Political Quotes

“the American Heritage Rivers Initiative [AHRI] was first announced by President Clinton in his State of the Union address to provide federal support to communities undertaking river restoration projects through improved access to federal resources and by encouraging private sector support for local efforts. An interagency team led by the Council on Environmental Quality [CEQ] was established. The CEQ formally announced the program in the May 19, 1997, Federal Register. The Federal Register announcement stated that the goal of the AHRI was to address a ``need for concerted, long-term efforts in water quality improvement, river restoration, and economic revitalization within and along the river.'' Under the proposed rule, any person or community may nominate a river or entire watershed for designation by the Administration. I, like many of my Colleagues, have concerns about this initiative. For one thing, those who could be affected by such a proposal have not had sufficient time or opportunity to comment. Second, Members of Congress have not received a detailed briefing from the administration on how this plan is to be carried out. It appears that the administration has completely circumvented the affected public and Congress in an effort to implement the AHRI. I have concerns about where the funding and staff necessary to run this program will come from.”