IB 

Union Calendar No. 235 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1307 

[Report No. 109–427] 

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate portions of the 

Musconetcong River in the State of New Jersey as a component of 

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

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 15, 2005 

Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN, and Mr. 

FERGUSON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources 

APRIL 25, 2006 

Additional sponsors: Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. 

PAYNE, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. ROTHMAN, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. 

HOLT, Mr. LOBIONDO, and Mr. PASCRELL

APRIL 25, 2006 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 

A BILL 

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate 

portions of the Musconetcong River in the State of New 

Jersey as a component 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 ‘‘Musconetcong Wild 

5 and Scenic Rivers Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The Secretary of the Interior, in coopera9 tion and consultation with appropriate Federal, 

10 State, regional, and local agencies, is conducting a 

11 study of the eligibility and suitability of the 

12 Musconetcong River in the State of New Jersey for 

13 inclusion in the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. 

14 (2) The Musconetcong Wild and Scenic River 

15 Study Task Force has prepared, with assistance 

16 from the National Park Service, a river management 

17 plan for the study area entitled ‘‘Musconetcong 

18 River Management Plan’’ and dated April 2002, 

19 which establishes goals and actions that will ensure 

20 long-term protection of the outstanding values of the 

21 river and compatible management of land and water 

22 resources associated with the river. 

23 (3) Thirteen municipalities and three counties 

24 along segments of the Musconetcong River eligible 

25 for designation have passed resolutions supporting 


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1 the Musconetcong River Management Plan, agreeing 

2 to take action to implement the goals of the plan, 

3 and endorsing designation of the river. 

4 SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF PORTIONS OF MUSCONETCONG 

5 RIVER, NEW JERSEY, AS SCENIC AND REC6 REATIONAL RIVERS. 

7 (a) DESIGNATION.—Section 3(a) of the Wild and 

8 Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended by add9 ing at the end the following new paragraph: 

10 ‘‘(167) MUSCONETCONG RIVER, NEW JERSEY.—(A) 

11 The 24.2 miles of river segments in New Jersey, to be 

12 administered by the Secretary of the Interior, consisting 

13 of— 

14 ‘‘(i) the segment from Saxton Falls to the 

15 Route 46 bridge (approximately 3.5 miles), as a sce16 nic river; and 

17 ‘‘(ii) the segment from the Kings Highway 

18 bridge to the railroad tunnels at Musconetcong 

19 Gorge (approximately 20.7 miles), as a recreational 

20 river. 

21 ‘‘(B) Notwithstanding section 10(c), the river seg22 ments referred to in subparagraph (A) shall not be admin23 istered as part of the National Park System.’’. 

24 (b) MANAGEMENT OF SEGMENTS.— 


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1 (1) COMPLIANCE WITH MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

2 The Secretary of the Interior shall manage the seg3 ments of the Musconetcong River, New Jersey, des4 ignated as a scenic river or recreational river by the 

5 amendment made by subsection (a) in accordance 

6 with the river management plan entitled 

7 ‘‘Musconetcong River Management Plan’’ and dated 

8 April 2002, prepared by the Musconetcong River 

9 Management Committee, the National Park Service, 

10 the Heritage Conservancy, and the Musconetcong 

11 Watershed Association, which establishes goals and 

12 actions that will ensure long-term protection of the 

13 outstanding values of the river segments and com14 patible management of land and water resources as15 sociated with the river segments. 

16 (2) COOPERATION.—The Secretary shall man17 age the river segments in cooperation with appro18 priate Federal, State, regional, and local agencies, 

19 including— 

20 (A) the Musconetcong River Management 

21 Committee; 

22 (B) the Musconetcong Watershed Associa23 tion; 

24 (C) the Heritage Conservancy; 

25 (D) the National Park Service; and 


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1 (E) the New Jersey Department of Envi2 ronmental Protection. 

3 (c) SATISFACTION OF REQUIREMENTS FOR PLAN.— 

4 The management plan shall be considered to satisfy the 

5 requirements for a comprehensive management plan for 

6 the river segments under subsection 3(d) of the Wild and 

7 Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(d)). 

8 (d) FEDERAL ROLE.— 

9 (1) RESTRICTIONS ON WATER RESOURCE

10 PROJECTS.—In determining under section 7(a) of 

11 the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1278(a)) 

12 whether a proposed water resources project would 

13 have a direct and adverse effect on the values for 

14 which a river segment is designated as part of the 

15 Wild and Scenic Rivers System, the Secretary shall 

16 consider the extent to which the project is consistent 

17 with the management plan. 

18 (2) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—Any coopera19 tive agreements entered into under section 10(e) of 

20 the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(e)) 

21 relating to a river segment— 

22 (A) shall be consistent with the manage23 ment plan; and 

24 (B) may include provisions for financial or 

25 other assistance from the United States to faVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:49 Apr 26, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1307.RH H1307

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1 cilitate the long-term protection, conservation, 

2 and enhancement of the river segment. 

3 (3) SUPPORT FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—The 

4 Secretary may provide technical assistance, staff 

5 support, and funding to assist in the implementation 

6 of the management plan. 

7 (e) LAND MANAGEMENT.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may provide 

9 planning, financial, and technical assistance to local 

10 municipalities and non-profit organizations to assist 

11 in the implementation of actions to protect the nat12 ural and historic resources of the river segments. 

13 (2) PLAN REQUIREMENTS.—After adoption of 

14 recommendations made in section IV of the manage15 ment plan, the zoning ordinances of the municipali16 ties bordering the segments shall be considered to 

17 satisfy the standards and requirements under sec18 tion 6(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 

19 U.S.C. 1277(c)). 

20 (f) DESIGNATION OF ADDITIONAL RIVER SEG21 MENT.— 

22 (1) FINDING.—Congress finds that the 

23 Musconetcong River segment ‘‘C’’, as described in 

24 the management plan, is suitable for designation as 

25 a recreational river pursuant to this subsection if the 


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1 Secretary determines that there is adequate local 

2 support for the designation. 

3 (2) DESIGNATION AND ADMINISTRATION.—If 

4 the Secretary determines that there is adequate local 

5 support for designating the additional river segment 

6 as a recreational river— 

7 (A) the Secretary shall publish in the Fed8 eral Register a notice of the designation of the 

9 segment; 

10 (B) the segment shall thereby be des11 ignated as a recreational river in accordance 

12 with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 

13 1271 et seq.); and 

14 (C) the Secretary shall administer the ad15 ditional river segment as a recreational river. 

16 (3) CRITERIA FOR LOCAL SUPPORT.—In deter17 mining whether there is adequate local support for 

18 the designation of the additional river segment, the 

19 Secretary shall consider, among other things, the 

20 preferences of local governments expressed in resolu21 tions concerning designation of the segment. 

22 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

23 are authorized to be appropriated such funds as are nec24 essary to carry out this section, including the amendment 

25 to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act made by this section. 


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1 (h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

2 (1) ADDITIONAL RIVER SEGMENT.—The term 

3 ‘‘additional river segment’’ means Musconetcong 

4 River segment ‘‘C’’, as described in the management 

5 plan, from Hughesville Mill to the Delaware River 

6 Confluence (approximately 4.3 miles). 

7 (2) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage8 ment plan’’ means the river management plan enti9 tled ‘‘Musconetcong River Management Plan’’ and 

10 dated April 2002. 

11 (3) RIVER SEGMENTS.—The term ‘‘river seg12 ments’’ means the segments of the Musconetcong 

13 River, New Jersey, designated as a scenic river or 

14 recreational river by the amendment made by sub15 section (a) in accordance with the management plan. 

16 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

17 the Secretary of the Interior. 


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Union Calendar No. 235 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1307 

[Report No. 109

–427] 

A BILL 

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to desother purposes. tional Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for State of New Jersey as a component of the Na- ignate portions of the Musconetcong River in the 

APRIL 25, 2006 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


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