S. 5647 — River Democracy Act

This section defines terms used in the Act, including "covered segment" as any river segment designated by the Act or its amendments, "Secretary concerned" as the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture depending on jurisdiction over the segment, and "State" as Oregon.

This section authorizes the head of the federal agency administering a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System to enter into written cooperative agreements with Tribal governments, state governors, state agencies, or political subdivisions of states for their participation in administration of the component. It also requires such agencies to encourage Indian Tribes, states, and political subdivisions to cooperate in planning and administration of components that include or adjoin their lands or lands held in trust for them.

This section requires the Secretary concerned to publish an implementation plan for each covered segment by the end of the first fiscal year after enactment that sets deadlines for initiating comprehensive river management plans by the earlier of the next applicable plan revision or the end of the tenth fiscal year after enactment and completing them within five years. It directs assessments of wildfire risks, public safety, invasive species removal, evacuation routes, and the role of fire; authorizes prescribed fire use and wildfire mitigation treatments outside wilderness areas; requires culturally significant native species management plans on request of an Indian Tribe; permits cooperative agreements with states and tribes for rescue, firefighting, and law enforcement; authorizes restoration of segments providing drinking water or degraded by wildfire; and preserves existing private rights and contracts.

This section establishes boundaries averaging 640 acres per mile, measured from the ordinary high water mark on both sides, for any wild and scenic river segment designated in Oregon on or after the date of enactment. It withdraws all federal land within the boundaries of wild and scenic river components in the state from public land entry, mining claims, and mineral or geothermal leasing, subject to valid existing rights.

This section designates additional segments of the Rogue, Snake, and Illinois Rivers and their tributaries as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. It adds the 8.6-mile Quosatana Creek segment as a scenic river and the 13.9-mile upper and 0.2-mile lower Shasta Costa Creek segments as wild and recreational rivers, respectively. It redesignates the Snake River mainstem from Hells Canyon Dam to the Oregon-Washington border as wild and scenic rivers and adds the 4.1-mile Cache Creek, 1.7-mile Jim Creek, 11.8-mile Cook Creek, 2.9-mile Five Points Creek, and Cherry Creek segments (7.3 miles recreational and 4.2 miles wild). It adds over 20 segments of the East Fork Illinois River, Dunn Creek, Poker Creek, Sucker Creek, Left Fork Sucker Creek, Bolan Creek, Grayback Creek, Althouse Creek, Limestone Creek, and West Fork Illinois River tributaries, ranging from 0.8 to 12 miles, classified as wild, scenic, or recreational rivers.

This section designates 11 new components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in Oregon and California. It adds segments of Tamarack Creek, Kettle Creek, Silver Fork Creek, Bear Creek, Doc Creek, Deer Creek, Sage Creek, Black Canyon, Black Canyon Creek, Blue River, Breitenbush River and its forks and tributaries, Brice Creek, Buck Creek, Calapooia River, Canyon Creek, and Chewaucan River and Swamp Creek, totaling over 130 miles classified as wild, scenic, or recreational rivers administered by the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior.

This section withdraws federal land in essential serpentine wetlands in Oregon and California, and areas contributing to their direct hydrologic regime, from entry, appropriation, mining claims, and mineral or geothermal leasing. It requires the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to publish draft maps of these areas within one year, provide 90 days for public comment, and issue final maps, and to prioritize implementation of the 2018 interagency conservation strategy for Epilobium oreganum, Gentiana setigera, Hastingsia bracteosa, and Viola primulifolia by amending applicable land management plans. It also withdraws federal land in 19 named botanical areas and areas of critical environmental concern in the Illinois Watershed from the same activities.