Smith River National Recreation Area Expansion Act
Smith River National Recreation Area Expansion Act would broaden the Smith River NRA to include additions in the State of Oregon, shift some land management provisions to align with Oregon portions, and expand Wild and Scenic River protections to many tributaries of the North Fork Smith River. It designates numerous stream segments as wild rivers and reclassifies portions of the Smith River mainstem (and Rowdy Creek) under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, with other portions remaining recreational. The bill requires a formal inventory and management plan updates within five years to fully protect the newly inventoried resources, authorizes acquisition of a specific parcel (Cedar Creek Parcel) upon a state action, and preserves tribal rights through potential memoranda of understanding. It also maintains or clarifies authorities related to wildfire, vegetation management, and the application of existing forest plans and roadless rules to the Oregon portions, while expanding state and local jurisdiction to include Oregon as well as California. In short, the bill aims to officially add Oregon lands to the Smith River NRA, elevate protections for many streams as wild rivers, reorganize management to reflect the expansion, and create processes to inventory, plan, and possibly acquire additional land while protecting tribal rights and existing forest protections.
Key Points
- 1Expands the Smith River National Recreation Area to include additions in Oregon, using maps dated January 23, 2023, as a reference for boundaries and inclusion.
- 2Designates numerous segments of the North Fork Smith River’s source tributaries in Oregon as wild rivers under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, expanding Oregon’s wild river protections within the Smith River system.
- 3Expands the Smith River, Oregon, component of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act by classifying the mainstem segment as recreational and designating upper Rowdy Creek as wild, with lower Rowdy Creek remaining recreational.
- 4Requires a comprehensive study within 5 years of enactment of the area shown on the map (inventory of streams, wetlands, plants (including Port-Orford-cedar), wildlife, and other values; and, after the study, directs management plan revisions to fully protect inventoried values and to report results to Congress).
- 5Contains provisions on land acquisition (including a targeted acquisition of about 555 acres known as the Cedar Creek Parcel, subject to Oregon State Land Board action and funding) and clarifies authorities for wildfire and vegetation management, tribal access and involvement, and the application of existing forest plans and roadless rules to the Oregon portions.