[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2139 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2139

 To establish a commission to study the question of adding the Niagara 
            River Gorge to the Wild and Scenic River System.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 1995

 Mr. LaFalce introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a commission to study the question of adding the Niagara 
            River Gorge to the Wild and Scenic River System.
    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

                              short title

    Section 1. This Act may be cited as the ``Niagara Gorge Wild and 
Scenic River Study Act''.
    Sec. 2. Congress finds that--
            (1) the segment of the Niagara River known as the Niagara 
        Gorge is a unique natural resource of national significance;
            (2) there is strong support among local, State, and Federal 
        officials, and area residents, for a concerted cooperative 
        effort to manage the gorge in a productive and meaningful way; 
        and
            (3) in view of the longstanding Federal practice of 
        assisting States and local governments in protecting, 
        conserving, and enhancing rivers of national significance, the 
        United States has an interest in assisting the State of New 
        York and the appropriate local governments in managing the 
        gorge.
    Sec. 3. Section 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 
1276(a)) is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
    ``(  ) Niagara Gorge, New York. The segment of the Niagara River 
known as the `Niagara Gorge', as may be more specifically defined by 
the Secretary of the Interior following appropriate studies.''.
    Sec. 4. Section 5(b) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1276 (b)) is amended by 
adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph:
    ``The study of the Niagara Gorge identified in paragraph (  ) of 
subsection (a) shall be completed and the report submitted thereon not 
later than the end of the third fiscal year beginning after the 
enactment of this paragraph. Such report shall include a discussion of 
management alternatives for the gorge if it were to be included in the 
national wild and scenic river system.''.
    Sec. 5. At the earliest practicable date following enactment of 
this title, but not later than forty-five days after enactment, the 
Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter in this title referred to as the 
``Secretary'') shall implement a Niagara Gorge Study Process within the 
Department of the Interior. The process shall commence immediately upon 
enactment of this paragraph and shall terminate on the later of the 
following: (a) the completion of the river study of the Niagara Gorge 
as described in section 5(a)(  ) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act; or 
(b) the publication of management alternatives should the river be 
included in the wild and scenic rivers system.
    Sec. 6. As used in this title (other than in section 3) the term 
``River'' means the segments of the Niagara Gorge described in 
paragraph (  ) of section 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
U.S.C. 1275(a)).
    Sec. 7. There are authorized to be appropriated up to $150,000 to 
carry out the purposes of this title.
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