News

WaterWatch of Oregon succeeded in its effort to remove Savage Rapids Dam on Oregon’s Rogue River. With the removal, the Rogue now runs free for 143 miles. The Rogue is famous for its whitewater paddling and fishing.

Central Oregon LandWatch succeeded in its campaign to convince the Oregon legislature to designate the entire Metolius River basin an Area of Critical Statewide Concern. The designation halted two proposed destination resorts that would have significantly diminished the natural qualities of this Central Oregon watershed.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society used Conservation Alliance support in its successful campaign to expand the Nahanni National Park Preserve by a stunning seven million acres. The park now protects the entire watershed of the South Nahanni River, a popular outdoor recreation destination.

Utah Rivers Council succeeded in securing Wild and Scenic River protection for 165 miles of the Virgin River and its tributaries. The Virgin flows through Zion National Park and is Utah’s first waterway to win the Wild and Scenic designation.

Greater Yellowstone Coalition spearheaded this campaign to protect 1.2 million acres in the Wyoming Range from new oil and gas development. This prohibition preserves the Wyoming Range for wildlife and as a mecca for hunters, anglers, and other outdoor recreationists.

The Campaign for the Snake Headwaters succeeded in securing Wild and Scenic River designations for 387 miles of streams in the Snake River headwaters in Wyoming. Protected rivers include portions of the Snake, Lewis, Buffalo Fork, Gros Ventre, and Hoback rivers and several of their tributaries.

West Virginia Wilderness Coalition convened a broad range of stakeholders to win Wilderness designation for 37,000 acres of public land in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. The new Wilderness holds some of the finest outdoor recreation destinations in the state.

Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition led this campaign to protect 55,000 acres in Virginia’s Jefferson National Forest as Wilderness, Wilderness Study Area or National Scenic Area (43,000 acres is now Wilderness). A stretch of the Appalachian Trail runs through the newly protected area, which also boasts views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Situated 20 miles east of Bend, Oregon, The Badlands is the city’s backyard Wilderness area. Oregon Natural Desert Association worked for nearly 20 years to secure Wilderness protection for the 30,000-acre area notable for its ancient junipers, volcanic rock formations, and Native American cultural sites.

Oregon Natural Desert Association spearheaded this campaign to protect the 8,600-acrea Spring Basin Wilderness. The area lies adjacent to a nine-mile stretch of the Wild and Scenic John Day River, and is borders on three sides by a 30,000-acre holding managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs for wildlife and recreation.