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 Hew Hampshire and Vermont.

Summary: Upper Connecticut River Partnership Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, through the Connecticut River Joint Commissions, to provide technical and financial assistance in managing the River to the States of New Hampshire and Vermont.

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.