Support Wild and Scenic Rivers in Utah
The US Forest Service is conducting a statewide suitability study to determine which of the outstanding rivers in Utah’s National Forests should be protected as Wild and Scenic Rivers. The Forest Service released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the suitability study on November 29, 2007. In this Draft, the Forest Service is recommending that 24 of the 86 rivers that have been identified as eligible for designation should be formally recommended for Wild and Scenic designation.
About half of the 24 rivers the Forest Service recommended are among Utah’s most beloved
rivers. Despite having a huge amount of public support the Forest
Service’s recommendation fails to include another handful of Utah’s
classics. The rivers that were left out include the Logan River and
all its tributaries, Fish and Gooseberry Creek, the headwaters of the Bear River, Dark Canyon,
and the Provo River.
Take Action by February 15th!
We recommend that paddlers submit comments on this issue that:
1. Support the USFS for declaring the 24 rivers as suitable for Wild and Scenic designation.
2. Recommend that additional eligible river segments be declared suitable.
3. Share stories and personal experiences with any of the rivers being considered. Agencies are not always aware of recreational, ecological, scenic, historical, or geological values of certain stream reaches. Telling the agencies about the reasons you value specific rivers will help them define and protect those values as "Outstanding Remarkable Values" under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
4. Recommend the Logan River for designation as well as the others already recommended.
To submit comments:
By mail:
Utah NF Wild and ScenicRiver
DEIS
PO Box
162969
Sacramento, CA
95816-2969
or electronically via email:
For more information check out the table below of the rivers the USFS has recommended as suitable for Wild and Scenic Designation. You may also wish to visit the Utah Rivers Council website at http://www.utahrivers.org/, or the USFS page regarding this process at: www.fs.fed.us/r4/rivers/comment.shtml , which contains the DEIS.
| Rivers Proposed as Suitable for Wild and Scenic Designation | ||
|
River Segment |
Miles |
Classification |
|
Ashley National Forest |
|
|
|
Black Canyon |
10 |
Wild |
|
Green River |
13 |
Scenic |
|
Lower Main Sheep Creek |
4 |
Recreational |
|
Middle Main Sheep Creek |
5 |
Recreational |
|
Reader Creek |
6 |
Scenic |
|
Upper Uinta River, including Gilbert Creek, Center Fork, and Painter Draw |
40 |
Wild |
|
Dixie National Forest |
|
|
|
Death Hollow Creek |
10 |
Wild |
|
Mamie Creek |
2 |
Wild |
|
Moody Wash |
5 |
Wild |
|
North Fork Virgin River |
1 |
Scenic |
|
Pine Creek |
8 |
Wild |
|
Fishlake National Forest |
|
|
|
Fish Creek |
15 |
Wild and Recreational |
|
Steep Creek |
4 |
Wild |
|
The Gulch |
2 |
Recreational |
|
Manti – La Sal National Forest |
|
|
|
Hammond Canyon |
10 |
Scenic |
|
Roc Creek |
9 |
Wild |
|
Uinta National Forest |
|
|
|
Fifth Water Creek |
8 |
Scenic |
|
Little Provo Deer Creek |
3 |
Recreational |
|
Wasatch – Cache National Forest |
|
|
|
East Fork Smith’s Fork |
8 |
Wild |
|
Henry’s Fork |
8 |
Wild |
|
Middle Fork Beaver Creek |
11 |
Wild and Scenic |
|
West Fork Beaver Creek |
10 |
Wild and Scenic |
|
West Fork Blacks Fork |
12 |
Wild and Scenic |
|
Willard Creek |
4 |
Scenic |
|
TOTAL |
212 |
|