S. 945 — Smith River National Recreation Area Expansion Act

This section amends the Smith River National Recreation Area Act to expand the recreation area's boundaries to include lands depicted on the map entitled "Proposed Additions to the Smith River National Recreation Area" dated January 23, 2023 (in addition to the July 1990 map). It further (1) requires the Secretary of Agriculture to complete, not later than five years after enactment, a study of the added areas—including inventories of aquatic habitats, plants (including Port-Orford-cedar), animals, and other resources—and to modify applicable management plans to protect identified values, with a report to Congress; (2) authorizes land acquisition in the State of Oregon (in addition to California), including the approximately 555-acre Cedar Creek Parcel in section 16, T. 41 S., R. 11 W., Willamette Meridian, upon adoption of a resolution by the Oregon State Land Board and subject to available funding; (3) extends fish and game management authority to the State of Oregon; (4) clarifies administration to emphasize roadless characteristics in Oregon portions, designates the Kalmiopsis Wilderness for management under the Wilderness Act, and preserves wildfire operations, vegetation management (including for forest health), the Northwest Forest Plan, and the Roadless Rule in Oregon; and (5) protects tribal rights, including a memorandum of understanding for access and interpretive materials. (The Smith River National Recreation Area, established in 1990, conserves the watershed of the undammed Smith River system, which spans California and Oregon and supports unique old-growth forests, rare species, and recreation.)

This section amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to revise the North Fork Smith River designation in Oregon by (1) redesignating an existing scenic river segment as wild, (2) restructuring the existing 13-mile segment as the general designation, and (3) designating 24 additional segments of its source tributaries totaling approximately 74 miles as wild rivers (except for a 200-foot portion near Forest Service Road 4402 administered as scenic), to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture. (As background, the national wild and scenic rivers system protects free-flowing rivers with outstandingly remarkable values from development such as dams or diversions, classifying them as wild, scenic, or recreational based on accessibility and shoreline conditions.) This section also replaces the existing designation of the Smith River, California and Oregon, with a segment from the confluence of the Middle Fork Smith River and North Fork Smith River to the Six Rivers National Forest boundary (exact endpoint as specified).