River outfitters and their supporters rallied in
Stanley, Idaho, Sept. 23 to say that the Forest Service had gone
too far. Led by owners of The River Company, some 50 central Idaho
residents protested the agency’s shutting down of the Salmon
River.
The agency has been periodically closing
off parts of the river to floaters to protect endangered salmon
(HCN, 8/19/96). But recently, it declared so many small sections
off limits that the entire river became unfloatable. Guides were
forced to cancel trips at the last minute, and some businesses
reported thousands of dollars in lost revenue. The River Company
decided to run the river despite the Forest Service’s closures;
now, the agency has suspended the company’s floating permit and may
pursue criminal charges.
The upper Salmon River,
about 55 miles north of Ketchum, is administered by the Forest
Service as part of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Paul
Ries, SNRA supervisor, says the agency’s first management objective
is to protect and preserve the area’s scenic, historic and natural
qualities, which include fish and wildlife.
Ries
says he has to prevent the harassment of salmon nests under federal
law. He also admits that the river-closing system is not perfect.
“We’ve got to find a good way to provide for these fish and
recreation,” he says. “So far, we haven’t done that.”
Patti Williams and her husband own a river
rentals and motel business in Stanley. “(The SNRA) needs to be more
understanding about what a struggle it is to live here,” she says.
“They’ve got to come up with a better plan.”
*Emily Miller
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Rafters vs. fish.
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