The United States Postal Service has released a new series of forever stamps commemorating the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. At the release event along the banks of the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon, U.S. Postal Service chief financial officer and executive vice president Joe Corbett said, “When Americans use the stamps, either to mail letters and packages or to add them to collections, they will be reminded of our cherished Wild and Scenic Rivers.”

Scenic rivers are commonly at the heart of outdoor recreation and, for many communities, draw visitors into an area as its main attraction. And as many hunters know, rivers provide unique access to backcountry hunting ground. Wild rivers not only add to the adventures of anglers, but they’re also the playground for campers, hikers and boaters. Rivers.gov offers users an interactive map, where anyone can explore the designated rivers in their state.

Just last year, the system celebrated its 50th anniversary. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act into law with overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress. On signing the law, President Johnson said “an unspoiled river is a very rare thing in this Nation today,” adding that unless there were steps taken to protect them, healthy, free flowing rivers would become a thing of the past.

The National Wild and Scenic River System spans more than 13,000 miles of the United States through landscapes as diverse as the rivers themselves. Since President Johnson signed the act into law, the system has grown to include rivers in 41 states and Puerto Rico. The USDA Forest Service manages more miles of these rivers than any other federal agency, including the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Wild and Scenic Rivers are the backbones of many communities that rely on the visitors to fill hotels, visit shops and outfitters, and to hire guides,” Pacific Northwest Regional Forester Glenn Casamassa said. “We need to take responsibility for stewardship of these rivers in collaboration with partners, local communities and other stakeholders.”

The “Wild and Scenic Rivers” stamp series can be purchased online. A sheet of 12 is $6.60. Each stamp bears a label naming the river featured. Rivers featured include Merced River, which runs through central California from the Sierra Nevada into the San Joaquin Valley; Flathead River, runs from the Canadian Rockies into Montana, north of Glacier National Park; Clarion River, which winds through narrow serpentine valleys and hardwood forests in west central Pennsylvania; and Michigan’s Ontonagon River that flows into Lake Superior.