Nanticoke, PA - Loretta Neumann, the national Director of the American Heritage River initiative, toured the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed on Monday and held a public meeting in the evening at the Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke with Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (PA-11). A preliminary inventory of projects important for the restoration of the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed was released at the public meeting.

Congressman Kanjorski remarked, "The Draft Work Plan distributed tonight begins to detail some of the projects that members of the community have identified to revitalize the economy and restore the environment of our watershed. It is meant to encourage public discussion of what projects should be undertaken as part of the American Heritage River program. Also, we will be forwarding the Work Plan to various federal agencies so that they will be aware of the various local initiatives they can support. The Draft Work Plan is a dynamic document that will continue to be developed as additional projects are added and work is performed on various projects. I encourage residents of Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania to review the Draft Work Plan and suggest additional projects that should be added to our list."

The Draft Work Plan was compiled by members of the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed Steering Committee, which consists of representatives of the six counties that encompass most of the watershed and representatives of groups that played a major role in the drafting of the American Heritage River application. Projects contained in the Draft Work Plan are the sole responsibility of the submitting agency, group, or contact person. The Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed Steering Committee is not setting any priority for the funding of these projects.

Also in the region to participate in the public meeting were Elizabeth Raisbeck, the Watershed Program Manager for the River Network, a national non-profit organization supporting grassroots river restoration efforts, and Brian Grimsey, the Senior Planner of Parks Canada, a group which has been part of a 15-year old river program in Canada that is similar to the American Heritage River initiative.

The American Heritage Rivers initiative is a comprehensive effort to assist and promote rivers that have important cultural, historical, economic, and environmental value and needs. President Clinton and Vice President Gore have directed federal agencies to give top priority to funding projects located in the fourteen areas across the nation that received the American Heritage River designation. The Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed stretches north from Northumberland County to include parts of Montour, Columbia, Sullivan, Schuylkill, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Wayne, and Susquehanna counties.

**The Draft Work Plan is available on the internet at: http://paheritageriver.org/**