The Forest Service is considering which river segments in Utah's national forests are suitable for protection under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Although the deadline for public comment has passed, the Forest Service is still accepting comments. The Service will make its final recommendation this fall.

County officials, water developers, and others have already expressed their opposition to protecting any of Utah's rivers. Now it's up to each of us to ensure the state's rivers get the protection they deserve. Help send a message to the Forest Service: We love Utah's rivers and want them protected as wild and scenic. We want to make sure that when our children visit these rivers in the future, they will have the same exceptional experience we can have there today.

Deadline: Friday, June 27.

Click here to find out more and sign the petition

There are more than 165 rivers in the national wild and scenic river system. Despite the fact that Utah has amazing rivers, ranging from serene, flat water to raging rapids and from high mountain streams to rivers passing through a red-rock world, Utah has absolutely zero rivers designated wild and scenic.

The Forest Service released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement on November 29, 2007, in which it recommended that only 24 of the 86 rivers that have been identified as the most outstanding on Utah's national forests should become wild and scenic. This does protect some of Utah's outstanding waterways, but it leaves out many that are irreplaceable.

Our activists' response to previous requests for comments on scoping and this draft plan have been overwhelming -- in fact, the Forest Service had to scramble to keep up with the emails. We hope you will respond again by signing the petition.

For more information, contact Michelle at (602) 628-9909, mharrington@biologicaldiversity.org.

Information and petition courtesy of our friend Mark Danenhauer at Utah Rivers Council: www.utahrivers.org.