S. 2270, the Myakka Wild and Scenic River Act of 2025, designates approximately 34 miles of the Myakka River in Sarasota County, Florida, as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The bill classifies different segments of the river into categories based on their character—wild, scenic, and recreational—and designates the Secretary of the Interior to oversee administration in partnership with the local Myakka River Management Coordinating Council. The federal government can only acquire land for the river through voluntary donations with landowner consent, and cannot use condemnation; existing state and local land management by other agencies continues unchanged. The bill builds on Florida state law protecting the river and local support from Sarasota County, Venice, and North Port, with no new federal funding explicitly authorized in the legislation itself. This designation protects the river from certain federal projects while allowing the region to manage the river cooperatively through existing state and local structures.
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