U.S. Sen Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, will host an online town hall meeting Tuesday, Aug. 31, and if you get the chance, we urge you to listen in.

The subject of the town hall will be the River Democracy Act, a sweeping piece of new legislation pushed by Wyden and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon.

The bill is designed to greatly expand conservation protections to more than 4,000 miles of rivers and streams in Oregon, including many waterways in the eastern part of the state.

Wyden touts the legislation to expand recreation access, protect drinking water, limit wildfire and safeguard endangered fish and wildlife.

The spirit of the bill — to protect more waterways — is a good one. Our natural resources are a finite commodity and represent national treasures that enhance us as a people and a nation.

Now, more than 2,000 river miles in the state are protected under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

As much merit as the proposed legislation has, it still needs to be explained carefully to voters. That it is why it is so important for area voters to participate in the town hall.

While protecting rivers and streams is a good idea, the fact is, there already are existing protections — such as the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act — on many waterways. Other federal laws, such as the Endangered Species Act, also help add a layer of protection to streams and rivers.

The danger in such pieces of legislation is unintended consequences. That’s why Wyden must explain how, or if, private property rights will be impacted with the legislation. He also must explain how, or if, grazing rights will be affected by the legislation.

The streams and rivers of Eastern Oregon are part of our heritage and must be safeguarded, but too often the region is seen as a kind of giant, conservation amusement park for a minority of people who have little or no connection to our unique way of life.

The natural bounty of our region isn’t something taken for granted for most of us who live in Eastern Oregon. We see it every day. No one wants to see our local natural resource treasures destroyed.

But before we go and create yet another layer of federal regulations to our region, let’s make sure we are all on the same page and working for the same results.

So, tune into the town hall and exercise your right to give feedback to your elected representative.