Beginning at Hells Canyon Dam and extending for 31.5 miles downstream, the Snake River is designated as a Wild River under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. This area is also located within the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (HCNRA). This Wild section of the Snake is subject to complicated access regulations during a control season that runs from the Friday before Memorial Day through September 10th. The control season regulations include periods during which powerboats are prohibited on the river. These periods occur every other week from Monday through Wednesday and are known as the “Non-Motorized” periods.
For many jetboaters who regularly visit the HCNRA, the non-motorized periods are the equivalent of a stick in the pump – they will be a constant aggravation until they are gone. However, the non-motorized periods are a product of the current HCNRA Comprehensive Management Plan implemented in August 2003. And, irritating as they are and unjust as they may be, they are not likely to disappear unless the current management plan is reviewed and amended.
Background
In 1998, the U.S. Forest Service – the Federal oversight agency for the HCNRA – initiated a process to change the management direction of the HCNRA. That process entailed a lengthy period of environmental study and public comment. In July 2003, a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was released. The current HCNRA Comprehensive Management Plan was implemented a month later following the Record of Decision (ROD) by the Forest Supervisor for Wallowa Whitman National Forest to select Alternative E-“as modified” from the FEIS as the template for the management plan. Additional information about the Hells Canyon Comprehensive Management Plan, as well as the complete FEIS and ROD, can be viewed on the HCNRA Web site.