American Rivers applauded President Obama and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar for launching a new Rivers Initiative, led by the Department of the Interior, to protect and restore rivers across the country.
The President’s 2013 budget prioritizes within the new Rivers Initiative river restoration and recreation projects in all 50 states; the development of a National Blueways System to recognize communities which rediscover, restore, and reconnect with rivers; and a National Rivers Atlas and other online river restoration and recreation tools.
The budget incorporates many of the projects American Rivers and river advocates around the country helped generate through the America’s Great Outdoors initiative. American Rivers is a leader in blueways, dam removal, urban river protection and other projects at the center of the new initiative at Interior.
“The president’s Rivers Initiative is a powerful statement about the importance of healthy rivers in the lives of all Americans, ” said Jim Bradley, Senior Director of Government Relations for American Rivers . “ We applaud the Administration for investing in rivers, which are vital to our health, economy, and communities.”
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Dredging Today Staff, February 15, 2012