Forest Service Backs Elimination of Lochsa Area River Protections

The Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest recognized that 88 rivers on the National Forest lands they manage are eligible for Wild and Scenic designation. Normally this would mean the free-flowing nature and special values of these streams would be protected in a new forest management plan. Instead, the Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest used a sketchy political process to release 76! of those rivers from protection. American Whitewater and several other groups appealed their decision. Tthis week our appeal was essentially denied. The appeal decision requires the National Forest to address some logical and factual inconsistencies with how the agency released the rivers, but defends their ability to do so. 
 
Wild and Scenic eligibility is a flexible and tailored tool that the Forest Service uses to protect special values of exceptional rivers while allowing other compatible activities like wildfire mitigation, habitat work, and recreation. It’s a popular and tried-and-true part of National Forest management that is typically embraced by managers. Not so on the Nez Perce Clearwater, where managers appear to prefer more unfettered discretion to make decisions that would impact river values that we believe should be protected.. 
 
The release of these rivers is especially concerning because the area is home to some of the best whitewater streams on the continent, they are a vital piece of the long-term recovery of salmon and steelhead, and these intact watersheds are important to numerous Tribes. The Forest Service’s lack of appreciation and commitment to these rivers is deeply disappointing and puts the health of these special rivers in jeopardy.
 
The appeal decision requires the National Forest to fix their analysis, after which the Agency will issue a final decision which will be subject to judicial review. As we consider our next steps, we’d like to thank the boating community for speaking up for these rivers! Over 98% of public comments were in support of protecting them. 

More information on the appeal responses can be found on the USFS website.

Image: John Webster