Eastern Oregon Counties Association opposes Sen. Wyden over River Democracy Act
By Joe Hathaway on Tuesday, August 6th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon Counties Association (EOCA) has voiced strong opposition to Senator Ron Wyden’s reintroduction of the River Democracy Act (S.192), which seeks to designate 4,700 miles of Oregon waterways as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. In a letter sent to Senator Wyden on July 31, the EOCA outlined its concerns regarding the potential impacts of the legislation on local communities and land management practices.
The EOCA criticized the lack of direct outreach to elected officials representing the affected areas, emphasizing that the proposed legislation would impose additional management restrictions on 3 million acres of federal land within the associated ½-mile buffers. The letter reiterated objections previously communicated in 2021, highlighting the challenges faced by federal land management agencies in managing at-risk acres across Oregon.
“Federal land management agencies must navigate an unending and often conflicting maze of federal laws, regulations, and litigation,” the letter stated. “We are deeply concerned about any legislation that would compound the challenges they face.”
The EOCA’s letter highlighted several specific concerns, including potential conflicts between the River Democracy Act and other laws, ambiguities in the Act’s provisions for protecting property and water rights, and limitations on vegetation management following catastrophic events. The association questioned whether the proposed designations meet the intent of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and called for a thorough study to determine their appropriateness.
“You have acknowledged that a significant portion of the three million acres of federal land is overstocked and at risk of catastrophic wildfire,” the letter continued. “However, it only directs the agencies to assess areas having a high probable risk of high-intensity wildfires and then merely consider the appropriate use of prescribed fire.”
The EOCA also raised concerns about public access and safety, noting that many Wild and Scenic river management plans prohibit vegetation management, including post-fire salvage of dead and dying trees. The letter called for explicit directives to maintain public access and safety through recovery and restoration activities following catastrophic events.
“We look forward to hearing more from you and appreciate your commitment to ensuring that these and other concerns are addressed before Congress takes further action on the designation of the RDA,” the letter concluded.
The letter was signed by a coalition of county commissioners and judges from across Eastern Oregon, including representatives from Baker, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Crook, Deschutes, Wheeler, Lake, Malheur, Harney, Grant, Klamath, and Jefferson counties
In response to the letter, Senator Wyden’s office stated, “Senator Wyden and his staff have listened regularly and directly to community input and county commissioners in Eastern Oregon in the years before the bill’s initial 2021 introduction and in the years since. This bill reflects that input, reducing river and stream miles by one-third, providing important context for stream and watershed health, along with the importance of clean drinking water. Despite the letter’s inaccuracies, Senator Wyden’s door remains as open today as it was on Day One of the River Democracy Act to discuss the proposed legislation and its benefits for reducing fire risks and increasing treatment of invasive, fire-prone weeds and plant species.”
The full letter is attached:
