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[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2650 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2650

 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.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 15, 1993

  Mr. Hughes introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 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;
                    (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; and
            (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.

    (a) In General.--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.
    ``(  ) 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, aproximately 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 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.
    (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.

                                 <all>
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