achieve the purposes of the a(^t. The plan shall be coordinated with 

 and may be appropriated in a Resource Management planning for 

 effective adjacent Federal lands." 



Further, Section 5[d] of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act requires 

 the secretary to consider potential additions to the National Wild 

 and Scenic Rivers System during the forest planning process. If as 

 a result of the planning process a river segment studied is deter- 

 mined to be eligible and suitable for designation, Forest Service 

 manages the segment to preserve the values making it suitable for 

 inclusion. 



This is the basic statutory framework within with river corridor 

 management direction is developed for wild and scenic rivers. 

 Through delegated authority from the Secretary of Agriculture to 

 the Chief of the Forest Service, forest supervisors and area man- 

 agers have the authority to develop and implement management 

 direction for wild and scenic rivers. 



To develop management plans, the Forest Service conducts inten- 

 sive public participation processes in compliance with NEPA and 

 Forest Service direction. A number of methods are used to solicit 

 local, regional, and National comments including public meetings 

 in first the local communities in order to reach a broader plan with 

 a diversity of interests. 



Generally, a comment period ranges from between 30 to 90 days, 

 depending on the type of decision and the extent of public interest. 

 Working collaboratively with communities and the other public and 

 receiving their input is instrumental in coming to a final decision 

 prior to issuing management direction. 



Upon issuance of new management decisions, the public at large 

 and those individuals who hold special use permits for use of For- 

 est Service lands have the opportunity to utilize, if they feel it nec- 

 essary, the Forest Service's Administrative Appeals process. That 

 appeals process under 36 CFR 215, 217, and 251 allows appellants 

 to interact with the forest supervisor responsible for the new direc- 

 tion. 



In addition, under 36 CFR 251, the appellant is allowed to make 

 oral presentations to the appeal officer. 



In the case of almost all management direction, the Forest Su- 

 pervisor makes the final decision. These decisions are appealable to 

 the regional forester. 



Let me briefly turn to the two river segments of focus today. The 

 Green River corridor is located in the Flaming Gorge National Rec- 

 reational Area, and the Ashley National Forest has lead manage- 

 ment responsibility for two segments of the river immediately 

 below Flaming Gorge dam. The Bureau of Land Management ad- 

 ministers a third segment that reaches to the Colorado State line. 



In 1975, Congress authorized the Colorado portion of the Yampa 

 and Green Rivers for study as potential additions to the National 

 Wild and Scenic Rivers System. At the request of the State of 

 Utah, portions of the Green River in Utah were included in the 

 study. 



The National Park Service conducted the study of 91 miles of 

 Green River below the Flaming Gorge spillway, of which 12 miles 

 were located in the Flaming Gorge NRA. The study, which was 

 completed in 1980, resulted in the conclusion that the 91 miles of 



