H.R. 994House116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

Chetco River Protection Act of 2019

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 1:32 AM UTC

The Chetco River Protection Act of 2019 updates the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to fix technical errors in how the Chetco River in Oregon is designated. It changes the lengths and creek names of the protected river segments and adds a withdrawal provision that keeps federal land within those segments out of mining, leasing, and other public‑land uses. The changes affect the Chetco River corridor, federal lands along it, and any parties seeking to develop those lands.

Key Provisions

Redesignates subparagraphs (A), (B), (C) as clauses (i), (ii), (iii) for clearer formatting.
Corrects the first segment to a 27.5‑mile stretch and changes the referenced creek from Boulder Creek to Mislatnah Creek.
Adjusts the second segment to 7.5 miles, changing the description from Boulder Creek‑to‑Steel Bridge to Mislatnah Creek‑to‑Eagle Creek.
Modifies the third segment to 9.5 miles, updating the endpoint from Steel Bridge to Eagle Creek.
Adds a withdrawal clause that, subject to valid rights, bars entry, appropriation, mining, and mineral or geothermal leasing on federal land within the designated river segments.

Legislative Activity

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3 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee

February 22, 2019

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 6, 2019

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Natural Resources Committee

February 6, 2019

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.

Federal Lands Subcommittee

February 22, 2019

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee

February 22, 2019

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 994 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. Peter A. DeFazioD-OR-4 · Feb 27, 2019

Madam Speaker, yesterday had I been present, I would have voted in strong support of S. 47, the Natural Resources Management Act. I was detained due to severe weather and cancelled flights in Oregon.…

Madam Speaker, yesterday had I been present, I would have voted in strong support of S. 47, the Natural Resources Management Act. I was detained due to severe weather and cancelled flights in Oregon.

S. 47 is a compilation of approximately 100 public lands and natural resources bills. One of the main provisions would provide permanent authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which I strongly support.

Also included in this essential legislation are three provisions that I authored to protect critical salmon and steelhead habitats in southwestern Oregon and designate more than 30,000 acres of public land as Wilderness.

H.R. 994, the Chetco River Protection Act, would prohibit new mining claims on various rivers and creeks in Southwestern Oregon. The waters protected by this legislation supply clean drinking water to thousands of residents of Southwest Oregon and Northwest California and are critical salmon habitat.

H.R. 999, the Devil's Staircase Wilderness Act, would permanently protect Devil's Staircase, a remote, unspoiled area in the Coast Range. The legislation would designate approximately 30,500 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands as Wilderness. In addition, this legislation designates approximately 14.4 miles of the Wasson and Franklin Creeks, which support native Coho and Chinook salmon, trout, and steelhead runs, as Wild and Scenic Rivers.

H.R. 1056, the Frank and Jeanne Moore Wild Steelhead Special Management Area Designation Act, would designate almost 100,000 acres of public land in the Steamboat Creek Watershed in the Umpqua National Forest that is vitally important steelhead habitat. The legislation would honor Frank and Jeanne Moore's lifelong efforts to protect the North Umpqua River and its tributaries.

The lands protected in these bills are some of the most beautiful, pristine, and ecologically-diverse areas in Oregon. To leave these areas unprotected would be to subject them to pollution and mining, endanger drinking water for thousands of families, and devastate local recreation economies.

I am proud that Congress overwhelmingly passed this legislation and that President Trump is expected to sign this important legislation into law.

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued February 6, 2019

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 994

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 6, 2019

Mr. DeFazio (for himself and Mr. Huffman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

A BILL

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to make technical corrections to the segment designations for the Chetco River, Oregon.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Chetco River Protection Act of 2019.

Technical Corrections to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

Section 3(a)(69) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)(69)) is amended—

(1)

by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) as clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), respectively, and indenting appropriately;

(2)

in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so redesignated), by striking The 44.5-mile and inserting the following:

(A)

Designations

The 44.5-mile

;

(3)

in clause (i) (as so redesignated)—

(A)

by striking 25.5-mile and inserting 27.5-mile; and

(B)

by striking Boulder Creek at the Kalmiopsis Wilderness boundary and inserting Mislatnah Creek;

(4)

in clause (ii) (as so redesignated)—

(A)

by striking 8-mile and inserting 7.5-mile; and

(B)

by striking Boulder Creek to Steel Bridge and inserting Mislatnah Creek to Eagle Creek;

(5)

in clause (iii) (as so redesignated)—

(A)

by striking 11-mile and inserting 9.5-mile; and

(B)

by striking Steel Bridge and inserting Eagle Creek; and

(6)

by adding at the end the following:

(B)

Withdrawal

Subject to valid rights, the Federal land within the boundaries of the river segments designated by subparagraph (A) is withdrawn from all forms of—

(i)

entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws;

(ii)

location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and

(iii)

disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials.