[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 23, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9802-S9803]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  AMERICAN HERITAGE RIVERS INITIATIVE

 Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I rise in strong opposition to 
the proposed amendment by my colleague from Arkansas.
  First, I think it is important to point out that the American 
heritage rivers initiative does not force designation upon any river or 
river community. It is a voluntary program.
  American heritage rivers enables communities who wish to protect, 
restore, and revitalize their waterways, who want to protect their 
vital natural, historical, cultural, and recreational resources, to 
voluntarily develop and submit a locally driven nomination and to seek 
designation.
  As proposed by the administration, any nominated river must 
demonstrate broad community support for the nomination. It must 
demonstrate that members of the river community have had ample 
opportunities to comment on the nomination and plan of action. The 
administration has also made it very clear that if a Member of Congress 
opposes a river designation in his or her district, the designation 
will not occur in that district.
  Second, American heritage rivers establishes no new regulations, and 
was specifically designed to streamline Federal assistance to 
community-led riparian restoration efforts. By requiring written 
approval from all property owners along a river, and subjecting 
designation to a lengthy congressional selection process, this 
amendment in effect creates crippling delays and places unnecessary 
regulatory burdens on the nomination preparation and selection 
processes.
  Third, this amendment unnecessarily restricts the broad objectives of 
American heritage rivers by focusing only on the water pollution 
aspects of river revitalization. American heritage rivers is designed 
to celebrate and address

[[Page S9803]]

not only natural resource and environmental protection, but to also 
promote economic development and the protection of our historical, 
cultural, and recreational resources.
  In my own State of Maryland, and throughout the entire Potomac 
watershed, a broad coalition of local governments, private citizens, 
businesses, and others, known as the Friends of the Potomac, has 
mounted a concerted effort to nominate the Potomac. This coalition is 
striving to make ``Our Nation's River'' one of the first 10 designated 
American heritage rivers, and I fully support and encourage their 
efforts.
  Mr. President, the American heritage rivers initiative is simply an 
effort to better coordinate and leverage existing Federal resources. 
The Council on Environmental Quality, participating agencies and 
departments already have congressionally provided authority and 
responsibility to carry out this program. I urge my colleagues to join 
me in opposing this amendment.

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