The Salmon-Challis National Forest has produced a draft Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Report as part of their forest plan revision process. The public can comment on the eligibility report in support of the Forest Service protecting a suite of streams as "eligible" for future Wild and Scenic designation. This week, American Whitewater submitted our own comments, and we encourage paddlers to explore the Forest Service's proposed river protections and send in a comment of your own. 

The Salmon Challis National Forest includes many tributaries to the Middle Fork and Main Salmon rivers in central Idaho. 

Interested paddlers can get a high level overview through the Forest Service's eligibility related webpage and especially the eligibility Story Map. Then, take a deeper dive into the Eligibility Report itself. You can also read our comments, and check out the linked AW river pages, several of which we improved with new descriptions and photos (thanks Kyle Smith for the Rapid River description!).  

The Forest Service so far has done a good job of selecting great streams for protection. Our comments support their selections and add some data and information to backfill their analysis. The most valuable comments you can offer will either 1) recommend additional streams as "eligible," or 2) offer specific evidence or opinions about the rare, unique, or exemplary values of any selected streams. Values could be related to recreation, fisheries, scenery, geology, or anything emblematic of a wild and healthy stream.

Comments can be sent to: scnf_plan_rev@fs.fed.us