[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2773 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.2773

                       One Hundred Sixth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
             the twenty-fourth day of January, two thousand


                                 An Act


 
 To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate the Wekiva River 
 and its tributaries of Wekiwa Springs Run, Rock Springs Run, and Black 
 Water Creek in the State of Florida as components of the national wild 
                        and scenic rivers system.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wekiva Wild and Scenic River Act of 
2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
        (1) Public Law 104-311 (110 Stat. 3818) amended section 5 of 
    the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276) to require the 
    study of the Wekiva River and its tributaries of Rock Springs Run 
    and Seminole Creek for potential inclusion in the national wild and 
    scenic rivers system.
        (2) The study determined that the Wekiva River, Wekiwa Springs 
    Run, Rock Springs Run, and Black Water Creek are eligible for 
    inclusion in the national wild and scenic rivers system.
        (3) The State of Florida has demonstrated its commitment to 
    protecting these rivers and streams by the enactment of the Wekiva 
    River Protection Act (Florida Statute chapter 369), by the 
    establishment of a riparian wildlife protection zone and water 
    quality protection zone by the St. Johns River Water Management 
    District, and by the acquisition of lands adjacent to these rivers 
    and streams for conservation purposes.
        (4) The Florida counties of Lake, Seminole, and Orange have 
    demonstrated their commitment to protect these rivers and streams 
    in their comprehensive land use plans and land development 
    regulations.
        (5) The desire for designation of these rivers and streams as 
    components of the national wild and scenic rivers system has been 
    demonstrated through strong public support, State and local agency 
    support, and the endorsement of designation by the Wekiva River 
    Basin Ecosystem Working Group, which represents a broad cross 
    section of State and local agencies, landowners, environmentalists, 
    nonprofit organizations, and recreational users.
        (6) The entire lengths of the Wekiva River, Rock Springs Run, 
    and Black Water Creek are held in public ownership or conservation 
    easements or are defined as waters of the State of Florida.

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF WEKIVA RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES, FLORIDA, AS 
              COMPONENTS OF NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS SYSTEM.

    Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(161) Wekiva River, Wekiwa Springs Run, Rock Springs Run, and 
Black Water Creek, Florida.--The 41.6-mile segments referred to in this 
paragraph, to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior:
        ``(A) Wekiva river and wekiwa springs run.--The 14.9 miles of 
    the Wekiva River, along Wekiwa Springs Run from its confluence with 
    the St. Johns River to Wekiwa Springs, to be administered in the 
    following classifications:
            ``(i) From the confluence with the St. Johns River to the 
        southern boundary of the Lower Wekiva River State Preserve, 
        approximately 4.4 miles, as a wild river.
            ``(ii) From the southern boundary of the Lower Wekiva River 
        State Preserve to the northern boundary of Rock Springs State 
        Reserve at the Wekiva River, approximately 3.4 miles, as a 
        recreational river.
            ``(iii) From the northern boundary of Rock Springs State 
        Reserve at the Wekiva River to the southern boundary of Rock 
        Springs State Reserve at the Wekiva River, approximately 5.9 
        miles, as a wild river.
            ``(iv) From the southern boundary of Rock Springs State 
        Reserve at the Wekiva River upstream along Wekiwa Springs Run 
        to Wekiwa Springs, approximately 1.2 miles, as a recreational 
        river.
        ``(B) Rock springs run.--The 8.8 miles from the confluence of 
    Rock Springs Run with the Wekiwa Springs Run forming the Wekiva 
    River to its headwaters at Rock Springs, to be administered in the 
    following classifications:
            ``(i) From the confluence with Wekiwa Springs Run to the 
        western boundary of Rock Springs Run State Reserve at Rock 
        Springs Run, approximately 6.9 miles, as a wild river.
            ``(ii) From the western boundary of Rock Springs Run State 
        Reserve at Rock Springs Run to Rock Springs, approximately 1.9 
        miles, as a recreational river.
        ``(C) Black water creek.--The 17.9 miles from the confluence of 
    Black Water Creek with the Wekiva River to outflow from Lake 
    Norris, to be administered in the following classifications:
            ``(i) From the confluence with the Wekiva River to 
        approximately .25 mile downstream of the Seminole State Forest 
        road crossing, approximately 4.1 miles, as a wild river.
            ``(ii) From approximately .25 mile downstream of the 
        Seminole State Forest road to approximately .25 mile upstream 
        of the Seminole State Forest road crossing, approximately .5 
        mile, as a scenic river.
            ``(iii) From approximately .25 mile upstream of the 
        Seminole State Forest road crossing to approximately .25 mile 
        downstream of the old railroad grade crossing (approximately 
        River Mile 9), approximately 4.4 miles, as a wild river.
            ``(iv) From approximately .25 mile downstream of the old 
        railroad grade crossing (approximately River Mile 9), upstream 
        to the boundary of Seminole State Forest (approximately River 
        Mile 10.6), approximately 1.6 miles, as a scenic river.
            ``(v) From the boundary of Seminole State Forest 
        (approximately River Mile 10.6) to approximately .25 mile 
        downstream of the State Road 44 crossing, approximately .9 
        mile, as a wild river.
            ``(vi) From approximately .25 mile downstream of State Road 
        44 to approximately .25 mile upstream of the State Road 44A 
        crossing, approximately .6 mile, as a recreational river.
            ``(vii) From approximately .25 mile upstream of the State 
        Road 44A crossing to approximately .25 mile downstream of the 
        Lake Norris Road crossing, approximately 4.7 miles, as a wild 
        river.
            ``(viii) From approximately .25 mile downstream of the Lake 
        Norris Road crossing to the outflow from Lake Norris, 
        approximately 1.1 miles, as a recreational river.''.

SEC. 4. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO WEKIVA RIVER AND 
              TRIBUTARIES.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section and section 5:
        (1) Wekiva river system.--The term ``Wekiva River system'' 
    means the segments of the Wekiva River, Wekiwa Springs Run, Rock 
    Springs Run, and Black Water Creek in the State of Florida 
    designated as components of the national wild and scenic rivers 
    system by paragraph (161) of section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic 
    Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)), as added by this Act.
        (2) Committee.--The term ``Committee'' means the Wekiva River 
    System Advisory Management Committee established pursuant to 
    section 5.
        (3) Comprehensive management plan.--The terms ``comprehensive 
    management plan'' and ``plan'' mean the comprehensive management 
    plan to be developed pursuant to section 3(d) of the Wild and 
    Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(d)).
        (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
    the Interior.
    (b) Cooperative Agreements.--
        (1) Use authorized.--In order to provide for the long-term 
    protection, preservation, and enhancement of the Wekiva River 
    system, the Secretary shall offer to enter into cooperative 
    agreements pursuant to sections 10(e) and 11(b)(1) of the Wild and 
    Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(e), 1282(b)(1)) with the State of 
    Florida, appropriate local political jurisdictions of the State, 
    namely the counties of Lake, Orange, and Seminole, and appropriate 
    local planning and environmental organizations.
        (2) Effect of agreement.--Administration by the Secretary of 
    the Wekiva River system through the use of cooperative agreements 
    shall not constitute National Park Service administration of the 
    Wekiva River system for purposes of section 10(c) of such Act (10 
    U.S.C. 1281(c)) and shall not cause the Wekiva River system to be 
    considered as being a unit of the National Park System. Publicly 
    owned lands within the boundaries of the Wekiva River system shall 
    continue to be managed by the agency having jurisdiction over the 
    lands, in accordance with the statutory authority and mission of 
    the agency.
    (c) Compliance Review.--After completion of the comprehensive 
management plan, the Secretary shall biennially review compliance with 
the plan and shall promptly report to the Committee on Resources of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate any deviation from the plan that could result 
in any diminution of the values for which the Wekiva River system was 
designated as a component of the national wild and scenic rivers 
system.
    (d) Technical Assistance and Other Support.--The Secretary may 
provide technical assistance, staff support, and funding to assist in 
the development and implementation of the comprehensive management 
plan.
    (e) Limitation on Federal Support.--Nothing in this section shall 
be construed to authorize funding for land acquisition, facility 
development, or operations.

SEC. 5. WEKIVA RIVER SYSTEM ADVISORY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish an advisory 
committee, to be known as the Wekiva River System Advisory Management 
Committee, to assist in the development of the comprehensive management 
plan for the Wekiva River system.
    (b) Membership.--The Committee shall be composed of a 
representative of each of the following agencies and organizations:
        (1) The Department of the Interior, represented by the Director 
    of the National Park Service or the Director's designee.
        (2) The East Central Florida Regional Planning Council.
        (3) The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 
    Division of Recreation and Parks.
        (4) The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Wekiva 
    River Aquatic Preserve.
        (5) The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer 
    Services, Division of Forestry, Seminole State Forest.
        (6) The Florida Audubon Society.
        (7) The nonprofit organization known as the Friends of the 
    Wekiva.
        (8) The Lake County Water Authority.
        (9) The Lake County Planning Department.
        (10) The Orange County Parks and Recreation Department, Kelly 
    Park.
        (11) The Seminole County Planning Department.
        (12) The St. Johns River Water Management District.
        (13) The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
        (14) The City of Altamonte Springs.
        (15) The City of Longwood.
        (16) The City of Apopka.
        (17) The Florida Farm Bureau Federation.
        (18) The Florida Forestry Association.
    (c) Additional Members.--Other interested parties may be added to 
the Committee by request to the Secretary and unanimous consent of the 
existing members.
    (d) Appointment.--Representatives and alternates to the Committee 
shall be appointed as follows:
        (1) State agency representatives, by the head of the agency.
        (2) County representatives, by the Boards of County 
    Commissioners.
        (3) Water management district, by the Governing Board.
        (4) Department of the Interior representative, by the Southeast 
    Regional Director, National Park Service.
        (5) East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, by 
    Governing Board.
        (6) Other organizations, by the Southeast Regional Director, 
    National Park Service.
    (e) Role of Committee.--The Committee shall assist in the 
development of the comprehensive management plan for the Wekiva River 
system and provide advice to the Secretary in carrying out the 
management responsibilities of the Secretary under this Act. The 
Committee shall have an advisory role only, it will not have regulatory 
or land acquisition authority.
    (f) Voting and Committee Procedures.--Each member agency, agency 
division, or organization referred to in subsection (b) shall have one 
vote and provide one member and one alternate. Committee decisions and 
actions will be made with consent of three-fourths of all voting 
members. Additional necessary Committee procedures shall be developed 
as part of the comprehensive management plan.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act and paragraph (161) of section 3(a) of 
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)), as added by this 
Act.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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