More than 15,000 nominations have been sent to Oregon U.S. Senator Ron Wyden’s office, for waterways to be placed on the national Wild and Scenic Rivers designation list.
Wyden called for nominees last fall, on the Wild and Scenic River Act’s 51st anniversary. More than 4,000 miles of waterways were nominated. If listed, they would be better protected against developments that could hinder their flow or degrade habitat.
Sarah Dyrdahl of the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council says she’ll be watching closely as to what comes next.
“In terms of which rivers would be eligible under the recreation qualities and which would be eligible under the scenic quality," she tells KLCC.
"I really want to understand how our rivers are going to respond with the changing climate and how to instill resiliency within those rivers.”
Wyden’s bill would add to 250 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers already in Oregon, including parts of the Rogue River important to salmon and steelhead.
Copyright 2020, KLCC.
