Book Reviews
Wild and Scenic Rivers: An American Legacy is a welcome celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act passed in 1968.
Proposing a National Protected River System in China
Along with rapid economic development in China have come many environmental threats. The Chinese government adopted an “ecological civilization” national strategy to change the land development patterns, promote resource conservation and utilization, protect natural ecosystems and the environment, and improve quality of life in China.
The Role of Wild and Scenic Rivers in the Conservation of Aquatic Biodiversity
Formerly diverse and abundant freshwater species are highly imperiled, with higher extinction rates than many other taxonomic groups worldwide. In the 50 years since passage of the US Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, wild and scenic rivers (WSRs) have contributed significantly to the conservation of native aquatic biodiversity as well as to the conservation and restoration of essential habitats.
Reframing the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
A changing climate and increasing societal demands on water resources make river conservation urgent. The US Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (WSRA) provides a flexible policy framework ready to protect the nation’s rivers.
Dam Removal on the Lower White Salmon River: Rewilding, Sacred Spaces, and “Outstandingly Remarkable Values”
Dam removal is a major contribution to rewilding of rivers, through restoring riverine ecosystems; reconnecting upstream and downstream wilderness for fish, predators, and humans; and enhancing social-ecological resilience to climate change and other stressors.
Wild and Scenic Rivers: An Economic Perspective
To date, economic valuation studies have focused on individual rivers and not the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (NWSRS) as a whole. Following Morton (1999), we provide a brief conceptual taxonomy of on- and off-site economic benefits that might be relevant to the NWSRS.