Why is the ANF involved in Wild and Scenic River management?
The USDA Forest Service (Allegheny National Forest) was assigned the responsibility to study the Allegheny River under the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978. As a result of this study and overwhelming public support, congress passed a law in 1992 to add 87 miles of the Allegheny River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The 1992 law assigned responsibility to the ANF, through the Secretary of Agriculture, to develop and implement a management plan to protect and enhance the values for which the river was designated. In addition, the ANF was assigned responsibility for studying the Clarion River and Millcreek for possible designation. Approximately 52 miles of the Clarion River subsequently received National Wild and Scenic River designation in 1996 with management responsibility also assigned to the Allegheny National Forest.
