Return of the River
Return of the River is a film about the largest dam removal project in the history of the United States. In mid-September 2011, contractors started a three-year, $351 million project to remove the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams in order to restore a free-flowing river.
The ACA is proud to be able to support this monumental film documenting a very exciting time in river conservation history.
Read more about the film and watch the trailer here.
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Colorado Roadless Rule
Working with the Outdoor Alliance and the Outdoor Industry Association, the ACA submitted comments pertaining to the State of Colorado's draft rule to the U.S. Forest Service. Colorado has over 4 million acres of National Forest and this rule would have a significant impact on all forms of human-powered recreation.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a state of Wyoming and Colorado Mining Association petition on February 16, 2012, that sought to overturn the 2001 National Forest roadless rule. The ruling reaffirmed a three-judge decision issued on Oct. 21, 2011, that upheld the roadless rule, passed under former President Bill Clinton, which prohibits development on nearly 60 million acres.
"The Obama administration will decide next month between the state rule and a legally buttressed national rule. The state rule would restrict road-building and tree-cutting on about 4.2 million acres. The national rule bans roads on 4.4 million acres of the 14.5 million acres of national forest in Colorado.Read more: Colorado officials push for forest-road rule." -- Bruce Finley, The Denver Post, 2/21/2012
- ACA and other OA partners comment on the CCR- July 2011
- ACA/ OA recommendations for the State rule meeting the "as strong or stronger" criteria set forth in the national rule- Nov 2011
- Recommended Upper Tier Areas
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Florida's HB 1103: Redefining the "Ordinary High Water Line"
The ACA recently opposed Florida’s HB 1103, which would redefine the present "Ordinary High Water Line.” Redefining the high water line would result in huge transfers of publicly owned land along the State's rivers, lakes and streams into private ownership, amounting to the loss of thousands of acres of land that now belong to the people of Florida and the many paddlers and anglers who enjoy those waters.
ACA opposition was presented to the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee members on January 17, 2012, by Eric Draper, President of the Florida Audubon Society. It was voted favorably and passed on in a 9-4 vote. The bill now resides in the Civil Justice Subcommittee of the House (and it's sister bill in the Senate SC 1362 has yet to be voted on).
"Again, thanks to all the paddlers, airboaters, waterfowl hunters, fishers and birdwatchers who raised their voices this week to defend our rights to get on the water and use and preserve the wet part of the freshwater shore. We were especially grateful to the American Canoe Association for engaging on this important issue." -- Audubon of Florida Advocate
Read the ACA's letter of opposition here.
See the ACA acknowledged in the Audubon Society's letter to Florida members and supporters.
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Opposing Waste Water on the Edisto
The ACA has been working in conjunction with the South Carolina Audubon Society, Sierra Club, Friends of the Edisto, and the Palmetto Paddlers to oppose an agreement between Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority (SCWSA) and the town of Batesburg-Leesville (BL) that would allow for an additional 1 million gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater be transferred to the BL Wastewater Treatment Plant and discharged into Duncan Creek, a tributary of the Edisto River.
Combined with the current discharge rates, this additional 1 MGD would exceed the permitted discharge capacity of the plant in during the wet season, making the Edisto vulnerable to raw sewage in times of overflow. The Edisto, reported to be the longest free-flowing blackwater river in the United States, is an iconic river of the South Carolina Lowcountry, both unique for its ecological traits and it recreational value. Combining with the Ashepoo and Combahee, the Edisto forms the ACE Basin, one of the largest undeveloped estuaries on the east coast of the United States and stands as a prime model for cooperation in conservation through the ACE Basin Project. The BL-SCWSA agreement jeopardizes both the ecology and recreational values that make the Edisto such a valuable river system.
Read the ACA letter of opposition here.
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Do One Thing for Paddling
Want to give back to your local waterway or paddling community? Here's a great way to share your commitment to paddlesports.
Whether it's a certain amount of plastic bottles picked up in a given year or teaching a free class to youth, let others know how you'll make the world a better place to paddle!
Do One Thing for Paddling |
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Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was set aside 50 years ago for its "unique wildlife, wilderness, and recreational values." The US Fish and Wildlife Service has recently drafted a Comprehensive Conservation Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement (CCP/EIS) outlining a vision and goals for the area. Threatened by pressure for oil and gas leasing, exploration, and production, this area's biological diversity and ecological value is priceless and deserves to be protected.
The ACA and over 200 other organizations signed on to comments produced by the Alaska Coalition urging the FWS to adopt the Vision and Goals outlined in the Draft CCP/IES and to recommend a Wilderness designation for the Arctic Refuge's Coastal Plain Wilderness Study Area.
Comments on the Arctic Refuge Draft CCP/EIS
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Chattooga River
For years the ACA has partnered with American Whitewater in an effort to open the Chattooga River headwaters to boaters. Recently, we jointly sued the U.S. Forest Service seeking to overturn a 2009 rule continuing the boating ban.
On December 2, 2010 a judge in South Carolina issued a decision that rejected the USFS's motion to dismiss the case. This will allow the case to move forward and AW and ACA will have the opportunity to present evidence of why the ban is unjustified.
Both ACA Executive Director Wade Blackwood and AW Executive Director Mark Singleton attended the hearing in South Carolina.
In August of 2011, the ACA signed AW's letter to the United States Forest Service opposing the environmental assessment (EA) of the titled "Managing Recreation Uses in the Upper Segment of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River Corridor.” The EA violates many basic laws, regulations, and policies regarding land and resource management, and "transparently aims to reach a predetermined goal of limiting paddling." We will continue to work with AW to try to bring equity to the recreational use of the Chattooga and open its waters to boaters. |
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Clean Air Act
The ACA has teamed with the National Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited and over a hundred other organizations to oppose any effort to weaken the Clean Air Act. Kayak fishermen and women - this also has implications for mercury levels in our nations waterways.
Letter to Senators and Representatives |
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Land & Water Conservation Fund
The ACA continues to advocate for full funding of the LWCF through permanent appropriations. The House passed a full funding bill at the end of July, but the Senate has not yet acted. The ACA is working with the LWCF Coalition to urge the Senate to take action. In the fall of 2010, the ACA organized local human-powered recreation organizations from California, Minnesota and Montana to communicate their support directly to their respective Senators.
The ACA appauds the America's Great Outdoors Report to the President calling for full funding of the LWCF. |
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Chesapeake Bay Treasured Landscape Initiative
The ACA has joined 22 notable other organizations and agencies in calling for the creation of a Chesapeake Bay Treasured Landscape Initiative in response to President Obama's Chesapeake Executive Order 13508.
The main focus of this initiative is to acquire a strong federal commitment and funding for:
- Conserving the Chesapeake's landscapes
- Enhancing public access
- Improving interpretation and public education
- Promotion of citizen stewardship
- Restoration of critical fish & wildlife habitats
The ACA serves on the Access Committee and has a goal of adding 300 access points by 2025.
Letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson |
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America's Great Outdoors
The ACA is excited to be a part of this significant initiative.
In conjunction with the Outdoor Alliance and the Outdoor Industry Association, we sponosred eight "home grown" listening sessions to ensure that the human-powered recreation community is fully able to communicate it's ideas to AGO's leadership.
In addition, the ACA submitted a range of paddling and water consevation ideas through AGO's "Idea Jam".
We will continue to monitor, comment and participate as this initiative continues to develop. |
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Nantahala River - Access
The Wayah Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service recently approved a Temporary Use Permit program for the Nantahala River. However, since a limited number of permits are only available Monday through Thursday during the summer, this fails to meet the needs of camps and clubs.
The ACA is exploring options for appealing this decision.
Read the ACA - AW joint letter from September. |
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Lackawaxen River - Access
The ACA is assisting local paddlers in the Upper Delaware region with their efforts to restore access to the Lackawaxen River in northeast Pennsylvania.
This is a valuable whitewater resource and we hope our combined efforts will assist the PA Fish and Boat Commission in reestablishing access. |
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Potomac River - White's Ford - Access
The ACA is assisting the Northern Virginia Reginal Parks Authority in the development of a canoe and kayak launch at White's Ford on the Potomac River.
Volunteers Mike Aronoff and Greg Mallet-Prevost are providing valuable input. |
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Tuckaseegee River - Dam Removal
Thanks to the ongoing commitment of several ACA volunteers, American Whitewater and several other user groups, the dam on the Tuckaseegee River in Dillsboro, NC has finally been removed.
After almost 10 years of red tape, Duke Energy was finally able to begin the removal process. This is one key component of the larger plan dealing with the relicensing of the dams on the Tuckaseegee and Nantahala Rivers. Part of the agreement calls for improvements to river access and new flow releases.
For those paddlers accustomed to floating the section upstream of the former dam site, please note that a new set of rapids have now formed and take the appropriate precautions.
Special thanks to ACA members who were integral throughout this entire process:
- Board member, Sam Fowlkes
- SWR Instructor Trainer, Justin Padgett
- Whitewater Canoe Instructor, Burt Kornegay
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Green Infrastructure Bill
Working with our partners at the Clean Water Network, the ACA urged Senators to co-sponsor the Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act, S. 3561.
This legislation would reduce polluted stormwater runoff by encouraging the use of green infrastructure techniques.
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