[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 79 (Wednesday, June 17, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6497-S6498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 250--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE 
THIRD SATURDAY IN JUNE OF EACH YEAR SHOULD BE DESIGNATED AS ``NATIONAL 
                              RIVERS DAY''

  Mr. CHAFEE submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 250

       Whereas the United States has a total of 3,000,000 linear 
     miles of rivers, which have played a fundamental role in the 
     Nation's culture, heritage, ecological health, economic 
     development, and overall quality of life;
       Whereas rivers are used throughout the Nation as efficient 
     transportation routes for commerce and industry, are used in 
     urban areas as public transportation corridors, and have 
     facilitated economic growth by providing transportation, 
     generating hydroelectric power, and supplying water for farms 
     and rural towns;
       Whereas rivers support fish, waterfowl, and other wildlife 
     that need greenways and clean water to survive in their 
     habitats, and people throughout America live in close 
     proximity to rivers and streams and use them for swimming, 
     fishing, boating, and other forms of recreation and leisure;
       Whereas the Nation's rivers are important tourist 
     destinations, which, each year, attract more than 46,000,000 
     international travelers and generate more than $430,000,000 
     in tourism revenue;
       Whereas the activities carried out along the Nation's 
     rivers affect water resources, environment, and geography on 
     regional, national, and global scales;
       Whereas the President and Congress have declared their 
     support for rivers through the American Heritage Rivers 
     program; and
       Whereas it is appropriate for the people of the United 
     States from time to time to reflect upon the manner in which 
     their activities and lifestyles affect the rivers of the 
     Nation: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the third 
     Saturday in June of each year should be designated as 
     ``National Rivers Day''.

 Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I am submitting a sense of the 
Senate resolution to designate the third Saturday in June of every year 
as ``National Rivers Day.'' Rivers touch each and every one of our 
lives. Every State and nearly every community in the United States has 
a river or stream going through it. Because every American has access 
to rivers and streams, what we do and how we live has a profound impact 
on the quality of the nation's rivers.

[[Page S6498]]

  The three million miles of rivers and streams that travel through the 
United States have played a fundamental role in our culture and our 
heritage. Indeed, the health of America's rivers inextricably linked to 
our health as a nation. Our rivers contribute to commerce, food 
production and public recreation, and they enhance our well-being. 
Rivers also support fish, waterfowl, and other wildlife that need clean 
water to survive in their habitat.
  The settlers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were awed by 
our majestic rivers, curious mixtures of pristine and rugged beauty. 
Since colonial times, America's rivers have promoted our economic and 
social growth, as an energy source to spur industrialization and as a 
water supply resource.
  Regrettably, in the late 1960's, although America had grown to be the 
most powerful industrial nation in the world, we had failed to protect 
the very resources that were responsible for our success. The Hudson 
River was a dumping ground for fuel and other industrial waste. The 
Cuyahoga River in Cleveland became so polluted that it caught fire. 
These terrible events prompted the call to reverse the trend and to 
clean up the nation's rivers and other waters.
  Today, the cleanup of our rivers and streams has led to the economic 
revitalization of urban centers, neighborhoods, and towns all over 
America. From Boston to Chicago to Washington, D.C., Americans are 
cleaning up their rivers and using them for recreation, boating, 
tourism and leisure. America's rivers continue to serve as 
transportation links supporting commerce and industry. Their greatest 
contribution to the U.S. economy, however, is the 430 billion dollars 
generated annually from the tourists that visit our rivers. And more 
than 46 million international tourists visit our rivers each year.
  The tide has turned significantly from the late 1960s and early 
1970s, but we must continue to encourage ongoing protection and 
promotion of the nation's rivers. Designating the third Saturday in 
June of each year as ``National Rivers Day'' will inspire all Americans 
to get involved in the ongoing protection of our precious rivers and 
streams. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important 
measure.

                          ____________________