Conservation + Recreation: July 2010
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"Partnership" Rivers
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A chat with Charlie Stockman, National Park Service Rivers, Trails,
and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program Manager C+R: Tell me aboutPhoto: Eightmile R. Wild & Scenic Coord. Comt.
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protection. Charlie: Through RTCA (our agency's
community assistance arm for recreation and conservation) we can help a
community identify values and a vision for a river. Our primary role is
to build capacity in a community and to share the conservation and
recreation mission of the National Park Service. We may help study the
river's history and current uses, offer information on how to reduce
impacts on its natural resources, share proven plans for sustainable
boat launches, and explain how the Wild and Scenic River Act is one tool
for protection. When recreational use is a primary goal for a
community, we try to remind them that you can put a lot of canoes on the
river, but if you degrade the quality of the river, people won't keep
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C+R: The Taunton and Eightmile were recently added to the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System. What is special about these designations? Charlie: The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is a powerful tool made even more useful when applied with a partnership management approach. Communities near these rivers advocated to Congress for designation, and in the case of twelve rivers in the Eastern U.S., these river communities accepted the day-to-day role of assuring that the outstanding and remarkable values of these treasured rivers remain. The Taunton and Eightmile, like the other 10 "partnership rivers," have local coordinating groups that keep all the interested parties involved in making sensible management decisions for these local treasures. C+R: Got any more wisdom about caring for rivers? Charlie: We see advocacy for rivers as a kind of a generational thing. The effort to add a river to the National Wild and Scenic River System, for instance, has a lot of energy and excitement around it. That excitement wanes and the next generation might not remember how special these rivers are and why they should care about them. We are challenged to find ways to renew and refresh that excitement in order to motivate the next generation of stewards Learn More... About the Taunton RiverThe 40-mile long Taunton River
is the only major coastal river in the region that is without a dam or
obstruction over its entire length. It is the largest freshwater contributor to
the Narragansett Bay estuary in Rhode Island. Taunton River Stewardship CouncilLearn More... About the Eightmile RiverThe Eightmile River flows
through a pristine 62-square-mile watershed in rural Connecticut, joining the Connecticut River eight miles upriver from the Long Island
Sound. 25.3 miles of the river are designated as Wild & Scenic. Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Coordinating Committee
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The Eye of the Beholder
They say that beauty is in
the eye of the beholder. That's what makes the "outstandingly
remarkable"
scenic value of a wild and scenic river hard to define. Plans that help people enjoy a river's beauty can sometimes change that beauty for others.
On the
Wekiva River in metropolitan Orlando, Florida, a canoe dock figured in the plans to help homeowners in a new subdivision enjoy the river.
But if built as first planned, the dock would jut out about 25 feet into a river that is only 100-150
feet wide at that point -- possibly affecting the free flow of the river and its aquatic life, and definitely changing its scenic value. The Acuera subdivision needed a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, which triggered the federal assistance component of the
project and
brought the Wild and Scenic Rivers team into the picture. Jeff Duncan, the NPS Wild and Scenic Rivers Coordinator for the region, consulted with the developer. (This was the first
"Section 7"* analysis to be performed on this partnership river, which was designated in 2000 and
is managed by the Wekiva Advisory Management Committee.) During the consultation,
Duncan provided Acuera's consultants with RTCA's Logical Lasting Launches to help them get some ideas for a canoe launch that would meet the requirements
and not adversely affect the river. In fact, a dock is not the only good way to
launch a canoe, so the group looked at some historic docks
farther down the river, went through some redesigns, and ended up with a plan
for an elevated boardwalk across the floodplain to the river. Since the boardwalk ends at the edge of the water, it no longer impacts the view or the
flow of the river. Those involved are pleased with the result. "This project succeeded
because of the early informal consultations we had with the developer," says
Duncan. "The landowner was able to add an amenity to their
property without harming the river. This is the first one of these we've done on
the river and it was a success. That's a best-case scenario." Learn More About the Wekiva River The 41.6-mile Wekiva River
is an Outstanding Florida Water Body, an Aquatic Preserve, a State Canoe Trail,
and a Wild and Scenic River. The spring-fed river is one of the most
ecologically significant areas in Florida outside the Everglades. It is formed from the confluence of the Wekiva Spring Run and Rock Spring Run. Friends of the Wekiva River
*Section 7 of the Wild
and Scenic Rivers Act sets standards and procedures to evaluate the effects of
proposed water resources projects. [pdf]
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A Tip of the Hat to...
Sharon Meeker,
Chair of the Lamprey River Advisory Committee (NH)
Sharon lives along the river she loves. Brimming with new ideas, Sharon also is willing to jump in
to make them happen. She has been an active member of the Advisory Committee from the beginning and is currently the chair. As a long-time environmental
educator, Sharon has been the mastermind and workhorse for countless public events
and the creator of educational tools that help others get to know and love
the Lamprey.
"Sharon is always ready to host a lunch meeting, go out in
rubber boots to cut knotweed, testify before the legislature, write a budget,
run a meeting, send out a press release, or whatever is needed to get the job done
and protect the river. She is one of the most devoted and hard-working volunteers ever, and
I want to put her in the spotlight!" says Julie Isbill of the NPS RTCA program in nearby Maine.
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