US Representative Niki Tsongas announced that her bill to designate the Nashua River as a Wild & Scenic River won committee approval and now moves on to the full House. The legislation backed by the Committee on Natural Resources would authorize the National Park Service to conduct a study of the Nashua River and two of its tributaries in area communities, the Squannacook and Nissitissit rivers, to determine their eligibility for designation for wild and scenic status. During the study process, the park service would work with state and local governments, conservation groups, and concerned residents to develop a conservation plan in order to protect water quality and conserve open spaces along the waterways.