94 



TESTIMONY OF RICHARD SHERWIN 



concern i ng 



H.R. 2568 & S. 1374 



A BILL 



To require adoption of a management plan for the Hells Canyon 



National Recreation Area that allows appropriate use of motorized 



and nonmotorized river craft in the recreation area, 



and for other purposes. 



My name is Richard G. Sherwin of 1781 Powe Drive, Clarkston, 

 Washington 99403. I am 47 years old, married, and have a 25 year 

 old daughter and a 5 year old grandson. 



1 am a private river user, living at the very mouth of Hells 

 Canyon. I have lived in the area of Hells Canyon for most of my 

 life, except for a year when we moved to Missoula, Montana and 

 the time 1 spent in the United States Air Force. 



When 1 returned to this area, after my military duty, in 

 March of 1976, I became very interested in Hells Canyon. That 

 was the first year 1 rafted the section of the Snake River from 

 Hells Canyon Dam to Pittsburgh Landing. I fell in love with the 

 area and have been a regular floater in the canyon ever since. I 

 would estimate that I average three or four trips a year in this 

 area. I would float it more often, if possible, but my work does 

 not allow it and I also enjoy floating other rivers. I am also a 

 certified scuba diver and enjoy fishing and hiking in Hells 

 Canyon and other areas. 



1 joined a local river interest group. River Access For 

 Tomorrow, (hereinafter referred to as R.A.F.T.), in about 

 1984/85. While R.A.F.T. is primarily a float boat organization, 

 its' main purpose, as signified by its' name, is to encourage 

 equal and continued access to all legitimate classes of user 

 groups to all rivers. I have been on the board of directors of 

 R.A.F.T. for approximately eight years and have served terms as 

 the president, vice president and secretary. 



In the beginning years of my interest in floating rivers, I 

 was not interested in the politics of river access. Like so many 

 others, I assumed that the rivers had always been open to the 

 public and would remain open forever. My main concern was simply 

 to enjoy the rivers in the area in which I live. I was aware of 

 the fact that there were people in various user groups who seemed 

 to be wrestling with each other for control, or use, of the river 

 in Hells Canyon, and other places, but it did not affect me 

 di rec 1 1 y . 



Today, the situation on the rivers in the local area have 

 changed dramatically. Politics has become the number one river 

 sport and those who don't know the rules of the game are being 

 virtually squeezed out. Commercial interests, operating under 

 the cloak of environmentalists, are working hard to eliminate all 

 other classes of user groups, commercial and private, who do not 

 fit into their business plan. 



