Act now to protect Oregon's Rogue River and our jobs

Local businesses urge quick action to ensure valuable Rogue River recreation economy is preserved.

Oregon has many wild places and natural resources that are unique to our state. Tourists and visitors come from around Oregon and across the country to explore and enjoy our mountains, forests and rivers.

In a state that is known for its rich, beautiful environment, there still are some places that stand out. The Wild Rogue River in southwestern Oregon is one of these places. The Wild Rogue is an Oregon gem, an iconic river that winds through some of the world's most diverse forests before entering the Pacific Ocean. The Lower Rogue was one of eight rivers originally designated as "Wild and Scenic" through the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 — an act whose purpose is to protect the nation's most outstanding free-flowing rivers.

Those who have rafted, fished or hiked along this stretch of the Rogue have experienced a truly wild river canyon, much of it accessible only by boat or by foot. The river flows through rock canyons that were formed by volcanoes and an ancient sea floor, and is fed by cold tributary streams that come off the surrounding steep forests. Numerous rafting companies offer memorable and exciting trips down the Wild Rogue canyon, where rapids such as Upper Black Bar, Mule Creek Canyon and Blossom Bar inspire stories among friends and families long after the rafting trip has ended.

Anyone who has been along this stretch of river knows how much wildlife there is — black bears, osprey and otters, to name a few. And of course, there are the salmon, which are legendary (the Rogue hosts the second largest run of salmon and steelhead in Oregon). As a result, the river sees worldwide visitors who come to fish and witness the migration of salmon upriver, which is a symbol of Oregon itself. Many of them hire fishing outfitters and guides to navigate the waters and identify prime fishing spots.

The rafting companies and fishing outfitters on the Wild Rogue rely on tourists and visitors for their livelihoods. The lodges along the Wild and Scenic section also depend heavily on the river's recreation and fishing economies. Visitors traveling to and from a trip on the river also frequent restaurants, shops and gas stations in surrounding communities.

A 2008 economic study found that recreation-related activity on the Rogue River provided $30 million in economic benefits to the state of Oregon in 2007, including 445 jobs. Josephine County alone received $14 million in benefits.

Nearly every day, there is more evidence that protecting natural resources is an important way to protect and bolster local economies. Just last week, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said that economic growth in rural areas of the West depends as much or more on recreation than it does on such traditional businesses such as mining, logging and ranching.

The Wild Rogue already has a broad reputation for world-class whitewater and legendary salmon. We need to protect this treasured resource and thereby support and boost a sustainable-use economy for tourism and recreation on the Rogue.

Our businesses rely on the Rogue River. As a rafting and sportfishing outfitter, lodge owner and a manufacturer of whitewater equipment, we know how important the river is to our livelihoods. More visitors to the river mean more jobs and more income into the local and state economies. Economic engines such as the Rogue River are even more important during these hard economic times, and we don't want to see them damaged.

But we are worried there are threats to the Wild Rogue that would make this a less-attractive river corridor for rafters, fishers and hikers. Logging, mining and off-road vehicle use along the river affect water quality and habitat for salmon and other species. As recently as 2008, there was a federal plan to expand logging on the surrounding forests around the river's cold-water tributaries. And the high price of gold coupled with California's ban on suction dredge mining has prompted an increase in miners on the Rogue.

We want immediate protection for the wild Rogue so that these threats are reduced or eliminated. This means expanding Wild and Scenic and wilderness protections for the river's vulnerable tributaries and its forested, roadless wildlands.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., have always been champions of Oregon's environment, and we know they recognize the link between a healthy, vibrant economy and a healthy river. They have the ability to expand Wild Rogue protections, and we need them to act now in these waning days of the 111th Congress before this opportunity is lost in the rough country of the next Congress. The Rogue deserves it, and our jobs and our businesses depend on it.

Bruce Bergstrom is the owner of Sawyer Paddles and Oars in Talent, Beverly Moore owns Riverhouse Recreation and Retreat Center in Galice and Rich Wilkinson owns Rogue Klamath River Adventures in Medford.