ExecutiveOrdersEO
EO 13061Executive OrderClinton · D

Executive Order 13061

Federal Support of Community Efforts Along American Heritage Rivers

This executive order establishes the American Heritage Rivers initiative, a voluntary, community-driven program where communities nominate rivers for federal designation and support. It creates an interagency committee to coordinate federal assistance for environmental protection, economic revitalization, and historic preservation along designated rivers, without creating new regulatory authority.

Federal Register Open PDF 62 FR 48445

Impact dates

  1. Ten rivers designated in first phase (contingent on sufficient qualified nominations)

  2. CEQ Chair to notify community before revocation recommendation

Key directives

  • CEQ Chair to develop fair expert recommendation procedure
  • Interagency Committee to establish formal designation guidelines
  • Agencies to identify existing programs for river community assistance
  • Agencies to refocus programs and grants toward American Heritage River communities
  • Each designated river to receive a single 'River Navigator'
  • Agencies to establish field office success assessment methods
  • Interagency Committee to develop voluntary designation termination process
  • CEQ Chair must notify community 30 days before recommending revocation to President

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • Interagency Committee established
  • CEQ designated as executive agent
  • nomination process opens

Near term (90d)

  • CEQ to develop expert review procedure for recommendations
  • Interagency Committee to develop formal designation guidelines
  • Interagency Committee to develop designation termination process

Long term

  • periodic agency action reviews by Committee
  • progress reports to President
  • ongoing community-agency partnerships
  • potential designation revocations for non-implementation

Risks & tensions

  • Voluntary nature and 'to the extent permitted by law/practicable' language throughout may limit actual federal resource commitment
  • No new regulatory authority created—effectiveness depends entirely on agency willingness to redirect existing resources
  • 30-day notice before revocation recommendation is only hard procedural deadline in EO
  • First-phase designation of ten rivers has no fixed calendar deadline, only contingent on 'sufficient number of qualified nominations'
  • Private property protections (Section 1(d)) and explicit non-interference with state/local/tribal jurisdiction may reassure some stakeholders but constrain federal leverage
  • Diverse expert panel requirement (Section 2(c)) could lead to prolonged deliberation or competing interests
  • Judicial review waiver (Section 7) eliminates enforceability for communities if agencies fail to deliver support
Executive Order 13061: Federal Support of Community Efforts Along American Heritage Rivers · Executive Orders