House to vote on study of Mass. river protections
E&E News
By Phil Taylor
June 23, 2014
The House tonight is scheduled to vote on H.R. 412 by Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.) to study the suitability of protecting Massachusetts' Nashua River and two of its tributaries as wild and scenic rivers.
The bill, which passed the Natural Resources Committee by unanimous consent a year ago, will be considered under suspension of the rules, a process reserved for noncontroversial measures that requires a two-thirds majority to pass.
It would authorize the National Park Service to study 32.5 miles of the Nashua and its tributaries, the Squannacook and Nissitissit rivers, while excluding a 4.8-mile segment where the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is processing a license for an existing hydroelectric facility.
The NPS study would evaluate how a wild and scenic designation would affect commercial and recreational uses and the construction and maintenance of energy production and transmission, among other factors.
In the case of a favorable determination, new legislation would be needed to officially designate the waterways.
"This important legislation recognizes the great role that the Nashua River has played in contributing to our region and will help to keep the river clean, vibrant, and easily accessible," Tsongas said in a statement when introducing the bill in early 2013. "Thanks to the work of Marion Stoddart and the Nashua River Watershed Association, the Nashua has undergone a tremendous recovery and its designation as a Wild & Scenic River would enable additional preservation efforts while allowing this natural treasure to be enjoyed for many years to come."
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