December 7, 2022 3:00 a.m.

Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have announced a new River Democracy Act that they say reflects input from communities across Oregon over the past year to update the total mileage of rivers and streams in Oregon that would be added to the national Wild and Scenic Rivers system.

A release said the total mileage of rivers and streams in the revised bill is approximately 3,215 miles, compared to 4,700 miles in the original bill.

Wyden said the legislation is called the River Democracy Act for a reason, namely that Oregonian’s nominations of rivers and streams drove their landmark legislation and that it, “…fulfills my commitment to keep collecting input from communities across our state”. Wyden said the bill provides a fresh start that builds on the progress already made to protect Oregon’s waterways, reduce wildfire dangers, improve drinking water and expand recreation opportunities that support rural jobs and economies.

Merkley said, “Oregon’s rivers and streams are some of the most special natural treasures our state has to offer and have always been integral to the health and vitality of our communities and rural economies”. Merkley said, “By expanding Wild and Scenic designations, we can protect, the health of these delicate ecosystems and high-quality water resources, all while increasing wildfire resilience and bolstering our recreation economy”.

The release said the River Democracy Act builds on legislation Congress passed in 2019 that added more than 250 miles of Wild and Scenic rivers in Oregon. The state now has 2,173 miles designated with that status which is only a small fraction of Oregon’s 110,994 miles of rivers and streams.

Updated maps in the proposal are linked: https://www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/RiverDemocracyAct_TOTAL_22.pdf