AW Stocking Stuffers Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer? AW can help you stock that stocking and at the same time you can feel good about protecting your whitewater rivers. AW has come out with its first line of gift items perfect for the whitewater and outdoor enthusiasts on your holiday shopping list! These items are available now at some of your favorite outdoor retailers:Rutabaga Madison, WIRiversport Confluence, PAIdaho River Sports Boise, IDCalifornia Canoe & Kayak Oakland & Rancho Cordova CAConfluence
On December 11th, 2003, the National Park Service will hold the second of four public meetings to discuss the Development Concept Plan for the Gauley River National Recreation Area. Paddlers who attended the first meeting, on September 23rd, found the meeting to be a valuable forum for sharing ideas and concerns with the National Park Service. American Whitewater was represented at that meeting by Eastern Conservation and Access Director Kevin Colburn and Board Member Charlie Walbridge. American Whitewater would strongly
American Whitewater Volunteer Kevin Miller is representing paddlers on a great project in South Carolina that will hopefully lead to the removal of three dams and tons of PCB laden sediment from Twelvemile Creek. Once the dams are removed, local paddlers predict a high quality Class IV creek run will be revealed. The environmental and recreational benefits of this dam removal project are significant and we are excited about affecting some real positive change on this severly impaired river. Kevin
Grand Canyon National Park News Release For Immediate ReleaseDecember 9, 2003Dawn O’Sickey Hold Placed on Adding Names to Noncommercial River Permit Waitlist Grand Canyon, AZ – Grand Canyon National Park is placing a hold on adding new members to the noncommercial river permit waitlist. As part of the current Colorado River Management Plan (CRMP) planning effort, park staff and planners are carefully examining and considering alternatives to the current waitlist permit system. An overwhelming majority of public comments stated the opinion that the
Over the years AW has helped a number of non profit organizations form in a variety of ways. We would like to welcome the newest such organization to the non profit family. THE WILLIMANTIC WHITEWATER PARTNERSHIP, INC. The Willimantic Whitewater Partnership is the brainchild of AW intern extraordinaire Dan Mullins. Dan is far more than an intern, he is a motivated law student who is attempting to restore a severly impacted reach of the Willimantic River in Connecticut through establishing
On November 19th, 2003, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a notice of surrender of preliminary permits for hydro projects in the Western Cascades that were held by Washington Hydro Energy Development Corporation. One of these permits was for development of a hydro project on Skookum Creek (FERC docket 11850-003), a newly discovered creek run in the Nooksack watershed. Although we have had several victories with micro-hydro over the past year (see related article), the threat to the region’s
The comment period for the SF Clearwater State Water Plan has been extended to Dec. 17, 2003. This extension does not bode well for boaters. Apparently, the extension was a request from the Idaho County Farm Bureau who felt they did not have adequate time for review and comment, but in reality was an 11th hour attempt to derail the plan going to the legislature this session. The request was for an additional 60 days, which would have made sure
On December 3rd, 2003 President Bush announced the passing of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, also known as the Healthy Forest Initiative. This controversial piece of legislation is intended to reduce the impact of wildfires but critics say it will do little to alleviate wildfires and will instead increase industrial logging of old growth and other sensitive areas.Specifically according to CNN, “The measure authorizes $760 million a year for thinning projects on 20 million acres of federal land, a $340
“But even for those who had somehow succeeded in getting to the high ground in time, even for those who were uninjured or were lucky enough to have a roof to sleep under, there was the indescribable agony of remembering what they had seen, and not knowing what had become of others. No one really knew for sure the extent of what had happened, but they knew it had been terrible beyond belief, and if the whereabouts of someone was
How does paddling past a pipe gushing untreated sewage into the river sound to you? If this sounds less than ideal, you need to take a minute to send a comment to the EPA. Yes, the current administration is proposing to do it again, to make the environmental regulations that protect our environment and our health even weaker. The EPA has recently proposed a new policy that would allow partially treated sewage to be released directly into rivers during
On December 3rd, 2003 President Bush announced the passing of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, also known as the Healthy Forest Initiative. This controversial piece of legislation is intended to reduce the impact of wildfires but critics say it will do little to alleviate wildfires and will instead increase industrial logging of old growth and other sensitive areas. Specifically according to CNN, "The measure authorizes $760 million a year for thinning projects on 20 million acres of federal land, a
In a meeting today with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Agency officials asked me to approach American Whitewater’s membership and affiliates and ask for help. The BLM would like your assistance in managing recreation. Specifically, the Agency would like us to compile answers to the following questions. We will share these answers with the Agency at the BLM ‘s National Recreation Forum in January 2004.QUESTION 1: What are your current views of CURRENT CONDITIONS regarding…Recreation Policy Recreation Uses Recreation Conflicts
The Forest Service is scheduled to release an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in January to examine jetboat use on the Rogue River through an analysis of Special Use Permits for activities supporting jetboat use such as new dock construction, with a final Record of Decision in September 2004.At present nearly 3000 jetboat trips race up and down the Rogue; however, when the river was designated “Wild” under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968 jetboat use was only a fifth
On September 4-5, 2003 boaters encountered a horrible surprise on the Potomac. Over 60 million gallons of raw and partially treated sewage spilled in Antietam Creek, a tributary of the Potomac. Over the following week, the spill moved downriver and eventually passed Great Falls and Washington, DC. The spill was caused by a 24-hour power outage and exacerbated by heavy rain (nearly 4.5 inches) in less than 2 hours.This same plant in Hagerstown, MD also spilled in February 2002 when
The Upper North Fork Feather River contains two distinct whitewater runs: The eleven -mile Class IV-V Seneca run and the nine-mile Class III Belden run. PG&E’s Upper North Fork Feather Hydropower Project, FERC No. 2105, dewaters each of these runs. In 2000, American Whitewater Conservation Director John Gangemi began work on this lengthy relicense process. In the fall of 2000 American Whitewater carried out a Whitewater Controlled Flow Study on both the Seneca and Belden runs. Thirty-five participants consisting of
UNITED STATES OF AMERICAFEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION RE: Pacific Gas and Electric ) Upper North Fork FeatherNotice of Application Ready for ) Hydropower Project Environmental Analysis ) Project No. 2105-089Soliciting Comments, Terms and )Conditions ) )Upper North Fork River, California ) COMMENTS AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS FILED BY AMERICAN WHITEWATER AFFILIATION, CHICO PADDLEHEADS, AND SHASTA PADDLERS FOR THE UPPER NORTH FORK FEATHER RIVER HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT, FERC NO. 2105-089 I. Introduction Pursuant to 18 C.F.R. §4.32(b)(7) of the
On Tuesday Nov. 25, 2003 the National Park Service reached another milestone in the 2002 settlement agreement with AW, GCPBA, and other plaintiffs from our lawsuit. The Agency finally shared data with us on the administrative and science use in the Grand Canyon. The release of this information ends a contentious six year information stalemate.This information is important as various constituency groups involved in the on-going Colorado River Management Plan attempt to better understand what the current levels of river use are.
On Tuesday, November 4, the House of Representatives passed S. 677, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area Boundary Revision Act of 2003. The bill, which was sponsored by Representative Campbell (R-CO), revises the boundaries of both the park and the BLM-managed National Conservation Area (NCA). In the case of the NCA it would increase the size by approximately 7,100 acres to nearly 63,000 acres. The bill incorporates BLM land acquired following designation and
Check Out These Featured Items Safety EquipmentSupport AW! Purchase your AW branded Sherman PFD. For each PFD sold, American Whitewater receives $50…Order yours today and get a Free Lotus Designs T-shirt, cap and sticker…Instead of having just one item under the tree you’ll have four! Limited number available. American Whitewater and Lotus Designs have joined forces to offer an AW Spectra Throwbag. A throwbag make an awesome gift and ALL proceeds go to American Whitewater. Orig. $90 Now $68 Paddling GearAlong with IR’s
Earlier this fall a landmark decision was announced to remove two dams and bypass a third on Maine’s Penobscot River. The agreement that calls for the removal of the dams was made between PPL Corporation, conservation groups, the Penobscot Indian Nation, the State of Maine, and the U.S. Department of Interior. The removal of the dams and the associated river restoration measures will restore access to hundreds of miles of habitat for atlantic salmon, shad, sturgeon, and other species
The start of the 2003-2004 paddling season in the Pacific Northwest has seen a change in access to a 3 mile section of the Washougal river located in Southwest Washington known as the Church Run. For a number of years local paddlers have utilized the footpath and parking lot of the Salmon Falls Church and Retreat. Due to a change in management, an impending sale, and the behavior of undisciplined visitors, this access is now closed. Other access points are
On November 24, 2003, a reporter for Vermont’s Rutland Herald, Peter Crabtree, reported (http://www.rutlandherald.com/News/Story/75064.html) that “Boating groups are protesting a decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to restrict whitewater releases on the West River. The Army Corps cut the fall release at the Ball Mountain Dam from two days to one in September, affecting hundreds of paddlers who turn out for the annual event. The Army Corps also intends to cut back flow levels for the spring release
Ground was broken for a $2 million federal project to improve the road across the top of Francis E. Walter Dam on the Lehigh River in Carbon County, PA, on Friday, November 14, 2003. An existing paved access road runs along the base of dam’s upstream face and is submerged when water-storage levels rise substantially. When that road is submerged, it prompts large water releases that some officials said can adversely affect the river. U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-Luzerne, and
American Whitewater has learned that the term ‘Streamkeeper’ is a registered trademark of the Adopt-a-Stream Foundation. To avoid confusion we are going to stop using the term, and we’re asking for your help to think of a new name for our project.Whoever comes up with the winning name will win an IR/AW Thin Skin, AW Visor, and your choice of IR/AW Board Shorts.Please post your ideas to our Forum.When thinking of a new name, consider the ways in which we
