximately four months behind the Moyie River Sludy PubliC comment on both studies is complete and a summary 01 citi- zen panicipation lor the Moyie Alver has been mailed to all interested agenCies and individuals A similar mailing lor the Pnest River is being prepared Alternatwes being analyzed lor the Moyie River include: No Change; County Zoning and Flood Plain Zon- ing, State of Idaho Management System: and inclUSion in the Wild and Scenic River System under varying combinations 01 classifica- tions for which the river qualifies. Basic alternatives lor The Priest Awer are Similar except lor the addition of a .'Joint Management Agreement (between the Forest Service and Slate of Idaho) and Prwale Land Exchange." which IS a noninctusion alternative The U. S Forest Service sludy 01 the Sr. Joe River in Idaho is being prepared lor transmlllal to the DUlce 01 Management and Budget In 1968 Congress deslgnaled 84 miles at 1he Rogue River as "wild and scenic" 01 ttJlS, 33 mtles have been declared wild, 7'h miles sce- niC, and the remaining 43'h miles recreational ResponSibility lor ad- minIstering the Rogue is spilt be. tween 1he Bureau 01 Land Manage- men!, Medford dis!IICt, and the 000596 Forest Service, SiSkiyou National Fores!. In 1970 lhe Stale of Oregon added its protection 10 the river under its SceniC Rivers Act. Under other State legislation Ihe Oregon State Marine Board was also given responsibilities on lhe river, Since 1973 the two Federal and two Slate agencies have been involved in co- operalive management of the Wild River visitor management program. Over lhe years some limitation on use 01 the river has evolved, mostly applying to commercial outhners. In 1973 a moratorium was placed on quallllYlng additional outlitlers to operate on the Rogue. Since 1974 limits have been placed on the number of trips and pany size for the outliUers. These regulaliOns, however, did not severely limit the outliners. Most were unable to lill all their trips to capacity. In June 1976 the managing agen- cies Iniliated a Rogue River Policy Aevlew Group to review and to con- tribute 10 Ihe 10rmaTion 01 manage- ment policies 10 regulate recrea- IlOna! use on lhe wild section 01 the river. ThaI group represents a broad cross section 01 river users and conservationists. Aller lour months of meetings the group was able to develop a pro- posal which was acceptable to a maJority 01 the group. The proposal called for increasing lhe number of commercial Slal1s from lour per day to lIVe during lhe week and to remam at four on weekends. For the trrst time, limits were proposed lor private boaters who would be limited to six per day during the week and nine starls per day on weekends. ThiS proposal would al- low more than 20,000 people to run the river In 1977. This proposal was presented to the publiC during me week 01 No~ vemtler 15. The overall reaction was negative. In meellngs at Oak- land, Catif., and POl1land, Dreg, people opposed the proposal be- cause It would allow 100 many to use the river In the Grams Pass and GOld Beach. Dreg" meelings. those 23