I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2643 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance in implementing cultural heritage, conservation, and recreational activities in 

the Connecticut River watershed of the States of New Hampshire and 

Vermont. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 21, 2009 

Mr. WELCH (for himself and Mr. HODES) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance in implementing cultural heritage, conservation, and 

recreational activities in the Connecticut River watershed 

of the States of New Hampshire and Vermont. 

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 ‘‘Upper Connecticut 

5 River Partnership Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

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1 (1) the upper Connecticut River watershed in 

2 the States of New Hampshire and Vermont is a sce3 nic region of historic villages located in a working 

4 landscape of farms, forests, and the mountainous 

5 headwaters and broad fertile floodplains of New 

6 England’s longest river, the Connecticut River; 

7 (2) the River provides outstanding fish and 

8 wildlife habitat, recreation, and hydropower genera9 tion for the New England region; 

10 (3) the upper Connecticut River watershed has 

11 been recognized by Congress as part of the Silvio O. 

12 Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, estab13 lished by the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and 

14 Wildlife Refuge Act (16 U.S.C. 668dd note; Public 

15 Law 102–212); 

16 (4) the demonstrated commitment to steward17 ship of the River by the citizens living in the water18 shed led to the Presidential designation of the River 

19 as 1 of 14 American Heritage Rivers on July 30, 

20 1998; 

21 (5) the River is home to the bi-State Con22 necticut River Scenic Byway, which was declared a 

23 National Scenic Byway by the Department of Trans24 portation in 2005 to foster heritage tourism in the 

25 region; 

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1 (6) each of the legislatures of the States of 

2 Vermont and New Hampshire has established a 

3 commission for the Connecticut River watershed, 

4 and the 2 commissions, known collectively as the 

5 ‘‘Connecticut River Joint Commissions’’— 

6 (A) have worked together since 1989; and 

7 (B) serve as the focal point and catalyst 

8 for cooperation between Federal agencies, 

9 States, communities, and citizens; 

10 (7) in 1997, as directed by the legislatures, the 

11 Connecticut River Joint Commissions, with the sub12 stantial involvement of 5 bi-State local river sub13 committees appointed to represent riverfront towns, 

14 produced the 6 volume Connecticut River Corridor 

15 Management Plan, to be used as a blueprint in edu16 cating agencies, communities, and the public in how 

17 to be good neighbors to a great river; 

18 (8) in 2009, after 3 years of broad consultation, 

19 the Connecticut River Joint Commissions have sub20 stantially expanded and published updates via the 

21 Connecticut River Recreation Management Plan and 

22 the Water Resources Management Plan to guide 

23 public and private activities in the watershed; 

24 (9) through a joint legislative resolution, the 

25 legislatures of the States of Vermont and New 

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1 Hampshire have requested that Congress provide for 

2 continuation of cooperative partnerships and that 

3 Federal agencies support the Connecticut River 

4 Joint Commissions in carrying out the recommenda5 tions of the Connecticut River Corridor Management 

6 Plan; 

7 (10) this Act effectuates certain recommenda8 tions of the Connecticut River Corridor Management 

9 Plan that are most appropriately directed by the 

10 States through the Connecticut River Joint Commis11 sions, with assistance from the National Park Serv12 ice and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; 

13 and 

14 (11) where implementation of those rec15 ommendations involves partnership with local com16 munities and organizations, support for the partner17 ship should be provided by the Secretary. 

18 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to author19 ize the Secretary to provide to the States of New Hamp20 shire and Vermont (including communities in those 

21 States), through the Connecticut River Joint Commis22 sions, technical and financial assistance for management 

23 of the River. 

24 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

25 In this Act: 

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1 (1) RIVER.—The term ‘‘River’’ means the Con2 necticut River. 

3 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

4 the Secretary of the Interior. 

5 (3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means— 

6 (A) the State of New Hampshire; or 

7 (B) the State of Vermont. 

8 SEC. 4. CONNECTICUT RIVER GRANTS AND TECHNICAL AS9 SISTANCE PROGRAM. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 

11 Connecticut River Grants and Technical Assistance Pro12 gram to provide grants and technical assistance to State 

13 and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and the 

14 private sector to carry out projects for the conservation, 

15 restoration, and interpretation of historic, cultural, rec16 reational, and natural resources in the upper Connecticut 

17 River watershed. 

18 (b) CRITERIA.—The Secretary, in consultation with 

19 the Connecticut River Joint Commissions, shall develop 

20 criteria for determining the eligibility of applicants for, 

21 and reviewing and prioritizing applications for, grants or 

22 technical assistance under the program. 

23 (c) COST-SHARING.— 

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1 (1) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of 

2 the cost of carrying out a grant project under sub3 section (a) shall not exceed 75 percent. 

4 (2) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Federal 

5 share of the cost of a project may be provided in the 

6 form of an in-kind contribution of services or mate7 rials. 

8 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

9 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

10 this Act $1,000,000 for each fiscal year. 

Æ 

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