I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 412 
To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the 
mainstem of the Nashua River and its tributaries in the Commonwealth 
of Massachusetts for study for potential addition to the National Wild 
and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 23, 2013 
Ms. TSONGAS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate 
segments of the mainstem of the Nashua River and 
its tributaries in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 
for study for potential addition to the National Wild 
and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nashua River Wild 
and Scenic River Study Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DESIGNATION FOR STUDY. 
Section 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
U.S.C. 1276(a)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(lll) NASHUA RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.— 
(A) The approximately 19-mile segment of the 
mainstem of the Nashua River from the confluence 
of the North and South Nashua Rivers in Lancaster, 
Massachusetts, north to the Massachusetts/New 
Hampshire State line, and its tributaries, except the 
approximately 4.8-mile segment of the mainstem of 
the Nashua River from the Route 119 bridge in 
Groton, Massachusetts, downstream to its confluence 
with the Nissitissit River in Pepperell, Massachu-
setts. 
‘‘(B) The 10-mile segment of the Squannacook 
River from its headwaters at Ash Swamp down-
stream to its confluence with the Nashua River in 
Shirley/Ayer, Massachusetts. 
‘‘(C) The 3.5-mile segment of the Nissitissit 
River from the Massachusetts/New Hampshire State 
line downstream to its confluence with the Nashua 
River in Pepperell, Massachusetts.’’. 
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SEC. 3. STUDY AND REPORT. 
Section 5(b) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
U.S.C. 1276(b)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(ll) STUDY AND REPORT.—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 complete the study of the Nash-
ua River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, as 
described in subsection (a)(lll), and submit a 
report describing the results of that study to the 
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources of the Senate.’’. 
SEC. 4. REPORT REQUIREMENTS. 
The report required under section 3 of this Act 
shall— 
(1) include a discussion of the effect of the des-
ignation of the area to be studied under this Act 
under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act on— 
(A) existing commercial and recreational 
activities, such as hunting, fishing, trapping, 
recreational shooting, motor boat use, or bridge 
construction; 
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(B) the authorization, construction, oper-
ation, maintenance, or improvement of energy 
production and transmission infrastructure; and 
(C) the authority of State and local gov-
ernments to manage those activities encom-
passed in subparagraphs (A) and (B); and 
(2) identify— 
(A) all authorities that will authorize or re-
quire the Secretary of the Interior to influence 
local land use decisions (such as zoning) or 
place restrictions on non-Federal land if the 
area studied under this Act is designated under 
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act; 
(B) all authorities that the Secretary of 
the Interior may use to condemn property if the 
area studied under this Act is designated under 
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act; and 
(C) all private property located in the area 
to be studied under this Act. 
Æ 
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