Private Property Assaults In Progress: New Blueways And Wildlands Programs

Private Property Assault:  New Blueways 

and Wildlands Programs 

Could End Up In Omnibus

Below is a critically important Letter to the Secretary of Interior from The House Western Caucus. They are complaining about how the Obama  Administration and the Secretary of Interior are Bypassing Congress to make new land use designations. This letter has huge ramifications for you. You must read it carefully. For understanding the threat to your private property rights, see videos below. (click map to enlarge)

 The letter talks about two new Interior Department programs. 

1. The second is the new National Blueways System created by a new Secretarial Order (3321)(PDF Doc 229.01 KB). You are headed for a train wreck if you fail to contact both your Senators and your Congressman about these Secretarial Orders because they may secretly be add
2. The Wildlands Secretarial Order (3310) (PDF DOC 229.01 KB)that the House Natural Resources Committee tried to stop three years ago but it is not stopped. This is where the Interior Secretary is secretly creating Wilderness bypassing Congress. 
3. ed to one of the coming Omnibus Federal Lands Bills.

Here is the letter from the House Western Caucus: 

The Honorable Ken Salazar
Secretary of the Interior
Department of Interior
1849 C St NW
Washington, DC 20240

Dear Secretary Salazar: 

We are contacting you regarding our serious concerns surrounding the disturbing trend by which the Department of the Interior (DOI) continues to bypass Congress, and the public, in establishing new federal designations and policies. 

As you know, Congress expressed its serious reservations of the Wildlands designation through a Secretarial Order. The creation of that new federal designation was highly controversial, lacked transparency, and was legally questionable. Congress subsequently blocked funding for the Order. *However, you have never rescinded the controversial Order.* 

On August 2, 2012 members of the Senate and House Western Caucuses sent you a letter expressing concerns regarding Bureau of Land Management Manuals 6310 and 6320, which mirrored the same rejected policies of Wildlands Secretarial Order 3310. 

These manuals were crafted without public input or notice. These members asked you to withdraw these manuals, and set up a briefing for them. The manuals were not withdrawn, nor was the briefing request even acknowledged by your department. We would like to request once again, a briefing by DOI for our offices on the status of these BLM manuals. 

Now it has come to our attention that on May 24 of last year, you signed Secretarial Order 3321 establishing the “National Blueways System.” 

This system, according to the Secretarial Order would – “provide a new national emphasis on the unique value and significance of a ‘headwaters to mouth’ approach to river management and create a mechanism to encourage stakeholders to integrate their land and water stewardship efforts by adopting a watershed approach.” 

The Order goes on further to state that it authorizes the establishment of an “intraagency National Blueways Committee to provide leadership, direction, and coordination to the National Blueways System.” 

Despite the Order stating that “Nothing in this Order is intended to be the basis for the exercise of any new regulatory authority,” given the lack of transparency by Interior to date, this disclaimer is of little comfort to communities that will be negatively impacted by a Blueways designation. 

In fact, the Order specifically injects federal agency policies and programs into the management of the designated watersheds when the Order states that: “Bureaus within Interior, to the extent permitted by law and consistent with their missions, policies, and resources, shall endeavor to align the execution of agency plans and implementation of agency programs to protect, restore, and enhance the natural, cultural, and/or recreational resources associated with designated National Blueways.” 

According to the Order, it appears that any watershed in the United States could be designated without any vote in Congress and without proper public notice. The Order states that: “Following consideration of recommendations made by the Committee, the Secretary may designate the river and its associated watershed as a National Blueway that will become part of the National Blueways System.” 

Water is the lifeblood of our communities, and it should be managed for the benefit of the community in a transparent fashion. While water law varies by region, non-navigable water is managed by the states, not the federal government. 

Any designation by a federal agency that directly or indirectly attempts to manage the non-navigable headwaters of many of our nation’s rivers, would be a usurpation of state authority. 

We urge you to immediately withdraw Secretarial Order 3321. We also encourage you to bring proposals to Congress that are creating new land and water designations so that we may consider them through the normal committee process and with public transparency. 

End of Western Caucus Letter.

See video links below:

Stop the Wildlands Project from Destroying Private Property

What could happen is that the Interior Department works with allies in the Senate and House to add the Wildlands Program and the National Blueways System to one of the coming Omnibus Federal Lands Bills. That is exactly how Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid slipped the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) into law. Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt set it up during the Clinton Administration as a Secretarial Order. 

As a reminder, the National Landscape Conservation System put a National Park like overlay over all BLM special areas like National Monuments, Wild and Scenic Rivers and areas like the Steens Mountain in Oregon thereby ignoring all the laws and special requirements and agreements covering those areas when they were created. The NLCS did a lot of damage to grazing and mining while cutting off access to millions of acres. The NLCS sat, largely dormant, until the opportunity came to sneak it into law and Harry Reid did it. That is exactly what is likely to happen to the National Wildlands Program and the new National Blueways System just set up by former Interior Secretary Salazar. 

Consider this about a National Blueways System: The National Blueways System is massive in scope. It covers rivers from their mouth to their source, the whole watershed. This isn’t just about river corridors. It's about entire river watersheds. Consider this: 

1. The Columbia River Watershed is over 144 million acres and covers all of Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon all of Idaho, Western Montana and small parts of California, Utah and Wyoming. 
2. The size of the Mississippi watershed is almost 300 million acres. 

Video Educational Series

• Introduction
• Region by Region
• Environmental Master Plan
• What is Greenlining
• Federal Government Role/Gap Analysis
• What Are Conservation Easments
• Where America is Headed
• What Are Roadless Areas
• Why Property Rights Matter
• Impact of Endangered Species
• What You Can do
•  

You must defeat the National Blueways System. You can stop the National Wildlands Program. To be sure Congress does not sneak a curve ball by you, you must stop any of the small or large Omnibus Federal Lands Bills coming your way.

 *Read the Action Items below carefully. *   

• To create a giant Omnibus Federal Lands Bill, Harry Reid goes to each Senator to ask what bills he or she want to get passed. They give most Senators one or two bills and sometimes more.* 
• Reid and other Senate Democrat leaders then combine these bills into one or more huge Omnibus Federal Lands Bills. 
• Each Senator then simply looks the other way on the overall bill or bills as they come forward and does not object to bills he or she would ordinarily be opposed to. This process hurts you and gets a lot of bad legislation passed. 
• This how these Secretarial Orders hurt you. First Obama or the Interior Secretary designate a program like Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt did with the National Landscape Conservation (NLCS) the 1990s. 
• Then a later Congress comes along and turns that Executive Order or Secretarial Order into law, often using the Omnibus Federal Lands Bill of that year. This assembly line gradually undermines and takes away your rights and liberty as well as your private property and the use of Federal lands. This process must be stopped. 

You can stop the Omnibus Federal Lands Bill. 

Reid and his running buddies are going to try to trick you. They are planning to put together several smaller Omnibus bills combining 5 or 10 bills each time that would ordinarily go into a full-blown Omnibus Federal Lands bill. 

They likely will not use the word Omnibus but will try to trick you and your Senators using other names to pass a series of smaller bills containing a few bills each. 

You need to discuss this strategy with your Senators and the key Senators listed below and make sure they are aware of this strategy and are prepared to head it off. 

Don’t think that because you have called once or twice that you are done. You must keep up the pressure*.   

Action Items:

1. Please forward this to at least 10 other people. Your whole list if possible.
2. Send a copy of this e-mail or just a copy of the Western Caucus letter to both your Senators and Congressman and their staff.
3. Tape a copy of this e-mail to your refrigerator door so you can remember what you need to do to defeat any Omnibus Federal Lands bill.
4. Call both your Senators at (202) 224-3121. That’s the Capitol Switchboard. Ask for your Senator by name. When the office answers, ask for the person who handles Federal Lands or Natural Resources. 

Ask for a commitment from your Senator to oppose any Omnibus Federal Lands Bill or mini versions with several land use or environment bills combined. 

Remind the staff that Wyden, Reid and others may try to pass bills a few at a time to sneak them by you. Each bill must be considered individually on its own merits and not combined into a Legislative Stew that no one reads and few have any idea what’s inside. 

5. Call your Congressman also. He or she must vote on the Omnibus Federal Lands Bill so get a commitment from his or her staff to oppose any Omnibus Federal Lands or Omnibus Environment Bill or bills. You may call any Congressman at (202) 225-3121. Follow the same instructions as above for the Senators. 

Your Senator can stop this bill or bills. All he or she must do is promise the Leadership that he or she will object or filibuster the bill. That will make the bill controversial. You must make the bill controversial. 

These Senators are especially important to stop any Omnibus Federal Lands bill or bills. Be sure to send a copy of the Western Caucus letter about the Wildlands Secretarial Order and the National Blueways Secretarial Order. 

Key Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee – Republicans - All Senators can be reached at (202) 224-3121. Note: When sending e-mail to these staff members below, they have an underscore between their first and last name. There is no underline in the e-mail address, just the underscore. 

ALEXANDER, LAMAR (TN), Staff: ryan_loskarn@alexander.senate.gov -- fax: 202-228-3398

BARRASSO JOHN (WY), Brian Clifford, brian_Clifford@barrasso.senate.gov-- fax: -202-224-1724 

COBURN, TOM (OK), Staff: brian_treat@coburn.senate.gov -- fax: 202-224-6008

COLLINS, SUSAN (ME), staff: mary_dietrich@collins.senate.gov -- fax: 202-224-2693 

CORKER, BOB (TN), Staff: todd_womack@corker.senate.gov -- fax: 202-228-0566 

CRAPO, MICHAEL (ID), Staff: susan_wheeler@crapo.senate.gov -- fax: 202-228-1375 

ENZI, MICHAEL (WY), Staff:  flip_mcconnaughey@enzi.senate.gov fax: 202-228-0359 

FLAKE, JEFF (AZ), Staff: steve_voeller@flake.senate.gov -- fax: 202-228-0515 

GRAHAM, LINDSEY (SC), Staff: richard_perry@lgraham.senate.gov -- fax: 202-224-3808 

HATCH, ORRIN (UT), Staff: michael_kennedy@hatch.senate.gov -- fax: 202-224-6331 

HELLER, DEAN (NV), Staff: mac_abrams@heller.senate.gov -- fax: 202-224-6244 

HOEVEN, JOHN (ND), Staff: ryan_bernstein@hoeven.senate.gov -- fax: 202-224-7999

INHOFE, JAMES (OK), Staff: ryan_jackson@inhofe.senate.gov -- fax: 202-228-0380 

LEE, MIKE (UT), Staff: spencer_stokes@lee.senate.gov -- fax: 202-228-1168 

MCCAIN, JOHN (AZ), Staff: nick_matiella@mccain.senate.gov -- fax: 202-228-2862 

MURKOWSKI, LISA (AK), Staff: edward_hild@murkowski.senate.gov -- fax: 202-224-5301

Karen_bilups@energy.senate.gov;

PORTMAN, ROB (OH), Staff: rob_lehman@portman.senate.gov -- fax: 202-224-9558 

RISCH, JAMES (ID), Staff: john_sandy@risch.senate.gov -- fax: 202-224-2753 

SCOTT, TIM (SC), Staff: rich_dunn@scott.senate.gov -- fax: 202-228-1048

THUNE, JOHN (SD), Staff: ryan_nelson@thune.senate.gov -- fax: 202-228-5429

VITTER, DAVID (LA), Staff: kyle_ruckert@vitter.senate.gov -- fax: 202-228-5061

Background

Here’s a reminder list of some of the land grab threats the Obama Administration, Senator Harry Reid and other members of Congress have planned for you. 

• New Endangered Species Act Land Grab* based on habitat for the *Sage Grouse* that could take over millions of acres of like the Spotted Owl
• New National Monuments;
• New National Blueways program (More in later e-mail.)
• National Wildlands land grab;
• New Wilderness study areas:
• Treasured Landscapes Initiative; 
• America’s Great Outdoors Campaign;
• New BLM Land Use Planning/Wilderness expansion; and 
• Expansion of the use of Eminent domain and Condemnation.

Join or donate: 

Please support American Land Rights by visiting our membership page http://www.landrights.org/members.htm  to join or donate.” You may also mail a check for $35 ($25 if you are a first time member) to American Land Rights, PO Box 400, Battle Ground, WA 98604. 

ALRA is working hard to keep you informed. E-mail is not that expensive but ALRA also sends tens of thousands of faxes and letters to alert your allies and friends about your issues. 

In addition ALRA maintains a full time staff in Battle Ground, Washington plus a grassroots lobbying operation in Washington, DC to serve our members and allies. Your support at this critical time would be appreciated. 

Thank you in advance, Chuck Cushman, Executive Director.

ccushman@pacifier.com .

Look up Chuck Cushman or American Land Rights Association on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. Be sure to hit the Like button when you’re there. You can endorse our activities as well. 

You can find out more about American Land Rights by going to Google and typing in the following search terms one at a time:

Chuck Cushman, Charles Cushman, American Land Rights Association, National Inholders Association and League of Private Property Voters. 

I hope you will support our efforts to keep you informed by joining or sending a contribution to American Land Rights. See the section above with the instructions or go to www.landrights.org. 

Working together and building coalitions across America is the only way your private property and Federal land access will be protected. 

If you are a member of another group or organization, continue to support them. We hope you support American Land Rights in addition but not instead of them. 

Sincerely,  

Chuck Cushman
American Land Rights
(360) 687-3087 – ccushman@pacifier.com

Source: http://www.landrights.org/private_property_assault_03-11-13.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 June 27, 2013

Area Residents Oppose Blueway:

A new federal program is raising concerns among people that the government is trying to force feed the National Blueway program down the throat of landowners that live along the White River Watershed.

In 2010, President Barack Obama announced "America's Great Outdoors Initiative"  On May 24, 2012, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar issued Secretary's order 3321 establishing the National Blueways System.

Salazar, who left the Obama administration, was replaced by Sally Jewell, who announced the Connecticut River Watershed would be the first waterway to receive the Blueway distinction.

In January of 2013 a memorandum of understanding between the Department of Interior, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Army earmarked the White River Watershed as the second waterway to receive the distinction.

The National Blueway designation is seen by some as a great program for conservation...others see it as a land grab similar to immminent domain.

However, language in the memorandum of understanding has been a flash point between land owners in White River Watershed , which covers 21 counties (including Stone and Barry) in Missouri and 39 counties in Arkansas for a total of 17.9 Million acres.

"The purpose of this MOU is to establish a framework for collaborative efforts to identify and create opportunities to work together as partners to accomplish shared, compatible, and priority conservation, restoration, outdoor recreation, environmental education and sustainable economic objectives in support of the National Blueways System as a whole and specific designated National Blueways."

"People are concerned it’s going to take away their ability to do what they want to do on their land, which is completely not what this program is going to do,” said Alan Leary, policy coordinator for the Missouri Department of Conservation. “It would be an entirely voluntary thing.”

Leary says conservation is the aim of the project.

Some language in the project documents — which include vague definitions at best of the proposal also cite the lack of involvement of municipalities and state oversight in the proposed blueway  have sparked opposition of the program by shoreline landowners.

Documents from the Department of Interior state the program is voluntary, though some in opposition question that claim.  Some landowners  are concerned that conservation easements  that could be utilized by some government and non-governmental entities the federal government will gain control of the shoreline that property owners pay taxes on without having to pay for the land that some don't want to give up.

For example, if one of the agencies imposes a restriction along an easement of property along the proposed blueway they could stop any building or development by the property owner and render the land that they pay taxes on useless thus lowering the property value.

Bill Gracy, a retired pilot and member of the Tea Party and the Barry County Chapter of the Ozarks Property Rights Coalition, says no elected officials were involved in drafting the proposal.  He spoke in opposition of the plan at the Stone County Commission meeting last Tuesday (06-18-13.)

 "One of the ways they’ll make our land unusable, for instance, is the 180-foot setbacks from all surface water," Gracy said. "This is in the strategic plan. If you have a five-acre plot of land and you have a one-acre pond, you’re going to have to draw a circle all the way around that and establish a vegetative buffer. You think they’re going to let your cows come down and drink from that pond? They’re denying you use of that. If they don’t want you to do what you want to do on your land, they have usurped my land rights."

About 30 - 40 people filled the Commission chambers for the meeting.  "I knew very little about the program prior to the meeting," said Presiding Commissioner Dennis Wood.  "The purpose of what they wanted was for commissioners to write a resolution opposing the blueway.   Stone County is certainly for clean water, but if the designation has any danger of imposing on a property owners rights...I am adamantly against it."

Wood went on to say, "I think we will probably sign a resolution opposing the designation.  They haven't consulted any local agencies, that in my opinion, do a great job of preserving our waterways.  This came out of the  blue from Washington D. C.....and who trusts anything out of Washington D. C. in this day and age."

Senator Roy Blunt and Congressman Billy Long have voiced concern about the Blueway System and want the program to be scrutinized further before any implementation takes place.

Amber Marchand, spokeswoman for Sen. Blunt, said, “While Sen. Blunt believes river management should be a priority, he has serious concerns with the Obama administration’s disturbing trend of regulatory overreach. Sen. Blunt believes establishing a new federal designation without the approval of Congress or public input is unacceptable, and the stakeholders and members of the community who would be impacted by this significant decision deserve more transparency from their government.”

The Stone County Commission signed an official proclamation opposing the White River Watershed Blueway System on June 26th.  Of the almost 40 people attending the meeting no one stood in favor of the Secretarial Order.

Stone County resident David Stockstill spoke at Tuesday's meeting.  "We have fought this in many different forms for many years," he said.  "It could be a devastating thing for all of us.  Many people don't think this could happen.  The Missouri Department of Conservation has stabbed all of us in the back.  I'm sure many people will now feel differently about inviting a conservation agent on their land now."

Wood, who is a member of the Missouri Clean Water Commission, has asked that his colleagues on the MCWC review the designation when they meet again in Jefferson City on July 18th.

For more information on the proposal go to the following link: doi.gov.

Source: http://crimesceneinvestigations.blogspot.com/2013/06/area-residents-oppose-blueway_27.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 TIPTON: FEDS USING ORDER TO WREST WATER RIGHTS

April 26, 2013

By Mark Stricherz

WASHINGTON — A Colorado House Republican accused the federal government of using a little-known directive to wrest water rights away from Western states and private-property owners. 
Rep. Scott Tipton of Cortez said U.S. Interior Department officials have seized on a 2012 order called the National Blueways Initiative to usurp private water rights.

“I’m concerned about federal overreach of the Blueways program,” Tipton said at a hearing of the House Committee on Natural Resources Thursday. 

His comment came during an exchange with a municipal water district official from a Western state who testified before the Water subcommittee. “Could a New Jersey resident who has used a raft on a Colorado river be considered a stakeholder under the law? It’s a little vague,” Tipton said.

“As I read it, yes,” said Russell Boardman, supervisor of the Shoshone Conservation District in Frannie, Wyoming.

The National Blueways System gives federal, state, local, business, civic, and private officials the power to designate an entire river and its watershed as deserving of conservation, recreation, and restoration. Former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the order last May, and while environmentalist and recreation groups support the policy, it has raised the ire of ranchers, ski resort executives, and local water district officials for restricting their access to local watersheds.

Rep. Grace Napolitano, an influential California Democrat on the Natural Resources panel, said she did not know the specifics of the Blueways program and expressed sympathy for critics, but trusts Salazar’s intentions for the initiative. “He’s a farmer, so he knows a lot about agriculture. He protects the land,” she said in an interview after the hearing. 

An Interior Department spokeswoman did not return a call for comment by press time.
The hearing examined alleged federal encroachment on private water rights in Western states. Witnesses at the hearing included Geraldine Link, director of public policy at the National Ski Areas Association, based in Lakewood, Colorado, and David Costlow, executive director of the Colorado River Outfitters Association, based in Buena Vista, Colorado.

Reed D. Benson, a professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law, provided testimony to rebut Tipton’s assumption that private-property rights are “sacred” in Western states. “That conventional wisdom is largely myth, because there are many areas where federal law does not simply defer to state law, but instead establishes federal rules that protect important national interests. These areas include navigation, interstate allocation, and federal and tribal reserved rights, as mentioned above,” he said. 

Tipton said he spoke with Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., and Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, about the Blueways order, but did not get a commitment from them to support legislation on the issue. A Udall spokesman did not return comment.
Source: http://thecoloradoobserver.com/2013/04/tipton-feds-using-order-to-wrest-water-rights/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

From the Department of Interior website:

05/24/2012

AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS RIVERS: Secretary Salazar Creates National Blueways System, Designates Connecticut River and Its Watershed as First National Blueway

Contact: Adam Fetcher (Interior) 202-208-6416
Terri Edwards (FWS) 413-253-8325

HARTFORD, CT. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today signed a Secretarial Order establishing a National Blueways System and announced that the 410-mile-long Connecticut River and its 7.2 million-acre watershed will be the first National Blueway— covering areas of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Joined at Riverside Park in Hartford by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal; U.S. Rep. John Larson;
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Terrence “Rock” Salt; Friends of the Silvio O. Conte Refuge Chairman Patrick Comins and other members of the conservation and business communities, Secretary Salazar said that partnerships along the Connecticut River provide an example for the rest of the nation.

“The Connecticut River Watershed is a model for how communities can integrate their land and water stewardship efforts with an emphasis on ‘source-to-sea’ watershed conservation,” Salazar said. “I am pleased to recognize the Connecticut River and its watershed with the first National Blueway designation as we seek to fulfill President Obama’s vision for healthy and accessible rivers that are the lifeblood of our communities and power our economies.”

The new National Blueways System is part of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to establish a community-driven conservation and recreation agenda for the 21st century. The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture both identified the Connecticut River as an important priority under America’s Great Outdoors.

“USDA’s Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service are proud to partner with the Department of the Interior, the Army Corps of Engineers and others in developing a National Blueways System as called for in the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “Outdoor recreation is a powerful economic engine for rural America. By working to protect our rivers and streams on National Forests and on our private working lands, USDA is committed to promoting land stewardship and outdoor recreation.”

Running from the Canadian border to Long Island Sound, the Connecticut River and its watershed include 2.4 million residents and 396 communities. The estimated 1.4 million people who enjoy the natural beauty and wildlife of the Connecticut River watershed every year contribute at least a billion dollars to local economies, according to the Trust for Public Land.

The National Blueways System established today recognizes river systems conserved through diverse stakeholder partnerships that use a comprehensive watershed approach to resource stewardship. The program will provide a new national emphasis on the unique value and significance of a ‘headwaters to mouth’ approach to river management.

Establishment of a National Blueways System will help coordinate federal, state, and local partners to promote best practices, share information and resources, and encourage active and collaborative stewardship of rivers and their watersheds across the country.

“Secretary Salazar’s designation of the Connecticut River as the first-in-the-nation ‘Blueway’ is a fitting recognition of the history, beauty and value of this tremendous natural resource,” said Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy. “It also provides an opportunity to utilize the resources and expertise of the Department of the Interior within the heart of New England to support our efforts to protect and enhance the river and to build upon the conservation, recreational, educational and economic benefits it brings.”

“The designation of the Connecticut River Watershed as a National Blueway appropriately recognizes the dedicated and vigilant advocates who fight each day to preserve it,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “We are honored to have the President’s and the Secretary’s support in ensuring that residents and visitors can enjoy the great outdoors in Connecticut for generations to come.”

“America has always had an important connection to our rivers and streams, but unfortunately many of us were cut off from the water during the boom of urban development,” said Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman. “Now, as we continue to reconnect with the rivers that bind us together, we must expand our efforts to protect them and enjoy them. I think it is fitting that the Connecticut River, which provided inspiration to Hartford resident Mark Twain as he wrote about Huck and Jim on the river, be named the first National Blueway. I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue to advance this effort.”

“For hundreds of years the Connecticut river has been an essential part of the economy, recreation and overall wellbeing of our state,” Congressman Larson said. “I am very pleased that with today’s designation as a National Blueways River, future generations will be able to enjoy everything this tremendous body of water has to offer. I want to thank Secretary Salazar and the Obama Administration for recognizing the importance of the Connecticut River Watershed and look forward to working with them on future projects throughout our state.”

Salazar noted that today’s designation of the Connecticut River is a tribute to the collaborative leadership of partner organizations under the umbrella of the Friends of the Silvio O. Conte Refuge and the cumulative successes of the Connecticut River Watershed Council, states, and other partners. Many partners, past and present, were the visionary architects of the legislation that created the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge in 1991, marking the boundaries of the watershed that became the first national blueway today.

“This is an historic step and we applaud Secretary Salazar for recognizing the importance of Connecticut River and the Watershed,” said Patrick Comins, Chairman of the Friends of the Silvio O. Conte Refuge and Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon Connecticut. “The Friends of Conte Refuge and our association of more than 40 organizations are looking forward to continuing and expanding our work with the Federal family to establish new partnerships and bolster existing partnerships and programs that link conservation, education, and outdoor recreation efforts and opportunities throughout the Watershed.”

The Secretarial Order on National Blueways also establishes an intra-agency committee to provide leadership, support, and coordination. For the Connecticut River National Blueway, the collaborating federal agencies include the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“The National Blueways program recognizes partnerships in watersheds and river systems that are working towards conservation and other important environmental and economic outcomes,” Salt said. “The success of the stewardship of these rivers is an important complement to the success of the America’s Great Outdoors initiative, and the Army and its Corps of Engineers are pleased to be a part of this partnership."

The National Blueway designation differs from existing federal designations for rivers (e.g., Wild and Scenic), which generally cover only a segment of a river and a narrow band of the riparian corridor. A National Blueway, by contrast, includes the entire river from “source to sea” as well as the river’s watershed. National Blueways designations are intended to recognize and support existing local and regional conservation, recreation, and restoration efforts, and do not establish a new protective status or regulations.

For more information on the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, please visit: http://www.fws.gov/r5soc/.
For an online media toolkit specific to today's announcement, please see http://www.fws.gov/northeast/news/2012/socmediapacket.html. Video and photos will be posted after the event.
To see a list of organizations supporting the designation, click here.

For a copy of the Secretarial Order on the National Blueway System, click here.
For a copy of the Designation of the Connecticut River National Blueway, click here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Related Stories: White River's Blueway designation prompts backlash 
Blueway designation for White River rescinded