🚀 go-pugleaf

Here is a press release from Anerican Rivers. I downloaded
the press release from the U.S. Newswire BBS in Maryland
at 410-363-0834. I do not work for or belong to American
Rivers.

 American Rivers Announces Continent's Most Endangered Rivers
of 1995

 Contact: Randy Showstack of American Rivers, 202-547-6900

   WASHINGTON, April 18  -- American Rivers, North America's
leading river conservation organization, today released its
55-page report on the continent's most endangered and threatened
rivers of 1995.
   The Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River, in Montana and Wyoming,
is the most endangered river of North America, as it was in 1994.
The river and Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem face catastrophic damage
from the notorious "New World" gold mine, to be developed in the
mountains just 2-1/2 miles northeast of Yellowstone National Park.
   Second on the endangered list is the Los Angeles River, known more
for movie images of car chases rather than as a vital natural
resource.  It is the most endangered urban river.  Other endangered
rivers include the Animas in Colorado, imperilled by one of the last
big dam projects in the West; the Kansas, a heartland river poisoned
by pesticides that is a major drinking water source; and some of the
nation's most beloved rivers: the Columbia and Snake River System,
Missouri, and Mississippi.
   The 10 most endangered rivers and 20 other highly threatened
rivers listed flow through 35 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C.,
Canada and Mexico.  The most endangered rivers are:
   1) Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River (Montana, Wyoming) -- most
endangered river;
   2) Los Angeles River (California) -- most endangered urban river;
   3) Columbia and Snake River System, including the Yakima River
(Washington, Oregon, Idaho);
   4) Animas River (Colorado);
   5) Missouri River (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska,
North Dakota, South Dakota);
   6) Kansas River (Kansas);
   7) Mississippi River ( Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin);
   8) Cheat River (West Virginia)
   9) Penobscot River (Maine);
  10) Thorne River (Alaska)

   "On the 25th anniversary of Earth Day, American Rivers' report on
the most endangered and threatened rivers of North America highlights
rivers which face the continent's worst environmental abuse, and
provides a snapshot of the state of our rivers today," said American
Rivers President Rebecca Wodder.
   "Our leading source of fresh water, rivers are more threatened
than ever before.  Congress is attacking important environmental laws
while rivers undergo a severe decline.  The destruction of river
ecosystems and fisheries, fouling of drinking water, and loss of
biodiversity and Native American heritage are due to non-point and
point source pollution, poor land use practices such as inappropriate
logging and mining, misguided flood control measures, dams and excess
water diversions," Wodder said.
   "American Rivers is sounding an alert to the public about the
severity of imperilment facing these and many other rivers, so that
significant steps can be taken to protect them," she added.  Along
with its report, American Rivers issued a list of "Earth Day
Resolutions for the Clinton Administration," actions that the Clinton
Administration should take to protect each of the rivers on the Most
Endangered Rivers List.
   Other speakers at the news conference in Washington, D.C.,
included American Rivers board member Charles Kuralt, who said,
"We as a nation need to determine that rivers, running through
our landscape and through our bodies, providing habitat for
fish and wildlife, economic boost to communities, sustenance
for the soul and drinking water for millions of people, are
worth saving.  In an era of divisiveness, rivers connect us
all and make us richer as a nation, as a people." U.S. Rep.
Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) announced at the news conference that
he will be introducing legislation in May to protect the greater
Yellowstone region from the proposed "New World" gold mine.

   The Ten Most Endangered Rivers
   The endangered and threatened rivers flow through the following
areas: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida,
Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,
Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska,
Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon,
South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Washington, D.C.,
West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Quebec and Northern Mexico.
   Here are descriptions of ten most endangered rivers of North
America:

   -- Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone -- The notorious "New World"
mine endangers the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River and the
ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park.  Planned for development in
the mountains just above the park, this mine poses unprecedented and
catastrophic threats to the world-class ecological, scenic and fish
and wildlife resources of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
   A plan to extract at least $500 million worth of gold from the
proposed mine has been devised by Crown Butte Mines Inc., a Montana
corporation completely owned by a web of Canadian corporations,
including Noranda Inc., a multi-billion dollar, multinational
conglomerate.
   On Jan. 13, American Rivers and Trout Unlimited filed with
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt a major legal challenge to
the development of the mine.  The action contests the mine company's
application to purchase 27 key acres of public land for $135,
pursuant to the 1872 Mining Law, and asks Babbitt to deny the
company's purchase application.  The 27 acres Crown Butte seeks
to buy are a critical component in the company's mining scheme.
   At today's news conference, Richardson announced his plan to
introduce legislation in early May to protect Yellowstone and the
other resources in the area from degradation by designating the area
as a "National Recreation Area." "I am unwilling to sacrifice
Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding ecosystem for some gold
chains and bracelets," Richardson said.

   -- Los Angeles River -- The river suffers from toxic runoff, raw
sewage, uncontrolled and poorly planned development, harmful
industrial chemicals and heavy channelization.  The river is
threatened by a $300 million, 21-mile Army Corps of Engineers flood
control project, which is planned for construction starting in April
1995.

   -- Columbia and Snake River System -- The river's salmon runs are
nearing "extinction vortex" due to hydropower dams and loss of
natural habitat in the watershed.

   -- Animas River -- The river is threatened by the last big Bureau
of Reclamation project in the West; 1995 is the year in which the
fate of the uneconomical Animas-La Plata water project will be
determined.

   -- Missouri River -- Damming and channelization has eliminated the
river's braided channels, islands and sandbars and also has nearly
eliminated spawning, nursery and foraging habitat critical for
survival of native fish and wildlife.  One-fifth of native species
are imperilled.  The drinking water is contaminated by herbicides
from agricultural runoff.

   -- Kansas River -- This crucial drinking water supply for Kansas
City, Topeka and other areas and a stopping point for 110 species of
migratory birds has been radically altered by herbicides, dams,
erosion from farms and sand dredging.

   -- Mississippi River -- After centuries of abuse, the river is
losing key links in its complex food chain that scientists say will
lead to ecological collapse.  The Army Corps of Engineers plans to
spend $5 billion to expand the river's lock and dam system without
considering ways to protect natural values and drinking water
supplies.  They also plan to destroy 11,000 acres of wetlands and
bottomland hardwoods to raise levees in Arkansas, Louisiana and
Mississippi, while studying ways to increase heights of existing
levees in Illinois and Missouri.  The river provides drinking water
to 18 million people and is contaminated by organic waste and
herbicides.

   -- Cheat River -- West Virginia's 150-mile long, largely
free-flowing Cheat River faces several severe threats: blow-outs of
acid runoff from abandoned mines, dam proposals, and property rights
advocates opposing designation of the Cheat as a National Wild and
Scenic River.

   -- Penobscot River -- The proposed Basin Mills hydroelectric dam
threatens successful salmon restoration efforts that have cost
millions of dollars and decades of effort by U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and the State of Maine.  Along the West Branch, Great
Northern Paper Inc. operates six dams and is requesting 30-50 year
license renewals while opposing environmental improvements.

   -- Thorne River -- A massive timber sale threatens the Thorne
River watershed in Alaska's Tongass National Forest with significant
destruction of wildlife and aquatic habitat and severe erosion.  The
Alaska Congressional delegation, with a long history of favoring
commercial uses of the Tongass at the expense of other forest values,
currently has unprecedented political power over the fate of the
nation's public lands.

   Threatened Rivers
   American Rivers also named 20 other highly threatened rivers.
Listed alphabetically by region, they are:

   Northwest
   1.  Elwha River (Washington)
   2.  Little Bighorn River (Wyoming)
   3.  Rogue and Illinois River System (Oregon)
   4.  Skokomish River (Washington)

   Southwest
   5.  Gila and San Pedro River Systsm (Arizona, New Mexico, Mexico)
   6.  New River (California, Mexico)
   7.  Rio Grande
   8.  Russian River (California)
   9.  San Jacinto River (Texas)
   10. Virgin River (Arizona, Nevada, Utah)

   Midwest
   11. Minnesota River (Minnesota)
   12. Platte River (Nebraska)
   13. West Pearl River (Louisiana)
   14. Wolf River (Wisconsin)

   East
   15. Anacostia River (Washington, D.C., Maryland)
   16. Chattahoochee River (Alabama, Georgia)
   17. Everglades (Florida)
   18. Fish Creek (New York)
   19. Moisie and Sainte Marguerite Rivers (Quebec)
   20. Neuse River (North Carolina)
    ------
   Editors: For more information on specific rivers, a copy
of American Rivers' report and details concerning the April
18 afternoon satellite feed, contact American Rivers, 202-547-6900.
 -30-


-- 
Nigel Allen          ndallen@io.org