From clean drinking water to sustainable economies based on outdoor recreation, rivers provide far more than just a good vacation! Since people protect what they love, our guides work hard to educate guests on the importance of river ecosystems. Our collective goal is to inspire support for conservation efforts. With the holidays coming up, we want to share some of our favorite PNW river conservation groups and how they fight to preserve rivers for future generations. However you prefer to show support, we hope to spread… Read More
We are excited that Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley introduced a new bill to Congress recommending an additional 4,700 Oregon Wild and Scenic river miles. Called the River Democracy Act (S. 192), the Senators based their recommendations on your 15,000 river nominations across the state. As commercial river guides and stewards, we are especially thrilled that 724 of 4,700 river miles are in Southern Oregon watersheds where we live and work. Here are a few of these gems, and how you can help get… Read More
The Kalmiopsis Wildlands is located near the southwest Oregon coast, headwaters for three amazing National Wild and Scenic Rivers. These rivers have unique geology, flora, and fauna, making them in turn incredibly exceptional places to explore. As a raft guide and whitewater paddler, I can’t wait to go boating in the Kalmiopsis. I feel strongly that they need extra protection to remain pristine, especially from mining. The Kalmiopsis is Unique An ecosystem is complicated and interconnected, it is difficult to understand how different aspects influence each… Read More
For the 51st anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act Senator Ron Wyden has asked for help protecting more of Oregon’s waterways. What a great time for the state’s lesser-know waterways to gain protection! After all, Oregon boasts 2,173 miles of iconic rivers in the Wild and Scenic program already—the Rogue, Illinois, Owyhee, Deschutes, Clackamas, Snake, John Day, and McKenzie being a few of the better-known. Some 250 of those miles were protected earlier this year. Wild and Scenic River Protections In 1968 Congress saw… Read More
We are excited that the Oregon Wildlands Act is now law. Signed by President Trump on March 12th, the bill is another step forward to increasing land and river protections throughout the state. The Oregon Wildlands Act The Oregon Wildlands Act was a 10 year effort introduced by Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio as well as Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkeley. The bill is part of a larger public lands package called the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (S. 47). For… Read More
In July of 2015, Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley introduced a new bill that would designate more than 200,000 acres as wilderness and recreation areas as well as add more than 250 miles of Wild and Scenic River protection in Oregon. Great News! On October 2nd, which was also the 50th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources advanced the Oregon Wildlands Act. Though the bill has made recent progress, it will still need to… Read More
Most of the well known whitewater rivers flow through Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, or National Park Service land and many are National Wild and Scenic Rivers. The land surrounding many of the the iconic multi-day river trips are additionally protected as Wilderness or National Monuments. As a user of these public lands it’s good to know a little about each designation. Most public lands are managed the United States Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Managment (BLM), or the National Park Service (NPS). National… Read More
Today the BLM and Forest Service, under the Obama Administration, announced protection of Southern Oregon’s Rough and Ready Creek, Baldface Creek, North Fork of the Smith River, Hunter Creek, and Pistol River with a 20 year administrative “mineral withdrawal” (aka mining withdrawal). This has taken years to accomplish after exensive public comments and three public hearings showing overwhelming support of protection of these places. These rivers and creeks are uniquely special and absolutely deserve this protection from large scale mining. What is an Administrative Mineral Withdrawal?… Read More
As I loaded my truck for another adventure, my anticipation and excitement grew and I started to think about the many firsts in my life. The first time riding my bike without training wheels, the first time I saw a mountain, and my first rafting trip down the Arkansas River in Colorado. Many of those firsts are from experiences I have had in the wilderness around the world. With adventure on my mind, my truck loaded, I hit the road, for another first, a visit to… Read More
For many, the rugged swath of Idaho contained within the 2.37 million acre Frank Church – River of No Return Wilderness is the embodiment of what the Wilderness Act of 1964 hoped to achieve. It is a place where in the space of seasons, free flowing rivers swell and dwindle, wildlife migrates across ranges of untrammeled peaks, and humanity’s trace is limited to a brief echo in a landscape left to exist as it always has. Yet even now as the Frank Church Wilderness stands as… Read More
