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AMERICAN HERITAGE RIVER "NAVIGATOR" SELECTED TO HELP COMMUNITIES RESTORE CT RIVER

Release Date: 05/20/1999
Contact Information: Amy Miller, EPA Press Office (617-918-1042)

BOSTON - Community leaders in four states and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have named a "river navigator" to help coordinate their efforts to restore the Connecticut River.

Dan Burke, who has extensive experience in community relations, was chosen to work on issues related to conserving and enhancing the resources of the river and its communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire.

The Connecticut River is among 14 rivers chosen by President Clinton last year as American Heritage Rivers. The American Heritage River program was created to support local efforts towards restoring the historical, environmental, cultural, economic and environmental value of America's great rivers. Burke, a 6-year veteran of the EPA, will help communities realize goals they set for the Connecticut River when it was named an American Heritage River.

Burke was chosen largely because of his successful work with citizens and local officials in EPA's on-site clean up program. Most recently, Burke worked for EPA as an on-site coordinator on the General Electric site in Pittsfield, Mass. He was in charge of site investigations for PCB contamination and worked directly with citizens and town officials in Pittsfield. Burke's extensive experience with budgets and managing projects will help him in his efforts to bring more people, programs and funds to the job of improving the Connecticut River.

"I am thrilled to be part of the American Heritage Rivers Initiative," Burke said. "As the river navigator, I will help local and regional groups achieve the goals they have set out in the Connecticut River Action Plan. I have always enjoyed the cultural and historical features of the Connecticut River Valley and I look forward to playing a key role in achieving these goals."

"Dan is an ideal choice to help bring the Connecticut River into a new era," said John P. DeVillars, EPA's New England Administrator. "With his past experience in working with citizens, he will be able to help the community create a healthier, more vibrant river that plays a central role in the region's economy."

"We are really pleased to have Dan on board as the Connecticut's navigator," said Whitty Sanford, associate executive director of the Connecticut River Watershed Council Inc. "He's a good listener, quite articulate, and very personable. Plus he has the skills and expertise we were seeking to help us succeed with the 29 projects proposed in the action plan.

"People in the Connecticut River Valley are fortunate to have a person of Dan Burke's qualifications chosen as the federal government's river navigator," said Sharon Francis, executive director of the Connecticut River Joint Commissions. "He has worked successfully with local communities to address a number of environmental challenges. His demonstrated responsiveness to local concerns and strong background in federal programs will be a real asset as he helps us carry out the aims of the Connecticut River Valley's winning American Heritage River designation."

"We are delighted that someone with Dan's credentials has been selected to serve in this role. The Connecticut River navigator will play a valuable role in carrying the successes of the past decade into the next century," said Arthur J. Rocque Jr., commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. "The Connecticut River is the heart of Connecticut and New England. The river's restoration and recovery of it over the past decade has been tremendous and the national recognition as one of the nation's American Heritage Rivers is well-deserved."

The Connecticut River Action Plan has seven underlying objectives: to revitalize urban centers and rural towns; conserve working lands and rural open spaces; preserve recreational, cultural and historic resources; improve water quality; restore and maintain wildlife and fisheries habitat; sustain riverbanks and safeguard flood plains; and build a federal/state support system for the communities and people in the Connecticut River Valley.

Burke will be a key player in building a support system for the 29 projects in the action plan. He will work with all key federal, state and local agencies to build this support system throughout the Connecticut River Valley. The US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Resources Conservation Service will help support the navigator program by giving Burke equipment and office space in the Connecticut River Valley.