THE AMERICAN HERITAGE RIVER PROGRAM

On July 30, 1998, the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed received special national recognition - the Clinton/Gore Administration designated it as one of only fourteen American Heritage Rivers. The American Heritage Rivers is an innovative federal program to encourage economic development, environmental protection, and cultural/historical preservation in the fourteen designated regions. The Clinton/Gore Administration has directed federal agencies and departments to give top priority to funding projects in these regions. But equally as important, the projects are identified here in the region - and this program is driven by local needs and priorities, which are as diverse as the fourteen designated AHR regions.

How was our watershed selected for this unique program? In response to President Clinton's announcement of this initiative in his 1997 State of the Union Address, more than 125 regions across the country applied for AHR designation. Here in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski led a broad coalition of political, business, economic development, academic, and environmental leaders in preparing the application for the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed. We knew the competition would be keen, but we were confident that the historical significance of the Susquehanna and Lackawanna Rivers and the pressing need to promote economic development and environmental protection in the Watershed enhanced our region's application. When this nation stood at the gateway to the 20th Century, it was anthracite coal and the hundreds of thousands of mine workers and others in this region that fueled the industrial revolution and helped make America the industrial capital of the world. Today, in the dawn of the 21st Century, we need federal assistance to enhance the economic and environmental health of our region.

OUR WATERSHED

The Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed spans 2,000 square miles in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania and is home to more than 600,000 people. Our Watershed stretches north from Northumberland County to include parts of Montour, Columbia, Sullivan, Schuylkill, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Wayne and Susquehanna counties. It combines the urban centers of Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, and Hazleton with rural, mountainous terrain.

The river is the thread that ties our region - and diverse communities - together. The region is blessed with beautiful mountains and steep sided stream valleys that combine to form a panoramic view. We have a rich tradition, industrious population, and wonderful wildlife, including a wide range of aquatic and other animals. Unfortunately, we also live amidst mine-scarred lands, piles of coal waste, acid-mine drainage, and polluted waterways that are the regrettable legacy of unregulated anthracite mining that occurred decades ago. These problems affect the health and well being of local residents, and impede the economic revitalization of the region. And the impact stretches all the way to the Chesapeake Bay (where the Susquehanna River flows), confirming that cleaning our river will have significant impact on millions of people from Northeastern Pennsylvania to Maryland and Delaware.

OUR WORK PLAN

Thankfully, this region's economy has improved in recent years and we are making significant progress. But the area cannot reach its economic potential, cannot encourage college graduates to remain in the area, and cannot encourage others to move here and create economic opportunities, without cleaning the abandoned mine land and the polluted water. That is why the American Heritage Rivers Initiative for our Watershed - with the advice and guidance of numerous local leaders - has created a work plan of more than 200 economic development, environmental protection, and cultural/historical preservation projects to lift our region to new economic and environmental heights. This inventory of projects was drafted locally; it reflects our priorities, not those of Washington, D.C. bureaucrats.

ENVIRONMENTAL MASTER PLAN

One critical piece to this work plan for a brighter Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania is a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Environmental Master Plan for the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed. The GIS Plan will contain extensive data about the region's environmental features, topography, and infrastructure. This plan will be Web-based and available for local municipalities in the region to assist them with land-use planning. The database will inform smart, regional planning and will serve as a blueprint for numerous economic development and environmental remediation projects.

To develop the Watershed Plan, we formed the Pennsylvania GIS Consortium, a nonprofit organization jointly administered by King's College and Wilkes University. We have created a partnership with numerous federal agencies, including the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, USGS, and others as well as state and local governments.

We welcome your suggestions and participation in our American Heritage Rivers Initiative so that, together, we can enhance the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed.