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SUNNY Temp: 73 °F Wind: N at 3 mph Wednesday, May 21, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend April 11, 2003 Portion of Rogue cut from use proposal By DON JEPSEN for the Mail Tribune SALEM — The Rogue River was one of four in Oregon dropped Wednesday from a proposed four-year pilot program that would have forged a compromise between recreational use and landowner rights on five waterways. Only a 174-mile stretch of the John Day River in northeastern Oregon will remain in the pilot program now under consideration by the Legislature. After a brief hearing before the Senate Water and Land Use Committee Wednesday, the chairman, Sen. Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, directed a study group to keep only the John Day stretch in the proposed program. Ferrioli’s request meant that the 95-mile section of the Rogue from Grave Creek near Galice to Lost Creek dam near Trail was dropped from the proposal. Also dropped were sections of the North and South Santiam and Trask rivers. The program was launched by state Treasurer Randall Edwards, a member of the Oregon Land Board, as a way to settle disputes between river-users and private landowners about access to the riverbeds and banks. The Legislature must adopt the pilot program for it to be implemented, and it would be expanded if deemed successful. Hearings on the proposal previously were held for the Trask, Santiam system and the John Day, but not the Rogue because of time constraints. Jean Wilkinson, a member of the study group representing the Oregon Farm Bureau, said that after the contentious hearings on the other waterways, "We were scared to death to go to the Rogue." Ferrioli said any access plan should provide a source of income, such as a user fee or boat licensing, to fund the monitoring of river use. "I will reschedule this hearing when it is perfectly clear there is agreement on all sides," he said. Edwards was resigned about scaling back his proposal. "Hopefully, we can find some middle ground," he said. The five rivers in the initial package were picked because there are pending requests for navigability studies to establish ownership of the beds and banks to the high water mark. When Oregon became a state, the federal government said the state can claim ownership of the beds and banks of navigable rivers but only after a study. This can be a time-consuming and contentious process, and to date the majority of Oregon’s rivers have not been studied. Since the water in rivers is owned by the Oregon public, boaters generally cannot be denied the right to recreate on rivers even if upland property owners hold title to the streams’ beds and banks. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times