II 

Calendar No. 286 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 723 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 12, 2013 

Received 

DECEMBER 20, 2013 

Read twice and placed on the calendar 

AN ACT 

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. 

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 Wa5 tershed Protection Act’’. 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

HR 723 PCS

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

2 PAWCATUCK RIVERS STUDY. 

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

4 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(a)) is amend5 ed by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(ll) BEAVER, CHIPUXET, QUEEN, WOOD, 

7 AND PAWCATUCK RIVERS, RHODE ISLAND AND CON8 NECTICUT.—The approximately 10-mile segment of 

9 the Beaver River from its headwaters in Exeter, 

10 Rhode Island, to its confluence with the Pawcatuck 

11 River; the approximately 5-mile segment of the 

12 Chipuxet River from Hundred Acre Pond to its out13 let into Worden Pond; the approximately 10-mile 

14 segment of the upper Queen River from its head15 waters to the Usquepaugh Dam in South Kingstown, 

16 Rhode Island, and including all its tributaries; the 

17 approximately 5-mile segment of the lower Queen 

18 (Usquepaugh) River from the Usquepaugh Dam to 

19 its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the ap20 proximately 11-mile segment of the upper Wood 

21 River from its headwaters to Skunk Hill Road in 

22 Richmond and Hopkinton, Rhode Island, and includ23 ing all its tributaries; the approximately 10-mile seg24 ment of the lower Wood River from Skunk Hill 

25 Road to its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; 

26 the approximately 28-mile segment of the Pawcatuck 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

HR 723 PCS

1 River from Worden Pond to Nooseneck Hill Road 

2 (RI Rte 3) in Hopkinton and Westerly, Rhode Is3 land; and the approximately 7-mile segment of the 

4 lower Pawcatuck River from Nooseneck Hill Road to 

5 Pawcatuck Rock, Stonington, Connecticut, and 

6 Westerly, Rhode Island.’’. 

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

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

9 by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(ll) BEAVER, CHIPUXET, QUEEN, WOOD, 

11 AND PAWCATUCK RIVERS, RHODE ISLAND AND CON12 NECTICUT.—Not later than 3 years after the date on 

13 which funds are made available to carry out this 

14 paragraph, the Secretary of the Interior shall— 

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

16 Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers, 

17 Rhode Island and Connecticut, described in 

18 subsection (a)(ll); 

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

20 of that study to the appropriate committees of 

21 Congress; 

22 ‘‘(C) include in the report under subpara23 graph (B) the effect of the designation under 

24 this Act on— 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

HR 723 PCS

1 ‘‘(i) existing commercial and rec2 reational activities, such as hunting, fish3 ing, trapping, recreational shooting, motor 

4 boat use, or bridge construction; 

5 ‘‘(ii) the authorization, construction, 

6 operation, maintenance, or improvement of 

7 energy production and transmission infra8 structure; and 

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

10 governments to manage those activities en11 compassed in clauses (i) and (ii); and 

12 ‘‘(D) identify— 

13 ‘‘(i) all authorities that will authorize 

14 or require the Secretary to influence local 

15 land use decisions (such as zoning) or 

16 place restrictions on non-Federal land if 

17 the area studied is designated under this 

18 paragraph; 

19 ‘‘(ii) all authorities that the Secretary 

20 may use to condemn property if the area 

21 studied is designated under this para22 graph; and 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

HR 723 PCS

1 ‘‘(iii) all private property located in 

2 the area studied under this provision.’’. 

Passed the House of Representatives June 11, 2013. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Calendar No. 286 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 723 

AN ACT 

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, 

DECEMBER 20, 2013 

Read twice and placed on the calendar 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS