Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild and Scenic River Act
PL 106-20 (H.R.193), enacted 04/09/1999

113 STAT. 30 
PUBLIC LAW 106-20—APR. 9, 1999 
Public Law 106-20 
106th Congress 
Apr. 9, 1999 
[H.R. 193] 
Sudbury, 
Assabet, and 
Concord Wild 
and Scenic River 
Act. 
Massachusetts. 
16 u s e 1271 
note. 
An Act 
To designate a portion of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers as a component 
of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the "Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord 
Wild and Scenic River Act". 
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF SUDBURY, ASSABET, AND CONCORD SCENIC 
AND RECREATIONAL RIVERS, MASSACHUSETTS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—^The Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild and Scenic 
River Study Act (title VII of Public Law 101-628; 104 Stat. 
4497)— 
(A) designated segments of the Sudbury, Assabet, and 
Concord Rivers in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 
totaling 29 river miles, for study and potential addition 
to the NationgJ Wild and Scenic Rivers System; sind 
(B) directed the Secretary of the Interior to establish 
the 
Sudbury, 
Assabet, 
and 
Concord 
Rivers 
Study 
Committee (in this section referred to as the "Study 
Committee") to advise the Secretary in conducting the 
study and in the consideration of management alternatives 
should the rivers be included in the National Wild and 
Scenic Rivers System. 
(2) The study determined the following river segments are 
eligible for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers 
System based on their free-flowing condition and outstanding 
scenic, recreation, wildlife, cultural, and historic values: 
(A) The 16.6-mile segment of the Sudbury River 
beginning at the Danforth Street Bridge in the town of 
Framingheim, to its confluence with the Assabet River. 
(B) The 4.4-mile segment of the Assabet River from 
1,000 feet downstream from the Damon Mill D£im in the 
town of Concord to the confluence with the Sudbury River 
at Egg Rock in Concord. 
(C) The 8-mile segment of the Concord River from 
Egg Rock at the confluence of the Sudbury and Assabet 
Rivers to the Route 3 bridge in the town of Billerica. 
(3) The towns that directly abut the segments, including 
Framingham, Sudbury, Wayland, Lincoln, Concord, Bedford, 
Carlisle, and Billerica, Massachusetts, have each demonstrated 
PUBLIC LAW 106-20—APR. 9, 1999 
113 STAT. 31 
their desire for National Wild and Scenic River designation 
through town meeting votes endorsing designation. 
(4) During the study, the Study Committee and the 
National Park Service prepared a comprehensive management 
plan for the segment, entitled "Sudbury, Assabet and Concord 
Wild and Scenic River Study, River Conservation Plan" and 
dated March 16, 1995 (in this section referred to as the "plan"), 
which establishes objectives, standards, and action programs 
that will ensure long-term protection of the rivers' outstanding 
values and compatible management of their land and water 
resources. 
(5) The Study Committee voted unanimously on February 
23, 1995, to recommend that the Congress include these seg-
ments in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System for 
management in accordance with the plan. 
(b) DESIGNATION.—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 new paragraph: 
"(160) SUDBURY, ASSABET, AND CONCORD RIVERS, MASSACHU-
SETTS.—(A) The 29 miles of river segments in Massachusetts, as 
follows: 
"(i) The 14.9-mile segment of the Sudbury River beginning 
at the Danforth Street Bridge in the town of Framingham, 
downstream to the Route 2 Bridge in Concord, as a scenic 
river. 
"(ii) The 1.7-mile segment of the Sudbury River from the 
Route 2 Bridge downstream to its confluence with the Assabet 
River at Egg Rock, as a recreational river. 
"(iii) The 4.4-mile segment of the Assabet River beginning 
1,000 feet downstream from the Damon Mill Dam in the town 
of Concord, to its confluence with the Sudbury River at Egg 
Rock in Concord; as a recreational river. 
"(iv) The 8-mile segment of the Concord River from Egg 
Rock at the confluence of the Sudbury and Assabet Rivers 
downstream to the Route 3 Bridge in the town of Billerica, 
as a recreational river. 
"(B) The segments referred to in subparagraph (A) shall be 
administered by the Secretary of the Interior in cooperation with 
the SUASCO River Stewardship Council provided for in the plan 
referred to in subparagraph (C) through cooperative agreements 
under section 10(e) between the Secretary and the Commonwealth 
of Massachusetts and its relevant political subdivisions (including 
the towns of Framingham, Wayland, Sudbury, Lincoln, Concord, 
Carlisle, Bedford, and Billerica). 
"(C) The segments referred to in subparagraph (A) shall be 
managed in accordance with the plan entitled 'Sudbury, Assabet 
and Concord Wild and Scenic River Study, River Conservation 
Plan', dated March 16, 1995. The plan is deemed to satisfy the 
requirement for a comprehensive management plan under sub-
section (d) of this section.". 
(c) FEDERAL ROLE IN MANAGEMENT.—(1) The Director of the 
i6usci274 
National Park Service or the Director's designee shall represent note. 
the Secretary of the Interior in the implementation of the plan, 
this section, and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act with respect 
to each of the segments designated by the amendment made by 
subsection (b), including the review of proposed federally assisted 
water resources projects that could have a direct and adverse effect 
113 STAT. 32 
PUBLIC LAW 106-20—APR. 9, 1999 
on the values for which the segment is established, as authorized 
under section 7(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 
1278(a)). 
(2) Pursuant to sections 10(e) and section 11(b)(1) of the Wild 
and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(e), 1282(b)(1)), the Director 
shall offer to enter into cooperative agreements with the Common-
wealth of Massachusetts, its relevsint political subdivisions, the 
Sudbury Valley Trustees, and the Organization for the Assabet 
River. Such cooperative agreements shall be consistent with the 
plan and may include provisions for fingmcied or other assistance 
from the United States to facilitate the long-term protection, con-
servation, and enhancement of each of the segments designated 
by the amendment made by subsection (b). 
(3) The Director may provide technical assistsmce, staff support, 
and funding to assist in the implementation of the plan, except 
that the total cost to the Federal Government of activities to imple-
ment the plan may not exceed $100,000 each fiscal year. 
(4) Notwithstanding section 10(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(c)), any portion of a segment designated by 
the amendment made by subsection (b) that is not already within 
the National Park System shall not under this section— 
(A) become a part of the National Park System; 
(B) be managed by the National Park Service; or 
(C) be subject to regulations which govern the National 
Park System, 
16 use 1274 
(d) WATER RESOURCES PROJECTS.—(1) In determining whether 
note. 
a proposed water resources project would have a direct and adverse 
effect on the values for which the segments designated by the 
amendment made by subsection (b) were included in the National 
Wild and Scenic Rivers System, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
specifically consider the extent to which the project is consistent 
with the plan. 
(2) The plan, including the detailed Water Resources Study 
incorporated by reference in the plan and such additional analysis 
as may be incorporated in the future, shall serve as the primary 
source of information regarding the flows needed to maintain 
instream resources and potential compatibility between resource 
protection and possible additional water withdrawals. 
16USC1274 
(e) LAND MANAGEMENT.—(1) The zoning bylaws of the towns 
note. 
of Framingham, Sudbury, Wayland, Lincoln, Concord, Carlisle, Bed-
ford, £ind Billerica, Massachusetts, as in effect on the date of enact-
ment of this Act, are deemed to satisfy the standards and require-
ments under section 6(c) of the Wild and Scenic rivers Act (16 
U.S.C. 1277(c)). For the purpose of that section, the towns are 
deemed to be "villages" and the provisions of that section which 
prohibit Federal acquisition of lands through condemnation shall 
apply. 
(2) The United States Government shall not acquire by any 
means title to land, easements, or other interests in land along 
the segments designated by the amendment made by subsection 
(b) or their tributaries for the purposes of designation of the seg-
ments under the amendment. Nothing in this section shall prohibit 
Federal acquisition of interests in land along those segments or 
tributaries under other laws for other purposes. 
16 use 1274 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 
note. 
to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out 
this section not to exceed $100,000 for each fiscal year. 
PUBLIC LAW 106-20—APR. 9, 1999 
113 STAT. 33 
(g) 
EXISTING 
UNDESIGNATED 
PARAGRAPHS; 
REMOVAL 
OF 
DUPLICATION.—Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended— 
(1) by striking the first undesignated paragraph after para-
graph (156), relating to Elkhom Creek, Oregon; and 
(2) by designating the three remaining undesignated para-
graphs after paragraph (156) as paragraphs (157), (158), and 
(159), respectively. 
Approved April 9, 1999. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 193: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 106-10 (Comm. on Resources). 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 106-25 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 145 (1999): 
Feb. 23, considered and passed House. 
Mar. 25, considered and passed Senate. 
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 35 (1999): 
Apr. 9, Presidential statement.