I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6950 
To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain river segments 
within the Wood-Pawcatuck watershed as components of the National 
Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 
Mr. LANGEVIN (for himself, Mr. COURTNEY, and Mr. CICILLINE) 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 
certain river segments within the Wood-Pawcatuck wa-
tershed as components of 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 ‘‘Wood-Pawcatuck Wa-
tershed Wild and Scenic River Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:45 Oct 05, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6950.IH
H6950
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. WOOD-PAWCATUCK WATERSHED WILD AND SCENIC 
RIVER SEGMENTS. 
(a) DESIGNATION.—Section 3(a) of the Wild and 
Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘(214) WOOD-PAWCATUCK WATERSHED, RHODE 
ISLAND
AND
CONNECTICUT.—The following river 
segments within the Wood-Pawcatuck watershed, to 
be administered by the Secretary of the Interior, in 
cooperation with the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Sce-
nic Rivers Stewardship Council: 
‘‘(A) The approximately 11-mile segment 
of the Beaver River from its headwaters in Exe-
ter and West Greenwich, Rhode Island, to its 
confluence with the Pawcatuck River in Rich-
mond, Rhode Island, as a scenic river. 
‘‘(B) The approximately 3-mile segment of 
the Chipuxet River from the Kingstown Road 
Bridge, South Kingstown, Rhode Island, to its 
outlet in Worden Pond, as a wild river. 
‘‘(C) The approximately 9-mile segment of 
the Green Fall River from its headwaters in 
Voluntown, Connecticut, to its confluence with 
the Ashaway River in Hopkinton, Rhode Island, 
as a scenic river. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:45 Oct 05, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6950.IH
H6950
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
‘‘(D) The approximately 3-mile segment of 
the Ashaway River from its confluence with the 
Green Fall River to its confluence with the 
Pawcatuck River in Hopkinton, Rhode Island, 
as a recreational river. 
‘‘(E) The approximately 3-mile segment of 
the Pawcatuck River from the Worden Pond 
outlet in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, to the 
South County Trail Bridge, Charlestown and 
South Kingstown, Rhode Island, as a wild river. 
‘‘(F) The approximately 4-mile segment of 
the Pawcatuck River from South County Trail 
Bridge, Charlestown and South Kingstown, 
Rhode Island, to the Carolina Back Road 
Bridge in Richmond and Charlestown, Rhode 
Island, as a recreational river. 
‘‘(G) The approximately 21-mile segment 
of the Pawcatuck River from Carolina Back 
Road Bridge in Richmond and Charlestown, 
Rhode Island, to the confluence with Shunock 
River in Stonington, Connecticut, as a scenic 
river. 
‘‘(H) The approximately 8-mile segment of 
the Pawcatuck River from the confluence with 
Shunock River in Stonington, Connecticut, to 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:45 Oct 05, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6950.IH
H6950
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
the mouth of the river between Pawcatuck 
Point in Stonington, Connecticut, and Rhodes 
Point in Westerly, Rhode Island, as a rec-
reational river. 
‘‘(I) The approximately 11-mile segment of 
the Queen River from its headwaters in Exeter 
and West Greenwich, Rhode Island, to the 
Kingstown Road Bridge in South Kingstown, 
Rhode Island, as a scenic river. 
‘‘(J) The approximately 5-mile segment of 
the Usquepaugh River from the Kingstown 
Road Bridge to its confluence with the 
Pawcatuck River in South Kingstown, Rhode 
Island, as a wild river. 
‘‘(K) The approximately 8-mile segment of 
the Shunock River from its headwaters in 
North Stonington, Connecticut, to its con-
fluence with the Pawcatuck River as a rec-
reational river. 
‘‘(L) The approximately 13-mile segment 
of the Wood River from its headwaters in Ster-
ling and Voluntown, Connecticut, and Exeter 
and West Greenwich, Rhode Island, to the Ar-
cadia Road Bridge in Hopkinton and Rich-
mond, Rhode Island, as a wild river. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:45 Oct 05, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6950.IH
H6950
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
‘‘(M) The approximately 11-mile segment 
of the Wood River from the Arcadia Road 
Bridge in Hopkinton and Richmond, Rhode Is-
land, to the confluence with the Pawcatuck 
River in Charlestown, Hopkinton, and Rich-
mond, Rhode Island, as a recreational river.’’. 
(b) MANAGEMENT OF RIVER SEGMENTS.— 
(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(A) 
COVERED
TRIBUTARY.—The 
term 
‘‘covered tributary’’ means— 
(i) 
each 
of 
Assekonk 
Brook, 
Breakheart 
Brook, 
Brushy 
Brook, 
Canochet 
Brook, 
Chickasheen 
Brook, 
Cedar Swamp Brook, Fisherville Brook, 
Glade Brook, Glen Rock Brook, Kelly 
Brook, Locke Brook, Meadow Brook, Pen-
dleton Brook, Parris Brook, Passquisett 
Brook, Phillips Brook, Poquiant Brook, 
Queens Fort Brook, Roaring Brook, Sher-
man Brook, Taney Brook, Tomaquag 
Brook, White Brook, and Wyassup Brook 
within the Wood-Pawcatuck watershed; 
and 
(ii) any other perennial stream within 
the Wood-Pawcatuck watershed. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:45 Oct 05, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6950.IH
H6950
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
(B) RIVER
SEGMENT.—The term ‘‘river 
segment’’ means a river segment designated by 
paragraph (214) of section 3(a) of the Wild and 
Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) (as 
added by subsection (a)). 
(C) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ 
means the Secretary of the Interior. 
(D) 
STEWARDSHIP
PLAN.—The 
term 
‘‘Stewardship Plan’’ means the plan entitled the 
‘‘Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers 
Stewardship Plan for the Beaver, Chipuxet, 
Green 
Fall-Ashaway, 
Pawcatuck, 
Queen- 
Usquepaugh, Shunock, and Wood Rivers’’ and 
dated June 2018, which takes a watershed ap-
proach to the management of the river seg-
ments. 
(2) WOOD-PAWCATUCK WILD AND SCENIC RIV-
ERS STEWARDSHIP PLAN.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in co-
operation with the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and 
Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council, shall man-
age the river segments in accordance with— 
(i) the Stewardship Plan; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:45 Oct 05, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6950.IH
H6950
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
(ii) any amendment to the Steward-
ship Plan that the Secretary determines is 
consistent with this subsection. 
(B) WATERSHED APPROACH.—In further-
ance of the watershed approach to resource 
preservation and enhancement described in the 
Stewardship Plan, the covered tributaries are 
recognized as integral to the protection and en-
hancement of the river segments. 
(C) REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPREHENSIVE 
MANAGEMENT
PLAN.—The Stewardship Plan 
shall be considered to satisfy each requirement 
for a comprehensive management plan required 
under section 3(d) of the Wild and Scenic Riv-
ers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(d)). 
(3) COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS.—To provide 
for the long-term protection, preservation, and en-
hancement of each river segment, in accordance with 
sections 10(e) and 11(b)(1) of the Wild and Scenic 
Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(e), 1282(b)(1)), the 
Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements 
(which may include provisions for financial or other 
assistance from the Federal Government) with— 
(A) the States of Connecticut and Rhode 
Island; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:45 Oct 05, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6950.IH
H6950
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
(B) political subdivisions of the States of 
Connecticut and Rhode Island, including— 
(i) the towns of North Stonington, 
Sterling, Stonington, and Voluntown, Con-
necticut; and 
(ii) the towns of Charlestown, Exeter, 
Hopkinton, North Kingstown, Richmond, 
South Kingstown, Westerly, and West 
Kingstown, Rhode Island; 
(C) the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic 
Rivers Stewardship Council; and 
(D) any appropriate nonprofit organiza-
tion, as determined by the Secretary. 
(4) RELATION TO NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.— 
Notwithstanding section 10(c) of the Wild and Sce-
nic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(c)), each river seg-
ment shall not be— 
(A) administered as a unit of the National 
Park System; or 
(B) subject to the laws (including regula-
tions) that govern the administration of the Na-
tional Park System. 
(5) LAND MANAGEMENT.— 
(A) ZONING ORDINANCES.—The zoning or-
dinances adopted by the towns of North 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:45 Oct 05, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6950.IH
H6950
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
Stonington, 
Sterling, 
Stonington, 
and 
Voluntown, Connecticut, and Charlestown, Exe-
ter, Hopkinton, North Kingstown, Richmond, 
South Kingstown, Westerly, and West Green-
wich, Rhode Island (including any provision of 
the zoning ordinances relating to the conserva-
tion of floodplains, wetlands, and watercourses 
associated with any river segment), shall be 
considered to satisfy the standards and require-
ments described in section 6(c) of the Wild and 
Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1277(c)). 
(B) VILLAGES.—For purposes of section 
6(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
U.S.C. 1277(c)), each town described in sub-
paragraph (A) shall be considered to be a vil-
lage. 
(C) ACQUISITION OF LAND.— 
(i) LIMITATION
OF
AUTHORITY
OF 
SECRETARY.—With respect to each river 
segment, the Secretary may only acquire 
parcels of land— 
(I) by donation; or 
(II) with the consent of the 
owner of the parcel of land. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:45 Oct 05, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6950.IH
H6950
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
(ii) PROHIBITION RELATING TO THE 
ACQUISITION
OF
LAND
BY
CONDEMNA-
TION.—In accordance with 6(c) of the 
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 
1277(c)), with respect to each river seg-
ment, the Secretary may not acquire any 
parcel of land by condemnation. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:45 Oct 05, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H6950.IH
H6950
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS