I
103D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4213
To amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to establish a national registry of rivers and
watersheds to be protected and restored, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 14, 1994
Mr. RICHARDSON (for himself, Ms. FURSE, Mr. WYNN, Mr. KOPETSKI, Mr.
DEFAZIO, Ms. NORTON, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. OLVER, Mr. ROSE, and Mr.
HAMBURG) introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the
Committees on Natural Resources, Merchant Marine and Fisheries, and
Agriculture
A BILL
To amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a
national registry of rivers and watersheds to be protected
and restored, 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 ‘‘River and Watershed
Protection and Restoration Act of 1994’’.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT OF LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION
FUND ACT OF 1965.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965
is amended by adding the following at the end thereof:
‘‘TITLE III—RIVER AND WATERSHED PROTECTION
‘‘Sec. 301. Findings and purposes.
‘‘Sec. 302. National river and watershed registry.
‘‘Sec. 303. Nominations for inclusion.
‘‘Sec. 304. Inclusion on registry.
‘‘Sec. 305. Watershed councils.
‘‘Sec. 306. Federal and State agencies.
‘‘Sec. 307. Watershed protection and restoration standards and assistance.
‘‘Sec. 308. Additional incentives.
‘‘Sec. 309. Authorization of appropriations.
‘‘Sec. 310. Definitions.
‘‘SEC. 301. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
‘‘(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—
‘‘(1) the biological integrity of river ecosystems
is important to maintain biodiversity and the eco-
nomic vitality of communities located in watersheds
through which rivers flow, as well as the health and
welfare of the American people;
‘‘(2) the degradation of America’s riverine
ecosystems and the loss of riverine biodiversity have
reached alarming levels, affecting all rivers in the
United States, from the smallest streams to the
largest rivers, such that entire hydrologic systems
and all forms of riverine and riparian biodiversity
are at risk; and
‘‘(3) current Federal policies are fragmented,
ineffective, and inadequate to address the decline of
riverine and riparian ecosystems and to stem the
continued degradation of riverine biodiversity be-
cause—
‘‘(A) there is no overall national goal to
protect and restore riverine systems and
biodiversity; and
‘‘(B) there is inadequate coordination
among various Federal and State programs (in-
cluding Federal programs providing financial
and technical assistance) affecting river systems
and watershed management.
‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purpose of this title is to es-
tablish national policies and mechanisms to—
‘‘(1) protect the remaining relatively undis-
turbed watershed, riparian ecosystems, flood plains,
refuges for riverine biodiversity, and the network of
small areas with greater concentrations of biological
diversity (‘hot spots’) found throughout river sys-
tems;
‘‘(2) restore disturbed watersheds, headwaters
areas, key ecosystem areas and biological and eco-
logical ‘hot spots’ to provide better management be-
tween them, and then ultimately linking and expand-
ing the restored areas; and
‘‘(3) involve the active participation of local
communities and citizens in developing and imple-
menting strategies to protect and restore all water-
sheds and in identifying new opportunities for eco-
nomic revitalization which will sustain both the eco-
logical health of the watersheds and the economic vi-
ability of affected communities.
‘‘SEC. 302. NATIONAL RIVER AND WATERSHED REGISTRY.
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary is authorized
and directed to establish and maintain a National River
and Watershed Registry to be comprised of rivers and as-
sociated watershed areas, the natural, scenic, cultural, or
recreational values of which are to be protected or re-
stored, as provided in this title.
‘‘(b) CRITERIA FOR INCLUSION.—Within 180 days
after the enactment of this title, the Secretary shall pro-
mulgate rules establishing criteria for the inclusion of riv-
ers and associated watershed areas on the national reg-
istry. Such criteria shall include (but not be limited to)
requirements that a river or associated watershed area
may be included on the National Registry only if—