29–010 

Calendar No. 114 

113TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 113–60 

WOOD-PAWCATUCK WATERSHED PROTECTION 

JUNE 27, 2013.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. WYDEN, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 349] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 349) 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, having considered the same, 

reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends 

that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE

The purpose of S. 349 is to designate segments of the Beaver, 

Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers in the States of 

Connecticut and Rhode Island for study for potential addition to 

the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

Several segments of the Pawcatuck, Wood, and Chipuxet Rivers 

are listed on the Nationwide Rivers Inventory as potential candidates for Wild and Scenic River designation. These river segments were the focus of a 1980s planning and conservation study 

undertaken through the National Park Service’s Rivers and Trails 

Conservation Assistance program, which concluded in part, ‘‘the 

Wood and Pawcatuck Rivers corridor is Rhode Island’s least developed and most rural river system. Its waters are the cleanest and 

purest and its recreational opportunities are unparalleled by any 

other river system in the state.’’ 


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The river segments also provide opportunities for recreation and 

tourism that contribute to the economy of the local communities 

and offer important experiences, ranging from visiting Native 

American fishing grounds to seeing Colonial and early industrial 

mill ruins. The rivers are also a prime location for outdoor activities like trout fishing, canoeing, bird watching, and hiking. 

The Queen and Beaver Rivers have been recognized for their 

pristine headwaters and are critical to the high water quality and 

biological diversity of the upper Pawcatuck. In 2004, the legislatively established Rhode Island Rivers Council classified the WoodPawcatuck watershed as ‘‘Rhode Island’s premier freshwater recreational resource.’’ 

The study proposed in this legislation is intended to help Rhode 

Island and Connecticut continue their stewardship of these rivers 

and enhance existing state and local efforts to preserve and manage this watershed. It is anticipated that this study would be conducted in close cooperation with the communities, state agencies, 

local governments, and private organizations that are stakeholders 

in the process. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Senators Reed, Blumenthal, Murphy, and Whitehouse introduced 

S. 349 on February 14, 2013. The Subcommittee on National Parks 

held a hearing on S. 349 on April 23, 2013. At its business meeting 

on May 16, 2013 the Committee ordered S. 349 favorably reported. 

In the 112th Congress, Senators Reed, Blumenthal, Lieberman, 

and Whitehouse introduced similar legislation, S. 3423, on July 23, 

2012. Also in the 112th Congress, the House Natural Resources 

Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a 

hearing on similar legislation, H.R. 3388, on April 17, 2012. A bill 

was reported by the House Resources Committee on June 7, 2012, 

(H. Rept. 112–603) and passed the House of Representatives on 

July 23, 2012, by voice vote. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 

open business session on May 16, 2013, by a voice vote of a quorum 

present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 349. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1 contains the short title, the ‘‘Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Protection Act.’’ 

Section 2(a) amends section 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers 

Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(a)) to designate certain sections of the Beaver, 

Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. 

Subsection (b) amends section 5(b) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers 

Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(b)) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to 

complete the study named in the previous section within 3 years 

after the date on which funds are made available and submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress describing the results of the study. 


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COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of costs of this measure has been provided 

by the Congressional Budget Office: 

S. 349—Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Protection Act 

S. 349 would require the National Park Service (NPS) to study 

segments of the Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck 

Rivers in Rhode Island and Connecticut for potential additions to 

the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Based on information 

provided by the NPS, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost about $400,000 over the next three years, assuming the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting S. 349 would 

not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

S. 349 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates 

as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not 

affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

On May 13, 2013, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 723, 

the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Protection Act, as ordered to be reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on April 24, 

2013. The two bills are similar, and the CBO cost estimates are the 

same. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Martin von Gnechten. 

The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following evaluation 

of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in carrying out 

S. 349. 

The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of imposing 

Government-established standards or significant economic responsibilities on private individuals and businesses. 

No personal information would be collected in administering the 

program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal privacy. 

Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the enactment of S. 349, as ordered reported. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

S. 349, as reported, does not contain any congressionally directed 

spending items, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

The testimony provided by the National Park Service at the April 

23, 2013, Subcommittee on National Parks hearing on S. 349 follows: 


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STATEMENT OF PEGGY O’DELL, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF

THE INTERIOR

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear 

before you today to present the views of the Department 

of the Interior on S. 349, a bill 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. 

The Department supports enactment of S. 349. The river 

segments and tributary areas proposed for study, which 

comprise the Wood-Pawtucket Watershed, exhibit the 

types of qualities and resource values that would make it 

a worthy and important candidate for potential addition to 

the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. However, we 

feel that priority should be given to the 31 previously authorized studies for potential units of the National Park 

System, potential new National Heritage Areas, and potential additions to the National Trails System and National 

Wild and Scenic Rivers System that have not yet been 

transmitted to Congress. 

S. 349 directs the Secretary of the Interior to study 

named segments of the Pawcatuck, Beaver, Chipuxet, 

Queen and Wood Rivers. The bill also specifies that the 

headwaters segments of the Wood and Queen Rivers include all tributaries, ensuring that virtually the entire 

Wood-Pawtucket Watershed is assessed. The bill requires 

the study to be completed and transmitted to Congress 

within three years after funding is made available for it. 

Several segments of the Pawcatuck, Wood and Chipuxet 

Rivers are listed on the Nationwide Rivers Inventory (NRI) 

as potential candidates for Wild and Scenic River designation. These NRI-listed segments were the focus of a 1980s 

planning and conservation study undertaken through the 

National Park Service’s Rivers and Trails Conservation 

Assistance program, which concluded in part, ‘‘The Wood 

and Pawcatuck Rivers corridor is Rhode Island’s least developed and most rural river system. Its waters are the 

cleanest and purest and its recreational opportunities are 

unparalleled by any other river system in the state.’’ The 

Queen and Beaver Rivers have been recognized for their 

pristine headwaters nature, critical to the high water quality and biological diversity of the upper Pawcatuck, and 

have been the focus of significant conservation efforts by 

the Nature Conservancy and Rhode Island Audubon Society, among others. In 2004, the legislatively-established 

Rhode Island Rivers Council classified the WoodPawcatuck watershed as ‘‘Rhode Island’s premier freshwater recreational resource.’’ 

If enacted, the National Park Service intends to undertake the study in close cooperation with the affected communities, the relevant agencies of the states of Rhode IsVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:01 Jun 30, 2013 Jkt 029010 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6969 E:\HR\OC\SR060.XXX SR060

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land and Connecticut, and interest groups such the WoodPawcatuck Watershed Association through a partnershipbased study approach. This is the approach that has been 

used since the 1980s for studies of rivers located in New 

England and other parts of the Northeast Region. The 

partnership-based approach is recognized in Section 10(e) 

of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act as a means of encouraging state and local governmental participation in the administration of a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The partnership-based approach also 

allows for development of a proposed river management 

plan as part of the study, which helps landowners and 

local jurisdictions understand their potential future roles 

in river management should Congress decide to designate 

part or all of the rivers being studied. 

This concludes my prepared remarks, Mr. Chairman. I 

will be happy to answer any questions you or other committee members may have regarding this bill. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill S. 

349, as ordered reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is 

printed in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is 

shown in roman): 

WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT 

Public Law 90–542 

AN ACT To provide a 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, That 

(a) this Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.’’ 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 5. (a) The following rivers are hereby designated for potential addition to the national wild and scenic rivers system: 

* * * * * * * 

(141) BEAVER, CHIPUXET, QUEEN, WOOD, AND PAWCATUCK

RIVERS, RHODE ISLAND AND CONNECTICUT.—The following segments: 

(A) The approximately 10 mile segment of the Beaver 

River from the headwaters in Exeter, Rhode Island, to the 

confluence with the Pawcatuck River. 

(B) The approximately 5-mile segment of the Chipuxet 

River from Hundred Acre Pond to the outlet into Worden 

Pond. 

(C) The approximately 10-mile segment of the upper 

Queen River from the headwaters to the Usquepaugh Dam 

in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, including all tributaries of the upper Queen River. 


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(D) The approximately 5-mile segment of the lower Queen 

(Usquepaugh) River from the Usquepaugh Dam to the confluence with the Pawcatuck river. 

(E) The approximately 11-mile segment of the upper 

Wood River from the headwaters to Skunk Hill Road in 

Richmond and Hopkinton, Rhode Island, including all 

tributaries of the upper Wood River. 

(F) The approximately 10-mile segment of the lower Wood 

River from Skunk Hill Road to the confluence with the 

Pawcatuck River. 

(G) The approximately 28-mile segment of the Pawcatuck 

River from Worden Pond to Nooseneck Hill Road (Rhode 

Island Rte 3) in Hopkinton and Westerly, Rhode Island. 

(H) The approximately 7-mile segment of lower 

Pawcatuck Rock, Stonington, Connecticut, and Westerly 

Rhode Island. 

(b)(1) The studies of rivers named in subparagraphs (28) through 

(55) of subsection (a) of this section shall be completed and reports 

thereon submitted by not later than October 2, 1979: 

* * * * * * * 

(20) 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, Cipuxet, Queen, Wood, 

and Pawcatuck Rivers, Rhode Island and Connecticut, described if subsection (a)(141); and 

(B) submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report 

that describes the results of the study. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


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