In late March, American Whitewater staff traveled to our nation’s capital to advocate for place-based river protection legislation and smart management of our public lands and rivers. As part of Wild and Scenic Rivers Hill Week, American Whitewater and our partners had nearly 70 meetings with congressional offices, in addition to meetings with the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. To make the most of our trip, our staff had additional meetings with the U.S. Senate Water and Power Subcommittee, Appropriations Committee, and White House staff. This provided opportunities to discuss issues like Klamath River operations, hydropower legislation under consideration that would affect the regulatory framework for hydropower licensing, Glen Canyon Dam operations, and investments in public river access.
In our Congressional meetings, American Whitewater prioritized advocating for the following place-based river protection legislation, including Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Conservation Areas, National Recreation Areas, and Special Management Areas.
- The M.H. Dutch Greater Gila Wild and Scenic Rivers Act: A bill to protect nearly 450 miles of river in the Gila and San Francisco watersheds in southwest New Mexico under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The legislation has been re-introduced in both the Senate and the House and has the support of every congressional office in New Mexico!
- The Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act introduced in the Senate by Senator Bennet and Senator Hickenlooper to protect the Dolores River from further dams and to conserve nearly 70,000 acres of public lands surrounding the river corridor. The bill has support from all the surrounding counties, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and many others. We are urging Congressman Hurd to introduce the bill in the House and are actively seeking a pathway to pass this bill in this Congress.
- Proposed Wild and Scenic River legislation for the Upper Verde River in Arizona. American Whitewater and our local partners are advocating for the introduction of a Wild and Scenic River bill to protect the Upper Verde River, Sycamore Creek, and Granite Creek. The effort has strong bipartisan support on the ground and would permanently protect spectacular river canyons and recreational opportunities in northern Arizona.
- The Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, introduced by Senator Murray and Representative Randall. The bill aims to permanently protect approximately 125,000 acres of Olympic National Forest as wilderness and 464 river miles as Wild and Scenic Rivers. It has had a hearing in the Senate, but we are still seeking a hearing in the House.
- In Oregon, Senators Wyden and Merkley have championed the Oregon Recreation Enhancement Act that would protect the forests that surround the Rogue River; Smith River National Recreation Area Expansion Act that would protect the headwaters of the North Fork Smith located in Oregon; and the Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act, a major conservation initiative for the Owyhee Canyonlands.
- In California, the Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act; the San Gabriel Mountains Protection Act; and the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act—all included in the Senate’s PUBLIC Lands Act—would significantly expand Wild and Scenic River designations and strengthen watershed management and protections across the state.
- In Montana, the Greater Yellowstone Recreation Enhancement And Tourism Act (GYREAT Act) would designate nearly 100 miles of the Gallatin River, Madison River, and three smaller streams as new Wild and Scenic Rivers. Championed by retiring Congressman Zinke, this bill needs a subcommittee hearing this summer to position it well in this Congress.
- Collaborative and sustainable solutions for widespread staffing issues across public land management agencies, including critical gaps in river ranger staffing
- Improvements to river permit distribution and Recreation.gov oversight
- Maintaining Roadless Area protections and the benefits they provide to rivers across the country
These conversations don’t stop with our plane rides back to our respective homes. We will continue to follow up with congressional offices and our agency partners to ensure that these issues remain top of mind for legislators. No matter the hurdles, we will continue to seek pathways to pass legislation in Congress that benefits rivers and our public lands.
