February 4, 2021 10:50 a.m.

Oregon’s Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have introduced legislation to add nearly 4,700 miles of rivers and streams in Oregon to the national Wild and Scenic Rivers system.

A release said the River Democracy Act, is the largest Wild and Scenic Rivers effort in the nation’s history.

Those named rivers and streams were among the more than 15,000 nominations submitted by 2,500 Oregonians as part of Wyden’s effort to protect more of Oregon’s waterways and reduce catastrophic wildfire risks, improve drinking water and expand recreation access to boost rural jobs and economies.

The release said the proposal builds on legislation Congress passed in 2019 that added more than 250 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers in Oregon.

The River Democracy Act would also:

*Require federal land managers to assess wildfire risks in Wild and Scenic corridors, implement a plan to reduce wildfire risks to homes and businesses near those rivers, assist local governments to mitigate wildfire risks and restore water quality should a fire strike near a Wild and Scenic River

*Encourages federal land managers to develop river management plans in collaboration with Native American Tribes to ensure those tribes have a voice in how rivers are managed

*Ensure that only federal lands are affected by Wild and Scenic designations, while protecting private property rights, water rights, and existing permits and rights of way on federal lands

A one-page summary of the legislation can be linked: https://www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/River%20Democracy%20Act%20of%202021%20Section%20by%20Section.pdf