WASHINGTON, DC -- Vice President Gore announced today the 14"American Heritage River" designations that President Clinton will make,assuring that communities along these rivers will get help implementingtheir plans for restoring and protecting the environmental, economic, andcultural values of the rivers and riverfronts.

The designations will cover the Blackstone and Woonasquatucket Rivers(MA, RI), Connecticut River (in CT, VT, NH, MA), Cuyahoga River (OH),Detroit River (MI), Hanalei River (HI), Hudson River (NY), New River (NC,VA, WV), Rio Grande (TX), Potomac River (DC, MD, PA, VA, WV), St. JohnsRiver (FL), Upper Mississippi River (IA, IL, MN, MO, WI), Lower MississippiRiver (LA, TN), Upper Susquehanna and Lackawanna Rivers (PA), andWillamette River (OR).

"The message of this initiative is clear: there is nothing morepowerful than water as a catalyst for economic revitalization and culturalrenewal," the Vice President said. "Working together as partners, we canclean up America's rivers, create new jobs, and strengthen the communitiesthat surround them for generations to come."

The Vice President's announcement comes three days before he willaccompany the President to the New River in North Carolina, an AmericanHeritage River, to formally designate the rivers. The American HeritageRivers Advisory Committee last month recommended 10 designations, and thePresident added four.

In his 1997 State of the Union address, the President announced hisAmerican Heritage Rivers Initiative to recognize and reward local effortsto restore and protect America's rivers and riverfronts. The response wasoverwhelming. The Administration received 126 nominations from 46 statesand the District of Columbia. Nearly 200 members of Congress, over 500mayors, and 21 governors have expressed their support.

For each American Heritage River, a federal employee will bedesignated as a "River Navigator" to help communities identify federalprograms and resources to help carry out their plans. Federal agencieswill help match community needs with available resources. For instance,the agencies will work with the River Navigator and communities to attackpollution problems, build greenway and pedestrian paths, protectwatersheds, rebuild historic docks, identify native trees and plants, andseek out other economic opportunities.

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