Gov. Hunt Joins Clinton/Gore in New River Designation Celebration
GLENDALE SPRINGS -- Gov. Jim Hunt today called upon all North Carolinians to follow the example set by the residents of the New River and become actively involved in protecting their natural and cultural heritage.
"We have so many marvelous rivers and waterways across our state," said Gov. Hunt at a ceremony in Ashe County celebrating the designation of the New River as an American Heritage River. "Let us work together to protect each of them as we make decisions about how we live and grow and prosper."
President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore joined Gov. Hunt and state and local officials in marking the designation.
"Rivers have always been the lifeblood of our communities and our nation. That is why it is so important that we do all we can to restore and protect them," said President Clinton. "Through the American Heritage Rivers initiative we are lending assistance to community-led efforts to protect natural resources, promote economic revitalization, and preserve our cultural heritage."
The New River, believed to be the oldest river in North America, flows through Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany counties and into Virginia and West Virginia. It is one of 14 rivers receiving the national American Heritage River designation. The program is designed to ensure that communities along these rivers will get help implementing their plans for restoring and protecting the environmental, economic and cultural values of the rivers. For each American Heritage River, a federal employee will be designated as a "River Navigator" to help communities identify federal and state programs and resources to help carry out their plans.
"The designation offers the citizens who live in the New River community the tools and resources they need to make wise decisions about how they want their community to grow," Hunt said. "This program will help us preserve and protect our heritage for our children and grandchildren for generations to come."
Efforts to protect the New River began in 1965, when the Appalachian Power Company applied for a license to dam the river. Citizens' groups as well as state and federal agencies opposed to the plan united to protect this historic and scenic area.
In 1975, when Hunt was President of the North Carolina State Senate, the state legislature unanimously passed a bill to declare the river a State Natural and Scenic River. A year later, President Gerald Ford signed legislation to include the New River as part of the National Wild and Scenic River system.
Responsibility for developing and administering the scenic river was assigned to the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation and the New River State Park was created. Today, the park encompasses 1,538 acres and it plays an important role in ensuring the long term protection of this national treasure.
Gov. Hunt's number one environmental priority is restoring and protecting North Carolina's water quality. Hunt's $101 million environmental budget focuses on three components - prevention, detection, and response -- to combat water pollution. The budget includes critical funding to reduce nutrients and sediments in North Carolina's waterways, expands coastal water quality monitoring to inland waters, support the state's river basin planning program, provide more aggressive responses to fish kills and boost the state's compliance and enforcement efforts.
Hunt's budget also includes funding for the long-term protection of North Carolina's most valuable natural resources. It includes funding to increase public awareness and education about North Carolina's natural heritage and to promote the responsible use of our resources.
As governor, Hunt has pushed to protect and restore North Carolina's waterways. Last year, he announced a $2.9 million plan to step up monitoring, invest more in Pfiesteria research, and improve fish kill response.
In addition, he signed into law the Clean Water Responsibility Act, which includes a moratorium on hog facilities, allows counties to zone large hog farms, cracks down on animal waste and limits nutrient levels in rivers and streams.
Hunt fought for fisheries reform, environmental education efforts, improved animal and municipal water operations, safer drinking water, and stepped up enforcement for those who violate water quality regulation. At Hunt's direction, the state's Environmental Management Commission approved a plan to reduce the amount of harmful nutrients being released into the troubled Neuse River by 30 percent.
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Click here for more information on American Heritage Rivers.
Contact Person: April White, (919) 733-5612
Date Released: July 30
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