[Awclist] [Fwd: RRFW Riverwire - COMMENT ON POSSIBLE ROGUE RIVER CHANGES]

[Thomas Robey]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	RRFW Riverwire - COMMENT ON POSSIBLE ROGUE RIVER CHANGES
Date: 	Thu, 26 Jan 2006 10:02:32 -0700
From: 	Riverwire <riverwire at rrfw.org>
Reply-To: 	<Riverwire at rrfw.org>
Organization: 	River Runners for Wilderness
To: 	riverwire at rrfw.org



RRFW Riverwire – COMMENT ON POSSIBLE ROGUE RIVER CHANGES

January 26, 2006

Rogue River management practices may see dramatic changes in the near 
future. At a recent Rogue River User's meeting on January 19, 2006, held 
in Grants Pass, Oregon, river managers talked about possible plans to 
decrease river trip lengths, eliminate layovers at certain campsites, 
reserve large camps for large groups, and assign campsites in the 40 
mile wild section of the river.

The proposals are similar to the system used on the Middle Fork Salmon, 
or the partial reservation system used on the Main Salmon river in the 
wilds of Central Idaho. The Rogue is managed by both the Bureau of Land 
Management and the US Forest Service.

The meeting, a brainstorming session, covered a number of topics, 
including eliminating layover days in six or more of the river's most 
popular campsite areas, reducing the number of days that people could 
stay on the Rogue, down from six nights and seven days to four nights 
and five days, and requiring boaters to move more quickly and adhere to 
a schedule, as they moved through the 3 sections of the river.


The proposal to assign campsites along the Rogue River appears to be on 
a very fast track, according to Lloyd Knapp, of the North West Rafters 
Association. Knapp, who attended the meeting, noted there was no initial 
question of whether or not assigning campsites should be done. Knapp 
stated “The meeting started off with the presumption of how the new 
management proposals should be accomplished. Initial decisions regarding 
the actual need for the proposed management changes seemed to have been 
pre-determined.”

The meeting was attended by over thirty commercial outfitters and 
guides, and only six members of the independent boating public, 
including three members of North West Rafters Association and three 
members of the river advocacy group Riverhawks.

The meeting also discussed initiating a reservation system for campsites 
where people could call in and reserve a campsite months or weeks ahead 
of time. “Such advanced reservations could easily leave members of the 
public at a big disadvantage” noted Knapp.

During the meeting, reference was made to a study done several years 
ago, where 80 of the respondents firmly stated they did not support 
assigned campsites. “Unfortunately, agency representatives did not know 
or remember the number of total respondents” Knapp pointed out. “I 
suggested a thorough, more comprehensive survey should be done. The 
Forest Service response to this was that this might cost a lot of money. 
This particular aspect of the proposal is the most frightening to me as 
there have been way too many “quick fixes” on rivers such as the Rogue 
that have cost independent paddlers much in the way of camping rights, 
river access, and quality of the river running experience.”

Discussions also covered limiting the campsites to certain party sizes, 
so that small groups could not solely occupy a huge beach such as the 
one at Marial. BLM spokesman Chris Dent mentioned that there had been a 
few fights and injuries over campsites on the Rogue. “From the 
recounting of the meeting, it is not clear what problem, if any, these 
proposed restrictions would be solving” says Jo Johnson, Co-director of 
the national advocacy group River Runners for Wilderness.


Would you like to comment on any of these issues? River Runners For 
Wilderness encourages you to speak up if you have any concerns about:

- Decreased river trip lengths.

- The elimination of layovers at certain campsites.

- Reserving large camps for large groups.

- Assigning campsites in the wild section of the river.

Please send a quick e-mail to the folks listed below:

The River Managers::

Christopher A. Dent

Rogue River Program Manager

Rogue National Wild and Scenic River

Medford District BLM

Grants Pass Resource Area

2104 N.E. Spalding Ave.

Grants Pass, OR 97526

(541) 471-6561

_chris_dent at blm.gov <mailto:chris_dent at blm.gov> _

John Borton, District Ranger

U.S. Forest Service

29279 S. Ellensburg Ave.

Gold Beach, OR 97444

(541) 247-3601

jborton at fs.fed.us <mailto:jborton at fs.fed.us>

and for extra measure, contact their supervisors:**

* *

*Rogue River / Siskiyou National Forests*

*Supervisor's Office*
Scott Conroy, Forest Supervisor
Ginnie Grilley, Deputy Forest Supervisor
333 W 8th St / PO Box 520
Medford, Oregon 97501-0209

*Phone:
*Voice: (541) 858-2200
FAX: (541) 858-2220
TTY: 1-866-296-3823**

* *

*Medford District Office BLM*
District Manager
Tim Reuwsaat
3040 Biddle Road, Medford, OR 97504
541-618-2200

For more information, you may also contact

Lloyd Knapp

River Issues Committee

Northwest Rafters Association
541-482-5156
knapple at ashlandcreek.net <mailto:knapple at ashlandcreek.net>

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