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Commissioner Stanbridge reviewed her Memorandum and noted that the designation <br />will only promote a sense of pride and aid in the preservation and restoration of the river. <br />Such designations have been employed to bring in tens of thousands of dollars in federal <br />funds and no small county could hope to compete without them. She believed this is an <br />exciting proposal and there is no hidden agenda. She reviewed the list of supporters and <br />noted that these are known and trusted people who would not lend their names to a corrupt <br />program. <br />MOTION WAS MADE by Commissioner <br />Stanbridge, SECONDED by Commissioner Adams, <br />that the Board support the designation of the St. <br />Johns River as an American Heritage River. <br />Commissioner Ginn spoke in opposition to the motion as the designation is not <br />community -led but instigated by a group within the White House. She described a situation <br />at the Escalante National Monument in Utah in 1996 where the designation was approved <br />over the objections of local officials and landowners. She believed this is a states' rights and <br />property rights issue. She noted that both State Representative Sembler and Congressman <br />Weldon are opposed to this designation. She felt the level of trust has been seriously eroded <br />by the Escalante project and what has happened recently in Washington. She questioned <br />why a "Navigator" will be federally appointed and make $100,000 per year if this is merely <br />a "feel good" designation. <br />Commissioner Stanbridge believed that if this designation had been in place 35 years <br />ago, the Kissimmee River would not have been channelized and we would not be faced with <br />spending billions to restore it. <br />Commissioner Ginn expressed her concerns about the future grabbing of regulatory <br />powers by the federal government. She believed it is time we stand up for our freedoms and <br />resist the state and federal rules and regulations which can make the average citizen twist in <br />the wind. <br />Commissioner Tippin felt he could not support the motion because of his many <br />concerns. He recalled the restrictions on building in Sebastian Highlands and his sympathy <br />for those elderly couples who retired to the area and were not able to build on their own <br />property. He did not want to risk another bureaucracy. <br />FEBRUARY 16, 1999 <br />-69- BOOK 108 PAGE40e"' <br />