{"id":37259,"date":"2018-08-07T16:15:35","date_gmt":"2018-08-07T23:15:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=37259"},"modified":"2018-11-11T22:17:02","modified_gmt":"2018-11-12T06:17:02","slug":"montanas-east-rosebud-creek-named-new-wild-and-scenic-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/paddle\/montanas-east-rosebud-creek-named-new-wild-and-scenic-river","title":{"rendered":"Montana’s East Rosebud Creek Named New Wild and Scenic River"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stunning scenery, great trout fishing, pulse-quickening whitewater rafting and waterside recreation like hiking and climbing make Montana\u2019s East Rosebud Creek stand out. On August 2, 20 miles of the waterway became the nation\u2019s newest wild and scenic river<\/span>\u2014<\/span>and the first Montana river to receive the designation in 42 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a great victory for public lands and waters in the 50<\/span>th<\/span> anniversary year of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act,\u201d American Rivers President Bob Irvin said in a <\/span>press release<\/span><\/a>. \u201cWe applaud the local residents who have worked so hard to safeguard this special river. Protection of East Rosebud Creek enjoyed strong bipartisan support. This is a great example of how, despite political differences, rivers connect us, and how we all benefit when we protect healthy rivers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The legislation to protect East Rosebud Creek was brought to Congress with the bipartisan support of Senators Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Representative Greg Gianforte, R-Mont. The President signed the bicameral\u00a0bill into law last week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The efforts to protect the river first began in 2009, when a Bozeman-based company sought to build a dam on public land below the outlet of East Rosebud Creek. According to American Rivers<\/a>, the hydropower project would have included a 100-foot-wide diversion dam, a 2-mile-long penstock, a substation, a powerhouse and transmission lines, which could have<\/span>\u00a0impacted the scenery, blocked fish passage and inundated a portion of the creek.\u00a0Local ranchers, businesses, homeowners, recreationists and conservationists including<\/span> American Rivers<\/span>\u00a0successfully banded together to prevent the construction of the dam. Then they began advocating for wild and scenic river protections for\u00a0East Rosebud Creek.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn a state defined by its rivers, Montanans of all stripes stood up to fight to keep East Rosebud Creek how its always been\u2014<\/span>wild, scenic and free,\u201d American Rivers Senior Director\u00a0David Moryc said.<\/p>\n

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Photo Courtesy: Mike Fiebig<\/p><\/div>\n

In 1968, Congress established the<\/span> Wild and Scenic Rivers Act<\/span><\/a> to preserve free-flowing rivers that exhibit outstanding natural, cultural and recreational values. This designation prohibits the construction of new dams or projects that impede a river\u2019s resource values, free-flowing state or water quality. It also protects a quarter-mile buffer of land along the river and provides a management plan for the river driven by the local community. Existing uses of the river, like fishing, ranching and recreation can continue.<\/span><\/p>\n

To mark the 50<\/span>th<\/span> anniversary of the act, conservation organizations and outdoor businesses are coming together to support the\u00a0<\/span>5,000 Miles of Wild<\/span><\/a> initiative, seeking to designate 5,000 new miles of rivers as wild and scenic by 2020 and collecting 5,000 stories about rivers this year. East Rosebud Creek is the first federal wild and scenic river protected in the 50<\/span>th<\/span> anniversary year.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can help support the effort in a three ways:<\/span><\/p>\n