North Fork Smith Watershed Instream Flow Protection (ARCHIVED ACTION)

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North Fork Smith Watershed Instream Flow Protection

Comments Due: Oct. 28, 2016

Your help is needed to protect the instream flows of the North Fork of the Smith River and its tributaries in Oregon. The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) has proposed new protections for the instream uses of these waters—namely fish, wildlife, and recreation. Take a moment to express your support for this proposed action, which is a critical step in safeguarding the waters of the Smith River watershed in Oregon.

Send your comment NOW using this form. Be sure to fill in your name and your email address. Scroll down to learn more about this issue.

North Fork Smith Watershed Instream Flow Protection

This petition is now closed.

End date: Oct 28, 2016

Signatures collected: 441

441 signatures

Flowing from Southwest Oregon’s rugged Kalmiopsis Wilderness, the waters of the North Fork of the Smith River and its tributaries are exceptionally pure, providing pristine habitat for world-class salmon fisheries and supplying drinking water for downstream communities. A National Wild and Scenic River, the North Fork Smith River offers outstanding recreational opportunities that draw anglers, boaters, and other outdoor enthusiasts providing revenue for local tourism-based economies.

The vast majority of the North Fork Smith River watershed in Oregon is within the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, and includes land within the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area and two Inventoried Roadless Areas, and has been identified as critical for recovering salmon and trout populations.

These protections are not enough and your help is needed to ensure that the waters of the Smith River watershed are secure for fish, wildlife and recreation.

The OWRD is accepting public comment through 5:00 PM Friday, October 28th. It is vital that you speak in favor of the their rule-making effort and support them in their effort to protect the drinking water and instream beneficial uses of the Smith River watershed.

For more information on the rulemaking, visit: http://www.oregon.gov/owrd/Pages/law/Department_Rulemaking.aspx. When you arrive on this page, please scroll down to the section entitled “Division 517, South Coast Basin Program.”

Send your Comments

Via e-mail: Use the form above

Via regular mail: Copy the text in the form above and send your letter to: Rule Coordinator, Oregon Water Resources Department, 725 Summer St. NE, Suite A, Salem, OR 97301-1271. (Note that written comments need to be received by 5 p.m. on October 28th.)