2000
[DOCID: f:h2773enr.txt]
H.R.2773
One Hundred Sixth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
the twenty-fourth day of January, two thousand
An Act
To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate the Wekiva River
and its tributaries of Wekiwa Springs Run, Rock Springs Run, and Black
Water Creek in the State of Florida as components of the national wild
and scenic rivers system.
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 ``Wekiva Wild and Scenic River Act of
2000''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Public Law 104-311 (110 Stat. 3818) amended section 5 of
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276) to require the
study of the Wekiva River and its tributaries of Rock Springs Run
and Seminole Creek for potential inclusion in the national wild and
scenic rivers system.
(2) The study determined that the Wekiva River, Wekiwa Springs
Run, Rock Springs Run, and Black Water Creek are eligible for
inclusion in the national wild and scenic rivers system.
(3) The State of Florida has demonstrated its commitment to
protecting these rivers and streams by the enactment of the Wekiva
River Protection Act (Florida Statute chapter 369), by the
establishment of a riparian wildlife protection zone and water
quality protection zone by the St. Johns River Water Management
District, and by the acquisition of lands adjacent to these rivers
and streams for conservation purposes.
(4) The Florida counties of Lake, Seminole, and Orange have
demonstrated their commitment to protect these rivers and streams
in their comprehensive land use plans and land development
regulations.
(5) The desire for designation of these rivers and streams as
components of the national wild and scenic rivers system has been
demonstrated through strong public support, State and local agency
support, and the endorsement of designation by the Wekiva River
Basin Ecosystem Working Group, which represents a broad cross
section of State and local agencies, landowners, environmentalists,
nonprofit organizations, and recreational users.
(6) The entire lengths of the Wekiva River, Rock Springs Run,
and Black Water Creek are held in public ownership or conservation
easements or are defined as waters of the State of Florida.
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF WEKIVA RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES, FLORIDA, AS
COMPONENTS OF NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS SYSTEM.
Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a))
is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(161) Wekiva River, Wekiwa Springs Run, Rock Springs Run, and
Black Water Creek, Florida.--The 41.6-mile segments referred to in this
paragraph, to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior:
``(A) Wekiva river and wekiwa springs run.--The 14.9 miles of
the Wekiva River, along Wekiwa Springs Run from its confluence with
the St. Johns River to Wekiwa Springs, to be administered in the
following classifications:
``(i) From the confluence with the St. Johns River to the
southern boundary of the Lower Wekiva River State Preserve,
approximately 4.4 miles, as a wild river.
``(ii) From the southern boundary of the Lower Wekiva River
State Preserve to the northern boundary of Rock Springs State
Reserve at the Wekiva River, approximately 3.4 miles, as a
recreational river.
``(iii) From the northern boundary of Rock Springs State
Reserve at the Wekiva River to the southern boundary of Rock
Springs State Reserve at the Wekiva River, approximately 5.9
miles, as a wild river.
``(iv) From the southern boundary of Rock Springs State
Reserve at the Wekiva River upstream along Wekiwa Springs Run
to Wekiwa Springs, approximately 1.2 miles, as a recreational
river.
``(B) Rock springs run.--The 8.8 miles from the confluence of
Rock Springs Run with the Wekiwa Springs Run forming the Wekiva
River to its headwaters at Rock Springs, to be administered in the
following classifications:
``(i) From the confluence with Wekiwa Springs Run to the
western boundary of Rock Springs Run State Reserve at Rock
Springs Run, approximately 6.9 miles, as a wild river.
``(ii) From the western boundary of Rock Springs Run State
Reserve at Rock Springs Run to Rock Springs, approximately 1.9
miles, as a recreational river.
``(C) Black water creek.--The 17.9 miles from the confluence of
Black Water Creek with the Wekiva River to outflow from Lake
Norris, to be administered in the following classifications:
``(i) From the confluence with the Wekiva River to
approximately .25 mile downstream of the Seminole State Forest
road crossing, approximately 4.1 miles, as a wild river.
``(ii) From approximately .25 mile downstream of the
Seminole State Forest road to approximately .25 mile upstream
of the Seminole State Forest road crossing, approximately .5
mile, as a scenic river.
``(iii) From approximately .25 mile upstream of the
Seminole State Forest road crossing to approximately .25 mile
downstream of the old railroad grade crossing (approximately
River Mile 9), approximately 4.4 miles, as a wild river.
``(iv) From approximately .25 mile downstream of the old
railroad grade crossing (approximately River Mile 9), upstream
to the boundary of Seminole State Forest (approximately River
Mile 10.6), approximately 1.6 miles, as a scenic river.
``(v) From the boundary of Seminole State Forest
(approximately River Mile 10.6) to approximately .25 mile
downstream of the State Road 44 crossing, approximately .9
mile, as a wild river.
``(vi) From approximately .25 mile downstream of State Road
44 to approximately .25 mile upstream of the State Road 44A
crossing, approximately .6 mile, as a recreational river.
``(vii) From approximately .25 mile upstream of the State
Road 44A crossing to approximately .25 mile downstream of the
Lake Norris Road crossing, approximately 4.7 miles, as a wild
river.
``(viii) From approximately .25 mile downstream of the Lake
Norris Road crossing to the outflow from Lake Norris,
approximately 1.1 miles, as a recreational river.''.
SEC. 4. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO WEKIVA RIVER AND
TRIBUTARIES.
(a) Definitions.--In this section and section 5:
(1) Wekiva river system.--The term ``Wekiva River system''
means the segments of the Wekiva River, Wekiwa Springs Run, Rock
Springs Run, and Black Water Creek in the State of Florida
designated as components of the national wild and scenic rivers
system by paragraph (161) of section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic
Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)), as added by this Act.
(2) Committee.--The term ``Committee'' means the Wekiva River
System Advisory Management Committee established pursuant to
section 5.
(3) Comprehensive management plan.--The terms ``comprehensive
management plan'' and ``plan'' mean the comprehensive management
plan to be developed pursuant to section 3(d) of the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(d)).
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of
the Interior.
(b) Cooperative Agreements.
165b
--
(1) Use authorized.--In order to provide for the long-term
protection, preservation, and enhancement of the Wekiva River
system, the Secretary shall offer to enter into cooperative
agreements pursuant to sections 10(e) and 11(b)(1) of the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(e), 1282(b)(1)) with the State of
Florida, appropriate local political jurisdictions of the State,
namely the counties of Lake, Orange, and Seminole, and appropriate
local planning and environmental organizations.
(2) Effect of agreement.--Administration by the Secretary of
the Wekiva River system through the use of cooperative agreements
shall not constitute National Park Service administration of the
Wekiva River system for purposes of section 10(c) of such Act (10
U.S.C. 1281(c)) and shall not cause the Wekiva River system to be
considered as being a unit of the National Park System. Publicly
owned lands within the boundaries of the Wekiva River system shall
continue to be managed by the agency having jurisdiction over the
lands, in accordance with the statutory authority and mission of
the agency.
(c) Compliance Review.--After completion of the comprehensive
management plan, the Secretary shall biennially review compliance with
the plan and shall promptly report to the Committee on Resources of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate any deviation from the plan that could result
in any diminution of the values for which the Wekiva River system was
designated as a component of the national wild and scenic rivers
system.
(d) Technical Assistance and Other Support.--The Secretary may
provide technical assistance, staff support, and funding to assist in
the development and implementation of the comprehensive management
plan.
(e) Limitation on Federal Support.--Nothing in this section shall
be construed to authorize funding for land acquisition, facility
development, or operations.
SEC. 5. WEKIVA RIVER SYSTEM ADVISORY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish an advisory
committee, to be known as the Wekiva River System Advisory Management
Committee, to assist in the development of the comprehensive management
plan for the Wekiva River system.
(b) Membership.--The Committee shall be composed of a
representative of each of the following agencies and organizations:
(1) The Department of the Interior, represented by the Director
of the National Park Service or the Director's designee.
(2) The East Central Florida Regional Planning Council.
(3) The Florida Department of Environmental Protection,
Division of Recreation and Parks.
(4) The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Wekiva
River Aquatic Preserve.
(5) The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services, Division of Forestry, Seminole State Forest.
(6) The Florida Audubon Society.
(7) The nonprofit organization known as the Friends of the
Wekiva.
(8) The Lake County Water Authority.
(9) The Lake County Planning Department.
(10) The Orange County Parks and Recreation Department, Kelly
Park.
(11) The Seminole County Planning Department.
(12) The St. Johns River Water Management District.
(13) The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
(14) The City of Altamonte Springs.
(15) The City of Longwood.
(16) The City of Apopka.
(17) The Florida Farm Bureau Federation.
(18) The Florida Forestry Association.
(c) Additional Members.--Other interested parties may be added to
the Committee by request to the Secretary and unanimous consent of the
existing members.
(d) Appointment.--Representatives and alternates to the Committee
shall be appointed as follows:
(1) State agency representatives, by the head of the agency.
(2) County representatives, by the Boards of County
Commissioners.
(3) Water management district, by the Governing Board.
(4) Department of the Interior representative, by the Southeast
Regional Director, National Park Service.
(5) East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, by
Governing Board.
(6) Other organizations, by the Southeast Regional Director,
National Park Service.
(e) Role of Committee.--The Committee shall assist in the
development of the comprehensive management plan for the Wekiva River
system and provide advice to the Secretary in carrying out the
management responsibilities of the Secretary under this Act. The
Committee shall have an advisory role only, it will not have regulatory
or land acquisition authority.
(f) Voting and Committee Procedures.--Each member agency, agency
division, or organization referred to in subsection (b) shall have one
vote and provide one member and one alternate. Committee decisions and
actions will be made with consent of three-fourths of all voting
members. Additional necessary Committee procedures shall be developed
as part of the comprehensive management plan.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this Act and paragraph (161) of section 3(a) of
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)), as added by this
Act.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.
0