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LETTERS IN THE EDITOR''S MAILBAG.

Article Excerpt
Byline: The Register-Guard

Allocate river access fairly

Mike Stahlberg's Nov. 20 column regrettably leaves out some important features of the "common pool" method of allocating limited access on the Deschutes River.

The "split allocation" system currently in use on all limited-access rivers in America was first introduced more than 30 years ago, at a time when public input came almost exclusively from commercial guides and outfitters who had their own best interests at heart. Under the split allocation system, outfitter passengers needed only a credit card and a toll-free phone number to get on a river of their choice. Conversely, the public was, and still is, compelled to enter all sorts of lottery schemes and, on most rivers, still go through these absurd gyrations to gain entry to almost any river with a limited-access permit system in place, lest they die of old age and agency indifference.

Under the "common pool" system as required by law in the Deschutes River Management Plan, river access on federal lands still belongs to the public - while under the split allocation system, river access became the private property of the outfitter. When the outfitter chooses to quit running the river, his allocation was not returned to the public, but was either passed down to a family member or sold to the highest bidder.

"Common pool" is an opportunity to return limited access to public ownership and provide equal access for all users.

MICHAEL GREENBAUM

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