[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 145 (Tuesday, October 13, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   DISSENTING VIEWS TO H.R. 1842 OMITTED FROM COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES 
                                 REPORT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 13, 1998

  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, due to an administrative 
error, dissenting views were inadvertently omitted when the Committee 
on Resources filed House Report No. 105-781, on H.R. 1842, a bill to 
terminate further development and implementation of the American 
Heritage Rivers Initiative. I submit a copy of the dissenting views 
that would have been filed on this legislation to be printed in the 
Congressional Record. I have also asked that these views be included in 
the official Archive of the legislative history of this bill.

                      H.R. 1842--Dissenting Views

       The American Heritage Rivers Initiative is intended to make 
     the government serve the people more efficiently--and in fact 
     that is what it will do. The program would affect only rivers 
     where the local citizens have specifically requested the 
     designation of their rivers as American Heritage Rivers. H.R. 
     1842 is a bill that would prevent the President from 
     responding to those requests and coordinating the delivery of 
     government services to those local communities. We must 
     oppose this bill, which would stand in the way of government 
     efficiency and effectiveness.
       The American Heritage Rivers Initiative is designed to help 
     citizens who ask for assistance with federal river programs. 
     It is driven entirely by requests from local communities who 
     ask to have their rivers designated, and specify the federal 
     programs they believe can serve community goals for their 
     rivers. Once the designations are made, the program will 
     continue to be guided by local goals for river restoration 
     and economic development. The designated ``River Navigator'' 
     will respond to local requests to coordinate federal agency 
     assistance.
       The American Heritage Rivers Initiative doesn't involve new 
     regulatory authority or new land acquisition. It simply 
     coordinates existing federal programs and asks the federal 
     government to be more responsive to the people. It will not 
     impose any new federal mandates on private land. In fact, the 
     Executive Order on the American Heritage Rivers Initiative 
     provides repeated assurances that no such actions will occur 
     and that Fifth Amendment rights will be protected. And of 
     course, zoning and land use decisions will remain under local 
     control. Nothing about the American Heritage Rivers 
     Initiative changes that traditional local authority.
       Concerns have been raised regarding the participation of 
     designated ``River Navigators'' in local court proceedings 
     and zoning board hearings. CEQ Chair Kathleen A. McGinty 
     assured the Committee that the River Navigators would not 
     take such action in their roles as River Navigators. 
     Obviously, the White House cannot anticipate every 
     circumstance where the government might be sued and federal 
     employees might have to testify. But the White House has 
     promised that River Navigators will not be intervening in 
     local courts and zoning boards in their roles as River 
     Navigators. This is as much as could be expected.
       The American Heritage Rivers Initiative will not impose new 
     zoning or new regulations on private property. It will not 
     involve new federal land acquisition. It will simply respond 
     to local communities who request help in accessing government 
     services. We oppose the bill to terminate this worthwhile 
     program.
         George Miller, Ed Markey, Neil Abercrombie, Eni 
           Faleomavaega, Sam Farr, Patrick Kennedy, Adam Smith, 
           Donna Christian-Green, Lloyd Doggett, Dale Kildee, 
           Frank Pallone, Nick Joe Rahall, Bruce Vento, Maurice 
           Hinchey, Calvin Dooley, William Delahunt, Carlos 
           Romero-Barcelo

           

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