John Sarbanes: “H.R. 986 would designate 25.3 miles of the Eightmile River and its tributaries in Connecticut as a national scenic…”

“H.R. 986 would designate 25.3 miles of the Eightmile River and its tributaries in Connecticut as a national scenic river. The bill was introduced by my friend and freshman class colleague, Representative Joe Courtney, who has been a strong and effective advocate of this designation. This legislation would protect portions of the Eightmile River that have been found to have 'outstandingly remarkable' values, including an intact watershed with a natural flow, very high water quality, unusual geological features, and large numbers of rare plants and animals. The bill would designate five segments of the river and its tributaries as scenic under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The designated segments would be managed according to a plan produced pursuant to the 2001 Eightmile River Wild and Scenic River Study Act. The administration supports the bill, as we were told by a National Park Service witness at a hearing before the National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee on April 17. In a draft study, the agency found these portions of the river and its tributaries to be eligible and suitable for designation. The bill is cosponsored by the entire Connecticut House delegation. Both Connecticut Senators support the designation, as does the Republican Governor of Connecticut. The bill also enjoys ample support from the local community, including the local governments of the towns of Salem, East Haddam and Lyme.”