IB 

Union Calendar No. 496 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1248 

[Report No. 116–603] 

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain river segments 

within the York watershed in the State of Maine as components of 

the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 14, 2019 

Ms. PINGREE (for herself and Mr. GOLDEN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

NOVEMBER 27, 2020 

Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be 

printed 


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•HR 1248 RH

A BILL 

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate 

certain river segments within the York watershed in the 

State of Maine as components of the National Wild 

and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes. 


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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘York River Wild and 

5 Scenic River Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF YORK WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS, 

7 MAINE. 

8 Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 

9 U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended by adding at the end the fol10 lowing: 

11 ‘‘(l) YORK RIVER, MAINE.—Segments of the 

12 main stem and its tributaries in the State of Maine, 

13 Bass Cove Creek, Cider Hill Creek, Cutts Ridge 

14 Brook, Dolly Gordon Brook, Libby Brook, Rogers 

15 Brook, Smelt Brook, totaling approximately 30.8 

16 miles, to be administered by the Secretary of the In17 terior, as a recreational river: 

18 ‘‘(A) The approximately 0.95-mile segment 

19 of Bass Cove Creek from the outlet of Boulter 

20 Pond in York, Maine, and extending down21 stream to its confluence with the York River in 

22 York, Maine. 

23 ‘‘(B) The approximately 3.77-mile segment 

24 of Cider Hill Creek from the Middle Pond dam 

25 in York, Maine, and extending downstream to 


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1 its confluence with the York River in York, 

2 Maine. 

3 ‘‘(C) The approximately 2.15-mile segment 

4 of Cutts Ridge Brook from its headwaters in 

5 Kittery, Maine, and extending downstream to 

6 its confluence with the York River in York, 

7 Maine. 

8 ‘‘(D) The approximately 3.17-mile segment 

9 of Dolly Gordon Brook from its headwaters in 

10 York, Maine, and extending downstream to its 

11 confluence with the York River in York, Maine. 

12 ‘‘(E) The approximately 1.65-mile segment 

13 of Libby Brook from its headwaters in Kittery, 

14 Maine, and extending downstream to its con15 fluence with Dolly Gordon Brook in York, 

16 Maine. 

17 ‘‘(F) The approximately 2.43-mile segment 

18 of Rogers Brook from its headwaters in Eliot, 

19 Maine, and extending downstream to its con20 fluence with the York River in York, Maine. 

21 ‘‘(G) The approximately 4.54-mile segment 

22 of Smelt Brook from the Bell Marsh Reservoir 

23 dam in York, Maine, and extending downstream 

24 to its confluence with the York River in York, 

25 Maine. 


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1 ‘‘(H) The approximately 12.14-mile seg2 ment of the York River from the outlet of York 

3 Pond in Eliot, Maine, and extending down4 stream to the Route 103 Bridge in York, 

5 Maine, including Barrell Mill Pond in York, 

6 Maine.’’. 

7 SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT. 

8 (a) PROCESS.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The York River, Maine seg10 ments shall be managed in accordance with— 

11 (A) the stewardship plan; and 

12 (B) such amendments to the stewardship 

13 plan as the Secretary determines are consistent 

14 with this section and as are approved by the 

15 Stewardship Committee. 

16 (2) COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

17 The stewardship plan shall be considered to satisfy 

18 the requirements for a comprehensive management 

19 plan under section 3(d) of the Wild and Scenic Riv20 ers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(d)). 

21 (b) COMMITTEE.—The Secretary shall coordinate his 

22 or her management responsibilities under this Act with the 

23 Stewardship Committee, as specified in the stewardship 

24 plan. 

25 (c) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—In order to provide for the 

2 long-term protection, preservation, and enhancement 

3 of the York River, Maine segments, the Secretary 

4 may enter into cooperative agreements pursuant to 

5 sections 10(e) and 11(b)(1) of the Wild and Scenic 

6 Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(e) and 1282(b)(1)) 

7 with— 

8 (A) the State of Maine; 

9 (B) the municipalities of Eliot, Kittery, 

10 South Berwick, and York in Maine; and 

11 (C) appropriate local, regional, or State 

12 planning, environmental, or recreational organi13 zations. 

14 (2) CONSISTENCY.—Each cooperative agree15 ment entered into under this subsection shall be con16 sistent with the stewardship plan and may include 

17 provisions for financial or other assistance from the 

18 United States. 

19 (d) LAND MANAGEMENT.— 

20 (1) ZONING ORDINANCES.—For the purpose of 

21 the York River, Maine segments, the zoning ordi22 nances adopted by the municipalities named in sub23 section (c)(1)(B), including provisions for conserva24 tion of floodplains, wetlands, and watercourses asso25 ciated with the segments, shall be deemed to satisfy 


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1 the standards and requirements of section 6(c) of 

2 the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. 

3 (2) ACQUISITION OF LANDS.—The authority of 

4 the Secretary to acquire land for the purposes of the 

5 York River, Maine segments shall be— 

6 (A) limited to acquisition by donation or 

7 acquisition with the consent of the owner of the 

8 land; and 

9 (B) subject to the additional criteria set 

10 forth in the stewardship plan. 

11 (3) NO CONDEMNATION.—No land or interest 

12 in land within the watersheds of the York River, 

13 Maine segments may be acquired by condemnation. 

14 (e) RELATION TO THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.— 

15 Notwithstanding section 10(c) of the Wild and Scenic Riv16 ers Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(c)), the York River, Maine seg17 ments shall not— 

18 (1) be administered as a unit of the National 

19 Park System; or 

20 (2) be subject to regulations that govern the 

21 National Park System. 

22 (f) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section: 

23 (1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

24 the Secretary of the Interior. 


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1 (2) STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE.—The term 

2 ‘‘Stewardship Committee’’ means the York River 

3 Stewardship Committee. 

4 (3) STEWARDSHIP PLAN.—The term ‘‘steward5 ship plan’’ means the York River Watershed Stew6 ardship Plan, dated August 2018, developed pursu7 ant to the study described in section 5(b)(21) of the 

8 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. 

9 (4) YORK RIVER, MAINE SEGMENTS.—The term 

10 ‘‘York River, Maine segments’’ means the river seg11 ments designated by the amendment made by sec12 tion 2. 


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Union Calendar No. 496 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1248 

[Report No. 116–603] 

A BILL 

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to desfor other purposes. the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and tershed in the State of Maine as components of ignate certain river segments within the York waNOVEMBER 27, 2020 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


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