A Northeast Region Program

Dennis Reidenbach
Regional Director

"It is hereby declared to be the policy of the United States that certain selected rivers of the Nation, with their immediate environments, possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural, or other similar values, shall be preserved in free flowing condition, and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations."

What is a Partnership Wild and Scenic River?

The National Wild and Scenic River System has been around for 30 years. Created by an act of Congress in 1968, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act calls on the nation to preserve select rivers with outstanding scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural or other important values in free-flowing condition. Rivers in this national system are protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers are a subset of this national system. While most of the 160 rivers in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System flow through federal lands such as National Forests or National Parks, Wild and Scenic Partnership Rivers flow through private lands and lands owned by state and local goverments. The seven rivers designated and currently funded by Congress are located in the Northeast. The program is a national program. Congress has designated the first river outside of the Northeast. the Wekiva River and two of its tributaries in Florida, to Partnership Wild and Scenic River status.

The Northeast is Home to Seven Partnership Rivers

The partnership rivers in the Northeast include the Farmington (Connecticut), Great Egg Harbor (New Jersey), Maurice and its tributaries (New Jersey), Lamprey (New Hampshire), Concord, Sudbury, and Assabet Rivers (Massachusetts), Lower Delaware (New Jersey/Pennsylvania) and White Clay Creek (Delaware/Pennsylvania.)

Since 1998, Congress has appropriate funds for river managers of Parnership Wild and Scenic Rivers. National Park Service staff help communities manage their river-related resources locally by bringing together state, county, and community representatives to preserve the outstanding and remarkable values for which the rivers were designated. This is community-based conservation that will ensure these rivers will remain outstanding long into the future.

Continue to River Management

Last Updated:
September 23, 2009