According to Kelsey, six of the BLM's field offices in Utah have been studying suitable rivers for the past six years. So far, the agency has identified 30 river segments that will be presented to Congress. Another 118 segments are still being considered. More information on the segments can be found on the BLM's Web site, www.ut.blm.gov/landuseplanning/index.htm.

The BLM rivers study has been included in the federal agency's most recent land-use plans update. The plans are updated every 15-20 years by each field office, but during the last overhaul, the rivers that run through Utah's BLM land were not extensively included in the study.

Kelsey said the BLM hopes to have a final rivers recommendation ready for Congress by July 2008.

The Forest Service is now studying 82 eligible river segments as part of its planning process, but initially the agency dragged its feet on completing all of the steps necessary to receive congressional approval for wild and scenic rivers.

Determining a stream's eligibility requires taking an inventory of all of the free-flowing streams on Forest Service land, but to evaluate suitability, the agency has to present its findings to the public and decide whether the waterway is worthy of a congressional designation.

"Scenic designations are a matter of public support," said Randy Welsh, program leader for Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers for the Intermountain Region of the Forest Service. "Before Congress will act, they need to know that there is interest, and up until recently, there was a lack of interest at a state level in wild and scenic designations."

Welsh also said completing suitability studies requires an immense amount of resources, which the Forest Service wouldn't commit lightly.

According to John Harja, assistant director for planning and policy for the Governor's Public Lands Policy Coordination Office, the state approached the Forest Service and asked the agency to complete the river study about two years ago, and the Forest Service agreed.

"Why shouldn't they?" Harja said. "Why would you do only half a study? ... Each region is supposed to have looked at every stream, creek and river within its jurisdiction and made a decision on its (suitability). I would imagine this would be fairly complete and cover everything out there."

To encourage public support of the Forest Service river study, the Utah Rivers Council has launched a campaign called "Get Wild With a River," where individuals are asked to "adopt" a river that's being studied.

After one month of the campaign, the council has recruited about 25 people to photograph 30 rivers and write letters to the Forest Service in favor of protecting them.