Clinton expected to sign federal legislation
By:Sue Kramer
Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) were two of many dignitaries who Tuesday praised the passage of a bill by the House of Representatives designating the lower 65.6-mile section of the Delaware River as part of the National Wild and Scenic River system.
The bill awaits President Bill Clinton’s signature. He is expected to sign it into law within 10 days.
Against the backdrop of a beautiful, warm fall day, the legislators, accompanied by members of the Sierra Club, the Delaware River Greenway Partnership, the New Jersey Environmental Federation, the Delaware Riverkeepers, Mayor David Del Vecchio and other local officials, gathered on the banks of the Delaware River at Lewis Island to announce passage of the bill.
Fred Lewis, the owner of the island and Lambertville’s shad fishery, greeted Sen. Lautenberg along with Mayor Del Vecchio. Mr. Lewis’ tales of shad fishing on the Delaware captivated Sen. Lautenberg.
As Mr. Lewis explained the ins and outs of shad fishing utilizing a rowboat, the senator asked, "Do you need any help hauling in the nets?"
Mr. Lewis responded, "I’ll call you."
The passage of the bill means not only continued shad fishing, but continued clean and scenic recreational waters. Mayor David Del Vecchio told The Beacon, "The Congress passing and the president signing the Wild and Scenic River (bill) is critically important for the future of our community. It means that for my son Alex, who’s 3½, when he’s my age, which is 44, it will look the way it is today. Hopefully, that’s what Wild and Scenic will mean to this community."
The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act became federal law in 1968. Today, less than 1 percent of the river miles in the U.S. have been deemed as having the "outstanding and remarkable" values that would by law protect and preserve them in their natural, free-flowing state. With the lower Delaware joining the upper Delaware as a wild and scenic river, the Delaware River is now the only free-flowing river in the United States with this designation.
Under the act, a river can be deemed wild, scenic or recreational, depending on its current level of development, and it must be managed according to the guidelines in the act that dictate the types and quality of activities that can take place on the river. The lower Delaware, which runs from the Delaware Water Gap south through Hunterdon and Mercer counties, was declared wild and scenic in this bill.
Rep. Holt, who is a Hopewell Township resident and currently running for re-election, introduced the bill in Washington to protect the river. He actually began working on it two years ago before he was even elected to office.
He said Tuesday, "As we stand here today and admire the natural beauty of the Delaware, it can be easy to forget that the river and surrounding communities are under tremendous pressure from unmanaged development. There are those who want to exploit the river and use its awesome resources inappropriately. These activities threaten the river’s health, the quality of its waters, natural habitats, scenic beauty and historical sites.
"For quite a long time," the congressman said, "the communities in the Delaware River watershed have understood the importance of the river and the need to protect it. As a result, communities of the region have made their own investments in the river and its protection by mobilizing to encourage development that is compatible with the preservation of the river. Now we have given these communities a powerful new tool."
The National Wild and Scenic Rivers act itself prohibits federally licensed dams, diversions and other types of development on, or for federally owned land within one-quarter mile of, the rivers that have been designated wild and scenic. The only exclusion refers to privately owned land that falls within the protected corridor, allowing for the development of these lands.
Rep. Holt was praised by Jeff Biddle, the executive director of the New Jersey Sierra Club; Sen. Lautenberg; Maya Van Rossum, of the Delaware Riverkeepers; James Amon, chairman of the Delaware River Greenway Partnership and executive director of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission; and Mayor Del Vecchio for his efforts to introduce and secure passage of the bill.
The White House released a letter to Rep. Holt last week, praising the legislation and its passage by the House of Representatives.
President Clinton wrote, "Wild and Scenic River designation will encourage natural and historic resource preservation and protect precious open space. Your hard work in shepherding this bill through Congress was instrumental in securing its passage, and I applaud you on this important achievement."
Sen. Lautenberg, who wrote the bill designating the lower Delaware as part of the Wild and Scenic program, is known for being a strong environmental leader. He helped write the Superfund Act, Clean Air and Safe Drinking Water acts and authored the nation’s first Right to Know program.
With swans and geese swimming peacefully in the river behind him and ospreys gliding overhead, Sen. Lautenberg said, "It’s hard to describe New Jersey. It’s a pastoral scene with the leaves turning and ospreys flying overhead. I’d like it to look like this for my grandchildren. I talk to them about rivers and streams, fish and birds, the shore. What a tranquil setting there is here.
"When I stand here at Fred Lewis’ place and talk to Fred, there is a beauty about it that says we should protect this beautiful place. This designation is going to keep the Lower Delaware safe from development and pollution."
In his opening remarks, Rep. Holt quoted poet Walt Whitman who described the tranquillity and beauty of the Delaware with geese flying overhead.
He then said, "This protection that comes with the designation of the river as wild and scenic has to do with the way of nature, the quality of life and the well-being here in New Jersey."
Other officials also had upbeat things to say about the designation.
Jane Nogaki of the New Jersey Environmental Federation, said, "The goal is to help preserve the recreational quality of the river because it gives us the protections (from industrial and other development). It also gains leverage to get federal funds for open space preservation."
She later said, "We are here today celebrating the local efforts and all the groups that have worked so hard to see the fruition of the designation of this stretch of the river wild and scenic."
Ms. Van Rossum said, "All the communities around the river have come together around this resource to fight for its protection. We have been fighting for over five years and to finally have this come to fruition is a really incredible experience.
"It does mean, as the congressman and senator said, it really does mean some important protections for the river. It means heightened eco-tourism; it does mean some financial opportunities. It does provide opportunities to improve and protect water quality and the eco-systems of the river, so it’s not just a name. It means a real difference," she said.