Nashua River Wild and Scenic River Study Act
Floor Speech
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Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of my legislation, H.R. 412, the Nashua River Wild and Scenic River Study Act.
First, I want to thank Chairman Hastings for bringing this legislation to the floor. As we all know, Chairman Hastings will be retiring at the end of this year, so I want to especially thank him for his service on the Natural Resources Committee, and I wish him all the best.
I also want to thank Ranking Member DeFazio, Subcommittee Chairman Bishop, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Grijalva for their support of this legislation.
The history and development of the towns and cities in the Third District of Massachusetts have been defined by the many rivers that course through these unique communities. From the mighty Merrimack River that supported the birth of the industrial revolution in Lowell to the Concord River where a famous shot was heard around the world, our rivers continue to play an important role in connecting our communities, but time and development have not always been kind to these rivers.
Beginning in the 1700s and continuing to just a few decades ago, paper, shoe, and textile factories were constructed along the Nashua River and many other rivers in the area. The strong currents of the rivers powered the factories and made their success possible; but at the same time, the factories were releasing industrial waste right back into the rivers, polluting the very source of their success. By the mid-1960s, the Nashua River was one of the most polluted rivers in the Nation. In fact, the river would change color almost daily because of the inks and dyes released into the river by the paper factories; but in 1965, one Third District resident, Marion Stoddart, realized that something had to be done. Ms. Stoddart formed the Nashua River Clean-up Committee to work toward cleaning up the river and protecting the land along its banks.
Thanks to her work and to the continued work of the Nashua River Watershed Association, the Nashua River has come a long way since the 1960s. Pollution from the mills has been cleaned up; new sewage treatment plants now keep sewage out of the river; and more than 8,000 acres of land and 85 miles of greenway along the riverbanks have been permanently conserved. I can't praise Marion enough and all of the dedicated residents, volunteers, and association staff who have spent countless hours working to make sure that the Nashua River can once again be an asset and resource to the communities through which it passes.
There is still much work to be done, and that is why I partnered with the Nashua River Watershed Association to introduce H.R. 412, a bill that will initiate a 3-year study to determine whether, roughly, 28 miles of the Nashua River and its tributaries can be designated as Wild and Scenic Rivers. This study will allow the National Park Service, the Watershed Association, and local governments and stakeholders to work together in forming a plan to protect the Nashua River.
Every town through which the Nashua River passes, in addition to several local environmental organizations, supports the adoption of this legislation. Additionally, my office just received the results of a reconnaissance survey conducted by the National Park Service. The Park Service found:
The elements for a successful Wild and Scenic River Study process for the Nashua River and its tributaries in Massachusetts are in place.
In 1999, 29 miles of the nearby Assabet, Sudbury, and Concord Rivers were designated as Wild and Scenic Rivers. Since then, we have seen how this designation can help protect not only the quality of the rivers but the quality of the recreational activities they support. It is my hope that the Wild and Scenic designation can be expanded to the Nashua River so that we can see the same successes there. The study that H.R. 412 will initiate is essential to starting this process.
In closing, I would like to again thank Chairman Hastings and Chairman Bishop for bringing this bill to the floor.
I yield back the balance of my time.
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