Bureau of Land Management National Park Service US Fish and Wildlife Service US Forest Service

Managing Agencies

Wild & Scenic Rivers Managing Agencies

There are four primary federal agencies charged with protecting and managing our wild and scenic rivers and our nation's cultural, recreational and natural resources.

River Program Websites, By State

The three largest state river protection programs are in Maine, California and New York (Cordell 1999, Outdoor Recreation in American Life, citing Tim Palmer 1993 Wild and Scenic Rivers of America). However, these, as well as most other states, do not have web sites devoted to their state river programs. (It should also be noted that New York does not have any federally designated state-managed rivers in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.) These state river managing agencies have web sites where you can learn more about state management of rivers.


Note: A list of all state rivers programs and their statutes can be found on American Rivers' website.

If you know of more state river program sites, please send the address to
Dan Haas at: daniel_haas@fws.gov