IB 

Union Calendar No. 49 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 723 

[Report No. 113–73] 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 14, 2013 

Mr. LANGEVIN (for himself, Mr. COURTNEY, and Mr. CICILLINE) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

MAY 17, 2013 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 14, 2013] 

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•HR 723 RH

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, 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 ‘‘Wood-Pawcatuck Water5 shed Protection Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. BEAVER, CHIPUXET, QUEEN, WOOD, AND 

7 PAWCATUCK RIVERS STUDY. 

8 (a) DESIGNATION FOR STUDY.—Section 5(a) of the 

9 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(a)) is amended 

10 by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(ll) BEAVER, CHIPUXET, QUEEN, WOOD, AND

12 PAWCATUCK RIVERS, RHODE ISLAND AND CON13 NECTICUT.—The approximately 10-mile segment of 

14 the Beaver River from its headwaters in Exeter, 

15 Rhode Island, to its confluence with the Pawcatuck 

16 River; the approximately 5-mile segment of the 

17 Chipuxet River from Hundred Acre Pond to its outlet 

18 into Worden Pond; the approximately 10-mile seg19 ment of the upper Queen River from its headwaters 

20 to the Usquepaugh Dam in South Kingstown, Rhode 

21 Island, and including all its tributaries; the approxi22 mately 5-mile segment of the lower Queen 

23 (Usquepaugh) River from the Usquepaugh Dam to its 

24 confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the approxi25 mately 11-mile segment of the upper Wood River from 

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1 its headwaters to Skunk Hill Road in Richmond and 

2 Hopkinton, Rhode Island, and including all its tribu3 taries; the approximately 10-mile segment of the lower 

4 Wood River from Skunk Hill Road to its confluence 

5 with the Pawcatuck River; the approximately 28-mile 

6 segment of the Pawcatuck River from Worden Pond 

7 to Nooseneck Hill Road (RI Rte 3) in Hopkinton and 

8 Westerly, Rhode Island; and the approximately 7-mile 

9 segment of the lower Pawcatuck River from Nooseneck 

10 Hill Road to Pawcatuck Rock, Stonington, Con11 necticut, and Westerly, Rhode Island.’’. 

12 (b) STUDY AND REPORT.—Section 5(b) of the Wild 

13 and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(b)) is amended by 

14 adding at the end the following: 

15 ‘‘(ll) BEAVER, CHIPUXET, QUEEN, WOOD, AND

16 PAWCATUCK RIVERS, RHODE ISLAND AND CON17 NECTICUT.—Not later than 3 years after the date on 

18 which funds are made available to carry out this 

19 paragraph, the Secretary of the Interior shall— 

20 ‘‘(A) complete the study of the Beaver, 

21 Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers, 

22 Rhode Island and Connecticut, described in sub23 section (a)(ll); 

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1 ‘‘(B) submit a report describing the results 

2 of that study to the appropriate committees of 

3 Congress; 

4 ‘‘(C) include in the report under subpara5 graph (B) the effect of the designation under this 

6 Act on— 

7 ‘‘(i) existing commercial and rec8 reational activities, such as hunting, fish9 ing, trapping, recreational shooting, motor 

10 boat use, or bridge construction; 

11 ‘‘(ii) the authorization, construction, 

12 operation, maintenance, or improvement of 

13 energy production and transmission infra14 structure; and 

15 ‘‘(iii) the authority of State and local 

16 governments to manage those activities en17 compassed in clauses (i) and (ii); and 

18 ‘‘(D) identify— 

19 ‘‘(i) all authorities that will authorize 

20 or require the Secretary to influence local 

21 land use decisions (such as zoning) or place 

22 restrictions on non-Federal land if the area 

23 studied is designated under this paragraph; 

24 ‘‘(ii) all authorities that the Secretary 

25 may use to condemn property if the area 

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1 studied is designated under this paragraph; 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(iii) all private property located in 

4 the area studied under this provision.’’. 

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Union Calendar No. 49 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 723 

[Report No. 113–73] 

A BILL 

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to desScenic Rivers System, and for other purposes. for potential addition to the National Wild and States of Connecticut and Rhode Island for study Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers in the ignate a segment of the Beaver, Chipuxet, 

MAY 17, 2013 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 

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