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THE SECRETARYOF THE INTERIORWASHINGTON

ORDERNO. 3321

SIGNATUREDATE:M ay24,2012

Subject:Establishmentof a NationalBluewaysSystem

Purposeec. 1 . ThisOrderestablishesa programto recognizer iversystemsconservedthroughdiversestakeholderpartnershipsthatusea comprehensivewatershedapproachto r e s o u r c estewardship.Riversystemsdesignatedas a NationalBluewayshal lcollectivelyconstituteaNationalBluewaysSystem.Th eNationalBluewaysSystemwill providea n ewnationalemphasisonth euniquevaluean dsignificanceof a “headwatersto mouth”approachto rivermanagementandcreatea mechanismto encouragestakeholdersto integratetheirlandan dwaterstewardshipeffortsb yadoptinga watershedapproach.ThisOrderalsoestablishesanintra-agencyNationalBluewaysCommit teeto provideleadership,direction, andcoordinationto th eNationalBluewaysSystem.It furtherdirectsth ebureausof th eDepartmentof th eInteriorInterior)to collaboratein supportingth eNationalBluewaysSystem,to th eextentpermittedb y

lawan dconsistentwiththeirmissionsan dresources.

Backgroundec. 2 . Riversplaya vitalrolein connectingAmericanswithth elandsan dwatersthatprovideeconomic,ecreational,social,cu ltural, andecologicalvalueto theircommunities.Healthyriversareintegralto th equalityof life for all Americansan dthe i rcommunities.Resilientriversan dwatershedsareessentialsourcesof cleanwatersuppliesfor rural,agricultural,andurbancommunitiesalike.Riversprovideimportanthabitatfor fishandwildlifespeciesandactas corridorsfor the i rmigrationanddispersal,providingecosystemconnectivitythatsupportsresilienceto environmentalchange.Riverssupportou rrecreationandtourismeconomyb yprovidingopportunitiesfor boating,ishing,hiking,camping,swimming,an dnumerousotheractivities.Riversoffera focalpo in tfor environmentaleducationan doutreachthathelpscommunitiesunderstandan dconnectwithth egreatoutdoors.

AcrosstheNation,communitiesof stakeholdershaveformedpartnershipsfocusedonstewardshipan dsustainabilityof riversandtheirwatersheds.WhenthesepartnershipsworksuccessfullyacrossFederalagencies,withstate, ocal,andtribalgovernments,an dwithnon-prof i torganizations,privatelandowners,an db u s i n e s s e stheyareableto accomplishthe i rs h a r e dstewardshipandconservationobjectives.NationalrecognitionandFederalagencycoordinationin suppor tof r iversystemswill inspireandhelpstakeholdersto planandmanagefor th eresiliencyan dconnectivityof theirrivers,to seekcooperationan dcollaborationamongcommunitiesan dacrossjurisdictions,an dto strivefor an integrative,adaptiveapproachforsustainingth ewholer iversystem.

NationalBluewayswill b enationallyan dregionallysignificantriversandthe i rwatershedsthatarehighlyvaluedrecreational,social,economic,cultural,andecologicala s s e t sfor th ecommunitiesthatdependo nthem . NationalBluewaysencouragea landscape-scalea p p r o a c hto



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riverconservationthatinvolvesa r iverfromits headwatersto its mouthandacrossits watershed,ratherthanindividualsegmentsof th echannelan driparianareaalone.Establishmentof aNationalBluewaysSystemwill helppromotebes tpractices, shareinformationandresources,andencourageactiveandcollaborativestewardshipof riversacrossth ecountry.

Authori tyec. 3 . ThisOrderis issuedin accordancewithauthorityprovidedunderth eTakePridein AmericaAct, PublicLaw101-628; h eOutdoorRecreationAct, PublicLaw87-714;an dth eCooperativeWatershedManagementProgramof th eOmnibusPublicLandManagementAc tof 2009,PublicLaw111-11. Th ebureauswithinInteriorhavea broadpanoplyof legalauthorityto carryou ttheirrespectivemissionsthatsupportenhancingriverrecreation, un dertakingriverrestoration,an dpursuingriverprotectioninitiativesto passonhealthyriversto futuregenerations.Theseauthoritiesincludeth eComprehensiveEnvironmentalResponse,Compensation,andLiabilityAct, 42U.S.C. 601et seq.; h eFishandWildlifeAct of 1956,16U.S.C. 742et seq.; h eFishandWildlifeCoordinationAct, 16U.S.C. 61et seq.; h eLandan dWaterConservationFundAct of 1965,16U.S.C. 4601-4 seq.; h eNationalWildan dScenicRiversAct of 1968,16U.S.C. 271-1287; h eFederalLandPolicyan dManagementAct,43U.S.C 1702et seq.; h eReclamationAct, PublicLaw57-161; h eOmnibusPublicLandManagementAct of 2009,PublicLaw111-11;andth eNationalTrailsSystemAct of 1968,1 6U.S.C. 241et seq.

ModelNationalBluewayec. 4 . I erebydesignateth eConnecticutRiverandWatersheda sth ef irstNationalBluewayas a modelfor futuredesignations.Th eConnecticutRiverWatershedexemplifiesth eNationalBluewaysSystemwithdiversepartnershipsof interestedcommunitiesincludingover40partnerorganizations,protectionof over2 millionacresof habitat,environmentalandeducationaleffortsaimedat urbanandruralpop ulations, andrecreationalaccessto th eriver,ts tributaries,andpubliclands.

NationalBluewaysCommitteeec. 5 . ThisOrderestablishesa NationalBluewaysCommit teeCommittee),to bechairedb yth eSecretaryor h isor h erdesignee.

a. Membership.Membersof th eCommitteewill includea representatived e s i g n a t e db yth eDirectorsof th eBureauof LandManagement,NationalParkService,Fishan dWildlifeService,U.S. GeologicalSurvey,an dth eBureauof IndianAffairs;h eCommissionerofReclamation;anda representativedesignatedb yth eAssistantSecretary –Policy,ManagementandBudget.Th eCommitteemayalsoincluderepresentativesof otherFederalagencies,whoserepresentativesshal lparticipatethroughappropriateagreements.

b. Responsibilities.Th eCommitteewill:

i Overseeth eprocessof NationalBluewayscriteriadevelopment,a s s e s s m e n tan ddesignation;

ii Makerecommendationsto th eSecretaryfor th edesignationof NationalBlueways;



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iii Overseesupportprovidedb yInteriorto designatedNationalBlueways;and

iv Reportto th eSecretaryo nth eprogress,accomplishments,opportunities,

andchallengesof th eNationalBluewaysSystem.NationalBluewaysSystemec. 6 . Th eNationalBluewaysSystemprogramshal lrecognize

an dpromotenationallyor regionallysignificantriversandthe i rwatersheds.

a. Nomination.An yestablishedstakeholderpartnershipmay, n collaborationwitha sponsoringFederalor stateagency,nominatea r iveran dits associatedwatershedas a p r o p o s e dNationalBluewayb ysubmittinganapplicationaccordingto th enominationprocessan da s s e s s m e n tcriteria.

b. Assessment.Th ea s s e s s m e n tcriteriawill evaluateth eintrinsicvaluesa riverandits watershedp o s s e s sandth einterestedcommunities’recordof commitmentto landandwatermanagementpracticesthatprovideor maintainoutstandingrecreational,social,and/or ecologicalbenefits.

c. Designation.Followingconsiderationof recommendationsmadeb yth eCommittee,h eSecretarym aydesignatetheriveran dits associatedwatershedas a NationalBluewaythatwill becomepar tof th eNationalBluewaysSystem.

d. Alignment .BureauswithinInterior,to th eextentpermittedb ylawan dconsistentwiththe i rmissions,policies,an dresources,shallendeavorto alignth eexecutionof agencyp l a n sandimplementationof agencyprogramsto protect,estore,an de n h a n c eth enatural,cultural,and/or recreationalresourcesassociatedwithdesignatedNationalBlueways.

e. Coordination.Bureauswill coordinatewithinInterioran dwithotherparticipatingFederal,state, ocal,andtribalagenciesan dpartnersto supportdesignatedNationalBlueways.

f. Partnerships.Bureausareencouraged,to th eextentpermittedb ylaw,to developpartnershipswithotherfederal,state, ocal,andtribalgovernments,wateran dpowerauthorities,andcommuni tyandn o n -governmentalorganizationsin supportof designatedNationalBlueways.Bureauswill beresponsiveto th ediverseneedsof differentkindsof communitiesf rom,h ecoreof ou rcitiesto th eremoteruralareas,an dshallseekto ensurethatth eroleplayedb yth eFederalGovernmentis complementaryto th eplansan dw o r kbeingcarriedo u t b yotherFederal,state, ocal,andtribalgovernments.To th eextentpracticable,Federalresourceswill bestrategicallydirectedto complementresourcesbeingspentb ythesepartnerentities.

Disclaimerec. 7 . Nothingin thisOrderis intendedto authorizeor affectth euseof privateproperty.Nothingin thisOrderis intendedto beth ebasisfor th eexerciseof anynewregulatoryauthority,n o rshallthisinitiativeor anydesignationpursuantto thisOrderaffector interferewithan yFederal,state, ocal,andtribalgovernmentjurisdictionor applicablelawincludinginterstatecompactsrelatingto wateror th elawsof anystateor triberelatingto th econtrol,appropriation,useor distributionof wateror waterrights.



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Implementat ionec. 8 . Th eDeputySecretaryis responsiblefor ensuringth eimplementationof thisOrder. Nothingin thisOrdershallb einterpretedas amending,evising,or modifyingeitherExecutiveOrder13061of September11,1997,en titled, “FederalSuppor tof Communi ty

EffortsAlongAmericanHeritageRivers”or SecretarialOrder3319of February29,2012,en titled, “Establishmentof a NationalWaterTrailsSystem.”

ExpirationDateec. 9 . ThisOrderis effectiveimmediately.It shallremainin effectunt i litsprovisionsareconvertedto th eDepartmentalManualor unt i lit is amended,s u p e r s e d e dorrevoked,whichevercomesfirst.

s/ KenSalazarSecretaryof th eInterior

SO 332105/2 4/2012