Idaho Environmental Forum #164  

The National Wild and Scenic River System at 40: Lessons From The Past, Challenges For The Future

SPEAKERS

Bill Sedivy is the executive director of Idaho Rivers United, a conservation organization whose mission is to protect and restore Idaho's rivers.  Bill has been canoeing and rafting rivers throughout North America since 1978. He also has worked as a volunteer Regional Coordinator for American Whitewater,  and has served on American Whitewater's board of directors.  Formerly a journalist, Bill was the top editor at award-winning newspapers in Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia, and taught journalism for two years at Utah State University.  In 1995, he published a book on river-running called River's End: A collection of bedtime stories for paddlers.

LuVerene Grussing spent nearly his entire professional career managing public use of the Lower Salmon River for the Bureau of Land Management. LuVerne served as national president of the River Management Society for 12 years.  He now lives on the Clearwater River near Juliaetta. 

Dr. Bill McLaughlin is the Dean of the College of Natural Resources at the University of Idaho and Professor of Human Environmental Sciences and Conservation Planning in the Department of Conservation Social Sciences.  Bill has been engaged in wild and scenic river management, planning, and conservation research for over 30 years, including projects on the Flathead River system in Montana, numerous designated and non-designated river stretches in Idaho, and nationwide surveys of Wild and Scenic River System managers.

Program Description

October 2008 marked the 40th anniversary of Congress' enactment of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.  That Act established a national policy that "certain selected rivers . . . which . . . possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural, or other similar values, shall be preserved in free-flowing condition . . . for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations."

As with other natural resources, Idaho boasts a number of designated wild, scenic, and recreational rivers, including portions of the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River (along with parts of the Lochsa and Selway rivers), the Salmon and Middle Fork of the Salmon rivers, and the Snake River through Hells Canyon, among others.  That list is poised to grow as the Owyhee Initiative awaits passage in Congress.  That legislation would add several segments and 316 miles of rivers to the over 573 miles already in the Wild and Scenic system in Idaho.

Our panel of distinguished speakers will address the background and history of the Wild and Scenic River System; Idaho's ties to and role in this river conservation network; the management issues, concerns, and both the conceptions and misconceptions about wild and scenic river designations; and the challenges for future planning and management for the Wild and Scenic River System in Idaho and nationwide.