A group of conservative Republicans in Congress is trying to undermine President Clinton’s Heritage Rivers Program. Established in 1997, the program — which is jointly run by the Agriculture, Interior, Defense, and Housing and Urban Development departments — provides federal administrative help to designated river communities looking for funding or other support for environmental cleanup and economic development projects. Opponents of the program, who say it infringes on private property rights, have added language to an Agriculture Department appropriations bill that would largely prohibit the agency from spending money on the program. For more news of waterways, follow this week’s Grist diary by Amy Souers of American Rivers.
