PWSR Toolkit Home > Designate > Designation Process

How does your river become designated as a Partnership Wild and Scenic River (PWSR)?

If your river has not yet been designated, return to the Explore or Study Toolkit sections to find out more.

The Study page in this Toolkit explains how the Partnership Wild and Scenic Study is conducted. Generally, there is a fair amount of variability in PWSR legislation. The Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers model was established for designation and management for those rivers predominantly in private, municipal or state, as opposed to federal, ownership. Features of the Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers designation model include:

• no reliance on federal land ownership or management
• reliance on local and state regulations and management, as existed before designation
• administration and implementation of a locally led Management Plan facilitated by a locally appointed, broadly participatory Wild and Scenic Committee (post-designation management council), convened for each river specifically for this purpose
• responsibility for management of river resources shared between the local, state, and federal partners on the management council
• does not require establishment of a National Park or superintendent or law enforcement agent from the National Park Service (NPS)
• does not require purchase or transfer of lands to the NPS
• succeeds through voluntary education, outreach, management efforts and local support

Legislation is drafted by the Congressional sponsors of the bill. These Representatives may request the assistance of NPS and include key PWSR legislative provisions plus specifics about each river proposed for designation. It is important to be on the same page as your Congressional sponsors. Ideally, these principles are included in the management plan and legislation and are shown in the examples of warrant articles and legislation found below.

• This an annotated example of designation legislation that NPS staff use to explain the main components of PWSR designation legislation.
• Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers, VT
  Town Meeting warrant article: To see if the voters of the Town of insert town name will petition the Congress of the United States of America that the upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers be designated as Wild and Scenic Rivers with the understanding that such designation would be based on the locally‐developed rivers Management Plan and would not involve federal acquisition or management of lands.
• VT designation legislation
• Legislation for the Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers (MA/NH)
• Enabling Legislation for the Lamprey River, NH
• More legislation may be found on rivers.gov.

The legislative process can be a long road, so Congressional support and local Study Committee support are key to success. Congressional support may come in many forms. Often there is a pause between when legislation is written and introduced and then designation occurs.  This hiatus period between intense “study” and formation of management council is a good breather, but councils have to be sure not to lose all the momentum built up during the study. Continued education and outreach is a great way to keep momentum going.

More information on writing a management plan and completing a Wild and Scenic Study may be found in the Study section of this Toolkit. 

Once Congress passes legislation to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to include your river, and the President signs the bill into law your river is designated...now what? See the FAQs below for information on PWSRs post-designation.

Topics in the Designate Section