[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 17492-17493]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                UPPER CONNECTICUT RIVER PARTNERSHIP ACT

  The Senate proceeded to consider the bill (S. 301) 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, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources, with amendment, as follows:
  [Strike the parts shown in black brackets and insert the parts shown 
in italic.]

                                 S. 301

       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 fiscal year] for each of fiscal 
     years 2006 through 2015.
  The committee amendment was agreed to.
  The bill (S. 301), as amended, was read a third time and passed, as 
follows:

                                 S. 301

       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

[[Page 17493]]

       (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 fiscal year for each of fiscal years 
     2006 through 2015.

                          ____________________