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Casey Kulla: Wild rivers help preserve treasured local way of life

Photo courtesy of Casey Kulla##The North Fork of the Wilson River flows through Bureau of Land Management and Tillamook State Forest lands east of Tillamook. It is among Oregon waterways nominated for Wild and Scenic designation in new federal legislation.
Photo courtesy of Casey Kulla##The North Fork of the Wilson River flows through Bureau of Land Management and Tillamook State Forest lands east of Tillamook. It is among Oregon waterways nominated for Wild and Scenic designation in new federal legislation.
##Casey Kulla
##Casey Kulla

You can be forgiven if you didn’t know we have three large rivers flowing through and alongside Yamhill County. In fact, we are blessed with miles and miles of the North and South Yamhill Rivers, and our eastern border is defined by the mighty Willamette.

But these rivers are hard to catch sight of, hard to get to, hard to get into and hard to play on Due to lack of ready access, grandparents can’t keep up the family fishing tradition, parents can’t teach their kids boating safety and young couples can’t find places to swim.

The way of life we all enjoy in Yamhill County, the love of being outside in this beautiful place with family, is diminished by the challenge to get to and onto water. We are so close to the Coast Range, with its vast expanses of public land, but even there, it can be so challenging to find streams with legal access for cooling off, inner-tubing and fishing.

Enter Oregon’s senior U.S. senator, Ron Wyden. It may seem odd to have a U.S. senator come to the rescue, but hear me out.

Sen. Wyden introduced the River Democracy Act, a proposed update to and expansion of the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-announce-new-river-democracy-act), in 2021. He revised it in 2022 in response to feedback from forest and rangeland managers.

Wyden made the case for it by saying, “Rivers and streams are Oregon’s lifeblood, providing clean drinking water for our families, sustaining our thriving outdoor recreation economy, and nurturing the quality of life that brings new investments, businesses and jobs to our state.”

Created by Congress in 1968, the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was enacted “to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations.” The goal was to protect and preserve the unique character and attributes of the nation’s most pristine rivers, while balancing recreation, water quality, fish and wildlife, and other values.

At present, Oregon has 2,700 miles carrying the designation. The act would add another 3,200 miles, more than doubling the current total.

The proposed expansion started with an open request to Oregonians to nominate favorite river segments situated on public land but not carrying Wild and Scenic designation.

People who know streams, from fishermen to guides to hunters to boaters, submitted sections of stream for consideration. The senator’s team assembled a map, then revised it (www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/RiverDemocracyAct_TOTAL_22.pdf).

The act also proposes to expand the number of miles of river protected with a quarter-mile buffer, but only on federal land. The buffer zone allows management of grazing activity in Eastern Oregon and timber harvesting in Western Oregon.

The River Democracy Act’s designation of streams in the Coast Range, particularly along the upper reaches of the Trask and Nestucca rivers, would give locals access to nearby public stream segments enjoying protection for habitat, recreation and beauty.

If you’re like me, it can be daunting to drive into the Coast Range, not knowing when a road might be gated, when a downed tree might be blocking a road or where you can legally access a stream your grandparents used to fish. I’ve walked some of these streams, and I can attest to their quiet, clean, clear water and cover of stately trees.

It’s satisfying to the soul. You just need to know where you can legally go.

The River Democracy Act would ensure us of streams in the public forests of the Coast Range that we can wade in, paddle through and sit beside. It would help us keep our Yamhill County way of life strong and vibrant.

Guest writer Casey Kulla farms with his wife, Katie, on Grand Island, on the Willamette River near Dayton. A former Yamhill County commissioner, he also works on state and private forestry issues with the conservation organization Oregon Wild. He loves walking in the woods with his family, particularly in Oregon’s heavily timbered Coast Range mountains. 

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