[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 301 Referred in House (RFH)]


109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 301


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 27, 2005

                 Referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance in 
    implementing cultural heritage, conservation, and recreational 
  activities in the Connecticut River watershed of the States of New 
                         Hampshire and Vermont.

    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 ``Upper Connecticut River Partnership 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the upper Connecticut River watershed in the States of 
        New Hampshire and Vermont is a scenic region of historic 
        villages located in a working landscape of farms, forests, and 
        the mountainous headwaters and broad fertile floodplains of New 
        England's longest river, the Connecticut River;
            (2) the River provides outstanding fish and wildlife 
        habitat, recreation, and hydropower generation for the New 
        England region;
            (3) the upper Connecticut River watershed has been 
        recognized by Congress as part of the Silvio O. Conte National 
        Fish and Wildlife Refuge, established by the Silvio O. Conte 
        National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Act (16 U.S.C. 668dd note; 
        Public Law 102-212);
            (4) the demonstrated interest in stewardship of the River 
        by the citizens living in the watershed led to the Presidential 
        designation of the River as 1 of 14 American Heritage Rivers on 
        July 30, 1998;
            (5) the River is home to the bistate Connecticut River 
        Scenic Byway, which will foster heritage tourism in the region;
            (6) each of the legislatures of the States of Vermont and 
        New Hampshire has established a commission for the Connecticut 
        River watershed, and the 2 commissions, known collectively as 
        the ``Connecticut River Joint Commissions''--
                    (A) have worked together since 1989; and
                    (B) serve as the focal point for cooperation 
                between Federal agencies, States, communities, and 
                citizens;
            (7) in 1997, as directed by the legislatures, the 
        Connecticut River Joint Commissions, with the substantial 
        involvement of 5 bistate local river subcommittees appointed to 
        represent riverfront towns, produced the 6-volume Connecticut 
        River Corridor Management Plan, to be used as a blueprint in 
        educating agencies, communities, and the public in how to be 
        good neighbors to a great river;
            (8) this year, by Joint Legislative Resolution, the 
        legislatures have requested that Congress provide for 
        continuation of cooperative partnerships and support for the 
        Connecticut River Joint Commissions from the New England 
        Federal Partners for Natural Resources, a consortium of Federal 
        agencies, in carrying out recommendations of the Connecticut 
        River Corridor Management Plan;
            (9) this Act effectuates certain recommendations of the 
        Connecticut River Corridor Management Plan that are most 
        appropriately directed by the States through the Connecticut 
        River Joint Commissions, with assistance from the National Park 
        Service and United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and
            (10) where implementation of those recommendations involves 
        partnership with local communities and organizations, support 
        for the partnership should be provided by the Secretary.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to authorize the Secretary 
to provide to the States of New Hampshire and Vermont (including 
communities in those States), through the Connecticut River Joint 
Commissions, technical and financial assistance for management of the 
River.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (2) State.--The term ``State'' means--
                    (A) the State of New Hampshire; or
                    (B) the State of Vermont.

SEC. 4. CONNECTICUT RIVER GRANTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a Connecticut River 
Grants and Technical Assistance Program to provide grants and technical 
assistance to State and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and 
the private sector to carry out projects for the conservation, 
restoration, and interpretation of historic, cultural, recreational, 
and natural resources in the Connecticut River watershed.
    (b) Criteria.--The Secretary, in consultation with the Connecticut 
River Joint Commissions, shall develop criteria for determining the 
eligibility of applicants for, and reviewing and prioritizing 
applications for, grants or technical assistance under the program.
    (c) Cost-sharing.--
            (1) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of 
        carrying out a grant project under subsection (a) shall not 
        exceed 75 percent.
            (2) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of the cost 
        of a project may be provided in the form of in-kind 
        contributions of services or materials.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2015.

            Passed the Senate July 26, 2005.

            Attest:

                                             EMILY J. REYNOLDS,

                                                             Secretary.