Federalism and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act: Now You See It, Now You Don't

This article investigates the proposed designation of the North Coast rivers under WSRA. It chronicles developments in the legal controversy and relates them to the larger issues of land and water management. The shifting legal framework and changing economic and political interests in the North Coast controversy are particularly enlightening to students of federalism. Lawyers are among those who may be tempted to view the North Coast controversy in terms of federal-state conflict or intergovernmental cooperation run amuck, and to view the courts as an umpire in a dispute over authority.