American Heritage Rivers Updates
Volume 4 Number 3
April 2001
AHR National Meeting in Washington, DC
March 13-15, 2001
Representatives of 12 of the 14 American Heritage Rivers met in Washington, DC March 13-15, 2001. Implementation of the Portland Agreement continues to be a focus of the group, to realize the full potential of the Initiative, and to continue the building of broad based partnerships and establishment of community priorities and visions. The gathering of river navigators and community partners discussed options for continuation of the initiative, enhancing involvement of the federal agencies, and increasing involvement of business partners. A briefing for staff of members of Congress was held on March 15.
A summary of key points for the continuation and enhancement of the initiative follows:
Elements for Success
- White House backing
- High-level agency access
- Intergovernmental focus/placement; not in one agency or department
- Continue broad focus -- environmental/natural resources protection, historic/cultural preservation, economic development
- Secretariat with dedicated resources for communication and coordination
- Federal agency accountability
Strengthening the Initiative
- Priority for grant funding
- Streamlining red tape
- Technical assistance
Woonasquatucket receives $100,000 grant for a "Green Spaces" Inventory of the six watershed communities
At the Pass the Paddle event on the banks of the Woonasquatucket, RIDEM Director Jan Reitsma announced the receipt of a $100,000 Green Spaces Inventory grant for the Woonasquatucket River Watershed. This grant will provide funds to identify natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources within the six communities that warrant protections and preservation or restoration. Additionally, the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council was recently awarded a Watershed Assistance Grant (WAG) from River Network and EPA to fund a full-time coordinator for the Watershed Council.
"ZAP the Blackstone" Projects begin for 2001
The Blackstone River Coalition, a diverse group of citizens representing business, tourism, environmental organizations, municipalities, state and federal agencies and local groups, began their efforts to improve the Blackstone River, watershed and 24 river communities for 2001. The first program is a valley-wide effort for volunteers to test their streets during a rain event to identify problem areas for future work. The second program is a campaign for public awareness of "Big Night" as well as certification of Vernal Pools through a collaboration with Coalition partners such as Massachusetts Audubon and the National Park Service. Two other local partners, the Blackstone River Watershed Association and the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, have teamed up to promote a watershed-wide storm drain stenciling and cleanup effort slated for April 21.
Sustainable Riverbanks
As part of the ongoing Sustainable Riverbanks project, the Connecticut River Watershed Council (CRWC) has joined forces with the CT River Joint Commissions and the CT River Conservation Districts Coalition to complete an exhaustive inventory of riverbank erosion sites along the full length of the 410 mile CT River. Along with developing an erosion inventory methodology, which could be employed on any river, the Partners have developed a prioritization protocol for implementing erosion site remediation projects with a strong preference towards "soft" engineering practices. Three distinct erosion remediation projects are planned for this summer. This effort has been supported, in part, through grants from the USEPA and the Massachusetts Environmental Trust.
CRWC is Leading the Way For Migratory Fish in the Watershed
CRWC has published a new handbook for grassroots fisheries restoration: A Fishway for Your Stream: Providing Fish Passage Around Dams in the Northeast. The booklet is designed to guide community groups, landowners, and towns through the process of installing fishways at barriers to migratory fish passage. CRWC has long been an advocate for and active partner in fish passage installation in the lower reaches of the Watershed. More recently, CRWC has helped to establish the New Hampshire and Vermont River Restoration Task Forces. Membership of the Task Forces represent multiple state, federal, and non-profit organizations dedicated to the restoration of riverine environments through removal of dams that no longer make sense. This coming summer, the first two dams will be removed in New Hampshire. Funding for these removals was secured from six federal and state agencies along with a host of non-profit organizations.
American Heritage Rivers Designation Helps Project Funding
To date, over $1.7 million in federal and state grants and technical assistance has been leveraged by the Community Partners of the Initiative for the projects defined in the Connecticut River Action Plan.
"Our Success, once again, is related to our barn-raising spirit; many groups have been working together to find public as well as private funding, while government agencies and our watershed legislators have focused on insuring support of our local projects."
Whitty Sanford, CRWC Executive Director
Communicating on the Cuyahoga River
The Cuyahoga River and the American Heritage River Program were the focus of a feature
article in the New York Times promoting the new initiative and the renaissance of an Ohio river
that once caught fire. The U.S.D.A. Forest Service awarded $37,000 in funding for an
interpretive plan, brochure, and displays for local counties and cities in the Cuyahoga River
watershed. In addition, two traveling interpretive exhibits were developed and are being used by
the River Navigator and partners at public meetings to promote the American Heritage River
Program.
Breaching the Dams
To the benefit of the Cuyahoga River and its aquatic inhabitants, the city of Akron recently
removed several small six-foot dams along the Little Cuyahoga River as part of a brownfield
rehabilitation of the old Continental Tire factory. The River Navigator served on the Kent Dam
Advisory Committee, which recommended the bypassing of the Cuyahoga River around the
existing dam thus opening the river up for fish passage and the improvement of aquatic habitat.
A similar dam study is also underway for the Munroe Falls dam a few miles downstream.
Railroad Agrees to Remove Trestle
At the request of the town of Kent, the River Navigator intervened in a long-term dispute
between the town and the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad involving a railroad trestle that was
catching debris, blocking navigation, and leading to undercutting of the Cuyahoga banks. After
some negotiating and publicity, the railroad agreed to remove the trestle.
For additional information, read the Cuyahoga AHR Accomplishments.
Greater Detroit American Heritage River Initiative received a strong endorsement from the Detroit Free Press in a recent editorial titled "Detroit River is on course to a vibrant renewal. The article can be found at: http://www.freep.com/voices/editorials/eriv26_20010126.htm 
Detroit turns 300
Detroit's 300th Birthday-Party year has arrived and the Detroit River will shine in various celebration events in 2001. On March 27, 2001 the Greater Detroit American Heritage River Initiative will host a one-day conference "State of the Strait: Status and Trends of the Detroit River Ecosystem" in conjunction with the The Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Windsor. On July 22, 2001 will be the Ford Parade of Historic Ships where tall ships are joined by other historic vessels - from canoes to freighters - in an awe-inspiring parade up the Detroit River. Mid-October, 2001 will be a celebration of Detroit's cultural heritage with the dedication of the International Monument to the Underground Railroad. The dedication honors Detroit and Windsor's pivotal roles in the history of the Underground Railroad with the monument dedicated on both sides of the River. The monument, comprised of two companion pieces on either side of the Detroit River, will have one piece located on Detroit's Riverfront Promenade and the other on Windsor's Civic Esplanade. Come join in these celebrations!
For additional information, visit the Greater Detroit American Heritage River web site at http://www.tellusnews.com/ahr/.
In the first four months of the Hanalei Heritage River's second year, the Hanalei River Hui
oversaw many changes and tremendous program growth. Partnership projects were initiated with
the state's Department of Health and Department of Land & Natural Resources on issues
identified and prioritized in the community's Watershed Action Plan. Three Hui projects were
awarded a federal, private foundation and corporate grant, totaling over $25,000 and others were
bolstered by way of monetary awards, equipment and fund raising support provided by new
corporate, non-profit and community partners. Community education and outreach surpassed
work benchmarks.
Most assuredly, the important achievement is the community's great strides in making its voice
heard. The American Heritage River's directive, to re-invent government-community
relationships, has provided a venue for the community to ask tough questions, take the time to
hear, share and acknowledge many aspects of an issue, and expect the community's best interests
be investigated and supported.
Specialized educational and informational opportunities. The workplan specifies the HHR
program will convene a minimum of 20 forums on various issues relevant to the Hanalei
Watershed and Community Planning, funded by a $10,000 grant from the Wallace Gerbode
Foundation, incorporated into the FS grant budget. The series kicked off to a heady start with a
June forum about commercial boating rules. As this issue sparked a controversy that spanned
over a decade, it provided an auspicious opportunity for the Hui to encourage the community to
fully understand governmental actions and be heard.
These forums were successful in that they brought facts to the community that were previously
unknown and opened the door for community input and collaboration. As a direct result, the
community requested more information, cited additional considerations and planned greater input
on a handful of governmental planning.
For additional information, read the Hanalei Fall Report and visit http://www.hanaleiriver.org/.
On February 13th the Hudson River AHRI Federal Coordinating Committee was treated to a presentation of the City's proposed waterfront redevelopment plan. With a standing room only crowd, Columbia Hudson Partnership Executive Director, Bernardina Torrey, and Hudson Public Works Superintendent, Charles Butterworth, gave an overview of the waterfront proposal. Draft plans call for a riverfront park, improved boating / fishing access, and public parking. City officials hope that this redevelopment effort will also generate interest in new commercial development on the waterfront that might include restaurants, a new marina and other related commercial businesses.
The City of Hudson is one of two river communities that were identified by the AHRI Hudson River Heritage Council to be the recipients of an offer of engineering service from the firm Camp Dresser and McKee. Camp Dresser and McKee (CDM) is know internationally for its expertise in environmental engineering and has offered each of the 14 American Heritage Rivers 100 hours of pro bono engineering services.
Also making a brief presentation to the group of local, state and federal officials was Senior Environmental Manager for the ST. Lawrence Cement Company, Denise Brubaker. Ms. Brubaker updated state and federal officials on her company's plans to upgrade its industrial docking facilities on the Hudson River and create recreational trails and parks on its waterfront property that abuts the City's property to the South.
On February 13th the Hudson River Heritage Council presented a preliminary update of the AHRI Project list to the Federal Coordinating Committee (FCC). The list will be used by the FCC in directing federal agency efforts on those initiatives identified by the State of New York
as priority projects from the river communities. Further updates are expects to the list in the next several months. Major elements of the projects on the Heritage Council AHRI Project list include public access to the river, waterfront redevelopment, habitat restoration and open
space acquisition.
On February 20th the Heritage Council signed the Hudson River American Heritage Rivers Initiative Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This MOU is between the New York State Hudson River Heritage Council and the Federal Coordinating Committee.
As stated in the MOU, its purpose is to "enable the citizens of the counties abutting the Hudson River, and all concerned citizens of the State of New York, to achieve their vision of continued restoration of the Hudson River and the further integration of the River as a vital part of the community," and to "integrate the efforts and talents of the Federal, State and local governments… to maximize both new and existing resources and efforts."
Memphis Riverfront Development Corporation
The Memphis Riverfront Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization, was established
and contracted by the city to develop a master plan for the revitalization of the five-mile
metropolitan Memphis riverfront. Supported by grants from the Plough Foundation and vested
with funding from the city, the RDC is proceeding with public meetings and the master planning
process. Additionally, the initial rehabilitation project, the historic Cobblestone area, is
underway and should be completed by spring.
Delta Tourism Conference
The Department of Transportation sponsored the Delta Tourism Conference in October 2000 in
Memphis, Tennessee. The Lower Mississippi American Heritage River Alliance was represented
by Bob Innes, the River Navigator and by Ms. Angela Falgoust, Chair of the Louisiana Working
Group of the Alliance.
Mississippi Institute and National Museum
The AHR Task Force and the Lower Mississippi River Navigator coordinated a meeting in
Washington, DC, in September where the Mississippi Institute and National Museum Task Force
from New Orleans had an opportunity to present the project overview to more than 80
representatives of a number of federal agencies. The New Orleans Task Force took the
opportunity to make personal contacts with agency representatives to encourage partnering with
the TF in the project.
For more information, go to the Lower Mississippi American Heritage River Alliance website at:
http://communities.msn.com/LowerMississippiAmericanHeritageRiverAlliance/.
$110,000 Awarded to Buy Parkland: New River Community Partners Help Local Park Committee to Acquire Land Needed for Whitt-Riverbend Park in Pearisburg, Virginia
New River Community Partners, serving on the Whitt-Riverbend Park Committee along with representatives of the Town of Pearisburg, Giles County, Friends of the Rivers of Virginia, the National Committee for the New River, Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries, and others, have worked well together to help secure the $125,000 needed to acquire a prime 27-acre parcel fronting along 3/4 of a mile of the New River in Giles County, near Pearisburg, VA. The property will become a regional park, greenway and conservation area to be owned and maintained by the Town of Pearisburg. It will also provide a key public access site to the New River in an area totally lacking public access. The $110,000 provided by the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation was by far the largest single contribution made toward the land acquisition for this proposed park. Over $15,000 of the total of $125.000 needed for acquisition was provided for by: National Committee for the New River, Float Fishermen of VA, Roanoke River Group of the Sierra Club, Town of Pearisburg, Jeffrey & Diane Rhody-Scott, Western Virginia Land Trust, Friends of the Rivers of VA, Whitewater Women's Canoe Club, American Electric Power, American Fisheries Society - Virginia Tech Chapter, West Virginia Rivers Coalition, Aquarius Plumbing & Renovation, Blue Ridge River Runners and other individuals.
In addition, preliminary plans have been initiated to develop a "Blue-way" Canoe Trail Park System along the entire length of the New River from its headwaters in the mountains of North Carolina to the New River Gorge National River Area in West Virginia.
Leadership Potomac
Leadership Potomac, a leadership and training program will begin in February 2001, and will
consist of six two day sessions where participants will gain leadership skills relating to
environmental protection, cultural protection, and development and sustainable economic
development. The classroom for the program will be six sites along the length of the Potomac
that will allow participants to experience the issues and problems of the entire watershed. The
program will seek to provide the watershed with a group of participants linked by training and
shared experiences that will allow them to deal with the issues of the future. This program is
receiving funding from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Maryland Chesapeake Bay
Trust and numerous supporters from the business arena.
Heritage Tourism
The Potomac Heritage Partnership (PHP) has conducted a series of workshops around the
Potomac basin to ideas and attitudes about heritage tourism within the basin. This initiative will
identify and promote opportunities for long-term tourism-based economic development in the
Potomac watershed in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. This
program will be of particular benefit to sparsely populated and low income areas within the
Potomac basin. PHP has recently obtained funding that will allow them to move to the next
stage of planning and program development. Through this program, the outstanding historic and
cultural resources of the Potomac basin will be made known to more people. The other result
will be a substantial economic benefit to small business and local governments throughout the
watershed.
Lonaconing Silk Mill
The town of Lonaconing, Maryland is the site of one of the last intact silk mills of a bygone era.
The owners of the mill and the town are looking for opportunities to adaptively reuse the
building and the mothballed silk mill operation that will protect the cultural resource and develop
economic opportunities for the community. The Heritage Conservancy, a Pennsylvania non-profit organization has agreed to help the owner and local elected officials to put together the
adaptive reuse project.
St. Johns River Eco-Heritage Corridor
The St. Johns River Eco-Heritage Corridor is one of the river's keystone projects. The Corridor
Planning Committee met in DeLand on November 3, 2000. Councilwoman Pat Northey
described the Steering Committee decisions, including that the entire watershed included in the
AHRI designation would be covered, and that the first products should be those that can be
produced quickly to bring attention to the river and the Eco-Heritage Corridor.
The group also heard a report from the Eco-Heritage Corridor Inventory Work Group, who has
developed a working set of criteria for sites to be included in the Corridor data base. The
Committee supported the need to include private facilities, such as eco-tour., and have a strong
tie to the rivers. There was considerable discussion about the need to assure that all counties who
wished to participate were actively involved in development of the data base. Also, the
Committee discussed the need to involve the Tourist Development Councils and other similar
groups in the development of marketing strategies and a logo.
$2 Million for Land Acquisition for the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve
$2 million has been appropriated for the National Park Service for land acquisition in the
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. The funds will be used to purchase privately-owned
parcels within the boundary of the Preserve. The Timucuan protects the natural resources of one
of the last unspoiled coastal wetlands on the Atlantic Coast. These funds, obtained for this
keystone project with assistance from the American Heritage Rivers Initiative, will protect four
to six parcels of up to 450 acres of upland in the Cedar Point area, the area most susceptible to
development pressures, as well as one of the three main visitor destinations in the Preserve.
Progress continues on two keystone projects on the Upper Mississippi River.
Donation of Private Funds Helps Renovation of Eads Bridge
Just north of the majestic Gateway Arch, and next to the Jefferson National Expansion in St.
Louis, MO stands the monument from another era, the James Buchanan Eads bridge with its
massive three span steel arches with two stone piers and two masonry approaches. Eads Bridge
was built shortly after the Civil War (1874) and was the engineering and construction feat of its
day, a double-deck bridge for rail, highway, and pedestrian traffic. Today, efforts are underway
to refurbish this historic bridge with historically accurate safety railings and lighting. The plans
include replicas of the original Eads railings, restoration of the brickwork and acorn-style light
fixtures hanging from L-shaped poles. Improvements also include opening half of the four-lane
bridge to bicycle and pedestrian traffic on weekends. This area could later be converted to a full-time pedestrian and bike promenade. All of these changes have been made possible by a $1
million dollar pledge coming from a group of 68 individuals, corporations and foundations.
Mayor Clarence Harmon and Trailnet, a St. Louis-based nonprofit group, recently made this
announcement and stated that these funds will be used to leverage additional federal and state
funding necessary to complete all of this work.
Americorps Team at Work on Nahant Marsh
Nahant Marsh is a unique 513 acre urban wetland adjacent to the Mississippi River in Davenport,
IA. River Action, a nonprofit group dedicated to promoting environmentally responsible
riverfront development has been leading efforts to have this wetland area converted from its
previous use as a shooting range to the Nahant Marsh Outdoor Education and Research Center.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service documented this area as a source of waterfowl lead poisoning
and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the expenditure of $2 million for the
removal of lead-contaminated soil and sediment. The property is now under the ownership of the
City of Davenport and River Action is overseeing the restoration work.
The recent efforts of a nine-member AmeriCorps team have furthered the ongoing restoration
work at Nahant Marsh. This team of young people are constructing decking and railing on a
boardwalk and viewing platform at the marsh. A local engineering firm did the design work and
a construction company built the framework.
Additional information can be found in the January 2001 Upper Mississippi Report.
Kickoff of Susquehanna River Landing Project
On May 19, 2000, officials from the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber, the Irem Temple, and Alex Rogers of the American Heritage Rivers Initiative announced that the temple Mosque facility in downtown Wilkes-Barre may be the home of an interactive museum complex called the Susquehanna River Landing. The Landing will be a gateway to the Susquehanna River in downtown Wilkes-Barre and fits into the riverfront revitalization efforts already underway. The Landing will offer local residents and visitors historical exhibits about the region, an entertainment center, and a visitor's center. The officials explained that preliminary design concepts have already been developed; the Irem Temple organization has enthusiastically expressed their desire to use the Temple as a Landing; and a schedule for all stages of the project has already been completed.
Federal Funding for Wastewater Upgrade Project
The U.S. Department of Agriculture celebrated the 30th anniversary of Earth Day by joining Congressman Paul Kanjorski in announcing the investment of more than $6.7 million for a wastewater project to serve Hazel Township in the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna River Watershed. The funding will be used to construct a new sewage collection system and upgrade wastewater treatment services for 1,500 people – ending years of municipal waste flowing into the Susquehanna River. "The proper treatment of wastewater is an essential part of cleaning up our waterways and this grant will make a real difference in cleaning up the Susquehanna River watershed," Congressman Kanjorski said, adding "our designation as an American Heritage River helped to bring this substantial grant to the people of Hazel Township."
Phase I of Environmental Master Plan for Watershed Near Completion
Alex Rogers, the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna American Heritage River Navigator, announced that Phase I of the Environmental Master Plan for the Watershed will shortly be completed and available for public review. The Master Plan uses state-of-the-art technology to develop geographic information systems, which store, integrate, analyze, and display extensive data including population, roads, utilities, pollution sources, streams and rivers, wetlands, soils, and vegetation. With this wealth of data, the GIS empower local communities to perform land-use planning, environmental cleanup, and economic development. "The Master Plan will offer a blueprint to guide us on land and water cleanup projects and other initiatives to elevate Northeastern Pennsylvania to new levels of environmental and economic health," Rogers explained. The GIS project envisioned for the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed will include data on sources of acid mine drainage, sites of mine-scarred land, sewer and storm drainage systems, flood plain maps, transportation infrastructure, and many other items.
Students Flock to American Heritage River Exhibit at Bloomsburg Museum.
Children of all ages visited the new American Heritage River Exhibit at the Children's Museum in Bloomsburg, celebrating the region's special designation as one of only fourteen American Heritage Rivers. The exhibit informed visitors about the history and objectives the program, several local initiatives that have developed from the national designation, and identified opportunities for students to become involved in American Heritage Rivers Initiative projects in the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed. Alex Rogers, the American Heritage Rivers Navigator, visited the museum this summer to speak with children from the Adventures and Science Camp who visited the museum to learn more about the American Heritage Rivers Initiative.
Project funding
The River Navigator, Paul Jeske, is continuing regular meetings with communities along the
Willamette River to discuss potential projects and means to acquire funding for them. He
expects to develop and submit $1 million in grant proposals for identified projects during the
year. Paul and Rick Bastasch, Executive Director of the Willamette Restoration Initiative (WRI)
have jointly established a goal of acquiring $400,000 in funding, assistance and services for
projects.
Project development
The River Navigator will prepare a document identifying the proposed projects. The document
will include a short description of the project, key contacts, assistance needs and sources, and a
schedule of likely River navigator activities. Initially, the report will focus on the communities
of Albany, Harrisburg, and Independence-Salem. Other projects include sponsorship of a River
City Connections workshop, Willamette basin restoration signs, Paddle 2001 and creation of
watershed technical assistance teams.
Partnerships and coordination
The River Navigator works closely with the sponsoring community partners, the Willamette
Restoration Initiative . In addition, he will actively seek out new partnerships that will increase
the likelihood of project implementation. Key partnerships include the federal Regional
Interagency Executive Committee (RIEC), the Willamette Provincial Interagency Executive
Committee (PIEC), the Willamette Provincial Advisory Committee (PAC), the Willamette Urban
Watershed Network, the Willamette Regional Community Solutions team (CST) and many
individual watershed councils, soil and water conservation districts and communities.
For further information, visit the WRI website, http://www.oregonwri.org/ahr.html.
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