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119-hr-642119th CongressWALLET

Myakka Wild and Scenic River Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17]

In Committee

Summary

This bill designates a 34-mile segment of the Myakka River in Sarasota County as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. It assigns specific wild, scenic, and recreational classifications and directs the Secretary of the Interior to administer the river in partnership with the Myakka River Management Coordinating Council.

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  • The bill divides the river into eight named reaches with classifications as wild, scenic, or recreational, creating a unified federal protection and management framework for the full 34-mile stretch.
  • Local governments, state agencies, and private landowners keep existing land management authority and plans. The Secretary may only acquire land by donation or with owner consent and may not use condemnation.
  • The Council's Myakka River Wild and Scenic Management Plan meets federal planning requirements. The Secretary will join and coordinate with the Council, may enter cooperative agreements with state and local partners, and can provide technical help, staff support, and funding while the river is not treated as a unit of the National Park System.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Limits on federal land takings

If enacted, the bill would prohibit the federal government from taking private land by condemnation for the Myakka River designation. The Secretary could only acquire land for the river by donation or by buying it with the landowner's consent. The bill would also say nothing in the Act or in any agreement under the Act changes how state or local agencies manage public or private lands in the watershed under Florida law.

Federal designation and local plan

If enacted, the bill would add about 34 miles of the Myakka River in Sarasota County to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. It would split that reach into eight labeled segments (scenic, wild, or recreational) with approximate mileages for each segment. The Secretary of the Interior would administer the designation in partnership with the Myakka River Management Coordinating Council. The Council's existing Myakka River Wild and Scenic Management Plan would count as the required federal comprehensive plan, and the Secretary would be able to enter cooperative agreements, appoint a Department of the Interior representative to the Council, and provide technical help, staff support, and funding to update and implement the plan.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17]

FL • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 1/23/2025

  • Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9]

    FL • D

    Sponsored 4/13/2026

  • Rep. Patronis, Jimmy [R-FL-1]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 4/27/2026

  • Rep. Lee, Laurel M. [R-FL-15]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 5/11/2026

  • Rep. Cammack, Kat [R-FL-3]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 5/13/2026

  • Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 5/29/2026

  • Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-11]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 6/2/2026

  • Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 6/29/2026

  • Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 9/8/2026

  • Rep. Haridopolos, Mike [R-FL-8]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 9/14/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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