Cast your Comments on the Green River

Click here to e-mail your comments on Utah’s Green River to the Forest Service through the Utah Rivers Council Action Center.

NOLS students have a long, proud tradition of floating the Green River. Since the first course floated these free-flowing waters in 1988, the Green has been one of our most extensive and diverse river classrooms. The scenic, geologic, historical, cultural, recreational, and natural values that make this river unique have been impressing us and our students for years.

Now, the USDA Forest Service in Utah is examining all rivers within its boundaries for wild, scenic, and recreational values. This is the first, critical step toward eventual congressional designation of a river as wild, scenic, or recreational, providing the waterway with protections from industrial development and other impacts. The first miles of the Green that flow below Flaming Gorge dam, on the Wyoming/Utah border, are within the National Forest System. This stretch of the Green has received a preliminary designation of “scenic,” and the Forest Service is accepting official public comments on potential designations for this and other rivers across Utah. For details on the Forest Service’s timeline, guidelines, and background, visit the offical website.

Public comment periods are congressionally-mandated opportunities for citizens to influence the outcome of public land management decisions. The Forest Service is required to consider each comment it receives before making a final decision. If you would like to weigh in on this compelling issue, visit the Utah Rivers Council action page. Keep in mind that the Forest Service values comments that are site-specific and relevant to the study.

The Utah Rivers Council has set up a convenient web page to allow members of the public to submit comments. Though there is a pre-written letter you may sign on to if you only have a moment, you have the option of editing the letter to ensure that the comments you submit are your point of view. Remember, the comment period ends June 30, 2007, so if you would like to participate, act quickly!

Thank you for your time and participation. Remember, an active and involved citizenry is the key to a successful democracy.