I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1469 

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 

MARCH 1, 2021 

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

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

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. 

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 2021’’. 


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

2 MAINE. 

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

4 U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended by adding at the end the fol5 lowing: 

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

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

8 Bass Cove Creek, Cider Hill Creek, Cutts Ridge 

9 Brook, Dolly Gordon Brook, Libby Brook, Rogers 

10 Brook, Smelt Brook, totaling approximately 30.8 

11 miles, to be administered by the Secretary of the In12 terior, as a recreational river: 

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

14 of Bass Cove Creek from the outlet of Boulter 

15 Pond in York, Maine, and extending down16 stream to its confluence with the York River in 

17 York, Maine. 

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

19 of Cider Hill Creek from the Middle Pond dam 

20 in York, Maine, and extending downstream to 

21 its confluence with the York River in York, 

22 Maine. 

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

24 of Cutts Ridge Brook from its headwaters in 

25 Kittery, Maine, and extending downstream to 


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1 its confluence with the York River in York, 

2 Maine. 

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

4 of Dolly Gordon Brook from its headwaters in 

5 York, Maine, and extending downstream to its 

6 confluence with the York River in York, Maine. 

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

8 of Libby Brook from its headwaters in Kittery, 

9 Maine, and extending downstream to its con10 fluence with Dolly Gordon Brook in York, 

11 Maine. 

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

13 of Rogers Brook from its headwaters in Eliot, 

14 Maine, and extending downstream to its con15 fluence with the York River in York, Maine. 

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

17 of Smelt Brook from the Bell Marsh Reservoir 

18 dam in York, Maine, and extending downstream 

19 to its confluence with the York River in York, 

20 Maine. 

21 ‘‘(H) The approximately 12.14-mile seg22 ment of the York River from the outlet of York 

23 Pond in Eliot, Maine, and extending down24 stream to the Route 103 Bridge in York, 


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1 Maine, including Barrell Mill Pond in York, 

2 Maine.’’. 

3 SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT. 

4 (a) PROCESS.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The York River, Maine seg6 ments shall be managed in accordance with— 

7 (A) the stewardship plan; and 

8 (B) such amendments to the stewardship 

9 plan as the Secretary determines are consistent 

10 with this section and as are approved by the 

11 Stewardship Committee. 

12 (2) COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

13 The stewardship plan shall be considered to satisfy 

14 the requirements for a comprehensive management 

15 plan under section 3(d) of the Wild and Scenic Riv16 ers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(d)). 

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

18 or her management responsibilities under this Act with the 

19 Stewardship Committee, as specified in the stewardship 

20 plan. 

21 (c) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 

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

23 long-term protection, preservation, and enhancement 

24 of the York River, Maine segments, the Secretary 

25 may enter into cooperative agreements pursuant to 


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

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

3 with— 

4 (A) the State of Maine; 

5 (B) the municipalities of Eliot, Kittery, 

6 South Berwick, and York in Maine; and 

7 (C) appropriate local, regional, or State 

8 planning, environmental, or recreational organi9 zations. 

10 (2) CONSISTENCY.—Each cooperative agree11 ment entered into under this subsection shall be con12 sistent with the stewardship plan and may include 

13 provisions for financial or other assistance from the 

14 United States. 

15 (d) LAND MANAGEMENT.— 

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

17 the York River, Maine segments, the zoning ordi18 nances adopted by the municipalities named in sub19 section (c)(1)(B), including provisions for conserva20 tion of floodplains, wetlands, and watercourses asso21 ciated with the segments, shall be deemed to satisfy 

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

23 the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. 


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

2 the Secretary to acquire land for the purposes of the 

3 York River, Maine segments shall be— 

4 (A) limited to acquisition by donation or 

5 acquisition with the consent of the owner of the 

6 land; and 

7 (B) subject to the additional criteria set 

8 forth in the stewardship plan. 

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

10 in land within the watersheds of the York River, 

11 Maine segments may be acquired by condemnation. 

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

13 Notwithstanding section 10(c) of the Wild and Scenic Riv14 ers Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(c)), the York River, Maine seg15 ments shall not— 

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

17 Park System; or 

18 (2) be subject to regulations that govern the 

19 National Park System. 

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

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

22 the Secretary of the Interior. 

23 (2) STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE.—The term 

24 ‘‘Stewardship Committee’’ means the York River 

25 Stewardship Committee. 


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1 (3) STEWARDSHIP PLAN.—The term ‘‘steward2 ship plan’’ means the York River Watershed Stew3 ardship Plan, dated August 2018, developed pursu4 ant to the study described in section 5(b)(21) of the 

5 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. 

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

7 ‘‘York River, Maine segments’’ means the river seg8 ments designated by the amendment made by sec9 tion 2. 

Æ 


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