Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D Supports the Inclusion of the York River into the National Park System’s Wild and Scenic Rivers Program.

It’s not often that Maine’s US delegation agree on anything.  ‘but they have come together to reintroduce the bipartisan York River Wild and Scenic River Act legislation to initiate the final step in the process to add the York River into the National Park System’s Wild and Scenic Rivers Program.

If the bill is passed by Congress and signed by the President, the York River will finally receive long-awaited federal protection and funding.

“The York River is an incredibly important resource for Southern Maine.  After legislation to study it and years of outreach with the towns of York, Eliot, Kittery and South Berwick and residents with communities, it is clear how meaningful the River is to the character of the region,” said the Maine delegation.

“That’s why, in partnership with local leadership, we introduced a bill to add the York River to the National Park Service’s Wild and Scenic list, initiating the final step in the process to secure federal protection for the River.  the culmination of this collaborative decade-long effort will deliver more federal funding to protect the River, which provides countless environmental and economic benefits to its surrounding communities.”

A Wild and Scenic river designation would direct more federal funding and technical assistance to the area, while lifting the York River profits as a national destination.  It also would provide a local forum for the four watershed communities to collaboratively address long-term River stewardship needs.  Last week, the US House of Representatives passed legislation which included an amendment from Congresswoman Pingree to designate the York River as  Wild and Scenic.