The Supreme Court on Monday tossed out an appeal by four conservative Western lawmakers who had challenged President Clinton’s authority to designate “American Heritage Rivers” for special federal assistance and funding. After Clinton created the Heritage Rivers program with an executive order in 1997, four members of Congress filed suit, contending that the initiative violated various federal rules and the Constitution. A federal judge threw out the case, an appeals court refused to reinstate it, and the Supreme Court refused to review the appeals court’s decision. Seven rivers have been adopted into the program, which allows nearby communities to get federal resources and help from experts as they work to protect the waterways.
