York River Study Bill Advances to House Vote

Press Release

Today the House Committee on Natural Resources approved Congresswoman Chellie Pingree's legislation to study the York River for possible inclusion in the Wild and Scenic Rivers program. The next step will be a vote on the House floor, which Pingree says she hopes will come soon.

"To pass the Natural Resources Committee with bipartisan support and keep the bill moving towards the floor for a vote in the House is very exciting. I think we've cleared this hurdle because the York River community has done such a great job of showing how important the character of this waterway is to the local environment, economy, and way of life," said Pingree. "The study will be an excellent opportunity to find out more about the value of the York River, while giving a critical boost to the local organizations and businesses who will do the research."

If passed, the study would find whether the river merits one of the designations under the Wild and Scenic River program: wild, scenic, or recreational. Then community members would be able to offer their input on whether the designation should move forward. A designation adds an extra level of review for projects that require federal permits. It keeps decision about private development on private land under complete local control.

The committee passed the legislation with an amendment to ensure the study includes analyzing the impacts of a designation on commercial and recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, and bridge construction; the ability of local and state governments to implement protections under a full designation; and identify private property located in the area studied. The amendment was introduced by Rep. Rob Bishop, Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.

"I think the amendment makes the legislation stronger," Pingree said. "It's important that community members have all the information they need to decide whether they think thedesignation should move forward."

Pingree submitted the study legislation at the request of community members, including commercial fishermen, school administrators, local business owners, and individuals. In May, she went to York for a presentation where representatives told her howimportant the waterway was to the area. The legislation received a subcommittee hearing in September, for which Pingree submitted testimony from members of the committee. Pieces of their testimony are online at www.pingree.house.gov.

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