Urge the Forest Service to choose Alternative C—write them now!

The future of some of the best whitewater rivers in the Sierra Nevada and more than 4 million acres of public land will be decided in the revised management plans for the Inyo, Sequoia, and Sierra National Forests.

The U.S. Forest Service has released for public review and comment draft management plans that address many different land and resource management issues—including the protection and management of rivers, streams, and watersheds.

At stake are unprotected segments of the Kings and Lower Kern Rivers, which provide outstanding whitewater recreation for thousands of visitors every year. In addition, the Forest Service management plans will decide how much development (road building, logging, mining, etc.) will occur in the unprotected watersheds of some of California’s most cherished Wild & Scenic Rivers, including the North and South Forks of the Kern River, the designated upper segment of the Kings, and the beautiful South Fork Merced.

The good news is the Forest Service has identified in the draft plans nearly 870 miles of streams eligible for Wild & Scenic River protection, including 633 miles on the Sierra Forest, 160 miles on the Inyo Forest, and 76 miles on the Sequoia--but to protect them you need to tell the Forest Service to adopt Alternative C! [Start writing the Forest Service now or read more below...]

PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT PLANS ARE DUE BY AUGUST 25, 2016.

To protect these rivers and their watersheds, we need hundreds of emails from concerned river lovers to the Forest Service urging adoption of an improved Alternative C.

'Start writing' now! or click here to comment directly on the Comment Page. Feel free to add any personal comments you may have.

[more information...]

Streams identified as eligible for Wild & Scenic protection in the draft plans include some of the most iconic waterways in the eastern and southern Sierra Nevada, including Lee Vining Creek, Hot Creek, and Lone Pine Creek on the Inyo Forest; the Little Kern River and lower Kern River on the Sequoia National Forest; and the unprotected segment of the Kings River, upper Dinkey Creek, and much of the San Joaquin River on the Sierra Forest. The free flowing character and outstanding natural and cultural values of the eligible rivers and streams included in the final plans will be protected administratively by the Forest Service pending future legislative action by Congress.

Unfortunately, not all streams that should be eligible for Wild & Scenic protection were included. The Forest Service either didn’t assess or found ineligible some key streams in the draft plans, including Dexter Canyon and Birch Creek on the Inyo Forest, Salmon and Trout Creeks on the Sequoia Forest, and lower Dinkey Creek on the Sierra.

In addition, the Forest Service’s preferred alternative recommends no wilderness protection on the Sierra and Sequoia Forests and a paltry 37,000 acres on the Inyo. Protecting undeveloped roadless lands in the Kern, Kings, and Merced watersheds is essential to preserving the water quality and biological integrity of these Wild & Scenic Rivers.

Another alarming aspect of the plans is the proposal in the Forest Service’s preferred alternative to double logging on the Sierra and Sequoia Forests and increase logging on the Inyo Forest by 50%.

PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT PLANS ARE DUE BY AUGUST 25, 2016.

To protect these rivers and their watersheds, we need hundreds of emails from concerned river lovers to the Forest Service urging adoption of an improved Alternative C, which includes all the rivers and streams determined eligible, some additional rivers and streams identified as eligible by conservationists, and additional Wilderness recommendations to protect the watersheds of designated and eligible Wild & Scenic Rivers.

To protect these rivers and their watersheds, we need hundreds of emails from concerned river lovers to the Forest Service urging adoption of an improved Alternative C.

'Start writing' now! or click here to comment directly on the Comment Page. Feel free to add any personal comments you may have.

For more information, please contact Steve Evans, Friends of the River’s Wild Rivers Consultant at sevans@friendsoftheriver.org or call (916) 708-3155. Click here to review the Forest Service’s draft Forest Plans and EIS.