Designation of a Segment of the Wallowa River as a Component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

Designation of a Segment of the Wallowa River as a Component of

the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System

AGENCY: Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the authority granted the Secretary of the

Interior by section 2(a)(ii) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (82 Stat

906, 16 U.S.C. 1273), and upon application by the Governor of the State

of Oregon, a 10-mile segment of the Wallowa River is hereby designated

as a state-administered component of the National Wild and Scenic

Rivers System (National System). This action is based on the

designation of the river by the State of Oregon and the protection

offered this river and its immediate environment by and pursuant to

applicable state laws and regulations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dan Haas, National Park Service, Pacific West Field Area Office, 909

First Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98104-1060, telephone (206) 220-4120.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 29, 1994, then Oregon Governor

Barbara Roberts petitioned the Secretary of the Interior to add a

segment of the Wallowa River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers

System. Section 2(a)(ii) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act allows a

governor to request that rivers already protected in a state river

protection system be included in the National System. Governor Roberts

requested that a 10-mile reach of the Wallowa River, from the

confluence of the Wallowa and Minam Rivers (river mile 10) downstream

to the confluence of the Wallowa and Grande Ronde Rivers (river mile

0), be protected as a wild and scenic river. Pursuant to section

2(a)(ii),

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the river will be managed by the State of Oregon at no cost to the

federal government, except for those lands currently managed by the

Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

For a state-managed river to be eligible for the National System,

four conditions must be met: (1) The river is already designated as

part of a state river protection system; (2) the river has at least one

``outstandingly remarkable'' natural, cultural or recreational

resource--i.e., a resource of regional or national significance--and is

free-flowing as defined by the Departments of the Interior and

Agriculture; (3) the state has adequate mechanisms in place to protect

the resources for which the river is eligible for the National System;

and (4) the state has the institutional framework to manage the river

at no cost to the federal government, except for those lands already in

federal management.

The National Park Service (NPS) is responsible for making

determinations of eligibility under section 2(a)(ii). The NPS Pacific

West Field Area conducted a study, with the BLM and the U.S. Forest

Service (USFS) acting as cooperating agencies. In April of 1995, the

NPS released the Draft Wallowa River 2(a)(ii) Wild & Scenic River Study

for public review and comment. A period for public comment was provided

from April 21, 1995, to June 22, 1995. The draft report was finalized

based on comments received.

Simultaneous with the release of the draft report, the NPS

announced it was adopting the Wallowa River Wild and Scenic River Study

Report and Final Legislative Environmental Impact Statement (LEIS) in

fulfillment of National Environmental Policy Act requirements. The LEIS

was prepared by the USFS, with the NPS and BLM acting as cooperating

agencies. The LEIS was prepared at the direction of Congress under the

1988 Oregon Omnibus Rivers Act which mandated that the USFS study the

Wallowa River for possible inclusion into the National System. The

Preferred Alternative of the LEIS was designation of the river as wild

and scenic through section 2(a)(ii), subsequently leading to Governor

Roberts' request. The USFS filed the LEIS with the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) on July 14, 1995, and notice was provided in

the Federal Register on July 21, 1995. Simultaneously, the NPS filed

with the EPA its notice of adoption of the LEIS, and this was also

notice in the Federal Register on July 21, 1995.

This action is taken following public involvement and consultation

with the Departments of Agriculture, Army, Energy and Transportation;

the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; all Department of the

Interior agencies; the National Marine Fisheries Services; the State of

Oregon; the EPA; and all other Federal agencies that might have an

interest.

Based on the recommendations of the NPS and a review of all

relevant documents, I have determined that the 10-mile stretch of the

Wallowa River should be designated as a state-administered component of

the National System, as provided for in section 2(a)(ii) of the Wild

and Scenic Rivers Act. Notice is hereby given that effective upon this

date, the segment of the Wallowa River from the confluence of the

Wallowa and Minam Rivers in the hamlet of Minam downstream to the

confluence of the Wallowa and Grande Ronde Rivers is approved for

inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System as a National

Recreational River.

Dated: July 23, 1996.

Bruce Babbitt,

Secretary of the Interior.

[FR Doc. 96-20519 Filed 8-12-96; 8:45 am]

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