I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 32

To designate tributaries of the Maurice River in the State of New Jersey

as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 5, 1993

Mr. HUGHES introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Natural Resources

A BILL

To designate tributaries of the Maurice River in the State

of New Jersey as components of the National Wild and

Scenic Rivers System.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

4 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—

5 (1) the Maurice River and its tributaries,

6 Menantico Creek, the Manumuskin River, and

7 Muskee Creek, are eligible for inclusion into the Na8 tional Wild and Scenic River System, the segments

9 and their classifications being as follows—
2

•HR 32 IH

1 (A) the Maurice River, lower segment,

2 from the United States Geological Survey Sta3 tion at Shellpile to Route 670 Bridge at

4 Mauricetown, approximately 7.0 miles, as a rec5 reational river;

6 (B) the Maurice River, middle segment,

7 from Route 670 Bridge at Mauricetown up8 stream to 3.6 miles of the drainage ditch up9 stream of Fralinger Farm, approximately 3.8

10 miles, as a scenic river;

11 (C) the Maurice River, middle segment,

12 from the drainage ditch upstream of Fralinger

13 Farm to 3.1 miles upstream to one-half mile

14 upstream from United States Geological Survey

15 Station at Burcham Farm, approximately 3.1

16 miles, as a recreational river;

17 (D) the Maurice River, upper segment,

18 from one-half mile upstream from the United

19 States Geological Survey Station at Burcham

20 Farm to the south side of the Millville sewage

21 treatment plant, approximately 3.6 miles, as a

22 scenic river;

23 (E) the Menantico Creek, lower segment,

24 from its confluence with the Maurice River to
3

•HR 32 IH

1 the Route 55 Bridge, approximately 1.4 miles,

2 as a recreational river;

3 (F) the Menantico Creek, upper segment,

4 from the Route 55 Bridge to the base of the

5 Impoundment at Menantico Lake, approxi6 mately 6.5 miles, as a scenic river;

7 (G) the Manumuskin River, lower segment,

8 from its confluence with the Maurice River to

9 2.0 miles upstream, as a recreational river; and

10 (H) the Manumuskin River, upper seg11 ment, from 2.0 miles upstream from its con12 fluence with the Maurice River to headwaters,

13 approximately 12.3 miles, as a scenic river;

14 (2) a resource assessment of the Maurice River

15 and its tributaries shows that the area possesses nu16 merous outstandingly remarkable natural, cultural,

17 scenic and recreational resources that are significant

18 at the local, regional and international levels, includ19 ing rare plant and animal species and critical habi20 tats for birds migrating to and from the north and

21 south hemispheres; and

22 (3) a river management plan for the river sys23 tem has been developed by the Cumberland County

24 Department of Planning and Development and

25 adopted by the City of Millville, Maurice River
4

•HR 32 IH

1 Township, and Commercial Township, that would

2 meet the requirements of section 6(c) of the Wild

3 and Scenic Rivers Act, the City of Vineland has

4 adopted a master plan which calls for river planning

5 and management and is in the process of adopting

6 zoning ordinances to implement their plan and

7 Buena Vista Township in Atlantic County has

8 adopted a land use plan consistent with the Pine9 lands Comprehensive Plan which is more restrictive

10 than the Cumberland County local river manage11 ment plan.

12 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are to—

13 (1) declare the importance and irreplaceable re14 source values of the Maurice River and its tribu15 taries to water quality, human health, traditional

16 economic activities, ecosystem integrity, biotic diver17 sity, fish and wildlife, scenic open space and recre18 ation;

19 (2) recognize that the Maurice River system

20 will continue to be threatened by major development

21 and that land use regulations of the individual local

22 political jurisdictions through which the river seg23 ments pass cannot alone provide for an adequate

24 balance between conservation of the river’s resources

25 and commercial and industrial development; and
5

•HR 32 IH

1 (3) recognize that segments of the Maurice

2 River and its tributaries additional to those des3 ignated under this Act are eligible and suitable for

4 potential designation at some point in the near fu5 ture.

6 SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3(a) of the Wild and Sce8 nic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended by adding

9 the following new paragraphs at the end thereof:

10 ‘‘( ) THE MAURICE RIVER, MIDDLE SEG11 MENT.—From the Commercial/Millville municipal

12 boundary line to one-half mile upstream from United

13 States Geological Survey Station at Burcham Farm,

14 approximately 1.2 miles, as a recreational river.

15 ‘‘( ) THE MAURICE RIVER, UPPER SEGMENT.—

16 From one-half mile upstream from United States

17 Geological Survey Station at Burcham Farm to the

18 south side of the Millville sewage treatment plant,

19 approximately 3.6 miles, as a scenic river.

20 ‘‘( ) THE MENANTICO CREEK, LOWER SEG21 MENT.—From its confluence with the Maurice River

22 to the Route 55 Bridge, approximately 1.4 miles, as

23 a recreational river.

24 ‘‘( ) THE MENANTICO CREEK, UPPER SEG25 MENT.—From the Route 55 Bridge to the Millville-
6

•HR 32 IH

1 Vineland Municipal Boundary Line, approximately 3

2 miles, as a scenic river.

3 ‘‘( ) MANUMUSKIN RIVER, NEW JERSEY.—

4 From its confluence with the Maurice River to a

5 point 2.0 miles upstream, to be administered by the

6 Secretary of the Interior as a recreational river, and

7 from the point 2.0 miles upstream from its con8 fluence with the Maurice River to the Atlantic Coun9 ty/Cumberland County Boundary, approximately

10 11.2 miles, to be administered by the Secretary of

11 the Interior as a scenic river.

12 ‘‘( ) MUSKEE CREEK, NEW JERSEY.—From its

13 confluence with the Maurice River to the Pennsylva14 nia Seashore Line Railroad Bridge, approximately

15 2.7 miles, to be administered by the Secretary of the

16 Interior as a scenic river.

17 (b) SPECIAL RULES.—(1) The Secretary of the Inte18 rior shall administer the river segments designated under

19 subsection (a) in association with the political jurisdiction

20 through which the Maurice River and tributaries pass in

21 accordance with the local river management plan prepared

22 by the Cumberland County Department of Planning and

23 Development and plans and ordinances prepared and

24 adopted by the respective municipal governments. The

25 local river management plan shall be reviewed by the Sec-
7

•HR 32 IH

1 retary of the Interior to assure that proper implementa2 tion of the plan will protect the values for which the river

3 was designated. The Secretary is authorized to provide

4 planning assistance to political subdivisions of the State

5 and to the State, if requested, and is authorized to enter

6 into memoranda of understanding or cooperative agree7 ments with other Federal agencies and with the State to

8 ensure that State and Federal programs are carried out

9 in a manner that is consistent with the river management

10 plans. The Secretary shall review compliance with the lo11 cally adopted plans on a biennial basis and shall report

12 to the appropriate committees of Congress on a timely

13 basis any deviation from those plans which cause or may

14 result in any diminution of the values for which the river

15 was designated. The Secretary is encouraged to continue

16 to work with the local municipalities to negotiate agree17 ment and support for designating additional eligible seg18 ments of the Maurice River and its tributaries. The Sec19 retary is directed to report back to Congress within one

20 year after the date of enactment of this Act on the status

21 of discussions and negotiations with the local municipali22 ties and on recommendations towards inclusion of addi23 tional river segments into the National Wild and Scenic

24 Rivers System. For the purposes of the segments de25 scribed by subsection (a) of this section, there are author-
8

•HR 32 IH

1 ized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary,

2 not to exceed $70,000 per year to the Secretary of the

3 Interior for planning assistance, biennial review and re4 porting, and for negotiating towards possible inclusion of

5 any additional segments of the Maurice River within the

6 National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

7 (2) The provisions of section 6(c) of the Wild and

8 Scenic Rivers Act shall not be applicable to the river seg9 ments designated under subsection (a) of this section.

Æ