Our esteemed Tom Wolf let us know that the Oregon Council of TU supported a designation of the Chetco and Mollala Rivers as SCENIC. This has some great effects on those areas if passed....the Grande Ronde River was rejected.
Scenic status recommended for Oregon’s Molalla and Chetco rivers
Mateusz PerkowskiCapital Press
The Oregon Water Resources Commission
approved scenic designations for the Molalla and Chetco rivers, which
may restrict water rights and land uses if finalized.
Oregon’s Molalla and Chetco rivers are one step closer to state designations as scenic waterways, which could limit new water rights and restrict land uses along their shores.
The Oregon Water Resources Commission voted on Nov. 20 to recommend the scenic river designations to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, who is expected to make a decision in January 2016.
If Brown approves the designations, they can still be overturned by state lawmakers if they pass legislation reversing the actions.
Oregon hasn’t designated any new scenic rivers since 1988, but state agencies now plan to evaluate nominations on a regular basis, said Chris Havel, associate director of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department......
