Nashua River Wild and Scenic River Study Act

Provisions of the bill

This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the Congressional Research Service, a public domain source.

The Nashua River Wild and Scenic River Study Act would amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments concerning the Nashua River in Massachusetts for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

The bill would direct the United States Secretary of the Interior to complete a study of the Nashua River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and to report to Congress.

Congressional Budget Office report

This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the Congressional Budget Office, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on June 12, 2013. This is a public domain source.

H.R. 412 would require the National Park Service (NPS) to study segments of the Nashua River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire for potential addition to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Based on information provided by the NPS, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that implementing the legislation would cost about $350,000 over the next three years, assuming the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting H.R. 412 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.

H.R. 412 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.

Procedural history

The Nashua River Wild and Scenic River Study Act was introduced into the United States House of Representatives on January 23, 2013 by Rep. Niki Tsongas (D, MA-3). It was referred to the United States House Committee on Natural Resources and the United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation. It was reported (amended) alongside House Report 113-166 on July 22, 2013.

Debate and discussion

The bill was endorsed by the Massachusetts towns that would be affected: Lancaster, Massachusetts, Harvard, Massachusetts, Shirley, Massachusetts, Ayer, Massachusetts, Groton, Massachusetts, Dunstable, Massachusetts, Pepperell, Massachusetts, Townsend, Massachusetts.

The Nashua River Watershed Association's Executive Director Elizabeth Ainsley Cambell testified in a hearing about the bill, arguing that "this legislation, which has strong local and state support, will help advance the protection of the entire river system."

Rep. Tsongas, who sponsored the bill, discussed the river's history and past pollution problems in her testimony about the bill. She argued that the study would allow stakeholders to work together to "ensure that it remains a great place for canoeing, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors."

The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) supported the bill, arguing that the river exhibits "the types of qualities and resource values that would make it a worthy and important candidate for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System." The DOI did say, however, that it would prefer to prioritize the 30 other similar studies before working on this one.

The Wilderness Society also supported the bill, arguing that if the river was considered eligible, then legislation could be introduced that "would clean up polluted waters near the river, keep drinking water supplies clean, and protect the river for its multiple uses."