Rio Grande's nomination as Heritage River sparks controversy
By PAULINE ARRILLAGA / Associated Press Writer
PENITAS, Texas (AP) -- Ask almost anyone who lives along the Texas border what the region's most important resource is, and the prevailing answer is water -- specifically, the Rio Grande.
Ask how to best maintain that resource, the answers begin to vary.
So it's hardly surprising that when a group of politicians and civic leaders nominated the Rio Grande as one of President Clinton's American Heritage Rivers, some border residents collectively raised a wary eyebrow.
Supporters of the initiative say it would allow border communities to tap existing federal resources for environmental and economic development projects.
But opponents, specifically farmers and ranchers who own land along the river bank, fear it would bring more regulations and simply duplicate programs already in place.
"As landowners, we're of course concerned about our property rights," said Jerry Bell, who farms nearly 1,000 acres of cotton and grain in Penitas, a riverside community of about 2,000 residents about 12 miles west of McAllen.
"They promise us there won't be any new rules or regulations, but that can change," Bell said.
Those who back the program say fear and ignorance are driving landowners to sabotage an initiative that would benefit everyone living along the Rio Grande.
They insist that no new regulatory requirements would come out of it. They also note that communities that don't want to participate don't have to.
"They really don't know what the facts are," said Mary Yturria, a Brownsville rancher who sits on an advisory committee supporting the nomination.
"I'm never going to be in favor of anything that would jeopardize a property owner," Mrs. Yturria said. "To me, this is a very innovative project. It's a very exciting project."
The Texas portion of the Rio Grande, 1,250 miles of river stretching from El Paso to the Gulf of Mexico, east of Brownsville, was among 126 rivers nominated this month for the designation.
A panel created by President Clinton's Council on Environmental Quality is reviewing applications and will submit recommendations to the president, who plans to select the first 10 American Heritage rivers early next year.
Although the initiative will provide no new funding, supporters said it would help communities tap into existing resources for river-related projects.
Those projects include a proposed riverwalk in downtown El Paso, a binational program to teach Laredo and Nuevo Laredo students about the effects of river pollution, and a project to extend water lines into three Laredo colonias that lack safe drinking water.
In the Rio Grande Valley, the designation would be used to step up efforts to convert the 3,400-acre Palo Alto Battlefield into a national park and to promote economic development projects that support the region's growing industry.
"We believe the initiative is a good idea and can assist us in getting some of the improvements that we need here done," said Brownsville City Manager Carlos Rubinstein.
The mayors of more than 20 border cities have signed on in support of the project, as well as officials in seven border counties: Cameron, Dimmit, Jim Hogg, Maverick, Starr, Webb and Zapata.
But Bell said support stems only from elected officials, not the people living within those communities. He has sent dozens of letters opposing the program to the Council on Environmental Quality, asking them to reject the Rio Grande's nomination.
"We'd like to just sit back for a year and see how the program works elsewhere," he said. "Right now, it is just not to the best benefit of all."