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            Leaders representing over 1 million people who participate in human-powered outdoor recreational activities traveled to Washington DC late last month to roll out their policy platform for 2007. The leaders are policy staff for the Access Fund, American Canoe Association, American Hiking Society, American Whitewater, International Mountain Biking Association, and the Winter Wildlands Alliance. These non-profit groups have formed a coalition, the Outdoor Alliance, aimed at representing human powered recreationists on a national level. The Platform outlines the group’s positions on pending

On March 12th,  AW alerted paddlers to the threat of a new $10 per boat per year fee for all boats used on New Hampshire’s rivers and streams.  The bill that could create the new fee system has now passed committee and will be put to a full NH Senate vote on Thursday, March 22nd.  Paddlers are encouraged to call or write their NH senators and let them know how they feel about the new fees.  Opposition to the fees has

Last week, American Whitewater formally requested that FERC push through the delays in issuing new dam licenses for several Duke Power dams on North Carolina’s Nantahala and Tuckasegee rivers.  FERC action is needed before trail construction, recreational releases, dam removal, base flows, and other mitigation can be initiated.  Based on previous delays from multiple agencies, there will almost certainly be no new releases this year on either the West Fork of the Tuckasegee, or the Upper Nantahala.  We are hopeful however that licenses will be

Whitewater Courses and Parks 2007 is the second gathering of professionals involved in the development and management of whitewater courses and parks in the US and abroad. The first conference held in October 2005 received rave reviews for the quality of the program and the breadth of experience represented by the presenters. This year, we will both address the same popular topics and respond to the participants’ requests for additional panels. Whitewater courses and parks are being designed and built

     On Wednesday of this week, the New Hampshire Senate will consider charging a $10.00 per boat per year fee for all non-motorized boats used on any body of water in New Hampshire.  The fee will apply to NH residents and non-residents alike.  In exchange for the $10 fee, the state will issue 2 "decals" which must be stuck to the bow and stern of a boat, above the water line.        The proposed fee is intended to help rescue the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department,

It’s been less than a year since we celebrated removal of a dam on the Bear River but meanwhile an application for a new dam marches forward. On December 15th, 2006 the Twin Lakes Canal Company filed its Notice of Intent and Pre-Application Document (PAD) for the construction of the Bear River Narrows Hydroelectric Project (FERC P-12486). This project would create a 200 acre reservoir backing up to the existing Oneida Dam owned by PacifiCorp. The reservoir would inundate the

American Whitewater is excited to announce that we have hired Nathan Fey as our new Colorado River Stewardship Director. This new position builds on our regional approach, where the AW Stewardship Team is in place to lead, train and support community-based activism representing the interests of boaters and the rivers we care for.  Nathan joins the AW River Stewardship Team led by Kevin Colburn (National Director), Thomas O’Keefe (Pacific Northwest Director) and Dave Steindorf (California Director).   Nathan brings to AW

The 2007 National Paddling Film Festival in Lexington, Kentucky was full of good videos, good friends, good food, and great volunteers.  Leading the charge for such a great weekend of activities was Todd Garland who is American Whitewater’s March volunteer of the month. The National Paddling Film Festival is organized each year by a dedicated crew from the Bluegrass Wildwater Association to raise funds for river access and conservation.  In 2006 longtime coordinator of the National Paddling Film Festival Dave

Last Friday the Washington Department of Ecology issued the required Water Quality Certification Order for removal of Elwha Dam and Glines Canyon Dam on the Elwha River. The project will restore the Elwha River Ecosystem and native anadromous fisheries by removing two outdated dams that have blocked fish passage for nearly a century. In the process a free-flowing river, one of Olympic National Park’s most spectacular rivers, will be reborn. Certification is a key step in the process to begin

AW and Save Our Wild Salmon will be in Madison, WI for Canoecopia, the world’s largest paddlesport exposition (March 9-11). We will once again be joining our friends from Patagonia who have graciously offered to host us. Stop by Patagonia’s booth to learn more about AW’s projects in the Midwest and one of our key national campaigns to restore the Snake and Salmon Rivers through the coalition Save Our Wild Salmon. AW be presenting the Midwest Stewardship Roundtable. It will

Kayaker’s, Rafter’s and Canoeists wanted for the St. Patrick’s Day Opening, for a lack of another name for this informal un-sponsored event, of the Lower Cispus take-out on March 17th. The plan is to leave the Mt. Adams Café in Randle, Washington (located at Highway 12 milepost 115) at 11:00 am sharp! For those unfamiliar with the area, we will caravan to the put-in at Twin Cedars about one mile above the Iron Creek Campground and shuttle vehicles to the

The 24th Annual National Paddling Film Festival happens February 23rd and 24th in Lexington, KY.  Two nights of paddling films, live music, a Silent Auction, and more, with Guest Host John Grace of Lunch Video Magazine.  Details can be found at www.surfbwa.org/npff.

Jim Segerstrom, founder of Rescue III International and a renowned swiftwater rescue expert, died February 5, 2007 in San Francisco, CA after a massive stroke. He was 60 years old. A former river guide and climbing instructor, Jim was the originator of the Swiftwater Rescue Technician program that has been a huge influence on river paddlers and rescue professionals alike.  His work saved many lives.  He later became the Executive Director of Special Rescue Services Group and the Managing Director of

Yesterday, a group of river paddling organizations and individuals withdrew their appeal of a federal court decision involving canoeing and kayaking access on the Upper Chattooga Wild and Scenic River in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.    The parties originally filed suit against the US Forest Service in 2006, based on a 2005 administrative appeal decision which found that a 30 year old ban on paddling the river was unjustified and violated laws including both the Wilderness Act and the

American Whitewater is pleased to announce that our awesome team of attorneys at the law firm of Alston & Bird are our Volunteers of the Month for February, 2007.  The Alston & Bird team is made up of Robert Mitchell,  Trent Hamilton, Ryan Van Meter, Natalie Whiteman, and Brendan Krasinski.  This team drafted numerous briefs and is leading us through a complex lawsuit in federal court – all on a volunteer basis.  Their contribution to American Whitewater is staggering.  Their contribution to the stewardship of the

2007 is going to be an awesome year for American Whitewater. We anticipate that big new agreements will be reached all across the West to modernize, and even remove a few dams; Southeastern rivers that have been off limits for years will be runnable; flow schedules all along the east coast will be improved; and AW will launch a new position in Colorado. Behind these great results we’re looking forward to is an organization that is up to the challenge.

Montana’s Senator Lane Larson (D-Billings) recently introduced Senate Bill 78, which if signed into law, will support the public’s right to access Montana’s rivers and streams from bridges throughout the state.  The public already has the clear right to paddle, fish, and swim in any river capable of supporting floating.  SB78, the Montana Bridge Access Bill, is sensitive to the needs of landowners, as well as river enthusiasts.  It allows landowners to construct fences adjacent to bridges but requires fences to not block public river

American Whitewater recently requested that the City of Boonton, NJ recognize and support paddling on the Class IV Boonton Gorge on the Rockaway River.  The request follows several incidences of paddlers being told by police that the river is illegal to paddle based on a city/county rule that prohibits swimming.  New Jersey has few whitewater runs, which makes each one all the more important.  We hope to work with local paddlers and the City of Boonton to reach a solution that

This past fall the Portland Whitewater Boating Community came together to celebrate exploration and adventure on the region’s rivers through a film festival sponsored by Next Adventure. Proceeds from the event that included a raffle resulted in a $1100 contribution to American Whitewater. We greatly appreciated this show of support from our friends at Next Adventure and members of the Portland Boating Community. We have several exciting projects underway in the region and this support is critical to our ongoing