Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic River Act

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments of the Farmington River and Salmon Brook in the State of Connecticut as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic River Act 2. Findings The Congress finds that— (1) the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Study Act of 2005 ( Public Law 109–370 16 U.S.C. 1277(a)(156) (2) the studied segments of the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook support natural, cultural, and recreational resources of exceptional significance to the citizens of Connecticut and the Nation; (3) concurrently with the preparation of the study, the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Study Committee prepared the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Management Plan, June 2011, that establishes objectives, standards, and action programs that will ensure the long-term protection of the outstanding values of the river segments without Federal management of affected lands not owned by the United States; (4) the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Study Committee has voted in favor of Wild and Scenic River designation for the river segments, and has included this recommendation as an integral part of the management plan; (5) there is strong local support for the protection of the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook, including votes of support for Wild and Scenic designation from the governing bodies of all ten communities abutting the study area; (6) the State of Connecticut General Assembly has endorsed the designation of the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (Public Act 08–37); and (7) the Rainbow Dam and Reservoir are located entirely outside of the river segment designated by section 3 of this Act, and, based on the findings of the study of the Lower Farmington River pursuant to Public Law 109–370 3. Designation Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1274(a) (213) Lower farmington river and salmon brook, Connecticut Segments of the main stem and its tributary, Salmon Brook, totaling approximately 62 miles, to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior as follows: (A) The approximately 27.2-mile segment of the Farmington River beginning 0.2 miles below the tailrace of the Lower Collinsville Dam and extending to the site of the Spoonville Dam in Bloomfield and East Granby as a recreational river. (B) The approximately 8.1-mile segment of the Farmington River extending from 0.5 miles below the Rainbow Dam to the confluence with the Connecticut River in Windsor as a recreational river. (C) The approximately 2.4-mile segment of the main stem of Salmon Brook extending from the confluence of the East and West Branches to the confluence with the Farmington River as a recreational river. (D) The approximately 12.6-mile segment of the West Branch of Salmon Brook extending from its headwaters in Hartland, Connecticut to its confluence with the East Branch of Salmon Brook as a recreational river. (E) The approximately 11.4-mile segment of the East Branch of Salmon Brook extending from the Massachusetts-Connecticut State line to the confluence with the West Branch of Salmon Brook as a recreational river. . 4. Management (a) In general The river segments designated by section 3 shall be managed in accordance with the management plan and such amendments to the management plan as the Secretary determines are consistent with this Act. The management plan shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements for a comprehensive management plan pursuant to section 3(d) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1274(d) (b) Committee The Secretary shall coordinate the management responsibilities of the Secretary under this Act with the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Committee, as specified in the management plan. (c) Cooperative agreements (1) In general In order to provide for the long-term protection, preservation, and enhancement of the river segment designated by section 3 of this Act, the Secretary is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements pursuant to sections 10(e) and 11(b)(1) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act with— (A) the State of Connecticut; (B) the towns of Avon, Bloomfield, Burlington, East Granby, Farmington, Granby, Hartland, Simsbury, and Windsor in Connecticut; and (C) appropriate local planning and environmental organizations. (2) Consistency All cooperative agreements provided for under this Act shall be consistent with the management plan and may include provisions for financial or other assistance from the United States. (d) Land management (1) Zoning ordinances For the purposes of the segments designated in section 3, the zoning ordinances adopted by the towns in Avon, Bloomfield, Burlington, East Granby, Farmington, Granby, Hartland, Simsbury, and Windsor in Connecticut, including provisions for conservation of floodplains, wetlands and watercourses associated with the segments, shall be deemed to satisfy the standards and requirements of section 6(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1277(c) (2) Acquisition of land The provisions of section 6(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1277(c) (e) Rainbow Dam The designation made by section 3 shall not be construed to— (1) prohibit, pre-empt, or abridge the potential future licensing of the Rainbow Dam and Reservoir (including any and all aspects of its facilities, operations and transmission lines) by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as a federally licensed hydroelectric generation project under the Federal Power Act; or Act, provided that the Commission may, in the discretion of the Commission and consistent with this Act, establish such reasonable terms and conditions in a hydropower license for Rainbow Dam as are necessary to reduce impacts identified by the Secretary as invading or unreasonably diminishing the scenic, recreational, and fish and wildlife values of the segments designated by section 3; or (2) affect the operation of, or impose any flow or release requirements on, the unlicensed hydroelectric facility at Rainbow Dam and Reservoir. (f) Relation to National Park System Notwithstanding section 10(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1281(c) 5. Farmington River, Connecticut, designation revision Section 3(a)(156) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1274(a) (1) by striking 14-mile 15.1-mile (2) by striking to the downstream end of the New Hartford-Canton, Connecticut town line to the confluence with the Nepaug River 6. Definitions For the purposes of this Act: (1) Management plan The term management plan (2) Secretary The term Secretary December 16, 2015 Reported with an amendment

Summary: Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic River Act (Sec. 3) This bill amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate specified segments of the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook in Connecticut as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. (Sec. 4) The Department of the Interior shall manage: (1) the river segments according to the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Management Plan, dated June 2011; and (2) coordinate the management responsibilities of Interior under this Act relating to such segments with the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Committee. Authorizes Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with: (1) the state of Connecticut; (2) the towns of Avon, Bloomfield, Burlington, East Granby, Farmington, Granby, Hartland, Simsbury, and Windsor in Connecticut; and (3) appropriate local planning and environmental organizations. For purposes of the segments designated by this Act, the zoning ordinances adopted by the towns, including provisions for the conservation of floodplains, wetlands, and watercourses associated with such segments, shall be deemed to satisfy the Act's standards and requirements limiting or prohibiting federal acquisition of lands by condemnation. The authority of Interior to acquire lands for the purposes of such segments shall be limited to acquisition by donation or with the owner's consent and shall be subject to additional management plan criteria. The designation made by this Act shall not be construed to prohibit, pre-empt, or abridge the potential future licensing or re-licensing of the Rainbow Dam and Reservoir (including any and all aspects of its facilities, operations, and transmission lines) by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as a federally licensed hydroelectric generation project, provided that FERC may, in its discretion and consistent with this Act, establish any terms and conditions in a hydropower license for the Dam as necessary to reduce impacts that invade or unreasonably diminish the scenic, recreational, and fish and wildlife values of the designated segments. Neither shall the designation affect the operation of, or impose any flow or release requirements on, the unlicensed hydroelectric facility at the Dam and Reservoir. The Lower Farmington River shall not be administered as part of the National Park System or be subject to System regulations. (Sec. 5) The bill also revises the description of a specified designated segment of the Farmington River in Connecticut.