On June 1, more than 80 people joined Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, representatives of Senator Angus King and Senator Susan Collins, and National Park Service Deputy Director Michael Reynolds to celebrate the designation of the York River into the Partnership Wild and Scenic River system. They gathered in sight of the river and heard remarks by key figures involved in the designation process.

The celebration was capped off with a champagne toast to the river and a celebratory cake decorated with an outline of the York River watershed.

Earlier in the day, Pingree, Reynolds, and others had joined some members of the York River Study Committee—and the newly formed Stewardship Committee—on a boat tour of the river so they could experience the precious resource first hand.

The designation, 14 years in the making, establishes a local/federal stewardship partnership for about 30.8 miles of the river and surrounding acreage, directs federal funding and technical assistance from the National Park Service, lifts the region’s profile as a national destination, and provides a local forum for the four watershed communities to collaboratively address long-term river stewardship needs.

Representative Pingree said the York River is "scenic and beautiful, of course, but also rich in well-preserved history, diverse in natural ecology, is a source for clean drinking water, and is home to a thriving working waterfront."