[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5885 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5885

 To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments 
of the Eightmile River in the State of Connecticut as components of the 
    National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2006

 Mr. Simmons (for himself, Mr. Shays, Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut, Mr. 
Larson of Connecticut, and Ms. DeLauro) introduced the following bill; 
            which was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments 
of the Eightmile River in the State of Connecticut as components of the 
    National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Eightmile Wild and Scenic River 
Act''.

SEC. 2. WILD AND SCENIC RIVER DESIGNATION, EIGHTMILE RIVER, 
              CONNECTICUT.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Eightmile River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 
        2001 (Public Law 107-65; 115 Stat. 484) authorized the study of 
        the Eightmile River in the State of Connecticut from its 
        headwaters downstream to its confluence with the Connecticut 
        River for potential inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic 
        Rivers System.
            (2) The segments of the Eightmile River covered by the 
        study are in a free-flowing condition, and the outstanding 
        resource values of the river segments include the cultural 
        landscape, water quality, watershed hydrology, unique species 
        and natural communities, geology, and watershed ecosystem.
            (3) The Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Study Committee has 
        determined that--
                    (A) the outstanding resource values of these river 
                segments depend on sustaining the integrity and quality 
                of the Eightmile River watershed;
                    (B) these resource values are manifest within the 
                entire watershed; and
                    (C) the watershed as a whole, including its 
                protection, is itself intrinsically important to this 
                designation.
            (4) The Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Study Committee 
        took a watershed approach in studying and recommending 
        management options for the river segments and the Eightmile 
        River watershed as a whole.
            (5) During the study, the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic 
        Study Committee, with assistance from the National Park 
        Service, prepared a comprehensive management plan for the 
        Eightmile River watershed, dated December 8, 2005 (in this 
        section referred to as the ``Eightmile River Watershed 
        Management Plan''), which establishes objectives, standards, 
        and action programs that will ensure long-term protection of 
        the outstanding values of the river and compatible management 
        of the land and water resources of the Eightmile River and its 
        watershed, without Federal management of affected lands not 
        owned by the United States.
            (6) The Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Study Committee 
        voted in favor of inclusion of the Eightmile River in the 
        National Wild and Scenic Rivers System and included this 
        recommendation as an integral part of the Eightmile River 
        Watershed Management Plan.
            (7) The residents of the towns lying along the Eightmile 
        River and comprising most of its watershed (Salem, East Haddam, 
        and Lyme, Connecticut), as well as the Boards of Selectmen and 
        Land Use Commissions of these towns, voted to endorse the 
        Eightmile River Watershed Management Plan and to seek 
        designation of the river as a component of the National Wild 
        and Scenic Rivers System.
            (8) The State of Connecticut General Assembly enacted 
        Public Act 05-18 to endorse the Eightmile River Watershed 
        Management Plan and to seek designation of the river as a 
        component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
    (b) Designation.--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:
    ``(_) Eightmile River, Connecticut.--Segments of the main stem and 
specified tributaries of the Eightmile River in the State of 
Connecticut, totaling approximately 25.3 miles, to be administered by 
the Secretary of the Interior as follows:
            ``(A) The entire 10.8-mile segment of the main stem, 
        starting at its confluence with Lake Hayward Brook to its 
        confluence with the Connecticut River at the mouth of Hamburg 
        Cove, as a scenic river.
            ``(B) The 8.0-mile segment of the East Branch of the 
        Eightmile River starting at Witch Meadow Road to its confluence 
        with the main stem of the Eightmile River, as a scenic river.
            ``(C) The 3.9-mile segment of Harris Brook starting with 
        the confluence of an unnamed stream lying 0.74 miles due east 
        of the intersection of Hartford Road (State Route 85) and Round 
        Hill Road to its confluence with the East Branch of the 
        Eightmile River, as a scenic river.
            ``(D) The 1.9-mile segment of Beaver Brook starting at its 
        confluence with Cedar Pond Brook to its confluence with the 
        main stem of the Eightmile River, as a scenic river.
            ``(E) The 0.7-mile segment of Falls Brook from its 
        confluence with Tisdale Brook to its confluence with the main 
        stem of the Eightmile River at Hamburg Cove, as a scenic 
        river.''.
    (c) Management.--The segments of the main stem and certain 
tributaries of the Eightmile River in the State of Connecticut 
designated as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System 
by the amendment made by subsection (b) (in this section referred to as 
the ``Eightmile River'') shall be managed in accordance with the 
Eightmile River Watershed Management Plan and such amendments to the 
plan as the Secretary of the Interior determines are consistent with 
this section. The Eightmile River Watershed Management Plan is deemed 
to satisfy the requirements for a comprehensive management plan 
required by section 3(d) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 
1274(d)).
    (d) Committee.--The Secretary of the Interior shall coordinate the 
management responsibilities of the Secretary with regard to the 
Eightmile River with the Eightmile River Coordinating Committee, as 
specified in the Eightmile River Watershed Management Plan.
    (e) Cooperative Agreements.--In order to provide for the long-term 
protection, preservation, and enhancement of the Eightmile River, the 
Secretary of the Interior may 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 Connecticut, the 
towns of Salem, Lyme, and East Haddam, Connecticut, and appropriate 
local planning and environmental organizations. All cooperative 
agreements authorized by this subsection shall be consistent with the 
Eightmile River Watershed Management Plan and may include provisions 
for financial or other assistance from the United States.
    (f) Relation to National Park System.--Notwithstanding section 
10(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(c), the 
Eightmile River shall not be administered as part of the National Park 
System or be subject to regulations which govern the National Park 
System.
    (g) Land Management.--
            (1) Zoning ordinances.--For the purposes of the Eightmile 
        River, the zoning ordinances adopted by the towns of Salem, 
        East Haddam, and Lyme, Connecticut, in effect as of December 8, 
        2005, including provisions for conservation of floodplains, 
        wetlands and watercourses associated with the segments, are 
        deemed to satisfy the standards and requirements of section 
        6(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1277(c)).
            (2) Acquisition of lands.--The provisions of section 6(c) 
        of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act that prohibit Federal 
        acquisition of lands by condemnation shall apply to the 
        Eightmile River. The authority of the Secretary of the Interior 
        to acquire lands for the purpose of managing the Eightmile 
        River as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers 
        System shall be--
                    (A) limited to acquisition by donation or 
                acquisition with the consent of the owner of the lands; 
                and
                    (B) subject to the additional criteria set forth in 
                the Eightmile River Watershed Management Plan.
    (h) Watershed Approach.--
            (1) In general.--In furtherance of the watershed approach 
        to resource preservation and enhancement articulated in the 
        Eightmile River Watershed Management Plan, the tributaries of 
        the Eightmile River watershed specified in paragraph (2) are 
        recognized as integral to the protection and enhancement of the 
        Eightmile River and its watershed.
            (2) Covered tributaries.--Paragraph (1) applies with 
        respect to Beaver Brook, Big Brook, Burnhams Brook, Cedar Pond 
        Brook, Cranberry Meadow Brook, Early Brook, Falls Brook, Fraser 
        Brook, Harris Brook, Hedge Brook, Lake Hayward Brook, Malt 
        House Brook, Muddy Brook, Ransom Brook, Rattlesnake Ledge 
        Brook, Shingle Mill Brook, Strongs Brook, Tisdale Brook, Witch 
        Meadow Brook, and all other perennial streams within the 
        Eightmile River watershed.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section and 
the amendment made by subsection (b).
                                 <all>