membership

The River Stewardship Council (RSC) was established to coordinate conservation of the 29-mile Wild and Scenic River segment. The Council functions as an official advisory committee to the National Park Service on federal permits affecting the rivers' outstanding resources. The Council also raises awareness of the rivers through events and publications, including RiverFest, an annual celebration of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers, and facilitates efforts to preserve and improve river resources.

The River Stewardship Council has representatives from the:

• Town of Bedford
• Town of Billerica
• Town of Carlisle
• Town of Concord
• Town of Framingham
• Town of Lincoln
• Town of Sudbury
• Town of Wayland
• Organization for the Assabet River
• Sudbury Valley Trustees
• Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
• National Park Service
• SuAsCo Watershed Community Council (added in 2005)

Roles and Responsibilities

The purpose of the RSC is to promote long term protection of the rivers by 1) bringing together on a regular basis various parties responsible for river management, 2) facilitate agreements and coordination among them 3) provide a focus and forum for all river interests to discuss and make recommendations and 4) coordinate implementation of the Plan.

The RSC is an advisory body. It has no regulatory or land acquisition authority. It will provide advice to the NPS and other river management entities.

The RSC has the responsibility to:

• address river-related issues in a cooperative fashion
• Monitor activities that might affect the river. RSC may evaluate proposals that could affect the rivers and provide comments as appropriate. RSC may advise the NPS on projects that are subject to Section 7 reviews i.e. federal projects.
• Stimulate public involvement and education. RSC may do this on its own initiative or by supporting efforts of others.
• Promote river enhancement initiatives
• Review and update the River Conservation Plan

River Conservation Plan

The resource conservation approach found within the Plan relies on the use of a myriad of protection measures, other than federal land acquisition. Such protection measures include local and state land use regulations and voluntary private land owner action. Measures to protect and enhance water quality and the rivers' flows were also included.

The Plan was initially developed based on an exhaustive analysis of existing land use and potentially vulnerable areas long the three rivers. The effectiveness of existing land ownership patterns and land use regulations in protecting the rivers' outstanding resources and riparian integrity were assessed. For the most part, the assessment showed that if towns and state maintained and enforced existing resource protection controls, the river would remain well protected. Where improvements could be made, the plan advances them in the form of recommendations for future actions by the towns or state government.

The Plan was endorsed by town meeting votes in each of the eight shoreline communities. Each town also voted in favor of pursing a wild and scenic designation (as long as federal land acquisition was not a part of the management strategy), and the creation of a locally based River Stewardship Council to over see implementation of the Plan and management of the rivers.

The Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Wild and Scenic River Act was approved by Congress in April 1999. The River Conservation Plan was referred to in the legislation as the plan that would guide management of the rivers and their resources.

In 2005, a review and update of the Plan showed that the Plan remained quite current. While many recommendations had been accomplished, including protection of specific pieces of property near the rivers, many recommendations were still relevant. Although few, if any issues had become irrelevant, invasive species management was identified as an issue that needs to be addressed along the rivers.