The potential designation of a portion of the Chetco River as a State Scenic Waterway is the topic of a July 14 public meeting hosted by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). The proposed section is from the Steel Bridge to Alfred A. Loeb State Park. The meeting will be from 6-7:30 p.m. at Harbor Water District Office, 98069 W. Benham Lane, Harbor. The intent of the meeting is to learn about scenic waterways and review the nonbinding draft management plan for the Chetco. Comments will be accepted at the meeting, as well as via email and mail from July 14 through Aug. 13. Scenic waterways staff will incorporate public comments into a report for OPRD Commissioners to review. The governor will make the final decision on designation in December. If the river is designated, OPRD will host additional meetings to gather public comments before finalizing a management plan and initiating rule-making. The State Scenic Waterways Program seeks to balance protection of natural resources, scenic value and recreation. Scenic waterway designations do not affect existing water rights. Comments can be submitted beginning July 14 by email to scenic.waterways@oregon.gov or mailed to OPRD Scenic Waterways Program, 725 Summer St. Suite C, Salem, OR 97301. The draft management plan, meeting materials and other information are available at http://bit.ly/scenicwaterways. For more information, contact Laurel Hillmann at (503) 986-0700 or laurel.hillmann@oregon.gov or Rocky Houston at (503) 986-0750 or rocky.houston@oregon.gov.
