about us
Our Mission
Our mission is to work collaboratively to maintain and improve recreation access into the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area by boat, raft, foot, vehicle, horseback, aircraft and associated historical infrastructure by making recommendations to the US Forest Service; to promote a sustainable recreation experience through the involvement of a broad group.
What We Do
HCRC supports and promotes multi-use recreation in Hells Canyon by partnering with the U.S. Forest Service, state, and local governments to:
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Maintain access and availability of recreation sites by identifying sites in need of maintenance, completing site condition assessments, providing recommendations, and coordinating solutions based on those recommendations and site needs.
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Facilitate transparent and open communication between government entities and the public.
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Create a balanced appreciation and shared use of resources by ensuring the inclusion of all user groups.
Why It's Important
Hells Canyon is home to thousands of recreational visitors every year and the conservation of this unique environment is largely dependent on public use. However, from 2009 – 2014, visitor use declined from 428,000 to 345,000 use-days per year, with a major factor being the deteriorating state of recreational facilities. Hells Canyon recreation infrastructure requires maintenance to ensure the availability and accessibility for the public. This can place a burden on user groups in the form of user fees, thereby restricting access.
HCRC partners with the U.S. Forest Service and other governmental, private, and non-profit entities to:
- Protect the natural and historic resources of Hells Canyon
- Maintain the recreation infrastructure that allows for public use
- Promote the shared use of Hells Canyon resources
- Eliminate the need for additional public fees
Our history
Individuals and user groups gathered in 2016 to provide alternatives to an assessment of fees upon boaters and recreation users on the Snake River in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. In a letter to the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Congressional Delegation for Idaho in October 2016, sanctioned the group’s mission.
Our membership represents a broad cross-section of recreational users from the public arena. As such, we also represent all U.S. citizens as owners of public lands, all of whom are potential users of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (HCNRA).
The aspiration of the HCRC is to select the wisest course of action that burdens the end user the least. Our course of action will reflect consideration of various community goals, issues, factors and concerns, and find the appropriate balance among competing interests.
Where We Work
Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest river gorge, encompasses over 652,000 acres in a remote region with dramatic changes in elevation, terrain, climate and vegetation. Carved by the great Snake River, Hells Canyon plunges more than a mile below Oregon’s west rim, and 8,000 feet below snow-capped He Devil Peak of Idaho’s Seven Devils Mountains.
Established in 1975 as part of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Act, the wilderness is split by the Snake River into two distinct areas – one in Oregon (133,170 acres) and the smaller portion in Idaho (83,811 acres). Although the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest has the lead stewardship responsibility, the wilderness also includes lands from the Payette National Forest, Nez Perce National Forest, and Bureau of Land Management.
The Perpetuation of this unique environment is largely dependent upon the public. With a growing number of visitors, thoughtful and appropriate behavior by all is essential to the protection of the canyon’s outstanding aesthetic and environmental values. The HCRC would appreciate your support in addressing the state of recreational facilities within the canyon.
