Wild and Scenic Rivers Act Amendments of 1973 (S. 2439). The vote is on the passage of the bill to provide a two year study of 70 miles of the New River in North Carolina and Virginia for possible inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system. Enactment of the bill would block construction of two dams on the river intended to provide electric power. Many environmental organizations opposed the project because it would displace thousands of residents and disrupt one of the last remaining unpolluted free flowing rivers in the East -- also one of the oldest rivers in the world. The President took no position on the amendment, but the Interior Department which initially opposed the bill later supported it. May 28, 1974. Passed 49-19. YES is the correct vote.