Executive Summary
State of the River Report

"A river is a thing of grace and beauty, a mystery and a metaphor, a living organism whose processes have been perfecting themselves through the ages, shaping our landscapes into works of art greater than those found in any museum. Rivers feed us physically and spiritually. They determine where we live, what we eat, what we drink, and where we dance. We write songs, stories, and poems about them. We go to them in order to learn about ourselves. They provide a place of meditation, a place for celebration."

The International River Network

Throughout our Nation communities take great pride in the place they call home. Communities recognize that preserving, restoring, and protecting the natural and cultural assets associated with river systems that nourish them makes good economic sense. They are working tirelessly to sustain the quality and integrity of our Nation's rivers for both present and future generations. The American Heritage River (AHR) Initiative is one of the creative, community-based programs that is making a difference by fostering such community pride and sustaining quality of life.

As community partners in the AHR Initiative, we have seen first-hand the benefits of this program. From a community partner perspective, we are leading this Initiative that has been the catalyst for many projects and achievements. Although the Initiative is barely two years old, it has resulted in the following accomplishments:

• Providing improved access - through the assistance of River Navigators, communities that lacked effective access to federal agencies are now being heard;
• Leveraging federal investment - for the modest investment made by sponsoring federal agencies, AHR has returned no less that 10:1 in the value of support to communities;
• Fostering and communicating a community vision for local river systems - AHR, through its River Navigators, has been very effective in sharing a community vision that provides strategic direction to federal and state programs;
• Building broad-based partnerships - AHR has been extremely effective in building strong institutional structures that have helped reach consensus on community priorities and that have communicated these priorities locally, regionally, and nationally;
• Achieving a balanced approach among economy, environment, and society - communities are ensuring that consideration is given to economic, environmental, and societal concerns in decision-making processes through inclusion of ideas and viewpoints from all sectors of society;
• Adding value to community projects - through a process of clarifying roles and responsibilities, the federal government has been able to focus its resources to help make community projects a reality;
• Sharing information - federal agencies that have been unable to acquire critical information about local communities now have a steady, reliable stream of information assisting them accomplish their missions;
• Fostering flexibility - through direct participation in local AHR institutional structures, the federal government has been able to enter into partnerships and cooperative agreements with their community partners that have proven effective in delivering federal assistance; and
• Creating efficiencies - because of the spirit of cooperation that exists in the AHR Initiative, accessing federal and state programs has been more efficient in achieving results for communities, and communities are learning to use federal agency processes more effectively, some for the first time, thus avoiding delays and frustrations in obtaining federal assistance.

The AHR Initiative is an excellent example of a community-driven effort that is achieving substantial results. AHR communities have enthusiastically embraced the federal government's desire to assist them in restoring their rivers and preserving their economies. Communities have invested considerable time, effort, and resources to make this program a success. This nonpartisan initiative is poised to achieve even greater success as a result of the community-based foundation that has been laid. Further, it is cultivating the next generation of Americans to care for our Nation's rivers and strengthen the communities and economies that rely on them. The problems associated with restoring American Heritage Rivers can be resolved more cost-effectively through a strong partnership between federal government and local communities that pool resources from all sources - as embodied in the AHR Initiative.

As community partners in the AHR Initiative, it is essential to strengthen and sustain the Initiative, and consider expanding it based on the success that it has had to date. As AHR community partners, we therefore jointly recommend that the Administration:

• Affirm its commitment to communities to help restore our Nation's rivers by supporting and strengthening the AHR Initiative established by Executive Order 13061;
• Explore designating other rivers consistent with the Executive Order;
• Foster the continuation and enhancement of the existing framework of interagency cooperation identified in the Executive Order by:

• continuing the Interagency Work Group at the Under Secretary level and an Interagency Task Force to champion goals of the Initiative,
• allowing federal agencies to continue sponsoring full-time River Navigators as the focal point for our AHR efforts and providing them with sufficient resources to enhance their ability to provide the services and assistance we seek, and
• providing increased focus and direction to federal agencies for commitment of resources to match community, state, and other investments in AHR projects;
• Help attract and leverage more business partners to the AHR Initiative;
• Consider legislation that would embody the goals and principles of the AHR Initiative; and
• Help communicate the value and benefits of AHR nationally, regionally, and locally.

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