American Heritage Rivers

American Heritage Rivers are designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to receive special attention (coordinating efforts of multiple governmental entities) to further three objectives: natural resource and environmental protection, economic revitalization, and historic and cultural preservation.

The American Heritage Rivers Protection Program initially was created by an Executive Order, Number , signed by President Bill Clinton on September 11, 1997. Selection criteria were developed under the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), with wide government and expert involvement, and reflected a wide variety of viewpoints, including those representing natural, cultural, and historic resources; scenic, environmental, and recreation interests; tourism, transportation, and economic development interests; and industries such as agriculture, hydropower, manufacturing, mining, and forest management. The recommended rivers were to represent a variety of stream sizes, diverse geographical locations, and a wide range of settings from urban to rural and ensure that relatively pristine, successful revitalization efforts were considered, as well as degraded rivers in need of restoration.

Rivers are selected for designation according to the following criteria:

President Clinton designated the 14 rivers (or river systems) on July 30, 1998.

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