There are four primary federal agencies charged with protecting and managing our wild and scenic rivers and our nation's cultural, recreational, and natural resources.
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management manages public lands for a variety of uses such as energy development, livestock grazing, recreation, and timber harvesting while ensuring natural, cultural, and historic resources are maintained for present and future use.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s primary responsibility is the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats. They work with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
U.S. Forest Service
The mission of U.S. Forest is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.
National Park Service
The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.
Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers
Congress has specified that some designations are not just a Wild and Scenic River, but a Partnership Wild and Scenic River (PWSR), meaning that the river is managed collaboratively by the NPS and a local entity. With these PWSRs, communities protect and enhance their river and its resources through developing and implementing a management plan tailored to the communities and the rivers’ needs. LEARN MORE
NPS and State-Administered Wild and Scenic Rivers
Another method of designation is through a process outlined by Section 2(a)(ii) of the Wild and Scenic Act, which allows the Secretary of the Interior to designate a river if a state governor requests designation. With this, the river is then managed jointly by the NPS and the states’ equivalent Wild and Scenic Rivers program.
Agency Policies & Guidelines
National Park Service Director’s Order #46 and the Reference Manual #46 on Wild and Scenic Rivers
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Part 611 Chapter 3 - Management of Wild and Scenic Rivers
Management Plans
Under the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, each river is required to have a Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP) written to manage the outstanding river values, water quality, and free flow of the river. Not every river has a plan yet. We've collected a good many of the CRMPs, some of them decades old, which you can find under the specific river or through the Documents option in the menu below. If you cannot find a link to a management plan, either it doesn't exist yet, or we don't have it.
CRMPs Currently Under Development
Salmon River, Idaho, U.S. Forest Service
Partners
Additionally, the four managing agencies of WSRs often work with the following organizations to protect and enhance rivers across the country.
River Management Society (RMS)
The River Management Society (RMS) is the nation's premier network connecting those who work on and for rivers with their river professional peers, including outfitters and guides, rangers, planners and landscape architects, fluvial geomorphologists, environmental lawyers and policymakers, students, professors, researchers and authors.
Wild and Scenic Rivers Coalition
The mission of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Coalition is to protect and defend existing and potential Wild and Scenic Rivers and broaden the movement for their conservation by raising awareness about their value.