Rivers have always held a special place in my heart. When I was a boy my father took me camping on the banks of the great rivers of western Oregon -- rivers with magical names like Santiam, Umpqua and Rogue. It was there that I first watched wild salmon fight their way upstream against the current, hurtling their silver bodies skyward with the spray breaking the light into rainbows.

If I had to pick a metaphor for the Rogue River, something that captures its essence, it would be the life cycle of the salmon. The lives of these incredible fish, as they journey from mountain stream to the ocean and back again, are dedicated to the future -- to nurturing and sustaining that which will follow. To me, the Rogue River is the heart of this endless cycle, as old as the universe and as young as the mist chased up the canyon walls by the morning sun.

My son has yet to experience its magic and wonder; he has yet to unlock its secrets and to learn its lessons. But one day soon he will drop through Upper Grave Creek Falls and into the canyon. And when he emerges three or four days later at Foster Bar, he will be changed forever. I want to make sure that he and thousands of other people of all ages have that opportunity long into the future.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the national Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, a law that marked a fundamental change in how we value rivers in this country and which recognized that healthy, free-flowing rivers bring significant economic and social benefits to our communities. The Rogue, one of the original eight rivers protected under the act, is a central part of this story. Today, a whole host of communities and businesses benefit from the Wild and Scenic Rogue River.

But our work is not finished. While the lower Rogue has a narrow strip of protection along the river's edge, it is critical that we take a watershed approach and protect the important tributary streams and uplands of the Rogue. For that reason many conservationists, boaters, anglers and businesses have joined forces to strengthen protections for the lower Rogue.

Rep. Peter DeFazio and Sens. Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith are in a perfect position to continue Oregon's great tradition of river protection by expanding the wild and scenic designation for the Rogue River in the coming year. Let all of us who know the Rogue support this effort and commit to preserving this special river for all those who will follow.

John Kitzhaber, a former Oregon governor, now heads the Archimedes Movement.