NRCP History
 In the fall of 1998, civic and community leaders from each of the New River watershed’s states came together to launch a new non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the local economies of New River communities, protecting the region's valuable natural resources, preserving the New River's unique culture and history, and educating our people. The opportunity for the birth of this new organization arose out of the White House designation of the New River as the nation's first American Heritage River.
New River Community Partners (NRCP) formed as a grassroots not-for-profit organization established to oversee and coordinate implementation of the New River's American Heritage Rivers Work Plan. In keeping with the grassroots, community-led nature of the American Heritage Rivers Initiative, NRCP's initial role was to engage the entire watershed in a grassroots planning process designed to identify priority projects on a community-by-community basis. Projects were not pre-judged nor did we seek to impede the creative process of communities deciding for themselves what is important for their communities.
The phrase "community partners" has broad meaning and is the essential ingredient to the success that NRCP has achieved during our first ten years. Community partners include local governments, regional non-profit organizations, local civic groups, and in some cases, individual community leaders. NRCP has also worked strenuously to establish a network of funding and technical assistance partners at the private, state and federal levels.
Connecting communities to the resources of the federal government is a primary focus for the American Heritage Rivers Initiative. In keeping with this focus, NRCP worked with the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the United States Army Corps of Engineers to select a high level federal liaison known as our "River Navigator." The River Navigator's role is to help create new partnerships by fostering relationships with state and federal agencies and seeking training and technical assistance opportunities for New River communities. Ben Borda, Assistant Chief of Planning for the Huntington District of the US Army Corps of Engineers, serves as our New River Navigator. In 2006, Ben received recognition for his exemplary service to the New River watershed and the American Heritage Rivers Initiative. |
