[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1117 Reported in Senate (RS)]

                                                       Calendar No. 592
111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1117

                          [Report No. 111-306]

  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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 21, 2009

   Mr. Leahy (for himself, Mr. Sanders, Mrs. Shaheen, and Mr. Gregg) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
               Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

                           September 27, 2010

              Reported by Mr. Bingaman, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  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,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Upper Connecticut River 
Partnership Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the River provides outstanding fish and 
        wildlife habitat, recreation, and hydropower generation for the 
        New England region;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) the demonstrated commitment to 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;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) the River is home to the bi-State Connecticut 
        River Scenic Byway, which was declared a National Scenic Byway 
        by the Department of Transportation in 2005 to foster heritage 
        tourism in the region;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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''--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) have worked together since 1989; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) serve as the focal point and catalyst 
                for cooperation between Federal agencies, States, 
                communities, and citizens;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) in 1997, as directed by the legislatures, the 
        Connecticut River Joint Commissions, with the substantial 
        involvement of 5 bi-State 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;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) in 2009, after 3 years of broad consultation, 
        the Connecticut River Joint Commissions have substantially 
        expanded and published updates via the Connecticut River 
        Recreation Management Plan and the Water Resources Management 
        Plan to guide public and private activities in the 
        watershed;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (9) through a joint legislative resolution, the 
        legislatures of the States of Vermont and New Hampshire have 
        requested that Congress provide for continuation of cooperative 
        partnerships and that Federal agencies support the Connecticut 
        River Joint Commissions in carrying out the recommendations of 
        the Connecticut River Corridor Management Plan;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (10) 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 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (11) where implementation of those recommendations 
        involves partnership with local communities and organizations, 
        support for the partnership should be provided by the 
        Secretary.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

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

<DELETED>SEC. 4. CONNECTICUT RIVER GRANTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
              PROGRAM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (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 upper Connecticut 
River watershed.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Cost-sharing.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost 
        of carrying out a grant project under subsection (a) shall not 
        exceed 75 percent.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of 
        the cost of a project may be provided in the form of an in-kind 
        contribution of services or materials.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
Act $1,000,000 for each fiscal year.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Upper Connecticut River Partnership 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commissions.--The term ``Commissions'' means the 
        Connecticut River Joint Commissions of New Hampshire and 
        Vermont.
            (2) Management plan.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``management plan'' means 
                the management plan developed by the Commissions 
                entitled ``Connecticut River Corridor Management Plan'' 
                and dated May 1997.
                    (B) Inclusions.--The term ``management plan'' 
                includes any updates to the management plan described 
                in subparagraph (A).
            (3) Program.--The term ``program'' means the Connecticut 
        River Grants and Technical Assistance Program established by 
        section 3(a).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (5) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the States of 
        New Hampshire and Vermont.
            (6) Watershed.--The term ``watershed'' means the upper 
        Connecticut River watershed.

SEC. 3. CONNECTICUT RIVER GRANTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--There is established in the Department of the 
Interior the Connecticut River Grants and Technical Assistance Program.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the program is to provide financial 
and technical assistance to the States, through the Commissions, to 
improve management of the watershed in accordance with the management 
plan.
    (c) Financial and Technical Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary 
        may provide financial and technical assistance to the 
        Commissions in furtherance of the purposes of this Act.
            (2) Limitation.--No financial assistance shall be provided 
        under this Act until the date on which the Secretary has 
        approved criteria for financial assistance in accordance with 
        subsection (d).
    (d) Criteria.--
            (1) Development.--The Commissions shall develop criteria 
        for--
                    (A) prioritizing and determining the eligibility of 
                applicants for financial and technical assistance under 
                the program; and
                    (B) reviewing and prioritizing applications for 
                financial and technical assistance under the program.
            (2) Review; approval.--
                    (A) Submission.--The Commissions shall submit the 
                criteria developed under paragraph (1) to the Secretary 
                for review.
                    (B) Approval or disapproval.--
                            (i) In general.--Not later than 180 days 
                        after the date on which the Commissions submit 
                        the criteria under subparagraph (A), the 
                        Secretary shall approve or disapprove the 
                        criteria.
                            (ii) Disapproval.--If the Secretary 
                        disapproves the criteria under clause (i), the 
                        Secretary shall--
                                    (I) advise the Commissions of the 
                                reasons for disapproval;
                                    (II) make recommendations for 
                                revisions to the criteria; and
                                    (III) not later than 180 days after 
                                the date on which the Commissions 
                                submit revised criteria to the 
                                Secretary, approve or disapprove the 
                                revised criteria.
                    (C) Considerations.--In reviewing the criteria 
                submitted under this paragraph, the Secretary shall 
                consider the extent to which the criteria--
                            (i) are consistent with the purposes and 
                        goals of the management plan; and
                            (ii) provide for protection of the 
                        watershed, including the natural, cultural, 
                        historic, and recreational resources within the 
                        watershed.
    (e) Authorities of the Commissions.--The Commissions may use funds 
made available under this Act to provide financial and technical 
assistance to State and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and 
other public and private entities to protect the watershed in 
accordance with the approved criteria and consistent with the 
management plan.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act $10,000,000, of which not more than $1,000,000 may be made 
available for any 1 fiscal year.
    (b) Cost-sharing Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--The Federal share of the total cost of any 
        activity under this Act shall be not more than 50 percent of 
        the total cost.
            (2) Form.--The non-Federal contribution may be in the form 
        of in-kind contributions of goods or services fairly valued.

SEC. 5. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.

    The authority of the Secretary to provide financial assistance 
under this Act terminates on the date that is 10 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act.
                                                       Calendar No. 592

111th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 1117

                          [Report No. 111-306]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  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.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 27, 2010

                       Reported with an amendment