I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7551 
To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments 
of the Housatonic River in the State of Connecticut as components 
of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 21, 2022 
Mrs. HAYES 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 segments of the Housatonic River in the State 
of Connecticut 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 ‘‘Housatonic Wild and 
Scenic River Act of 2022’’. 
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SEC. 2. HOUSATONIC WILD AND SCENIC RIVER, CON-
NECTICUT. 
(a) AMENDMENTS
TO WILD
AND SCENIC RIVER 
ACT.—Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(231) HOUSATONIC RIVER, CONNECTICUT.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The following seg-
ments of the Housatonic River in the State of 
Connecticut, to be administered by the Sec-
retary of the Interior: 
‘‘(i) The approximately 14.9-mile seg-
ment from the Massachusetts-Connecticut 
boundary to the covered bridge in West 
Cornwall, as a scenic river. 
‘‘(ii) The approximately 4.1-mile seg-
ment from the covered bridge in West 
Cornwall to the Cornwall Bridge, as a rec-
reational river. 
‘‘(iii) The approximately 9.1-mile seg-
ment from the Cornwall Bridge to the 
Route 341 bridge in Kent, as a scenic 
river. 
‘‘(iv) The approximately 12.2-mile 
segment from the Route 341 bridge in 
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Kent to the Boardman Bridge in New Mil-
ford, as a recreational river. 
‘‘(B) EFFECTS
ON
HYDROELECTRIC
FA-
CILITIES.—The designation of the river seg-
ments in subparagraph (A) shall not— 
‘‘(i) impact or alter the existing terms 
of permitting, licensing, or operation of— 
‘‘(I) the Falls Village Hydro-
electric Generating Station located in 
Falls Village, Connecticut (FERC P– 
2576); or 
‘‘(II) the Bulls Bridge Hydro-
electric Generating Station located in 
New Milford, Connecticut (FERC P– 
2576); or 
‘‘(ii) preclude the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission from licensing, re-
licensing, or otherwise authorizing the op-
eration or continued operation of the facili-
ties named in clause (i).’’. 
(b) MANAGEMENT.— 
(1) PROCESS.—The Housatonic River segments 
shall be managed in accordance with— 
(A) the Management Plan; and 
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(B) such amendments to the Management 
Plan as the Secretary determines are consistent 
with this Act and the Wild and Scenic Rivers 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.). 
(2) COMPREHENSIVE
MANAGEMENT
PLAN.— 
The Management Plan shall be considered to satisfy 
the requirements for a comprehensive management 
plan under section 3(d) of the Wild and Scenic Riv-
ers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(d)). 
(3) COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—To provide for long- 
term protection, preservation, and enhancement 
of the Housatonic River segments, the Sec-
retary shall coordinate management responsibil-
ities under this Act, and may enter into cooper-
ative agreements pursuant to sections 10(e) and 
11(b)(1) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
U.S.C. 1281(e) and 1282(b)(1)), with— 
(i) the State of Connecticut; 
(ii) the towns of Sharon, Canaan, 
Cornwall, Salisbury, New Milford, Kent, 
and North Canaan, Connecticut; and 
(iii) appropriate planning, environ-
mental, and recreational organizations, in-
cluding— 
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(I) local, regional, State, and 
multistate organizations; and 
(II) any other appropriate orga-
nizations, 
as 
determined 
by 
the 
Housatonic River Commission, or its 
successor organization, as defined in 
the Management Plan. 
(B) COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS.—Each 
cooperative agreement entered into under this 
paragraph shall be consistent with the Manage-
ment Plan and may include provisions for fi-
nancial or other assistance from the United 
States. 
(4) ZONING ORDINANCES.—For the purposes of 
the Housatonic River segments, the zoning ordi-
nances adopted by the municipalities named in para-
graph (3)(A)(ii) 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)). 
(5) ACQUISITION OF LANDS.—The authority of 
the Secretary to acquire lands for the Housatonic 
River segments shall be— 
(A) limited to acquisition by donation or 
acquisition with the consent of the owner there-
of; and 
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(B) subject to the additional criteria set 
forth in the Management Plan. 
(6) NO CONDEMNATION.—No land or interest 
in land may be acquired for the Housatonic River 
segments by condemnation. 
(7) RELATION TO THE NATIONAL PARK SYS-
TEM.—Notwithstanding section 10(c) of the Wild 
and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(c)), the 
Housatonic River segments shall not be— 
(A) administered as a part or unit of the 
National Park System; or 
(B) subject to regulations that govern the 
National Park System. 
(8) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(A) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ 
means the Secretary of the Interior. 
(B) 
MANAGEMENT
PLAN.—The 
term 
‘‘Management Plan’’ means the Housatonic 
River Management Plan, dated September 
2006. 
(C) HOUSATONIC RIVER SEGMENTS.—The 
term ‘‘Housatonic River segments’’ means the 
river segments designated by the amendments 
made by section 2(a). 
Æ 
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