Who We Are

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Program works extensively to support work on Wild and Scenic Rivers with other National Park Service (NPS) Divisions and Programs. Within the NPS is the Wild and Scenic Rivers Steering Committee which is a policy interpreting body who works to establish service-wide policies and guidelines.

Contact us for more information about NPS Wild and Scenic Rivers.

 

National Park Service Wild and Scenic River Steering Committee at annual meeting in Big Bend National Park and Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River.

NPS / Corita Waters

 

Cultural Resources

Monitoring the condition of a river’s important cultural resources is a necessary part of an effective WSR monitoring program and provides a means to evaluate the effectiveness of both short and long-term cultural resource protection measures. Assistance in developing effective cultural resource management practices, is often done through contact with a regional Cultural Resource Division and its programs, Washington D.C. Area Support Office’s Cultural Resources, Partnerships, and Science Programs, and/or Cultural Resource Divisions in nearby Parks.

Park Planning and Special Studies Division

Park Planning and Special Studies (PPSS) is the national planning office for the National Park Service (NPS). Within PPSS, there are four programs for which we provide overall direction, funding, and policy development: unit management planning (UMP), special resource studies or special studies (SRS), facilities planning, and long-range transportation planning (LRTP).

Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers

Congress has specified in some Wild and Scenic River designations, that rivers are to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior through the NPS in partnership with local governments, councils, watershed groups and non-governmental organizations, generally through the use of cooperative agreements. In these 'Partnership' Wild and Scenic Rivers, communities protect their own outstanding rivers and river-related resources through a collaborative approach.

Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance

The National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program extends and expands the benefits of the National Park Service to communities throughout the nation.

Water Resources Division

The Water Resources Division (WRD) of the National Park Service works to conserve, protect, and restore water resources in America's national parks. WRD provides assistance, expertise, and guidance for aquatic ecosystem stewardship in national parks. WRD provides its services through a broad range of programs in the areas of fisheries, information management, hydrology, ocean & coastal resources, wetlands, water quality, and water rights.