Tributaries of the lower Rogue River and the rivers of Mt. Hood will be the subject of a hearing today in the U.S. House of Representatives. American Whitewater has participated in outreach efforts associated with the legislation that is the subject of the hearing and includes rivers of interest to the whitewater paddling community.

The two bills include:

* H.R. 6290 (Blumenauer): To designate certain land in the State of Oregon as wilderness, and for other purposes. "Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act of 2008"

* H.R. 6291 (DeFazio): To adjust the boundary of Oregon Caves National Monument, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain river segments in Oregon as wild or scenic rivers, and for other purposes. "Oregon Treasures Act of 2008"

"The Rogue River is widely recognized as one of the classic whitewater journeys in the West and our community recognizes this as an important opportunity to protect this river valley," noted Thomas O'Keefe of American Whitewater. "When we consider Mt. Hood and the fact that Hood River is widely recognized as one of the nation's premiere paddling towns, it points to the benefits of protecting the spectacular rivers in the state in their free-flowing condition."

The hearing will be webcast live starting at 10 am on the Committee's Web site at: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov. Two of our colleagues will be testifying on these bills: John Sterling of the Conservation Alliance will be testifying on the Oregon Treasures Act of 2008 and Ralph Bloemers will be testifying on the Mount Hood Wilderness Act.

The hearing will be before the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands. If your Congressman is a member of this committee, and especially if you are from Oregon some outreach today noting your interest in these places as a whitewater paddler would be appropriate (view subcommittee membership).