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American Rivers Policy Update For the week of May 3, 1999
Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New This week, both the Senate and the House will hold hearings on coastal management bills. On Thursday, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries will discuss reauthorization of the Coastal Zone Management Act, for which funding authorization expires in September. The Clinton Administration, in its proposed legislation to reauthorize the act, requested boosting funding for the program by 55 percent in 2000 to $90 million. The purpose of the 1972 legislation is to provide funding to states that develop and implement coastal zone management plans, which must be approved by the federal government. After gaining approval for a plan, a state can receive between $500,000 and $2.15 million yearly in federal grant money, an amount that must be matched by the state. The House will also address marine and coastal issues this week, with a hearing on Thursday to discuss Representative Jim Saxton's (R-NJ) proposals to reauthorize the 1972 National Marine Sanctuaries Act (H.R. 1243) and the 1982 Coastal Zone Resources Act (H.R. 1431). The National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) created a system of marine sanctuaries with the goal of preserving significant ecological, conservation, recreational, and aesthetic values in the marine environment. The current funding authorization for the NMSA, which includes twelve sanctuaries encompassing 18,000 square miles of ocean and coast, expires on September 30. H.R. 1243 would reauthorize the program for five years at $29 million, the same figure requested by the Clinton Administration. Today, more than 60 percent of all US citizens live within 50 miles of the ocean or one of the five Great Lakes. That number is expected to jump by fifteen percent in the next twenty years. H.R. 1431 would reauthorize the Coastal Zone Resources Act (CZRA) for five years and direct the US Fish and Wildlife Service to undertake several studies, including one to assess the impact thus far of the barrier system on development and growth on barrier islands. The CZRA was originally enacted in 1982 to stem development of fragile and unstable coastal lands that was damaging the environment and costing the federal government increasing amounts in payments to holders of federal flood insurance policies. The CZRA established a coastal barrier resource system of undeveloped coastal barriers along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. The law prohibited most federal spending, including flood insurance, within the system. The Senate hearing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. in 253 Russell Senate Office Building on Thursday, May 6. Senate Commerce contacts are: Sloane Rappoport, majority, 202-224-8172, and Margaret Spring, minority, 202-224-4912. The House hearing is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. in 1334 Longworth House Office Building on Thursday, May 6. House Resources contacts are: John Rayfield, majority, 202-226-0200 and Dave Jansen, minority, 202-226-2311. Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New On May 27, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Ocean will hold a hearing on H. Con. Res. 63, a resolution that argues against dam removal in federal efforts to restore threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead runs on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. In so doing, the resolution, introduced by Representative Doc Hastings in March, weighs in on the ongoing public debate about the merits of removing dams on the Lower Snake River. Although H. Con. Res. 63 is a non-binding resolution, how it is received carries great weight. If Congress brings the resolution to the floor, it will be the first vote on how the nation should deal with the demise of Snake River salmon and steelhead, and it will set the tone for all future decisions regarding fish recovery and the four Lower Snake River dams. Largely because of four federal dams on the Lower Snake River, every single species of Snake River salmon is now listed under the Endangered Species Act. This December, the National Marine Fisheries Service will release its long-term recovery plan for Snake River salmon, and partial removal of these four dams is one of the options being studied. Science has shown that removing the four dams is the only option under consideration by the Clinton Administration that can save these legendary fish from extinction. For more information on the Snake River and saving wild salmon through dam removal, see http://www.amrivers.org/snake.html or contact Justin Hayes at jhayes@amrivers.org or 202-347-7550. To see the text of H. Con. Res. 63, see http://thomas.loc.gov and type in H.Con. Res. 63. To see a map of the Lower Snake River, see http://www.amrivers.org/99map.html . Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New Hydro Project License Extension before House: On Tuesday, there will be floor action on H.R. 459, a bill aimed at extending the deadline under the Federal Power Act for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Project No. 9401, the Mt. Hope Waterpower Project. Introduced in February by Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), H.R. 459 would extend the date to being construction of the Mt. Hope Waterpower Project in New Jersey until August 3, 2002. The bill cleared the House Commerce Committee on April 21 with no amendments. To see the bill, go to the Thomas website at http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas2.html and enter H.R. 459. . Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New Recently, both the Clinton Administration and Congress put forward initiatives aimed at protecting the Hanford Reach, the last free-flowing, non-tidal stretch of the Columbia River. The proposals to protect the river in its natural state are widely supported by many interests, including local landowners, Native American tribes, editorial boards across the region, environmental groups, local communities, and much more. On behalf of the Clinton Administration, Department of Energy Secretary Bill Richardson recently visited the Hanford Site in Washington State and unveiled a proposal to protect the entire Wahluke Slope as a National Wildlife Refuge under management by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The proposal would provide lasting protection for the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River, the adjacent 90,000 acres of shrub steep habitat found on the Wahluke Slope, and other significant lands at Hanford. The DOE has scheduled three public hearings on the proposal and is accepting written comments through June 7. The hearings will be held on May 18 in Portland, OR, May 20 in Richland, WA, and June 3 in Spokane, WA. For more information on this announcement, see http://www.amrivers.org/hanford-press3.html . In Congress, Senator Patty Murray and Representative Norm Dicks introduced legislation to designate the Hanford Reach as a National Wild and Scenic River (S. 715 and H.R. 1314), countering Representative Doc Hastings bill to study lands adjacent to the Hanford Reach for agricultural uses (H.R. 1031). The Reach is a spectacular stretch of river with towering cliffs and sweeping vistas across an arid shrub-steppe ecosystem. It supports the only reliably harvestable runs of salmon on the Columbia River, and is a popular boating destination. Designating the Reach as a Wild and Scenic River would protect the river from dams and other developments, and ensure that salmon spawning grounds and the other natural values of the river are protected. Eight million acres of the Columbia River Basin are already devoted to irrigated agriculture. The House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands will hold a hearing on H.R. 1031 at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 11 in 1334 Longworth House Office Building. For more information on the proposals, hearings, and submitting comments on the DOE plan or to send a letter to Congress or the Administration, visit the American Rivers Action Alert webpage on the Hanford Reach at http://www.amrivers.org/hanford-action.html . Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New This week, a House Resources subcommittee will discuss a bill to designate the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument as a National Park and create several other conservation areas near Montrose, Colorado. The proposal (H.R. 1165), introduced by Representatives Scott McInnis (R-CO), Bob Schaffer (R-CO), and Tom Tancredo (R-CO), would add about 7,000 acres of land owned by the Bureau of Land Management to the Black Canyon National Monument, expanding the resources of the 20,766-acre park. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) introduced companion legislation (S. 323) in January. The Gunnison River, which flows through the Black Canyon, supports a wide array of wildlife, including bears, cougars, elk, mule deer, porcupines, yellow-bellied marmots, golden-mantled ground squirrels, golden eagles, peregrine falcons, broad-tailed hummingbirds, yellow warblers, canyon wrens, violet-green swallows, sandpipers, water ouzels, and river otters. The river drops an average of 95 feet per mile through the canyon, one of the steepest descents in North America. Colorado has designated the river between the three dams on the river and the North Fork near Rogers Mesa as a "Gold Medal Water" for its trophy fishing potential. The three dams, located upstream of the monument, form three reservoirs of the Curecanti National Recreation Area, which is renowned for fishing and recreation. The legislation would also create a 57,725-acre national conservation area on BLM lands near Gunnison Gorge, including 17,700 acres of wilderness, and direct the National Park Service to undertake a two-year study of land protection and open space needs within and adjacent to the 42,114-acre Curecanti National Recreation Area. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, May 6 at 10:00 a.m. in 1324 Longworth House Office Building. House Resources contacts are: Tod Hull, majority, 202-226-7736 and David Watkins, minority, 202-226-2311. Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New The Senate Environment Committee has scheduled a markup session on Thursday, May 6 to discuss several measures, including a $315 million bill aimed at restoring the nation's estuaries. Introduced by Representative John Chafee (R-RI), the Estuary Habitat Restoration Partnership Act (S. 835) would create an Interagency Collaborative Council composed of the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to work with state, local, and tribal governments, as well as other organizations, to restore estuaries. The Council would develop a national strategy to restore estuaries and select estuary restoration projects for funding. The markup session is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on May 6 in 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building. Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New On April 27, the House passed the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 (H.R. 1480) by a 418-5 vote. The traditionally biennial legislation authorizes flood control and navigation construction projects of the US Army Corps of Engineers. The bill passed with ease after Representatives dropped a controversial provision to authorize new flood control and water supply projects for the Sacramento, California area. Negotiated by California lawmakers including Representative John Doolittle (R-CA), the provision was aimed at ending a battle over the Auburn Dam proposal, which killed the bill in the 105th Congress. Called a water grab to benefit Sacramento at the expense of those living south of the city, the provision was opposed by a number of House members and the Clinton Administration. The legislation included a number of projects supported by many in the environmental community, including a provision directing the Army Corps of Engineers to emphasize non-structural approaches to flood control and river ecosystem restoration in a shift away from the Corps' traditional reliance on dams and levees to control flooding. The new initiative instructs the Corps to look more towards wetlands and estuary restoration, flood warning system improvement, and relocation of buildings and communities out of floodplains. Funded at $25 million a year for four years, the new initiative includes authorization for 15 small aquatic ecosystem restoration projects, increased funding authorizations for sediment decontamination technology and aquatic plant control and increased or extended authorizations for restoration of the Florida Everglades and South Florida ecosystems, the Upper Mississippi and Missouri River systems, and the Great Lakes. Specifically, the Upper Mississippi River will benefit from increased annual spending for the Environmental Management Program, the primary habitat restoration program for the Upper Mississippi River, from $19.5 million to $33.2 million. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Jim Oberstar (D-MN) led efforts to expand the program, which restores lost side channels. Representative Kenny Hulshof (R-MO) and Pat Danner (D-MO) championed the new habitat restoration program for the Missouri River included in WRDA 1999. The provision directs the Army Corps of Engineers to modify riprap to create shallow slow-flowing habitat. For more information on these provisions see http://www.amrivers.org/corpsreform.html and http://www.amrivers.org/bill-press.html . To see the actual Senate and House bills, see WRDA 1999, go to the Thomas website at http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas2.html and enter the H.R. 1480 or S. 507. Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New Public and private interests concerned about the future of the river created the Upper Mississippi River Summit to seek compatibility between "economic use and ecological integrity" of the river. On March 9 & 10, 1998, the third Summit was held, and government leaders and river stakeholders -- including representatives of navigation, agriculture and conservation groups -- agreed to work collectively to address the river's future. At the Summit they developed a vision statement on areas to concentrate their efforts over the next year. To read the vision statement and highlights from Summit III, please visit the Summit webpage at http://www.umrsummit.org/. Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New For more information or to see the text of any of the bills listed below, go to the Thomas website at http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas2.html and enter the bill number. Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New Introduced by Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR), H.R. 1444 would authorize the Secretary of the Army to develop and implement projects for fish screens, fish passage devices, and other similar measures to mitigate adverse impacts associated with irrigation system water diversions by local governmental entities in the States of Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Idaho. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Resources Committee. Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New Representative Sam Gejdenson (D-CT) bill would amend the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor Act of 1994 to expand the boundaries of the Corridor. The bill was referred to the House Resources Committee. Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New Monday, May 3 8:00 a.m.: House Resources field hearing on land conservation proposals. Location: Louisiana State Supreme Court Building, 301 Loyola Ave, New Orleans, LA. Tuesday, May 4 9:30 a.m.: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on land conservation proposals. Location: 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building. Wednesday, May 5 11:00 a.m.: House Resources Subcommittee on Forest and Forest Health markup of four bills on fires, roads, and wilderness. Location: 1324 Longworth House Office Building. Thursday, May 6 9:30 a.m.: Senate Environment Committee markup of estuary restoration legislation. Location: 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 10:00 a.m.: House Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power hearing on restructuring the electric industry. Location: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building. 10:00 a.m.: House Resources hearing on a bill to designate the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument as a National Park. Location: 1324 Longworth House Office Building. 11:00 a.m.: House Resources hearing on bills to reauthorize the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and the Coastal Barrier Resources Act. Location: 1334 Longworth House Office Building. 2:30 p.m.: Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries hearing on coastal zone management. Location: 253 Russell Senate Office Building. Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New American Rivers, 1025 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 720 Washington, DC 20005, (202) 347-7550 CHECK OUT OUR HOMEPAGE!! http://www.amrivers.org QUESTIONS? Contact Suzy McDowell, Conservation Outreach Coordinator, at smcdowell@amrivers.org OR send online mail right now to: Suzy McDowell or 202-347-7550x3040. Legislative information taken from many sources including Thomas, Congressional Greensheets, Greenwire, and Roll Call. Suzy McDowell Outreach Coordinator American Rivers 1025 Vermont Ave, NW, #720 Washington, DC 20005 202-347-7550 x3040 smcdowell@amrivers.org
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COASTAL AND MARINE MANAGEMENT
Senate and House to Consider Bills on Coastal and Marine Management Bills:
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Anti-Salmon Resolution Hearing Set in House:
HYDROPOWER
PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS
Movement by Administration and Congress to Save the Hanford Reach:
House Schedules Hearing on Black Canyon Bill:
Senate to Discuss Bill to Protect Estuaries:
WATER RESOURCES
House Passes WRDA 1999:
WEB PAGES
New Mississippi River Summit WebPage Launched:
River-Related Bills in Congress
H.R. 1444:
H.R. 1619:
HEARINGS
LINKS TO PAST UPDATES:
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