Upper Neches River Wild and Scenic Study Act

Upper Neches River Wild and Scenic Study Act - Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a specified segment of the Neches River in Texas (the study area) for potential addition to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

Directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete a study of the part of the Neches River described in this Act as the study area and to report to Congress on the results of such study.

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2324 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2324

 To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the 
   Neches River in the State of Texas for potential addition to the 
     National Wild and Scenic River System, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 19, 2012

Mrs. Hutchison introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the 
   Neches River in the State of Texas for potential addition to the 
     National Wild and Scenic River System, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Upper Neches River Wild and Scenic 
Study Act''.

SEC. 2. POTENTIAL ADDITION TO THE NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVER 
              SYSTEM.

    (a) In General.--Section 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
U.S.C. 1276(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(141) Neches river, texas.--The approximately 225-mile 
        segment of the main stem of the Neches River from the dam 
        forming Lake Palestine in Anderson and Cherokee Counties to the 
        flood pool elevation of B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir in Jasper and 
        Tyler Counties, Texas.''.
    (b) Study and Report.--Section 5(b) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(20) Neches river, texas.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the 
                date of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary 
                shall--
                            ``(i) complete the study of the portion of 
                        the Neches River described in subsection 
                        (a)(141) (referred to in this paragraph as the 
                        `study area'); and
                            ``(ii) submit to the appropriate committees 
                        of Congress a report containing the results of 
                        the study.
                    ``(B) Private property and recreation.--Nothing in 
                subsection (a)(141) (or the subsequent inclusion in the 
                National Wild and Scenic River System of the study 
                area)--
                            ``(i) authorizes the involuntary taking or 
                        condemnation of private property in the study 
                        area;
                            ``(ii) authorizes the infringement on the 
                        rights of private property owners in the study 
                        area;
                            ``(iii) imposes additional regulations or 
                        restrictions on the use and enjoyment of 
                        private property in the study area;
                            ``(iv) affects access to the study area for 
                        recreational activities otherwise allowed by 
                        law in the study area, including hunting, 
                        fishing, trapping, or boating; or
                            ``(v) affects the authority, jurisdiction, 
                        or responsibility of the State of Texas with 
                        respect to the management, control, or 
                        regulation of fish and resident wildlife under 
                        State law (including regulations) in the study 
                        area, including the regulation of hunting, 
                        fishing, and trapping.
                    ``(C) Conservation practices.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Established conservation 
                        practices shall be encouraged on a voluntary 
                        basis within the study area.
                            ``(ii) Agreements.--Agreements for 
                        conservation initiatives in the study may be 
                        entered into on a voluntary basis.''.
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