Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers Study

(a)

Designation for study

Section 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(__)

Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers, Rhode Island and Connecticut

The approximately 10-mile segment of the Beaver River from its headwaters in Exeter, Rhode Island, to its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the approximately 5-mile segment of the Chipuxet River from Hundred Acre Pond to its outlet into Worden Pond; the approximately 10-mile segment of the upper Queen River from its headwaters to the Usquepaugh Dam in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and including all its tributaries; the approximately 5-mile segment of the lower Queen (Usquepaugh) River from the Usquepaugh Dam to its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the approximately 11-mile segment of the upper Wood River from its headwaters to Skunk Hill Road in Richmond and Hopkinton, Rhode Island, and including all its tributaries; the approximately 10-mile segment of the lower Wood River from Skunk Hill Road to its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the approximately 28-mile segment of the Pawcatuck River from Worden Pond to Nooseneck Hill Road (RI Rte 3) in Hopkinton and Westerly, Rhode Island; and the approximately 7-mile segment of the lower Pawcatuck River from Nooseneck Hill Road to Pawcatuck Rock, Stonington, Connecticut, and Westerly, Rhode Island.

(b)

Study and report

Section 5(b) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(__)

Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers, Rhode Island and Connecticut

Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are made available to carry out this paragraph, the Secretary of the Interior shall—(A)complete the study of the Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers, Rhode Island and Connecticut, described in subsection (a)(__);(B)submit a report describing the results of that study to the appropriate committees of Congress;(C)include in the report under subparagraph (B) the effect of the designation under this Act on—(i)existing commercial and recreational activities, such as hunting, fishing, trapping, recreational shooting, motor boat use, or bridge construction;(ii)the authorization, construction, operation, maintenance, or improvement of energy production and transmission infrastructure; and(iii)the authority of State and local governments to manage those activities encompassed in clauses (i) and (ii); and(D)identify—(i)all authorities that will authorize or require the Secretary to influence local land use decisions (such as zoning) or place restrictions on non-Federal land if the area studied is designated under this paragraph;(ii)all authorities that the Secretary may use to condemn property if the area studied is designated under this paragraph; and(iii)all private property located in the area studied under this provision.