[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 77 (Wednesday, April 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 19905]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10792]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


American Heritage Rivers Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), Department of 
Defense.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (Public Law 92-463), this notice sets forth the schedule 
and proposed agenda of the forthcoming meeting of the American Heritage 
Rivers Advisory Committee (``Committee''), a Presidential Commission. 
The meeting will be open to the public except for the last portion of 
the meeting where the Committee will select up to 20 river communities 
from which the President will chose river communities for designation 
as American Heritage Rivers. The partial closure is necessary in order 
to permit the selection of the 20 finalist applicant rivers for 
submission to the President and to prevent premature disclosure of 
their identity. Because the seating capacity of the meeting room might 
be limited, an advance notice of intent to attend, although not 
required, is requested. This will help make adequate arrangements for 
those wishing to attend. Members of the public will not be permitted to 
make oral statements at the meeting due to equity considerations and 
time constraints. Written comments may be submitted for the record to 
Mr. Charles R. Smith, Executive Secretary, at the address listed below. 
Comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. on May 8.

NAME OF COMMITTEE: American Heritage Rivers Advisory Committee.

DATES OF MEETING: Monday, May 11, 1998, and Tuesday, May 12, 1998, from 
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

PLACE: The meeting will be at the White House Conference Center, 726 
Jackson Place, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Charles R. (Chip) Smith, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the 
Army (Civil Works), 108 Army, Pentagon (2E569), Washington, D.C. 20310-
0108. Mr. Smith also can be reached by telephone (703) 693-3655, or FAX 
(703) 697-3366.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Committee shall consist of up to 20 
members appointed by the President from the public and private sectors, 
whose charge shall be to appraise the quality of nominations for 
selection of rivers as ``American Heritage Rivers.'' The Committee 
shall recommend up to 20 rivers for designation as American Heritage 
Rivers by the President.
    In its review of nominations submitted by communities, the 
Committee shall provide its assessment of:
    1. The scope of each nomination's application and the adequacy of 
its design to achieve the community's goals;
    2. Whether the natural, economic (including agricultural), scenic, 
historic, cultural, and/or recreational resources featured in the 
application are distinctive or unique;
    3. The extent to which the community's plan of action is clearly 
defined and the extend to which the plan addresses all three American 
Heritage Rivers objectives--natural resource and environmental 
protection, economic revitalization, and historic and cultural 
preservation--either through planned actions or past accomplishments, 
as well as any other characteristics of the proposals that distinguish 
a nomination, such as:
    (A) Community vision and partnership:
    (B) Sustainability of products and projects, including project 
maintenance;
    (C) Resources, both committed and anticipated, including means of 
generating additional support from both private and public sources;
    (D) Anticipated Federal role as defined by the applicants;
    (E) Schedule or timeline;
    (F) Citizen involvement;
    (G) Public education relating to the designation of the river;
    (H) Logistical support, operating procedures, and policies;
    (I) Prior accomplishments, if relevant, and relationship to 
existing plans and projects in the area; and
    (J) Measures of performance.
    4. The strength and diversity of support for the nomination and 
plan of action as evidenced by letters from local and state 
governments, Indian tribes, elected officials, any and all parties who 
participate in the life and health of the area to be nominated, or who 
have an interest in the economic life and cultural and environmental 
vigor of the involved community.
    The Committee also should seek to recommend the selection of rivers 
that as a group:
    1. Represent the natural, historic, cultural, social, economic, and 
agricultural diversity of American rivers;
    2. Showcase a variety of stream sizes and an assortment of urban, 
rural, and mixed settings from around the country, including both 
relatively pristine and degraded rivers;
    3. Highlight a variety of innovative programs in such areas as 
historic preservation, sustainable development through tourism, 
wildlife management, fisheries restoration, recreation, community 
revitalization, agricultural practices, and flood plain and watershed 
management;
    4. Include community efforts in early stages of development as well 
as those that are more well-established; and
    5. Stand to benefit from targeted Federal assistance.

    Submitted by Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army 
(Civil Works):
Charles R. Smith,
Executive Secretary, American Heritage Rivers Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 98-10792 Filed 4-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M