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Wild & Scenic Rivers Resources

Wild and Scenic White Salmon, WA. Photo by Jack Henderson

This webpage serves as a guide to help introduce you to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, as well as providing links to resources that will help you further your knowledge as WSR managers and partners. The page includes information about the study process, evaluating water resources, developing a Comprehensive River Management Plan, and managing Wild and Scenic Rivers. We owe a HUGE thanks to Jackie Diedrich for leading the development of this webpage.

How RMS supports WSR designation and protection

The River Management Society is uniquely positioned to provide WSR managers with information about the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, including training opportunities. RMS staff have years of high-quality work experience with each of the four federal WSR-administering agencies and the Interagency WSRs Coordinating Council. Through our recently established River Training Center (RTC), RMS offers both online and in-person training developed and presented by subject matter experts with decades of experience in WSR study and management.

Read on to access previously recorded WSR webinars as well as learning about or scheduling training through the RTC for your organization. You will see links to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Distance Learning Webinars. This is a 12-module course covering history, policies, management and monitoring of WSRs. You are required to register for the courses, but they are free and an incredible resource for managers. Check out the RMS Video Training Channel for additional WSR resources and previous training opportunities.

 

Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers Toolkit

Partnership Rivers are managed by locally-driven, collaborative planning between local, state and regional stakeholders and the National Park Service (NPS). This and management approach to river conservation is an effective alternative to direct federal management and administration that provides nationally-designated river protection anchored by federal protection for the water course itself and supported by federal funding. The PWSR Toolkit is designed to provide resources for anyone interested in Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers at any stage of discovery. Will you use it as a reference guide for the Wild and Scenic designation, a how-to guide for understanding and completing a Study, or a cookbook for post-designation success? The path you choose is up to you!


WSR Happenings

  • WSR Logo(2024 Training Series) Registration open for RMS 2024 Wild and Scenic River Training Series
  • (Article: Aug. 2023): River Network, supported by the USDA Forest Service, has awarded $150,000 to local organizations
  • (Article: April 2023) New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Gains Additional Acreage  
  • (Article: April 2023) River group looks to boost river safety, stewardship and citizen science on Three Forks of the Flathead Wild and Scenic River
  • (2023 Training Series) Registration opens for RMS 2023 Wild and Scenic River Training Series
  • (Recorded webinars: 2022) Wild and Scenic Rivers Trainings from the 2022 National Wilderness Skills Institute
  • (Presentation Recording: Oct. 2022) Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes New Cultural Waterways Ordinance
  • (Article: Sep. 2022) ... Bill Adding Little Manatee River to National Park Service’s Wild and Scenic River System Passes
  • (Whitepaper: March 2022) Instream Flow Protection Strategies for Wild and Scenic Rivers, A Technical Report of the Interagency Wild and Scenic Rivers Coordinating Council
  • (Article: June 1, 2022) This Canadian River Just Became a Legal Person
  • (Article: June 1, 2022) A Historic Chance to Protect America’s Free-Flowing Rivers
  • (Article: March 1, 2022) Roadblocks on ‘The Oregon Way’ to Protecting State’s Rivers
  • (Training) Flathead River Group Launches Wild and Scenic River Webinar Series
  • (NPS Newsletter) The fourth edition of Wild and Scenic River Currents, an annual newsletter designed to share stories about National Park Service wild and scenic rivers and the community of people working to protect and enhance them, is now published.
  • (Training) RMS Wild and Scenic Webinar Series January - June 2022
  • (Article Series) Reflections - RMS has partnered with the Interagency Wild and Scenic Rivers Coordinating Council (IWSRCC) to highlight the stories of river managers and their involvement in the development of Comprehensive River Management Plans (CRMPs) in an article series called Reflections.
  • (Training: May 19, 2021) RMS Wild and Scenic Webinar Series: Outstandingly Remarkable Values
  • (Article: Feb. 2, 2021) House passes major public lands package
  • (Article: Jan. 11, 2021) U.S. Forest Service Releases Management Plan For Fossil Creek
  • (Article: Dec. 22, 2020) Celebrating Little Miami River Success
  • (Article: Dec. 22, 2020) The Klamath River restoration will be the biggest dam removal in history – but what does this mean for the people who call the river home?
  • (Article: Dec. 17, 2020) Helen Clough receives Jackie Diedrich Wild and Scenic Rivers Leadership Award
  • (Video: Nov. 16, 2020) Virginia's Scenic Rivers 50th Anniversary Wrap-Up Celebration
  • (WSR Watercolors) Photographs and One of a Kind Wild and Scenic River Plein-Aire Watercolors by Lew Wilson
  • (Article: Oct. 29, 2020) WSR Webinar Series begins January 2021
  • (Article: Aug. 28, 2020) RMS hosts Nolichucky River Gorge trip with Wild and Scenic River advocates, river managers