Washington, DC – U.S. Representatives Barney Frank and James McGovern today announced that the Committee on Natural Resources approved H.R. 415, legislation they sponsored to include the Taunton River in the National Park Service’s Wild & Scenic River system. The bill was approved in the committee on a voice vote.

“I wish to thank Committee Chairman Nick Rahall, National Parks Subcommittee Chairman Raul Grijalva, and the other members of the committee for taking this important step toward officially recognizing the Taunton River’s current role as a vital natural and recreational resource in Southeastern Massachusetts,” Frank said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to see that the bill is approved by the full House and signed into law this year.”

“I’m very pleased that the House Resources Committee has approved this important legislation,” McGovern said. “I have been contacted by hundreds of constituents asking that the lower Taunton River be protected for future generations. The Department of the Interior recommended this designation, and I look forward to working with Rep. Frank and my other colleagues as this legislation moves through the process.”

The Wild and Scenic River program safeguards the special character of designated rivers, while also recognizing the potential for appropriate use and development. This designation would support the preservation of the Taunton River as a natural resource, but also make the river eligible for federal funding and grant opportunities in future enhancement efforts.

In order to become law, the legislation must pass in both the House and Senate before it is sent to the President for his signature. The bill was cosponsored by all of the House members from Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Companion Senate legislation (S. 868) introduced by Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry was approved by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources earlier this month. The Senate sponsors are working to bring the bill before the full Senate within the next several weeks, and Frank and McGovern will be working with them to ensure that the bill is approved and passed along to the President at the earliest possible opportunity.

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