A bill to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and for other purposes.
Public Law 99-590 · H.R. 4350 · 99th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 30, 1986 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Bruce Vento (D-MN-4)
Cosponsors (10): Rep. Robert Lagomarsino, Rep. Thomas Huckaby,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
(Senate agreed to House amendments to Senate amendment with an amendment)
Title I: Cache La Poudre, Colorado - Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to add a certain segment of the Cache la Poudre River, Colorado, to the list of rivers designated as components of the national wild and scenic rivers system excluding those portions within the boundary of the Rocky Mountain National Park. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants and provide technical assistance to Fort Collins for a recreation study. Requires the Secretary, within three years, to report to the Congress on a study regarding the designation of a segment of such River as a national recreation area, including an evaluation of the flood plain management options for such segment. Authorizes appropriations. Limits the U.S. share of study costs to 75 percent. Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to exchange specified lands in a designated portion of the River within 30 days of enactment.
Title II: Farmington, West Branch, Connecticut and Massachusetts - Farmington Wild and Scenic River Study Act - Designates segments of the Farmington River, West Branch, Connecticut and Massachusetts, for study for possible inclusion in the wild and scenic rivers system. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Farmington River Study Committee to provide consultation during the study of the Farmington River's potential. Authorizes appropriations.
Title III: Great Egg Harbor, New Jersey - Designates the Great Egg Harbor River, New Jersey, for study for its possible inclusion in the system. Authorizes appropriations.
Title IV: Saline Bayou, Louisiana - Designates a segment of the Saline Bayou, Louisiana, as a part of the system. Authorizes appropriations.
Title V: Generic Amendments - Makes technical amendments to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Requires maps of designated river segments to be available for public inspection. Requires the preparation of management plans to protect river values for all rivers designated on or after January 1, 1986. Sets forth how to determine boundaries for such segments and acquire necessary lands. Directs the head of any Federal agency to assist others in protecting river resources. Encourages the use of volunteers.
Title VI: Designates a segment of Black Creek, Mississippi, as a part of the system. Authorizes appropriations.
Title VII: To Provide Relief For Certain Desert Land Entrymen in Idaho - Amends the Desert Land Act to reinstate the desert land entries of specified persons. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to issue patents to such persons as specified.
Title VIII: Black Revoluntionary War Patriots Memorial - Authorizes the Black Revolutionary War Patriots Foundation to establish with non-Federal funds a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia and its environs to honor the slaves and free black persons who assisted in the American Revolution and those who fled slavery.
Title IX: Women in the Armed Forces Memorial - Authorizes the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation to establish with non-Federal funds a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia and its environs to honor women who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States.
Title X: New River Gorge Administrative Site - Amends the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire lands outside the boundaries of the New River Gorge National River for its administrative headquarters site.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: National Parks and Recreation Subcommittee
Energy and Natural Resources Committee · Senate · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Public Lands, Reserved Water and Resource Conservation Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.
- Oct 30, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-590.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 27, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 16, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments to House Amendments to Senate Amendments by Voice Vote.
- Oct 15, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred in the House amendments to the Senate amendment with a further amendment (SP 3404) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Oct 8, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Concurred, in Senate Amendments , with Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 12, 1986FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 9, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Public Lands, Reserved Water and Resource Conservation Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 8, 1986FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Mar 20, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 19, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 13, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Reported by National Parks and Recreation Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by National Parks and Recreation Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks and Recreation Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 6, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.