Wild Olympics Legislation

Brian Miller

Brian Miller

Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting Cutthwoat Twout
Forum Supporter
I got an email from the Washington State Council, Fly Fishers International yesterday and haven't seen anything about it here
...The Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild & Scenic Rivers Act protects the habitat on which we can rebuild salmon and steelhead runs. It preserves our fishing access. It widens stream buffers. It improves water quality and builds upon dam removal efforts that are already helping restore peninsula fish runs. You can keep the progress going by urging Sens. Murray and Cantwell to push the Wild Olympics Act to a vote. Your letter can help make a difference in this campaign.

Wild Olympics Campaign | Clean Water, Forests and Fish for Our Future

www.wildolympics.org www.wildolympics.org

Thoughts?
 
Designating additional wilderness lands is almost always a positive idea. Looking at the existing national parks and designated wilderness areas in the U.S., it remains highly unlikely that a future generation of Americans will conclude that we have protected to much natural area. My thoughts about Wild and Scenic River designation are mixed based on on-the-ground results. Parts of the Skagit River and Sauk Rivers were added to the list of designated Wild and Scenic Rivers (WSR) in about 1978. Jurisdictional agenies vary by location, but in this instance management of the Skagit/Sauk WSR is with the U.S. Forest Service, and agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In the Skagit basin, the designation hasn't amounted to anything more than bureaucratic lip service. I can't think of one single instance where the WSR designation was used to prevent or modify any development or ground-disturbing activity known to deleteriously affect the river. I almost can't believe I'm saying this, but the state hydraulics code (HPA - Hydraulic Project Approval) and local county planning and building restrictions (which are notoriously lax) have been more effective in protection of these rivers than has the WSR designation. In the case of Wild Olympics, it also appears that management would go to the U.S. Forest Service, where I would expect the same limp wristed, ineffectual outcome.
 
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