PWSR Toolkit Home > Links and Resources

Use this page to quickly find links within the Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers (PWSR) Toolkit.

Explore

Learn about the Partnership Wild and Scenic River Program

• WSR Story Map
• Rivers.gov
• NPS PWSR page
• rivers.gov
• regional National Park Service office
• The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by Congress in 1968 (Public Law 90-542; 16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.) to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations.
• The Wild and Scenic Rivers System Overview
• Here are some WSR videos
  
• WSR YouTube Playlist
• More information may be found in the NPS WSR Storymap

Build Your Team

• current PWSR council websites 

Initiate Outreach

• Wood Pawcatuck Fact Sheet

Document Community Support

• Missisquoi River Basin Association sample letter of support

• Request to sponsor Study legislation: York River (ME) 
• Support letters from community stakeholders: Missisquoi and Trout Rivers (VT)
• Example of Study legislation: Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers (MA, NH)
• Wild and Scenic Rivers Coalition

Study

PWSR Study Overview

• Timing and Milestones for York River PWSR Study

Funding and Cooperative Agreements

• York River PWSR Study Budget

Starting Your Study

• Application for York River Wild and Scenic Study Committee
• York River Wild and Scenic Study Coordinator
• River Network tools, training, and resources to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in river protection efforts
• https://www.rivernetwork.org/category/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/
• https://www.rivernetwork.org/inclusive-river-recreation-outreach-strategies/ (includes link to a webinar featuring Citizens United for Maurice River, a PWSR)
• https://www.rivernetwork.org/resource/equity-diversity-inclusion-resources/
• Tools for Equitable Climate Resilience – Fostering Community-led Research and Knowledge
• Tools for Equitable Climate Resilience – Fostering Community Leadership
• Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers Wild and Scenic Stewardship Council
• Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers. This website was launched about a year into the study. When the rivers were designated in 2019, the site morphed from study phase to implementation phase. The “study” information was condensed into one sub-page on the current site: https://wpwildrivers.org/history-what-it-took-to-earn-designation/
• York River Wild and Scenic Study
• Section 508 Accessibility
• The York River Study and NPS Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers Program and FAQ document 
• SUMMARY TABLE noting how and where “partnership” principles for recent and proposed PWSR designations are introduced in House Bill language and codified in Public Law
• Interagency Wild and Scenic Rivers Coordinating Council’s (IWSRCC’s) Technical Report on Section
• IWSRCC’s Section 7 flowchart
• NPS Reference Manual 46: Wild and Scenic Rivers (includes an extensive chapter on Section 7)
• PWSR MAP
• NPS web page on PWSRs with links to websites for the 16 individual PWSRs (scroll down to bottom of page for the 16 linked images)
• Table listing NPS contacts for each PWSR and by NPS region
• Interactive NPS National Wild and Scenic River System Story Map that includes all designated rivers (WSRs and PWSRs) – click on river segments for detailed information including ORVs and classifications

Eligibility and Suitability Assessments

• NPS Reference Manual 46: Wild and Scenic Rivers (April 12, 2021)
  
• The Wild and Scenic Study Process (December 1999), a Technical Report of the Interagency Wild and Scenic Rivers Coordinating Council, includes additional guidance on ORV evaluation and provides suggested criteria for each of the standard ORV categories.
• River Management Society’s River Training Channel includes a Wild and Scenic Rivers training series that features a workshop on ORVs (May 2022).
•  Nationwide Rivers Inventory
• Wild and Scenic River Reconnaissance Survey of the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed

River Management Plan

• Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers Stewardship Plan (2018)
• Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Plan (2018)
• York River Watershed Stewardship Plan (2018)
• Missisquoi and Trout Rivers Wild and Scenic Study Management Plan (2013)
• Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Management Plan (2011)
• York River Watershed Stewardship Plan 
• ORV table by river segment
• York River Watershed Stewardship Plan
• Stewardship Plan
• https://www.section508.gov/create/ 
• York River Watershed Stewardship Plan

Outreach / Public Engagement

• Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers Wild and Scenic River Study Report – see Appendix 3: Summary of Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Wild and Scenic Study Outreach and Education Efforts (13 pages) which provides highlights of meetings, outreach events, forums, and activities and provides samples of outreach products.
• Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic River Study Report – see Appendix 4: Major Outreach Efforts of the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Study Committee 2015-2018 (pages 90-91).
• York River Wild and Scenic River Study Report – see Appendix 3: Examples of Wild and Scenic Study Outreach and Education (pages 89-101), which lists public outreach activities, meetings, and events and includes images of some of the outreach products, many of which are hyperlinked in the table below. 
• Video (created from PPT slides) posted on committee’s and towns’ websites, York
• FAQ document – printed copy available at events, distributed electronically via email, and content on FAQ webpage, York
• PowerPoint presentation to town council, York
• Public input poster used at tabling events (festivals, polling places, etc.), York
• Archaeologist for a day! flyer – invitation for citizen scientists, York
• Walking tours flyer – history and habitats of the river, York
• Speaker event flyer – regional maritime history, York
• PowerPoint presentation to town council, York
• Designation overview sheet, York
• Poster highlighting ORVs, York
• Story Map presentation (online tour) of Stewardship Plan, York
• Video (professionally produced) shown at town meetings, Missisquoi
• Letter to watershed residents mailed to York residents, York
  
• Summary of PWSR Council Interviews (2024 ) 

Local Endorsements

• Appendix 2: Record of Endorsements and Support for Wild and Scenic Designation

NPS WSR Study Report

• York River Wild and Scenic River Study Report, January 2020
• Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Study Report, June 2019
• Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers Wild and Scenic River Study Report, January 2019
• Upper Missisquoi and Trout Study Report and Environmental Assessment, April 2014
• Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic River Study Report and Environmental Assessment, November 2011
• NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website
• PEPC project page for the York River Wild and Scenic River Study

Designation Bill Introduction in Congress

• River designation bills introduced in Congress for recent PWSR designations are listed in this TABLE.
• The status and progress of bills that have been introduced can be tracked online on Congress.gov.
•  EXAMPLE OF TESTIMONY

Designate

Designation Process

1. Variability in PWSR Legislation 
2. Legislation drafted by Congress
3. Annotated Taunton WSR Legislation
4. VT Designation Legislation
5. Nashua River Designation Legislation
6. Lamprey Legislation
7. Rivers.gov
8. Congressional Support
9. Continued Education

Designation Implementation

1. National Park Service PWSR website - nps.gov/pwsr
2. National Wild and Scenic Rivers System website - rivers.gov
3. 50th Anniversary WSR videos
4. Sudbury-Assabet-Concord River Stewardship Council 
5. Taunton River Stewardship Council
6. Taunton River post-designation Wild and Scenic Committee

Management of Designation

What are some suggestions for post-designation management councils?

1. Roles for council volunteers
2. Bylaws for management council

How are management plans (CRMPs) successfully updated?

1. Presentation: Developing, Updating and Implementation of CRMPs
2. WSR River Management Plans
3. PWSR websites
4. Sudbury, Assabet and Concord river management plan

Funding?

What about funding?

1. NPS.gov
2. FY (Fiscal Year) 2017 Greenbook
3. FY2018 Greenbook section on PWSRs 
4. Digital copy of the Greenbook on the NPS Budget webpage
5. Wild and Scenic Rivers Coalition
6. Letter to the House
7. Letter to the Senate
8.  White paper on PWSRs
9. Budget Request to Support New Areas and Critical Responsibilities

How is funding used?

1. Post-designation Advisory Committees draft workplans
   
2. Highlights of accomplishments
3. NPS.gov 
4. Grants.gov
5. Director’s Order #20 
6. Cooperative Agreements
7. Example of a Cooperative Agreement for a Partnership Wild and Scenic River
8. Funds to hire local staff support
9. Use and economic impact surveys

Designation Benefits

In addition to potential federal funding, what are some benefits of designation (includes Section 7 review)?

1. Hydropower and NPS web page
2. PDF explaining use of flowchart
3. Section 7 flow chart
4. Intro to Section 7
5. Section 7 and a Broader NEPA Analysis

What are some examples of positive effects of PWSR designation?

1. 20 Years of Success Report
2. Annual Reports
3. Accomplishments
4. 20 Years of Progress

What are examples of successful river management projects?

Promoting Outreach and Education

1. Riverfest 
2. Educational events on the Great Egg Harbor Bay
3. Delaware River Sojourn
4. Goddard Park rain gardens
5. Wild and Scenic River Junior River Ranger activity sheet / Spanish
6. Partner Spotlight and Designation Origin Story
7. Partner Spotlight- Women of Wild and Scenic VT
8. Partnership Spotlight - Highlighting River Partnerships on the Taunton River
9. Riverfest
10. Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers
11. Riverfest 2019
12. Remote Riverfest During COVID
13. Riverschools
14. Preservation of this watershed's open space
15. Terrapin research

Supporting Community/Citizen Science

1. Lamprey River Blanding’s turtle research
2. Trips for students from local schools
3. Mercury Testing nationwide study
4. Bugworks programs
5. Mercury testing on the Maurice River
6. Dragonfly Mercury Project
7. NPS' Partner Spotlight

Strengthen Partnerships and Historic and Cultural Resources

1. Tell All Americans’ Stories
2. Rethink Outside Webinar
1. Restoration of the Asbury Grist Mill
2. Farmington River Quilt 

Creating Climate Resiliency

1. US Climate Resilience Toolkit
2. Fostering Community Leadership Toolkit
3. OARS
4. MASS ECAN
5. Impacts of climate change
6. Watershed-scale collaboration
7. SuAsCo Watershed

Protecting Lands

1. Fred Akers' work to protect this Key Acre through Green Acres
2. Forest Legacy Program (FLP)
3. Conserve and protect 75 miles of rivers and streams

Restoring Rivers and Water Quality

1. Degraded Site on the West Branch of the Farmington River
2. Wekiva River Ambassador program
3. Taunton River marsh migration
4. Dam removal to restore free-flow of the river
5. Cleanup Summary Form
6. Litter Tally Sheet
7. Musconetcong Watershed Association's River Cleanups
8. Musconetcong River
9. Musconetcong River
10. Dam removal
11. Dam Removal on White Clay Creek
12. Catch the Rain Program
13. Water quality of Great Egg Harbor
14. Success using a living shoreline
    
15. SuAsCo River Report Card
16. Bank stabilization project on Mill Brook
17. Success managing invasive species on the Westfield
18. Stewardship
    

Enhancing Recreation

1. 20 Years of Success report
2. PWSR Video River Connections
3. Richard H. Goodwin Multi-use Trail
4. Sudbury, Assabet & concord group
5. Lamprey Public Canoe Access
6. Lamprey Wiswall Park
7. Musconetcong Island Park
8. Lamprey River
9. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act
10. Delaware River Sojourn
11. Increase public awareness about access points
12. How paddling helps protect the rivers
13. How the railroad helped protect the river