Senate Approves Wild and Scenic Status for Eightmile River

The omnibus bill is expected to be approved by the House, before moving on to President George W. Bush, who is expected to sign it.

"It's been a grueling marathon for millions of folks from Connecticut, but today the finish line is finally in sight," said Rebecca Wodder, president of the nonprofit conservation group American Rivers. "River lovers all across the country can look to the story of the Eightmile as a perfect example of hard work paying off in the end."

The watershed, studied by the National Park Service and determined eligible for national Wild and Scenic status, is the largest unfragmented forest region in coastal Connecticut, with its scenic beauty, historic character, and abundant fisheries.

The Eightmile will become the second river in Connecticut protected by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The Farmington River is other.

Republicans for Environmental Protection, a national grassroots organization that includes elected officials as members, applauded today's Senate passage of legislation designating the Eightmile Wild and Scenic River in Connecticut.

"Nothing is more conservative than protecting our heritage for the benefit of future generations," said REP Policy Director Jim DiPeso.

Protecting the Eightmile River as Wild and Scenic was the first piece of legislation ever introduced by freshman Congressman Joe Courtney, a Connecticut Democrat. It passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support in July and Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, a Democrat, introduced companion legislation in the Senate along with Senator Joseph Lieberman, a Connecticut Independent.

While the House approved the designation last year, the House must approve it again because the Senate included it in the consolidated public lands bill.

"Right now, Congress is considering protecting over 200 rivers under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and it's time for them to act on all of them," said Wodder.

One of those bills, is the Snake Headwaters Legacy Act, sponsored by the late-Senator Craig Thomas. If passed, the legislation would constitute the largest expansion of the Wild and Scenic Rivers system since the law's passage in 1968.

In 2006, American Rivers kicked off our "40 x 40" campaign to seek the designation of 40 new Wild and Scenic Rivers.

"What better way for Congress to honor the 40th anniversary of this incredible law, than to extend its protections to 40 more rivers?" asks Wodder. "Lawmakers have plenty to choose from and the Eightmile is just one of them. More than 3,400 rivers meet the Wild and Scenic criteria, and yet remain unprotected. Even the Colorado River at the Grand Canyon isn't protected."

To be eligible for wild and scenic river designation, a river must be free-flowing and have at least one outstanding resource value recreation, scenery, wildlife and fish habitat, history, geology, or other similar values. Rivers may be added to the system by an act of Congress. Or, if a river is protected through a state program, it may be designated by the Secretary of the Interior upon official request by the governor.

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act affords a river legal protection from adverse development impacts. The law forbids the construction of new federally licensed dams, limits inappropriate streamside development, protects the river's unique values; and mandates the creation of a management plan for the wild and scenic river.

"We are pleased that the Senate adopted the Consolidated Natural Resources Act with a strong bipartisan majority," REP Government Affairs Director David Jenkins said. "Giving permanent protection to the great places that tell America's story is one of the highest forms of patriotism."

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