Forest Service Abandons Idaho River Protections
On January 10th, the U.S. Forest Service released the Final Record of Decision (ROD) for the updated Nez Perce-Clearwater Forest Management Plan. The decision protects only 12 rivers as potential Wild and Scenic Rivers, down from 29 rivers that had been protected for decades, and the 88 that the agency found eligible for protection under the new plan. The decision will allow the agency to carry out other management actions called for in the plan without safeguarding the unprotected streams’ recreational, scenic, and fisheries values that made them eiligible for Wild and Scenic designation.
American Whitewater, Idaho Rivers United, American Rivers, and several other groups submitted appeals to the draft Plan in January 2024, arguing against the Forest’s intention to release potential Wild and Scenic Rivers from protections. Many hundreds of people spoke up through public comments seeking and defending river protections throughout the decade-plus long forest planning process. The Forest Service did not agree with the overwhelming majority of the public commenters, largely dismissed the appeals, and moved forward with their unprecedented rollback of river protections.
The rivers that retained protections in the new plan are Cayuse, Colt Killed, Fish, Kelly and its forks, Meadow, and Weitas creeks, as well as the Salmon and Little North Fork Clearwater rivers.
Rivers that lost decades-long protections in the new plan include the South Fork Clearwater River (Golden Canyon), North Fork Clearwater River; and large and important tributaries to the Selway River like Moose Creek and Bear Creek, tributaries to the Lochsa River like the Brushy Fork, tributaries to the Clearwater River like Johns Creek, and tributaries of the Salmon River like Bargamin and Slate creeks.
In addition, the Forest Service acknowledged and should have protected additional rivers that they deemed eligible for Wild and Scenic River designation during the planning process. While other National Forests protect all of their eligible streams, the Nez Perce Clearwater used an untested political process to cull many streams from the list that should have been protected. Some of these include the Upper Lochsa River, Lolo Creek, the Potlatch River, Elk Creek, Warm Springs Creek, and Old Man Creek.
The rivers of Nez Perce-Clearwater Forest provide an incredible diversity of recreational opportunities and abundant critical habitat for ESA-listed Chinook salmon, steelhead, and bull trout. They also offer world class river recreation opportunities that are important and economically beneficial to local and regional residents. Despite having the opportunity to take meaningful action to expand or even just retain river protections for these world class rivers, the Forest’s decision is a reckless and short-sighted step in the opposite direction.
The new forest plan will govern the management of the Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest for roughly the next 20 years, unless it is invalidated through litigation.