House Bill 9571

    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HR 9571

        By Representative Albright






  1                         House Resolution

  2         A resolution opposing the nomination of the

  3         entire St. Johns River for federal designation

  4         as an American Heritage River.

  5

  6         WHEREAS, the American Heritage Rivers Initiative is a

  7  program created by Executive Order 13061, and

  8         WHEREAS, Executive Order 13061 states that the American

  9  Heritage Rivers Initiative has the objectives of natural

10  resource and environmental protection, economic

11  revitalization, and historic and cultural preservation, and

12         WHEREAS, an application was submitted by the City of

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

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

15  American Heritage River, and

16         WHEREAS, the primary point of contact for the

17  nominating organization resides in Duval County, and

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

19  and numerous diverse communities with different environmental,

20  economic, cultural, and recreational concerns and needs, and

21         WHEREAS, numerous county commissions and state and

22  federal legislators representing certain counties along the

23  St. Johns River have expressed their opposition to designating

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

25         WHEREAS, the Federal Government describes the American

26  Heritage Rivers initiative as being a locally driven

27  initiative; however, the Federal Government provides virtually

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

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

30

31

                                  1

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HR 9571

    66-203-98






  1  Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of

  2  Florida:

  3

  4         That the Florida House of Representatives opposes the

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

  6  Heritage River.

  7         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution

  8  be dispatched to the President of the United States.

  9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  2