[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1363 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1363
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
August 3, 2001
Mr. Smith of New Hampshire (for himself, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Leahy, and Mr.
Jeffords) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
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,
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 0. 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) River.--The term ``River'' means the Connecticut River.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means--
(A) the State of New Hampshire; or
(B) the State of Vermont.
SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE FOR STATES.
The Secretary of the Interior may provide to the States, through
the Connecticut River Joint Commissions, technical and financial
assistance in managing the River, including assistance in--
(1) developing a joint policy for water quality, flow
management, and recreational boating for the portion of the
River that is common to the States;
(2) developing protection plans for water quality in the
tributaries that flow into the River;
(3) developing a coordinated, collaborative approach on the
part of the States for monitoring the quality of the River for
human use and ecological health;
(4) restoring and protecting priority riverbanks to improve
water quality and aquatic and riparian habitat;
(5) encouraging and assisting communities, farmers, and
other riverfront landowners in--
(A) establishing and protecting riparian buffers;
and
(B) preventing nonpoint source pollution;
(6) encouraging and assisting communities in--
(A) protecting shoreland, wetland, and flood
plains; and
(B) managing and treating stormwater runoff;
(7) in cooperation with dam owners--
(A) evaluating the decommissioning of uneconomic
dams in the watershed; and
(B) restoring natural riverine habitat;
(8) protecting and restoring the habitat of native trout,
anadromous fisheries, and other outstanding fish and wildlife
resources;
(9) encouraging new and improved markets for local
agricultural products;
(10) encouraging the protection of farm land and
economically sustainable agriculture;
(11) developing and promoting locally planned, approved,
and managed networks of heritage trails and water trails in the
River valley;
(12) coordinating and fostering opportunities for heritage
tourism and agritourism through the Connecticut River Scenic
Byway;
(13) demonstrating economic development based on heritage
tourism;
(14) supporting local stewardship;
(15) strengthening nonregulatory protection of heritage
resources;
(16) encouraging the vitality of historically compact
village and town centers;
(17) establishing indicators of sustainability; and
(18) monitoring the impact of increased tourism and
recreational use on natural and historic resources.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary
to carry out this Act.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8933)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
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