{"id":17622,"date":"2018-09-26T09:00:45","date_gmt":"2018-09-26T16:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=17622"},"modified":"2022-01-06T07:49:44","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T15:49:44","slug":"wild-scenic-passion-on-the-rogue-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2018\/09\/26\/wild-scenic-passion-on-the-rogue-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild & Scenic Passion on the Rogue River"},"content":{"rendered":"

I used to boat with a fellow who had this sign in his office: \u201cRafting isn\u2019t a matter of life or death; it\u2019s much more important than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

I could identify with that. From when I first pushed off into a whitewater river, now over 40 years ago, I was hooked. I threw myself wholeheartedly into the sport; it became part of my identity and a focus of my spare time. Passion.<\/p>\n

I felt honored to recently spend three days on Oregon\u2019s Rogue River with a group of people who have that kind of passion about river running, although a few didn\u2019t know the passion existed until they floated the Rogue.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This year is the 50th<\/sup> Anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act<\/a>. Senator Frank Church of Idaho sponsored the Act and on October 2, 1968, President Johnson signed it.<\/p>\n

As of now, the Act protects 12,734 river miles. That\u2019s great and impressive, at least until you consider that this protection applies to only 0.35% of our rivers.\u00a0 More rivers need protection!<\/p>\n

As part of the 5,000 Miles of Wild campaign, O.A.R.S.<\/a> put together a trip on the Grave Creek\/Foster Bar section of the Rogue for people working on river protection issues. Our trip goals were not only to celebrate the 50th<\/sup> anniversary\u00a0but also to discuss the campaign and brainstorm ways of protecting rivers and the ecosystems they support. Since it was one of the original eight river sections protected under the Act, the Rogue was a perfect place for the \u201cmeeting.\u201d<\/p>\n