Those portions of the Donner und Blitzen River in the Wilderness Area are an exceptional environmental resource that provides habitat for unique populations of native fish, migratory waterfowl, and other wildlife resources, including a unique population of redband trout.

Redband trout represent a unique natural history reflecting the Pleistocene connection between the lake basins of eastern Oregon and the Snake and Columbia Rivers.

to conserve, protect, and enhance the Donner und Blitzen River population of redband trout and the unique ecosystem of plants, fish, and wildlife of a river system; and

to provide opportunities for scientific research, environmental education, and fish and wildlife oriented recreation and access to the extent compatible with paragraph (1).