Congressional leaders sue to stop President in AHRI implementation

Washington, D.C. - President Clinton is expected to announce his choice of the first ten "American Heritage Rivers" soon, despite actions being taken to stop the process. He said he would "designate 10 American Heritage Rivers to help communities alongside them revitalize their waterfronts and clean up pollution in the rivers." Support would come in the form of grants, increased services and greater access to federal programs, according to Clinton. Programs would involve some 13 federal departments, including Agriculture, Defense, Justice, Interior and the EPA.

Programs for each river system would be directed and supervised by a presidentially appointed river czar called a "river navigator", while the President's Council on Environmental Quality would administer the entire project from Washington. Additional rivers are to be designated each year by the president.

Designation of the chosen rivers, originally scheduled for last September, was stalled temporarily as thousands of Americans voiced their concern and that they did not want the program.

"We're fighting the initiative on three fronts," reported Rep. Helen Chenoweth's press secretary. The Idaho representative has introduced HR 1842, which would terminate further development and implementation of the initiative, and orders that no federal funds can be used to finance it or any similar program.

On Dec. 10, Chenoweth, along with Rep. Don Young (R-AK), Rep. Richard Pombo, (R-CA) and Rep. Bob Schaffer (R-CO), filed a lawsuit to stop the initiative on the basis that it violates the Constitution.

The Congresswoman also worked with the entire Congressional delegation to request that the rivers in Idaho be removed from the list and opting out of the program. The time limit to request out of the program closed on Jan. 23.
There are some 160 rivers nominated for the initiative.