[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 723 Engrossed in House (EH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 723

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the 
 Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers in the States of 
 Connecticut and Rhode Island for study for potential addition to 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 ``Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Protection 
Act''.

SEC. 2. BEAVER, CHIPUXET, QUEEN, WOOD, AND PAWCATUCK RIVERS STUDY.

    (a) Designation for Study.--Section 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic 
Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(a)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
            ``(__) Beaver, chipuxet, queen, wood, and pawcatuck rivers, 
        rhode island and connecticut.--The approximately 10-mile 
        segment of the Beaver River from its headwaters in Exeter, 
        Rhode Island, to its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the 
        approximately 5-mile segment of the Chipuxet River from Hundred 
        Acre Pond to its outlet into Worden Pond; the approximately 10-
        mile segment of the upper Queen River from its headwaters to 
        the Usquepaugh Dam in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and 
        including all its tributaries; the approximately 5-mile segment 
        of the lower Queen (Usquepaugh) River from the Usquepaugh Dam 
        to its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the approximately 
        11-mile segment of the upper Wood River from its headwaters to 
        Skunk Hill Road in Richmond and Hopkinton, Rhode Island, and 
        including all its tributaries; the approximately 10-mile 
        segment of the lower Wood River from Skunk Hill Road to its 
        confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the approximately 28-mile 
        segment of the Pawcatuck River from Worden Pond to Nooseneck 
        Hill Road (RI Rte 3) in Hopkinton and Westerly, Rhode Island; 
        and the approximately 7-mile segment of the lower Pawcatuck 
        River from Nooseneck Hill Road to Pawcatuck Rock, Stonington, 
        Connecticut, and Westerly, Rhode Island.''.
    (b) Study and Report.--Section 5(b) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(__) Beaver, chipuxet, queen, wood, and pawcatuck rivers, 
        rhode island and connecticut.--Not later than 3 years after the 
        date on which funds are made available to carry out this 
        paragraph, the Secretary of the Interior shall--
                    ``(A) complete the study of the Beaver, Chipuxet, 
                Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers, Rhode Island and 
                Connecticut, described in subsection (a)(__);
                    ``(B) submit a report describing the results of 
                that study to the appropriate committees of Congress;
                    ``(C) include in the report under subparagraph (B) 
                the effect of the designation under this Act on--
                            ``(i) existing commercial and recreational 
                        activities, such as hunting, fishing, trapping, 
                        recreational shooting, motor boat use, or 
                        bridge construction;
                            ``(ii) the authorization, construction, 
                        operation, maintenance, or improvement of 
                        energy production and transmission 
                        infrastructure; and
                            ``(iii) the authority of State and local 
                        governments to manage those activities 
                        encompassed in clauses (i) and (ii); and
                    ``(D) identify--
                            ``(i) all authorities that will authorize 
                        or require the Secretary to influence local 
                        land use decisions (such as zoning) or place 
                        restrictions on non-Federal land if the area 
                        studied is designated under this paragraph;
                            ``(ii) all authorities that the Secretary 
                        may use to condemn property if the area studied 
                        is designated under this paragraph; and
                            ``(iii) all private property located in the 
                        area studied under this provision.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 11, 2013.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
113th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 723

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the 
 Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers in the States of 
 Connecticut and Rhode Island for study for potential addition to the 
    National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes.