As the Forest Service moves to protect portions of some of Utah's rivers while leaving other segments open to development, river advocates are crying foul.

In October, 86 segments of Utah rivers were being considered for Wild and Scenic status, a protection given by the U.S. Congress to ensure the river segments are maintained at status quo in perpetuity, according to Catherine Kahlow of the Forest Service.

Of the 840 miles of Utah rivers considered, the Forest Service has now announced it is recommending protective status for 132 miles.

According to the Forest Service proposal, these were chosen because they represent the best rivers in Utah "while resulting in the least impact to future planned development in the state while keeping long-term costs of management low."

Local rivers were both proposed and declined for protection. Declined were a 20-mile section of the Provo River, a 1/3-mile piece of American Fork River near Timpooneke Campground, and 1.3 miles of the Provo River near Theater-in-the-Pines. Proposed for protection is an 8-mile segment of Fifth Water Creek in Spanish Fork Canyon and a 3-mile segment of Provo River at Cascade Springs.

The Forest Service is hoping to get public comment on its proposal over the next several weeks, and will hold a public hearing in Provo on Jan. 8.

The recommendations do not go far enough, said Mark Danenhauer of the Utah Rivers Council, a nonprofit working to protect Utah's rivers. The group organized tours of the river segments proposed for Wild and Scenic status, including a Provo River tour in October.

"While this does protect some of Utah's rivers, it leaves out many incredible rivers and really some of the most beloved rivers in Utah are not in the Forest Service recommendation," he said.

About three-quarters of the rivers considered by the Rivers Council to be in vital need of protection are not on the list, including segments of Provo River, Logan River, the headwaters of the Bear River, Fish Creek, Gooseberry Creek, and a river in the Dark Canyon Wilderness Area, he said.

Particularly concerning is the 20-mile segment of the Provo River from Trial Lake paralleling the Mirror Lake Highway that will not be protected unless the public demands a change, he said.

"It is definitely not a done issue," he said. The Rivers Council is hoping local residents will protest the proposal to the Forest Service and ask that the 20-mile segment of the Provo River and other rivers of concern be added.

Even though the Forest Service held 17 public comment meetings before issuing its proposal, and thousands of people asked that specific river segments be protected, the Forest Service's proposal makes no mention of any public comment or the will of the public, Danenhauer said.

"The draft fails to mention the thousands of people who took time to comment from Utah and the United States, because these rivers are important to the nation," Danenhauer said. "This is when it is really time for people who care about rivers to come forward. If you see your favorite rivers are not on the list, this is the time to weigh in."

Ensuring the protection of Wild and Scenic status means that "when your children go fishing, hiking boating on these rivers in the future they will have the same incredible experience you have there today," he said.

To view the proposal online, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/rivers.

The public can comment on the proposal by mailing to Utah NF Wild and Scenic River DEIS, P.O. Box 162969, Sacramento, CA 95816-2969 or by e-mail to utahnfwsdeis@fscomments.org or by fax to 916-456-6724.