Eightmile now 'Wild and Scenic' River, Norwich Bulletin

Eightmile now 'Wild and Scenic' River

By Michael Gannon

Norwich Bulletin

May 9, 2008

SALEM — President Bush has signed legislation designating the Eightmile River watershed as a federally recognized Wild and Scenic River.

The original bill, introduced in February 2007, was the first bill put forth by freshman U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District. Thursday, Courtney said it was a victory for the entire state.

"This is a terrific moment for the Eightmile River watershed and the many advocates who for 10 years have fought for its preservation," said Courtney in a joint statement with Anthony Irving, chairman of the Eightmile Wild and Scenic Coordinating Committee.

The law affords the watershed additional environmental protection. It also allows environmental groups access to an expanded number of funding programs for preservation.

"The real success of this designation is the many people from the towns who have supported, worked on and made this designation a reality," Irving said. "With so many believers, the future protection of the river system is in good and capable hands."

"Eastern Connecticut is fortunate to be the home of some of the most pristine natural environmental settings in our state," Courtney said. "The Eightmile River is a crown jewel that deserves to be preserved and protected."

U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., whom Courtney credited with getting the bill through the Senate, was equally pleased.

"The Eightmile River is one of nature's great works of art," Dodd said in a statement. "And today we have ensured that it will be preserved and protected for both present and future generations to enjoy."

Reach Michael Gannon at 425-4231 or mgannon@norwichbulletin.com.

Eightmile River Bill Dammed: The Day (July 16, 2007)

Eightmile River Bill Dammed (The Day)

Protection of the Eightmile River is an important issue to citizens in Connecticut, not a political game.

How could Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives do something so foolhardy?

After 10 years of hard, bipartisan work by local citizens, elected officials and environmental organizations to protect Connecticut's Eightmile River and its rural watershed, GOP clowns made political hay of the effort last week, following the lead of a Utah Republican and defeating the wild and scenic designation for the river.

While the Republican House members cloaked their opposition in concern about the possible use of eminent domain in the watershed, it was really their payback to newly elected Democratic Rep. Joe Courtney, who defeated Republican Rob Simmons for the 2nd Congressional District seat by 83 votes last November.

The Eightmile Wild and Scenic River Act was freshman Rep. Courtney's first bill, and in fact, was introduced by Mr. Simmons last year, but was never considered before Simmons' term ended.

The legislation has had wide support, including from the Bush administration and the National Park Service, the bipartisan Connecticut House delegation, Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, and the state legislature, which passed a resolution endorsing the measure.

This was a no-brainer. And it is something that the people in the communities where the Eightmile River is located, East Haddam, Salem and Lyme, have agreed is the best way to provide environmental protection for the stream and make it eligible for federal grants to make permanent the measures assuring its future water quality.

But last Wednesday Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, expressed concern that the bill might damage private property rights by leaving the door open for federal condemnation of land or the placement of restrictions on private property in the watershed. Absolutely not, proponents said. The bill specifically prohibits such actions. And they said Rep. Bishop and other Republicans knew that. It was just their way of getting back at Rep. Courtney.

The eminent domain guise caught proponents off guard, and at least temporarily derailed the long-sought wild and scenic designation.

The vote, which required two-thirds majority for passage, failed 239-173. All of the nay votes were Republican; and of the 239 in favor, Democrats cast all but 18.

How could protecting a river become so political? It never should have happened.

Republican Rep. Chris Shays of Fairfield supported the measure and sent a letter co-signed by Rep. Courtney to fellow congressmen urging passage of the bill, all to no avail. Gov. Rell also intervened.

Now the governor and Rep. Shays need to let Republicans know how petulantly they behaved. The bill is likely to resurface later this summer, and we're hoping it wins widespread approval.

It is also headed to the Senate, where Sens. Christopher J. Dodd and Joseph I. Lieberman support it.

The goal here is to protect a river. It is not a game of political one-upmanship. Republicans who voted against the Eightmile River legislation need to act more responsibly.

Congressman Backs Eightmile River Effort

As published in the Hartford Courant, February 19, 2007:

The 10-year effort to preserve and protect the Eightmile River watershed in Salem, Lyme and East Haddam took another critical step forward recently when Congressman Joe Courtney announced that the bill calling for designation as a wild and scenic river would be the first bill he submits as a freshman congressman.

Those of us who have worked on this project for years are enormously grateful to him for picking up the ball at this critical juncture. If we can achieve wild and scenic designation, we will have left a significant mark for the better on this remarkable resource and on our corner of this planet.

The Eightmile project has been building for a decade, through years of inter-town collaboration and study. With each passing year, we learn more about what an extraordinary river ecosystem we have right here in our own backyards.

Possibly the most remarkable thing about this effort is that it couldn't have succeeded without three towns - East Haddam, Salem and Lyme - coming together to create a joint management plan. When we went to Washington six years ago to testify for the study that resulted in this call for designation, this collaboration across town boundaries impressed committee members as much as any of the environmental superlatives we offered.

Courtney brings new energy and commitment to this inter-town project. We stand ready to help him in any way to bring this wild and scenic designation home to one of the last intact riverine ecosystems in our state.



Susan Merrow

East Haddam

The writer is a member of the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Committee.