I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 984 
To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the 
Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers as components of the Wild 
and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 5, 2019 
Mrs. TRAHAN (for herself and Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire) 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 Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit 
Rivers as components of the 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 Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. NASHUA WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS, MASSACHU-
SETTS AND NEW HAMPSHIRE. 
(a) DESIGNATION OF WILD AND SCENIC RIVER SEG-
MENTS.—Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(214) 
NASHUA, 
SQUANNACOOK, 
AND 
NISSITISSIT WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS, MASSACHU-
SETTS AND NEW HAMPSHIRE.— 
‘‘(A) The following segments in the Com-
monwealth of Massachusetts and State of New 
Hampshire, to be administered by the Secretary 
of the Interior as a scenic river: 
‘‘(i) The approximately 27-mile seg-
ment of the mainstem of the Nashua River 
from the confluence of the North and 
South Nashua Rivers in Lancaster, Massa-
chusetts, and extending north to the Mas-
sachusetts-New Hampshire border, except 
as provided in subparagraph (B). 
‘‘(ii) The approximately 16.3-mile seg-
ment of the Squannacook River from its 
headwaters in Ash Swamp, Townsend, 
Massachusetts, extending downstream to 
the confluence of the river with the Nash-
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ua River in Shirley/Ayer, Massachusetts, 
except as provided in subparagraph (B). 
‘‘(iii) The approximately 9.5-mile seg-
ment of the Nissitissit River from its head-
waters in Brookline, New Hampshire, to 
the confluence of the river with the Nash-
ua River in Pepperell, Massachusetts. 
‘‘(B) EXCLUSION AREAS.—The designation 
of the river segments in subparagraph (A) shall 
exclude— 
‘‘(i) with respect to the Ice House hy-
droelectric project (FERC P–12769), from 
700 feet upstream from the crest of the 
dam to 500 feet downstream from the 
crest of the dam; 
‘‘(ii) with respect to the Pepperell hy-
droelectric project (FERC P12721), from 
9,240 feet upstream from the crest of the 
dam to 1,000 feet downstream from the 
crest of the dam; and 
‘‘(iii) with respect to the Hollings-
worth and Vose dam (non-FERC), from 
1,200 feet upstream from the crest of the 
dam to 2,665 feet downstream from the 
crest of the dam.’’. 
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(b) MANAGEMENT.— 
(1) PROCESS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The river segments 
designated by paragraph (214) of section 3(a) 
of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)), as amended 
by this section, shall be managed in accordance 
with— 
(i) the Nashua, Squannacook, and 
Nissitissit Rivers Stewardship Plan devel-
oped pursuant to the study described in 
section 5(b)(21) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 
1276(b)(21)) (referred to in this sub-
section as the ‘‘management plan’’), dated 
February 15, 2018; and 
(ii) such amendments to the manage-
ment plan as the Secretary of the Interior 
determines are consistent with this section 
and as are approved by the Nashua, 
Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers Stew-
ardship Council (referred to in this sub-
section as the ‘‘Stewardship Council’’). 
(B) 
COMPREHENSIVE
MANAGEMENT 
PLAN.—The management plan shall be consid-
ered to satisfy the requirements for a com-
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prehensive management plan under section 3(d) 
of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(d)). 
(2) COMMITTEE.—The Secretary of the Interior 
shall coordinate the management responsibilities of 
the Secretary of the Interior under this Act with the 
Stewardship Council, as specified in the manage-
ment plan. 
(3) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In order to provide for 
the long-term protection, preservation, and en-
hancement of the river segments designated by 
paragraph (214) of section 3(a) of such Act (16 
U.S.C. 1274(a)), as amended by this section, 
the Secretary of the Interior may enter into co-
operative agreements pursuant to sections 10(e) 
and 11(b)(1) (16 U.S.C. 1281(e), 1282(b)(1)) 
of such Act with— 
(i) the Commonwealth of Massachu-
setts and the State of New Hampshire; 
(ii) the municipalities of— 
(I) 
Ayer, 
Bolton, 
Dunstable, 
Groton, Harvard, Lancaster, Pepper-
ell, Shirley, and Townsend in Massa-
chusetts; and 
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(II) Brookline and Hollis in New 
Hampshire; and 
(iii) appropriate local, regional, State, 
or multistate, planning, environmental, or 
recreational organizations. 
(B) 
CONSISTENCY.—Each 
cooperative 
agreement entered into under this paragraph 
shall be consistent with the management plan 
and may include provisions for financial or 
other assistance from the United States. 
(4) EFFECT ON WORKING DAMS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The designation of the 
river segments by paragraph (214) of section 
3(a) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)), as 
amended by this section, does not— 
(i) impact or alter the existing terms 
of permitting, licensing, or operation of— 
(I) the Pepperell hydroelectric 
project (FERC Project P–12721, 
Nashua River, Pepperell, MA); 
(II) the Ice House hydroelectric 
project (FERC Project P–12769, 
Nashua River, Ayer, MA); or 
(III) the Hollingsworth and Vose 
Dam (non-FERC industrial facility, 
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Squannacook River, West Groton, 
MA) as further described in the man-
agement plan (Appendix A, ‘‘Working 
Dams’’); or 
(ii) preclude the Federal Energy Reg-
ulatory Commission from licensing, reli-
censing, or otherwise authorizing the oper-
ation or continued operation of the 
Pepperell and Ice House hydroelectric 
projects under the terms of licenses or ex-
emptions in effect on the date of enact-
ment of this Act; or 
(iii) limit actions taken to modernize, 
upgrade, or carry out other changes to 
such projects authorized pursuant to 
clause (i), subject to written determination 
by the Secretary of the Interior that the 
changes are consistent with the purposes 
of the designation. 
(5) LAND MANAGEMENT.— 
(A) ZONING ORDINANCES.—For the pur-
pose of the segments designated by paragraph 
(214) of section 3(a) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 
1274(a)), as amended by this section, the zon-
ing ordinances adopted by the municipalities 
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named in paragraph (3)(A)(ii), including provi-
sions for conservation of floodplains, wetlands, 
and watercourses associated with the segments, 
shall be deemed to satisfy the standards and re-
quirements of section 6(c) of such Act (16 
U.S.C. 1277(c)). 
(B) ACQUISITIONS
OF
LANDS.—The au-
thority of the Secretary to acquire land for the 
purposes of the segments designated such para-
graph (214) shall be— 
(i) limited to acquisition by donation 
or acquisition with the consent of the 
owner of the land; and 
(ii) subject to the additional criteria 
set forth in the management plan. 
(C) NO CONDEMNATION.—No land or in-
terest in land within the boundary of the river 
segments designated by such paragraph (214) 
may be acquired by condemnation. 
(6) RELATION TO THE NATIONAL PARK SYS-
TEM.—Notwithstanding section 10(c) of such Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1281(c)), each segment of the Nashua, 
Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers designated as a 
component of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System 
under this Act shall not— 
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(A) be administered as a unit of the Na-
tional Park System; or 
(B) be subject to regulations that govern 
the National Park System. 
Æ 
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