[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2650 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

<DOC>

        H.R.2650

                       One Hundred Third Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
  the fifth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-three


                                 An Act

  
 
  To designate portions of the Maurice River and its tributaries in the 
State of New Jersey as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers 
Systems.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings._The Congress finds that_
        (1) the Maurice River and its tributaries, Menantico Creek, the 
    Manumuskin River, and Muskee Creek, are eligible for inclusion into 
    the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, the segments and their 
    classifications being as follows_
            (A) the Maurice River, lower segment, from the United States 
        Geological Survey Station at Shellpile to Route 670 Bridge at 
        Mauricetown, approximately 7.0 miles, as a recreational river;
            (B) the Maurice River, middle segment, from Route 670 Bridge 
        at Mauricetown to 3.6 miles upstream (at drainage ditch just 
        upstream of Fralinger Farm), approximately 3.8 miles as a scenic 
        river;
            (C) the Maurice River, middle segment, from the drainage 
        ditch just upstream of Fralinger Farm to one-half mile upstream 
        from the United States Geological Survey Station at Burcham 
        Farm, approximately 3.1 miles, as a recreational river;
            (D) the Maurice River, upper segment, from one-half mile 
        upstream from the United States Geological Survey Station at 
        Burcham Farm to the south side of the Millville sewage treatment 
        plant, approximately 3.6 miles, as a scenic river;
            (E) the Menantico Creek, lower segment, from its confluence 
        with the Maurice River to the Route 55 Bridge, approximately 1.4 
        miles, as a recreational river;
            (F) the Menantico Creek, upper segment, from the Route 55 
        Bridge to the base of the Impoundment at Menantico Lake, 
        approximately 6.5 miles, as a scenic river;
            (G) the Manumuskin River, lower segment, from its confluence 
        with the Maurice River to 2.0 miles upstream, as a recreational 
        river;
            (H) the Manumuskin River, upper segment, from 2.0 miles 
        upstream from its confluence with the Maurice River to 
        headwaters near Route 557, approximately 12.3 miles, as a scenic 
        river; and
            (I) the Muskee Creek from its confluence to the Pennsylvania 
        Reading Seashore Line Railroad bridge, approximately 2.7 miles, 
        as a scenic river;
        (2) a resource assessment of the Maurice River and its 
    tributaries, Menantico Creek, the Manumuskin River, and the Muskee 
    Creek shows that the area possesses numerous outstandingly 
    remarkable natural, cultural, scenic, and recreational resources 
    that are significant at the local, regional, and international 
    levels, including rare plant and animal species and critical 
    habitats for birds migrating to and from the north and south 
    hemispheres; and
        (3) a river management plan for the river system has been 
    developed by the Cumberland County Department of Planning and 
    Development and adopted by the Maurice River Township, Commercial 
    Township, and the City of Millville that would meet the requirements 
    of section 6(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the City of 
    Vineland has adopted a master plan which calls for river planning 
    and management and is in the process of adopting zoning ordinances 
    to implement their plan, and Buena Vista Township in Atlantic County 
    has adopted a land use plan consistent with the Pinelands 
    Comprehensive Plan which is more restrictive than the Cumberland 
    County local river management plan.
    (b) Purposes._The purposes of this Act are to_
        (1) declare the importance and irreplaceable resource values of 
    the Maurice River and its tributaries to water quality, human 
    health, traditional economic activities, ecosystem integrity, biotic 
    diversity, fish and wildlife, scenic open space and recreation and 
    protect such values through designation of the segments as 
    components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System;
        (2) recognize that the Maurice River System will continue to be 
    threatened by major development and that land use regulations of the 
    individual local political jurisdictions through which the river 
    segments pass cannot alone provide for an adequate balance between 
    conservation of the river's resources and commercial and industrial 
    development; and
        (3) recognize that segments of the Maurice River and its 
    tributaries additional to those designated under this Act are 
    eligible for potential designation at some point in the near future.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.

    Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) 
is amended by adding the following new paragraphs at the end thereof:
    ``(  ) The Maurice River, Middle Segment._From Route 670 Bridge at 
Mauricetown to 3.6 miles upstream (at drainage ditch just upstream of 
Fralinger Farm), approximately 3.8 miles to be administered by the 
Secretary of the Interior as a scenic river.
    ``(  ) The Maurice River, Middle Segment._From the drainage ditch 
just upstream of Fralinger Farm to one-half mile upstream from the 
United States Geological Survey Station at Burcham Farm, approximately 
3.1 miles, to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior as a 
recreational river.
    ``(  ) The Maurice River, Upper Segment._From one-half mile upstream 
from the United States Geological Survey Station at Burcham Farm to the 
south side of the Millville sewage treatment plant, approximately 3.6 
miles, to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior as a scenic 
river.
    ``(  ) The Menantico Creek, Lower Segment._From its confluence with 
the Maurice River to the Route 55 Bridge, approximately 1.4 miles, to be 
administered by the Secretary of the Interior as a recreational river.
    ``(  ) The Menantico Creek, Upper Segment._From the Route 55 Bridge 
to the base of the impoundment at Menantico Lake, approximately 6.5 
miles, to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior as a scenic 
river.
    ``(  ) Manumuskin River, Lower Segment._From its confluence with the 
Maurice River to a point 2.0 miles upstream, to be administered by the 
Secretary of the Interior as a recreational river.
    ``(  ) Manumuskin River, Upper Segment._From a point 2.0 miles 
upstream from its confluence with the Maurice River to its headwaters 
near Route 557, approximately 12.3 miles, to be administered by the 
Secretary of the Interior as a scenic river.
    ``(  ) Muskee Creek, New Jersey._From its confluence with the 
Maurice River to the Pennsylvania Seashore Line Railroad Bridge, 
approximately 2.7 miles, to be administered by the Secretary of the 
Interior as a scenic river.''.

SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT.

    (a) Duties of Secretary._The Secretary of the Interior shall manage 
the river segments designated as components of the National Wild and 
Scenic Rivers System by this Act through cooperative agreements with the 
political jurisdictions within which such segments pass, pursuant to 
section 10(e) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and in consultation 
with such jurisdictions, except that publicly-owned lands within the 
boundaries of such segments shall continue to be managed by the agency 
having jurisdiction over such lands.
    (b) Agreements._(1) Cooperative agreements for management of the 
river segments referred to in subsection (a) shall provide for the long-
term protection, preservation, and enhancement of such segments and 
shall be consistent with the comprehensive management plan for such 
segments to be prepared by the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to 
section 3(d) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and with the local river 
management plans prepared by appropriate local political jurisdictions 
in conjunction with the Secretary of the Interior.
    (2) The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with appropriate 
representatives of local political jurisdictions and the State of New 
Jersey, shall review local river management plans described in paragraph 
(1) to assure that their proper implementation will protect the values 
for which the river segments described in section 2 were designated as 
components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. If after such 
review the Secretary determines that such plans and their implementing 
local zoning ordinances meet the protection standards specified in 
section 6(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, then such plans shall be 
deemed to constitute ``local zoning ordinances'' and each township and 
other incorporated local jurisdiction covered by such plans shall be 
deemed to constitute a ``village'' for the purposes of section 6(c) 
(prohibiting the acquisition of lands by condemnation) of the Wild and 
Scenic Rivers Act.
    (3) The Secretary of the Interior shall biennially review compliance 
with the local river management plans described in paragraph (1) and 
shall promptly report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
United States House of Representatives and to the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources of the United States Senate any deviation from 
such which would result in any diminution of the values for which the 
river segment concerned was designated as a component of the National 
Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
    (c) Planning Assistance._The Secretary of the Interior may provide 
planning assistance to local political subdivisions of the State of New 
Jersey through which flow river segments that are designated as 
components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and may enter 
into memoranda of understanding or cooperative agreements with officials 
or agencies of the United States or the State of New Jersey to ensure 
that Federal and State programs that could affect such segments are 
carried out in a manner consistent with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 
and applicable river management plans.
    (d) Segment Additions._The Secretary of the Interior is encouraged 
to continue to work with the local municipalities to negotiate agreement 
and support for designating those segments of the Maurice River and its 
tributaries which were found eligible for designation pursuant to Public 
Law 100-33 and were not designated pursuant to this Act (hereinafter 
referred to as ``additional eligible segments''). For a period of 3 
years after the date of enactment of this Act, the provisions of the 
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act applicable to segments included in section 5 
of that Act shall apply to the additional eligible segments. The 
Secretary of the Interior is directed to report to the appropriate 
congressional committees within 3 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act on the status of discussions and negotiations with the local 
municipalities and on recommendations toward inclusion of additional 
river segments into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
    (e) Appropriations._For the purposes of the segment described by 
subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may 
be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.







                                Speaker of the House of Representatives.







                             Vice President of the United States and    
                                                President of the Senate.