[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2569 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2569

 To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the 
   Missisquoi River and the Trout River in the State of Vermont, as 
       components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 27, 2013

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the 
   Missisquoi River and the Trout River in the State of Vermont, 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 ``Upper Missisquoi and Trout Wild and 
Scenic Rivers Act''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF WILD AND SCENIC RIVER SEGMENTS.

    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:
            ``(208) Missisquoi river and trout river, vermont.--The 
        following segments in the State of Vermont, to be administered 
        by the Secretary of the Interior as a recreational river:
                    ``(A) The 20.5-mile segment of the Missisquoi River 
                from the Lowell/Westfield town line to the Canadian 
                border in North Troy, excluding the property and 
                project boundary of the Troy and North Troy 
                hydroelectric facilities.
                    ``(B) The 14.6-mile segment of the Missisquoi River 
                from the Canadian border in Richford to the upstream 
                project boundary of the Enosburg Falls hydroelectric 
                facility in Sampsonville.
                    ``(C) The 11-mile segment of the Trout River from 
                the confluence of the Jay and Wade Brooks in Montgomery 
                to where the Trout River joins the Missisquoi River in 
                East Berkshire.''.

SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT.

    (a) Management.--
            (1) In general.--The river segments designated by paragraph 
        (208) of section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
        U.S.C. 1274(a)) shall be managed in accordance with--
                    (A) the Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers 
                Management Plan developed during the study described in 
                section 5(b)(19) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
                U.S.C. 1276(b)(19)) (referred to in this section as the 
                ``management plan''); and
                    (B) such amendments to the management plan as the 
                Secretary determines are consistent with this Act and 
                as are approved by the Upper Missisquoi and Trout 
                Rivers Wild and Scenic Committee (referred to in this 
                section as the ``Committee'').
            (2) Comprehensive management plan.--The management plan, as 
        finalized in March 2013, and as amended, shall be considered to 
        satisfy the requirements for a comprehensive management plan 
        pursuant to section 3(d) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
        U.S.C. 1274(d)).
    (b) Committee.--The Secretary shall coordinate management 
responsibility of the Secretary of the Interior under this Act with the 
Committee, as specified in the management plan.
    (c) Cooperative Agreements.--
            (1) In general.--In order to provide for the long-term 
        protection, preservation, and enhancement of the river segments 
        designated by paragraph (208) of section 3(a) of the Wild and 
        Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)), the Secretary of the 
        Interior may enter into cooperative agreements pursuant to 
        sections 10(e) and 11(b)(1) (16 U.S.C. 1281(e), 1282(b)(1)) of 
        the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act with--
                    (A) the State of Vermont;
                    (B) the municipalities of Berkshire, Enosburg 
                Falls, Enosburgh, Montgomery, North Troy, Richford, 
                Troy, and Westfield; and
                    (C) appropriate local, regional, statewide, or 
                multi-state planning, environmental, or recreational 
                organizations.
            (2) Consistency.--Each cooperative agreement entered into 
        under this section shall be consistent with the management plan 
        and may include provisions for financial or other assistance 
        from the United States.
    (d) Effect on Existing Hydroelectric Facilities.--
            (1) In general.--The designation of the river segments by 
        paragraph (208) of section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers 
        Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)), does not--
                    (A) preclude the Federal Energy Regulatory 
                Commission from licensing, relicensing, or otherwise 
                authorizing the operation or continued operation of the 
                Troy Hydroelectric, North Troy, or Enosburg Falls 
                hydroelectric project under the terms of licenses or 
                exemptions in effect on the date of enactment of this 
                Act; or
                    (B) limit modernization, upgrade, or other changes 
                to the projects described in paragraph (1) subject to 
                written determination by the Secretary of the Interior 
                that the changes are consistent with the purposes of 
                the designation.
            (2) Hydropower proceedings.--Resource protection, 
        mitigation, or enhancement measures required by Federal Energy 
        Regulatory Commission hydropower proceedings--
                    (A) shall not be considered to be project works for 
                purposes of this Act; and
                    (B) may be located within the river segments 
                designated by paragraph (208) of section 3(a) of the 
                Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)), subject 
                to a written determination by the Secretary that the 
                measures are consistent with the purposes of the 
                designation.
    (e) Land Management.--
            (1) Zoning ordinances.--For the purpose of the segments 
        designated in paragraph (208) of section 3(a) of the Wild and 
        Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)), the zoning ordinances 
        adopted by the towns of Berkshire, Enosburg Falls, Enosburgh, 
        Montgomery, North Troy, Richford, Troy, and Westfield in the 
        State of Vermont, including provisions for conservation of 
        floodplains, wetlands, and watercourses associated with the 
        segments, shall be considered to satisfy the standards and 
        requirements of section 6(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 
        (16 U.S.C. 1277(c)).
            (2) Acquisitions of land.--The authority of the Secretary 
        to acquire land for the purposes of the segments designated in 
        paragraph (208) of section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers 
        Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) shall be--
                    (A) limited to acquisition by donation or 
                acquisition with the consent of the owner of the land; 
                and
                    (B) subject to the additional criteria set forth in 
                the management plan.
    (f) Relation to National Park System.--Notwithstanding section 
10(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(c)), the 
Missisquoi and Trout Rivers shall not be administered as part of the 
National Park System or be subject to regulations that govern the 
National Park System.
    (g) Designation of Additional Segment.--
            (1) Definition of additional segment.--In this subsection, 
        the term ``additional segment'' means the 3.8-mile segment of 
        the Missisquoi River extending from the confluence of the 
        Burgess Branch and East Branch of the Missisquoi River in 
        Lowell to the Lowell/Westfield town line.
            (2) Findings.--Congress finds that the additional segment 
        is eligible and suitable for designation as a recreational 
        river if the Secretary of the Interior determines that there is 
        adequate local support for the designation in accordance with 
        paragraph (4).
            (3) Designation and administration.--If the Secretary of 
        the Interior determines that there is adequate local support 
        for the designation of the additional segment in accordance 
        with paragraph (4)--
                    (A) the Secretary shall publish in the Federal 
                Register notice of the designation of the additional 
                segment;
                    (B) the additional segment shall be designated as a 
                recreational river in accordance with the Wild and 
                Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.); and
                    (C) the Secretary shall administer the additional 
                segment as a recreational river.
            (4) Determination of local support.--The Secretary of the 
        Interior shall determine that there is adequate local support 
        for the designation of the additional segment as a recreational 
        river if the legal voters of the town of Lowell, Vermont, 
        express by a majority vote a desire for the designation.
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