H. R. 2650

One Hundred Third Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,

the fifth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-three

An Act

To designate portions of the Maurice River and its tributaries in the State of

New Jersey as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Systems.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that— (1) the Maurice River and its tributaries, Menantico Creek,

the Manumuskin River, and Muskee Creek, are eligible for

inclusion into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System,

the segments and their classifications being as follows— (A) the Maurice River, lower segment, from the United

States Geological Survey Station at Shellpile to Route 670

Bridge at Mauricetown, approximately 7.0 miles, as a recreational river;

(B) the Maurice River, middle segment, from Route

670 Bridge at Mauricetown to 3.6 miles upstream (at drainage ditch just upstream of Fralinger Farm), approximately

3.8 miles as a scenic river;

(C) the Maurice River, middle segment, from the drainage ditch just upstream of Fralinger Farm to one-half

mile upstream from the United States Geological Survey

Station at Burcham Farm, approximately 3.1 miles, as

a recreational river;

(D) the Maurice River, upper segment, from one-half

mile upstream from the United States Geological Survey

Station at Burcham Farm to the south side of the Millville

sewage treatment plant, approximately 3.6 miles, as a scenic river;

(E) the Menantico Creek, lower segment, from its confluence with the Maurice River to the Route 55 Bridge,

approximately 1.4 miles, as a recreational river;

(F) the Menantico Creek, upper segment, from the

Route 55 Bridge to the base of the Impoundment at

Menantico Lake, approximately 6.5 miles, as a scenic river;
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(G) the Manumuskin River, lower segment, from its

confluence with the Maurice River to 2.0 miles upstream,

as a recreational river;

(H) the Manumuskin River, upper segment, from 2.0

miles upstream from its confluence with the Maurice River

to headwaters near Route 557, approximately 12.3 miles,

as a scenic river; and

(I) the Muskee Creek from its confluence to the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Line Railroad bridge, approximately 2.7 miles, as a scenic river;

(2) a resource assessment of the Maurice River and its

tributaries, Menantico Creek, the Manumuskin River, and the

Muskee Creek shows that the area possesses numerous outstandingly remarkable natural, cultural, scenic, and recreational resources that are significant at the local, regional,

and international levels, including rare plant and animal species and critical habitats for birds migrating to and from the

north and south hemispheres; and

(3) a river management plan for the river system has

been developed by the Cumberland County Department of Planning and Development and adopted by the Maurice River Township, Commercial Township, and the City of Millville that would

meet the requirements of section 6(c) of the Wild and Scenic

Rivers Act, the City of Vineland has adopted a master plan

which calls for river planning and management and is in the

process of adopting zoning ordinances to implement their plan,

and Buena Vista Township in Atlantic County has adopted

a land use plan consistent with the Pinelands Comprehensive

Plan which is more restrictive than the Cumberland County

local river management plan.

(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are to—

(1) declare the importance and irreplaceable resource values of the Maurice River and its tributaries to water quality,

human health, traditional economic activities, ecosystem integrity, biotic diversity, fish and wildlife, scenic open space and

recreation and protect such values through designation of the

segments as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers

System; (2) recognize that the Maurice River System will continue

to be threatened by major development and that land use

regulations of the individual local political jurisdictions through

which the river segments pass cannot alone provide for an

adequate balance between conservation of the river’s resources

and commercial and industrial development; and

(3) recognize that segments of the Maurice River and its

tributaries additional to those designated under this Act are

eligible for potential designation at some point in the near

future.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.

Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C.

1274(a)) is amended by adding the following new paragraphs at

the end thereof:

‘‘( ) THE MAURICE RIVER, MIDDLE SEGMENT.—From Route 670

Bridge at Mauricetown to 3.6 miles upstream (at drainage ditch

just upstream of Fralinger Farm), approximately 3.8 miles to be

administered by the Secretary of the Interior as a scenic river.
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‘‘( ) THE MAURICE RIVER, MIDDLE SEGMENT.—From the drainage ditch just upstream of Fralinger Farm to one-half mile upstream

from the United States Geological Survey Station at Burcham Farm,

approximately 3.1 miles, to be administered by the Secretary of

the Interior as a recreational river.

‘‘( ) THE MAURICE RIVER, UPPER SEGMENT.—From one-half

mile upstream from the United States Geological Survey Station

at Burcham Farm to the south side of the Millville sewage treatment plant, approximately 3.6 miles, to be administered by the

Secretary of the Interior as a scenic river.

‘‘( ) THE MENANTICO CREEK, LOWER SEGMENT.—From its confluence with the Maurice River to the Route 55 Bridge, approximately 1.4 miles, to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior

as a recreational river.

‘‘( ) THE MENANTICO CREEK, UPPER SEGMENT.—From the

Route 55 Bridge to the base of the impoundment at Menantico

Lake, approximately 6.5 miles, to be administered by the Secretary

of the Interior as a scenic river.

‘‘( ) MANUMUSKIN RIVER, LOWER SEGMENT.—From its confluence with the Maurice River to a point 2.0 miles upstream,

to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior as a recreational

river.

‘‘( ) MANUMUSKIN RIVER, UPPER SEGMENT.—From a point 2.0

miles upstream from its confluence with the Maurice River to

its headwaters near Route 557, approximately 12.3 miles, to be

administered by the Secretary of the Interior as a scenic river.

‘‘( ) MUSKEE CREEK, NEW JERSEY.—From its confluence with

the Maurice River to the Pennsylvania Seashore Line Railroad

Bridge, approximately 2.7 miles, to be administered by the Secretary

of the Interior as a scenic river.’’.

SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT.

(a) DUTIES OF SECRETARY.—The Secretary of the Interior shall

manage the river segments designated as components of the

National Wild and Scenic Rivers System by this Act through

cooperative agreements with the political jurisdictions within which

such segments pass, pursuant to section 10(e) of the Wild and

Scenic Rivers Act, and in consultation with such jurisdictions, except

that publicly-owned lands within the boundaries of such segments

shall continue to be managed by the agency having jurisdiction

over such lands.

(b) AGREEMENTS.—(1) Cooperative agreements for management of the river segments referred to in subsection (a) shall provide

for the long-term protection, preservation, and enhancement of such

segments and shall be consistent with the comprehensive management plan for such segments to be prepared by the Secretary

of the Interior pursuant to section 3(d) of the Wild and Scenic

Rivers Act and with the local river management plans prepared

by appropriate local political jurisdictions in conjunction with the

Secretary of the Interior.

(2) The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with appropriate representatives of local political jurisdictions and the State

of New Jersey, shall review local river management plans described

in paragraph (1) to assure that their proper implementation will

protect the values for which the river segments described in section

2 were designated as components of the National Wild and Scenic

Rivers System. If after such review the Secretary determines that
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such plans and their implementing local zoning ordinances meet

the protection standards specified in section 6(c) of the Wild and

Scenic Rivers Act, then such plans shall be deemed to constitute

‘‘local zoning ordinances’’ and each township and other incorporated

local jurisdiction covered by such plans shall be deemed to constitute

a ‘‘village’’ for the purposes of section 6(c) (prohibiting the acquisition of lands by condemnation) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers

Act.

(3) The Secretary of the Interior shall biennially review compliance with the local river management plans described in paragraph

(1) and shall promptly report to the Committee on Natural

Resources of the United States House of Representatives and to

the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United

States Senate any deviation from such which would result in any

diminution of the values for which the river segment concerned

was designated as a component of the National Wild and Scenic

Rivers System.

(c) PLANNING ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary of the Interior may

provide planning assistance to local political subdivisions of the

State of New Jersey through which flow river segments that are

designated as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers

System, and may enter into memoranda of understanding or

cooperative agreements with officials or agencies of the United

States or the State of New Jersey to ensure that Federal and

State programs that could affect such segments are carried out

in a manner consistent with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and

applicable river management plans.

(d) SEGMENT ADDITIONS.—The Secretary of the Interior is

encouraged to continue to work with the local municipalities to

negotiate agreement and support for designating those segments

of the Maurice River and its tributaries which were found eligible

for designation pursuant to Public Law 100–33 and were not designated pursuant to this Act (hereinafter referred to as ‘‘additional

eligible segments’’). For a period of 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the provisions of the Wild and Scenic Rivers

Act applicable to segments included in section 5 of that Act shall

apply to the additional eligible segments. The Secretary of the

Interior is directed to report to the appropriate congressional

committees within 3 years after the date of enactment of this

Act on the status of discussions and negotiations with the local

municipalities and on recommendations toward inclusion of additional river segments into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers

System.
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(e) APPROPRIATIONS.—For the purposes of the segment

described by subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated

such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of

this Act.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.