The York River has been designated "Wild & Scenic," ensuring that more than 30 miles of the river and frontage are federally protected and funded.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine's 1st District first introduced legislation for the designation in 2019. Four years later, President Joe Biden's government funding bill includes federal money to protect the York River and surrounding acreage.
"We stand on the land of the Wabanaki and we pledge to be stewards of that land, as they were," Pingree said at a press conference on Thursday.
Mike Reynolds, deputy director of the National Park Service, said the federal government stands with the community in protecting the resource.
"We are able to help communities. It's conservation and technical assistance to your liking, arm in arm with your brothers and sisters and meeting things that meet national designations like the York River forever," he said.
The designation makes the York River part of the National Park Service’s Wild and Scenic River System and recognizes the region as a national destination. It also allows the four watershed communities of York, Kittery, South Berwick and Eliot to address the river's long-term stewardship needs.
In 2018, the voters of York and Eliot passed referendums to move forward with the designation, as did the town councils of Kittery and South Berwick.
