A bill to grant 34 miles of the Myakka River federal Wild and Scenic protection cleared a U.S. House subcommittee hearing Sept. 2, moving closer to a full floor vote.

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands in favor of H.R. 642, the Myakka Wild and Scenic River Act of 2025, Sun Newspapers reported. The bill was one of nine measures the panel examined that day.

The session took place in the Longworth House Office Building in Washington.

What the federal designation would do

The measure would add the Sarasota County segment of the river to the federal Partnership Wild and Scenic River program, a framework that protects free-flowing rivers running mostly through private or nonfederal land. It would not create a new National Park System unit. Instead, the existing Myakka River Management Coordinating Council would oversee the designation.

The legislation would also prohibit federal land acquisition through condemnation or eminent domain, the bill text states. Property transfers would be allowed only by donation or willing-owner consent.

"As a Floridian who grew up working cattle along the Myakka River, I know firsthand how important the river is to Southwest Florida," Steube said during his testimony.

Local governments and businesses line up

The effort has drawn a broad local coalition. The Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners, the city of Venice, the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Suncoast Builders Association are all on record in support, according to Steube's office.

Sarasota County Commissioner Ron Cutsinger said in a news release from the congressman that the county appreciates the federal delegation's recognition of the river's importance to the community and environment.

Eight U.S. House members co-sponsor the bill, including Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla. The measure has bipartisan backing. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced an identical companion bill, S. 2270, on July 14, 2025. Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., also supports the Senate effort, Steube's office said.

Designation effort began in 1975

The push for federal protection has deep roots. Sarasota County passed a commission resolution in 1975 requesting the designation, which led to a 1978 federal law ordering a National Park Service study, according to the Myakka River Partnership. That study, completed in 1984, found the river eligible but concluded no nonfederal management model existed at the time.

The Florida Legislature designated the same stretch as the state's first and only Wild and Scenic River in 1985. Since then, Sarasota County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District have conserved more than 41,000 acres within the watershed through purchases and conservation easements, the partnership reports.

No date has been set for a committee markup or House vote.