Sponsors (4)
The bill significantly strengthens and clarifies federal protections for rivers, wetlands, wilderness, and tribal access—improving conservation, habitat, and community safety—but does so at the expense of new land-use restrictions, costs to taxpayers, and increased administrative and permitting burdens that can affect timber-dependent communities, landowners, and local governments.
Rural communities, visitors, and local governments gain permanent, study-driven protections for multiple river segments, streams, wetlands, and other aquatic resources that preserve scenic, ecological, and recreational values and protect fish habitat and water quality.
Tribal communities receive guaranteed consultation pathways and formal access for traditional and cultural activities through memoranda of understanding, improving tribal participation in management and protection of lands.
The bill expands federal authority to acquire lands (including by purchase), enabling more complete protection or management of the recreation area and giving managers flexibility to secure key parcels for conservation or public use.
Taxpayers and governments may face increased costs because expanded acquisition authority and new protections require purchases, monitoring, enforcement, and long-term stewardship funding.
Landowners, timber workers, and nearby residents will face new restrictions on land use, logging, roadbuilding, motorized access, development, and some commercial activities where the Northwest Forest Plan and Roadless Rule or wild-river designations are applied, potentially reducing local timber-related jobs and incomes.
Federal, state, and local agencies will incur additional administrative workload to complete mandated studies, revise plans, implement new management regimes, and conduct monitoring — which could delay other projects or require hiring or resource reallocation.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Expands the Smith River National Recreation Area, adds multiple North Fork Smith River tributary segments to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and requires a 5-year ecological study and management-plan updates.
Official title: Amend the Smith River National Recreation Area Act to include certain additions to the Smith River National Recreation Area, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain wild rivers in the State of Oregon, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 11, 2025 by Jeff Merkley · Last progress March 11, 2025
Adds land and river protections around the Smith River by expanding the Smith River National Recreation Area boundaries, designating multiple source-tributary segments of the North Fork Smith River as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (mostly classified as "wild"), and requiring the Forest Service to study the proposed additions and update management plans to protect aquatic and ecological values. It also clarifies and expands land-acquisition authority, preserves wildfire and vegetation management tools, applies certain regional planning rules in Oregon, and requires coordination with Tribes for traditional and cultural access and interpretation.