Congress should fully protect precious, profitable Rogue River

Local business owners make the case for protecting Rogue River Wilderness.

We're lucky. One of us loves to fish for wild salmon and sell the tools for others to do so, too, and the other loves to paddle through rushing whitewater -- and that's what we get to do for a living.

As a sporting goods distributor and salesman and a rafting company manager, we get to see quite a bit of the scenery that Oregon's rivers have to offer. But we agree that few of our waterways can quite compare to the rugged beauty that is the wild Rogue River. Generations of Oregonians have come to the Rogue to experience what famed Western author Zane Grey called "the most beautiful stream of Oregon."

Amazingly, parts of the Rogue River remain nearly as wild as they were in 1926 when Grey built a cabin along the river that now serves as a popular tourist stopover. In 1968, a stretch of the Rogue was protected with designation as one of the nation's first eight wild and scenic rivers. A few years later, national forestland surrounding the river was permanently protected as wilderness to safeguard special spots such as Mule Creek Canyon, a highlight of any rafting or fishing trip down the Rogue.

Unfortunately, not all of the ancient forests and pristine tributaries in the Rogue River canyon have been well-stewarded or protected. Planned old-growth timber sales, road building, off-road vehicles and mining violations have recently threatened the unprotected sections of this precious river. Boaters who journey down the Rogue probably don't realize that the large adjacent roadless area is still an unprotected landscape of giant Douglas firs and cascading streams like Kelsey Creek and Whisky Creek that greatly contribute to the ecological health of the Rogue.

The Rogue's ethereal beauty also translates into very tangible economic benefits. A recent economic study determined that recreation on the Rogue generated $30 million to the state of Oregon in 2007, including 445 jobs.

The river is also the second-largest Pacific salmon producer in Oregon, second only to the Columbia River. Rogue River salmon provide $16 million in benefits to the sportfishing industry each year and have millions of dollars more in value to Oregonians and other West Coast residents.

Given all that the Rogue gives us -- once-in-a-lifetime rafting trips, a chance for a father and daughter to fish for salmon, a thriving outdoor recreation economy and a high quality of life -- it's time for us to give back to the river. Right now, Congress has a unique opportunity to do just that.

Earlier this year, the region's primary timber industry lobbying group agreed to a proposal that would protect 58,000 acres of wilderness and more than 90 miles of wild and scenic river stretching from Grave Creek to Marial.

Oregon's Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Peter DeFazio have twice introduced similar legislation aimed at safeguarding this special section of the Rogue River for future generations. Now, with Congress considering a land-and-water protection package in the final days of the 2010 session, a Wild Rogue Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River bill has a chance to become the law of the land.

For the rush of running Rainie Falls, the thrill of reeling in a shimmering salmon and the security of knowing we'll have an economic engine safeguarded for years to come -- now is the time to protect the wild Rogue River.

Dave Strahan of Grants Pass is a sporting goods distributor and salesman and a representative of the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association. Zach Collier of Hood River is manager of ECHO River Trips, and owner of Sundance Kayak School and Northwest Rafting Company.