Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Protection Act

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers in the States of Connecticut and Rhode Island for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Protection Act 2. Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers Study (a) Designation for study Section 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1276(a) (__) Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers, Rhode Island and Connecticut The approximately 10-mile segment of the Beaver River from its headwaters in Exeter, Rhode Island, to its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the approximately 5-mile segment of the Chipuxet River from Hundred Acre Pond to its outlet into Worden Pond; the approximately 10-mile segment of the upper Queen River from its headwaters to the Usquepaugh Dam in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and including all its tributaries; the approximately 5-mile segment of the lower Queen (Usquepaugh) River from the Usquepaugh Dam to its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the approximately 11-mile segment of the upper Wood River from its headwaters to Skunk Hill Road in Richmond and Hopkinton, Rhode Island, and including all its tributaries; the approximately 10-mile segment of the lower Wood River from Skunk Hill Road to its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the approximately 28-mile segment of the Pawcatuck River from Worden Pond to Nooseneck Hill Road (RI Rte 3) in Hopkinton and Westerly, Rhode Island; and the approximately 7-mile segment of the lower Pawcatuck River from Nooseneck Hill Road to Pawcatuck Rock, Stonington, Connecticut, and Westerly, Rhode Island. . (b) Study and report Section 5(b) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1276(b) (__) Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers, Rhode Island and Connecticut Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are made available to carry out this paragraph, the Secretary of the Interior shall— (A) complete the study of the Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers, Rhode Island and Connecticut, described in subsection (a)(__); (B) submit a report describing the results of that study to the appropriate committees of Congress; (C) include in the report under subparagraph (B) the effect of the designation under this Act on— (i) existing commercial and recreational activities, such as hunting, fishing, trapping, recreational shooting, motor boat use, or bridge construction; (ii) the authorization, construction, operation, maintenance, or improvement of energy production and transmission infrastructure; and (iii) the authority of State and local governments to manage those activities encompassed in clauses (i) and (ii); and (D) identify— (i) all authorities that will authorize or require the Secretary to influence local land use decisions (such as zoning) or place restrictions on non-Federal land if the area studied is designated under this paragraph; (ii) all authorities that the Secretary may use to condemn property if the area studied is designated under this paragraph; and (iii) all private property located in the area studied under this provision. . May 17, 2013 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Protection Act - Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate for study for potential addition to the national wild and scenic rivers system specified segments of the Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers in Rhode Island and Connecticut. Requires the study to: (1) include the effect of designation on existing commercial and recreational activities, energy production and transmission infrastructure, and the authority of state and local governments to manage such activities; and (2) identify authorities allowing the influence of local land use decisions or restrictions on non-federal land, condemnation authorities, and all private property located in the study area.