House Bill 4787e1

                                          HM 4787, First Engrossed



  1                          House Memorial

  2         A memorial to the President of the United

  3         States supporting in part and opposing in part

  4         the nomination of the entire St. Johns River

  5         for federal designation as an American Heritage

  6         River.

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  8         WHEREAS, the American Heritage Rivers Initiative is a

  9  program created by Executive Order 13061, and

10         WHEREAS, Executive Order 13061 states that the American

11  Heritage Rivers Initiative has the objectives of natural

12  resource and environmental protection, economic

13  revitalization, and historic and cultural preservation, and

14         WHEREAS, an application was submitted by the City of

15  Jacksonville on December 7, 1997, to designate the entire St.

16  Johns River, a river stretching 310 miles in length, an

17  American Heritage River, and

18         WHEREAS, the primary point of contact for the

19  nominating organization resides in Duval County, and

20         WHEREAS, the St. Johns River runs through 12 counties

21  and numerous diverse communities with different environmental,

22  economic, cultural, and recreational concerns and needs, and

23         WHEREAS, numerous county commissions and state and

24  federal legislators representing certain counties along the

25  St. Johns River have expressed their opposition to designating

26  the entire St. Johns River as an American Heritage River, and

27         WHEREAS, the Federal Government describes the American

28  Heritage Rivers initiative as being a locally driven

29  initiative; however, the Federal Government provides virtually

30  no options for counties opposing such a designation to opt out

31  of an American Heritage River designation, NOW, THEREFORE,


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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






                                          HM 4787, First Engrossed



  1  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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  3         That the Florida House of Representatives opposes the

  4  entire application to designate St. Johns River as an American

  5  Heritage River.

  6         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be

  7  dispatched to the President of the United States.

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