• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
24
STRUCTURE OF THE INITIATIVE
ROLE OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS
American Heritage Rivers initiative “communitypartners” include citizens’ groups, electedofficials, municipal environmental and tourismagencies, chambers of commerce, industry,representatives, shipping and port officials,experts in environmental restoration and historicpreservation, and non-governmentalorganizations. The partnerships they have formedvary in structure according to local needs andcustoms but in all cases they are the backbone ofthe initiative. They work to achieve communityconsensus, set priorities, and keep the public, theAdministration, and Members of Congressinformed of their progress and other issuesrelating to the initiative.
ROLE OF RIVER NAVIGATORS
River Navigators are the face of the federalgovernment in the local communities. They workto identify a broad range of federal and otherresources compatible with their communitypartners’ objectives, and also foster agencyawareness and interagency cooperation toaddress their communities’ priorities and projects.Acting as liaisons between the community andthe appropriate federal programs, RiverNavigators provide technical support, engagestate, tribal and local government and privatesector interest, and perform other servicesconsistent with the goals of the initiative. As aresult of their efforts, communities are betterequipped to achieve the goals of their locally-driven action plans
River Navigators: [front, left to right] - Alex Rogers(Upper Susquehanna/Lackawanna), Glenn Kinser(Potomac), Johanna Hunter(Blackstone/Woonasquatucket), Barbara Elkus(St. Johns), Loretta Neumann (former AHR Task ForceDirector), Paul Jeske (Willamette), [back, left to right]Captain Robert D. Innes (Lower Mississippi), StephenR. Davis (Cuyahoga), Ben Borda (New), Miguel Flores(Rio Grande), Dan Burke (Connecticut), Eric Scherer(Hudson), Owen Dutt (Upper Mississippi), and JohnHartig (Detroit).AHR Interagency Committee meeting -Washington DCRiver Navigator training workshop - Washington DC
 
25
STRUCTURE OF THE INITIATIVE
INTERAGENCY COORDINATION
E. O. 13061 creates the American Heritage RiversInteragency Committee, responsible forimplementing the initiative. The Committee ischaired by the Chair of the Council onEnvironmental Quality and a rotating co-chair.TheCommittee is composed of the followingmembers or designees at the assistant secretarylevel or higher:The Secretary of DefenseAttorney GeneralSecretary of the InteriorSecretary of AgricultureSecretary of CommerceSecretary of Housing &Urban DevelopmentSecretary of EnergyAdministrator, EnvironmentalProtection AgencySecretary of TransportationChair, National Endowment for the ArtsChair, National Endowment forthe Humanities.Chair,Advisory Council onHistoric Preservationfrom the Environmental Protection Agency, chairsthe Interagency Task Force and serves as Directorof the American Heritage Rivers Initiative. Ms.Loretta Neumann, Former Director, was an AgencyRepresentative from the U.S. Department ofTransportation. Also on the Task Force are:Matthew Donoghue (representing the Departmentof Energy), Director of Communications andGovernment Affairs; Associate Directors BessGillelan (representing the Department ofCommerce), and Jerald L. White (representing theDepartment of Interior). They are assisted by anInteragency Working Group to match communityneeds with available resources.
INTERAGENCYWORKGROUP
A federal workgroup was developed to assistfederal agencies, River Navigators, and localcommunities in carrying out their CommunityPlan of Action in a coordinated and helpful way.The workgroup also helps identify any potentialproblems that may arise in carrying out theobjectives of the initiative.
AHR Interagency Committee, Principal Deputiesmeeting - Washington DC
Each of these departments and agencies overseesprograms and services that are authorized byCongress and can benefit citizens in riverfrontcommunities. Other federal agencies anddepartments have also volunteered their help,including the Department of Education, FederalEmergency Management Agency (FEMA), GeneralServices Administration (GSA) and SmallBusiness Administration (SBA).
TASK FORCE
To assist the Committee in implementing theinitiative, an Interagency Task Force was put intoplace. It currently includes three senior level staffmembers representing agencies on theCommittee: Frances Eargle, agency representative
 
STRUCTURE OF THE INITIATIVE
26
Nominating Process InspiresPride, Priorities and Planning
COMMUNITY PLAN OF ACTION
As part of the nomination process, communitieswere asked to develop a Community Plan ofAction with projects designed to reflect the threeobjectives of the initiative: 1) economicrevitalization; 2) natural resource andenvironmental protection; and 3) historic andcultural preservation. Many of the communitiesalso included additional objectives encompassingeducation and public outreach. In developing theirplans, communities set their own priorities with acommon vision celebrating their commonheritage. The plans emerged through consensusbuilding, sometimes over large territories, multi-state or multi-jurisdiction, with a strategy that wasbroadly supported and a newfound appreciationof diversity and respect for each community’sdistinctive nature.
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS
Communities were asked to enter intoagreements with the federal government within90 days of designation to identify the proposedfederal roles and responsibilities in helpingcommunities to carry out the Community ActionPlans. The agreement also identifies the role of theRiver Navigator and defines the job descriptionsfor the River Navigator assigned to the rivercommunity, and sets the benchmarks anddescribes the respective roles of the federal andlocal river partners. The agreements may alsoidentify priority projects described in the originalAHR application.
Angela Falquost, Chair of Louisiana River Parisheson the Lower Mississippi.Congressman Silvestre Reyes signing the AmericanHeritage Rivers Rio Grande MOU at a January 27,1999 White House ceremony. Looking on is GeorgeFrampton, Chairman of the Council of EnvironmentalQuality and Elizabeth Flores, Mayor of Laredo, Texas.
“As Chair of the Parishes of the Lower  Mississippi, I commend the works of the federal partners and navigators…much is  yet to be done but with an ongoing win-win partnership created by this Initiative, muchcan be done for we do indeed have many miles to go before we sleep.” 
Angela Falgoust, Chair, AHR Lower Mississippi
“I want to thank the many individuals and a gencies who contributed to the devel o pment  of the Willamette Restoration Strategy. The American Heritage River Initiative is amongthe many federal agency partners who provided staff and funding assistance and committed to making the Willametterestoration a locally-based process.” 
Governor John Kitzhaber (D-OR)
Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and 12 year oldAaron Wells, 1999 author of winning poem about theWillamette watershed, at the Willamette signingevent.
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...