Stonington — The town is seeking two residents to appoint to a committee of the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association that is seeking to get the Pawcatuck river and four others designated as “Wild and Scenic Rivers” by the National Parks Service.

Selectmen Rob Simmons said it is wonderful opportunity for two residents interested in conservation and said it is much like the successful effort in Connecticut to preserve the Eightmile River.

The large, 14-town watershed is bordered by Stonington and North Stonington to the west, Sterling to the north, North and South Kingstown, R.I., to the east and Charlestown, R.I., and Westerly to the south.

In a letter to First Selectman George Crouse, Denise Poyer, the coordinator of the watershed’s Wild and Scenic Study Committee, wrote that Congress passed a bill last year that assigned the park service to conduct a three-year study to determine if the Pawcatuck, Wood, Beaver, Chipuxet and Queens rivers meet the criteria for the "Wild and Scenic" designation.

The watershed association will be working with the parks service to coordinate the study.

Poyer wrote that “the heart of the committee” will be members appointed by the communities in the watershed.

The goal of the study is to identify the important values of the rivers that make them eligible for the designation and to develop a management plan to protect those values.

The applicants can be anyone with an active interest in the rivers and the communities’ relationship with them.

The committee will meet once a month or once every other month. Subcommittees will also be formed around key issues.

The first meeting is scheduled for Nov. 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the watershed’s campus in Hope Valley, R.I.

Anyone interested in being appointed can contact the selectmen’s office at (860) 535-5050.

j.wojtas@theday.com

Twitter: @joewojtas