16 U.S.C. § 460nnn–72 — Donner und Blitzen River Redband Trout Reserve

(a) Findings. Congress found two things. First, the part of the Donner und Blitzen River inside the Wilderness Area is an exceptional environmental resource — home to unique native fish, migratory waterfowl, other wildlife, and a unique population of redband trout. Second, that redband trout population reflects a unique natural history, tracing back to an ancient Ice Age connection between eastern Oregon's lake basins and the Snake and Columbia Rivers. (b) Designation of Reserve. The Secretary must designate the Donner und Blitzen Redband Trout Reserve. It covers the Donner und Blitzen River inside the Wilderness Area, above where it meets Fish Creek, plus the federal streamside land right next to the river. (c) Reserve purposes. The reserve has two purposes: (1) to conserve, protect, and improve the river's redband trout population and its unique ecosystem of plants, fish, and wildlife; and (2) to allow scientific research, environmental education, and fish- and wildlife-related recreation and access, but only as far as that stays compatible with purpose (1). (d) Exclusion of private lands. The reserve does not include any private land next to the Donner und Blitzen River or its tributary streams. (e) Administration. The Secretary must run everything in the reserve — land, water, and interests in them — consistent with both the Wilderness Act and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The Secretary must consult with the advisory council and work with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. As far as the law allows, the Secretary must manage recreation in the reserve in a way that protects the unique redband trout population. And the Secretary must remove the dam located below where Fish Creek meets the river and above Page Springs, but only if removing it is scientifically justified and money is available. (f) Outreach and education. The Secretary can work with, give technical help to, run outreach and education programs for, or sign cooperative agreements with private landowners, state and local governments and agencies, and conservation groups, whenever that helps the reserve's purposes.