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Although FY 00 has not yet begun, it is already time to begin looking ahead to funding priorities for river conservation for FY 01. To support increased federal funding for important river-related programs, please sign on to American Rivers River Budget for FY 01. The document is available online at
To sign on, email Suzy McDowell at smcdowell@amrivers.org or call 202-347-7550 x3040. To sign on, you must represent an organization, group, or other affiliation.
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The Senate will return to the issues yet to be resolved on funding for FY 01 for the Department of Interior and related agencies this week. The Interior funding measure, S. 1292, includes $13.924 billion in discretionary spending and includes a number of environmental riders. Because of the riders and the low level of funding for some of the programs included in the Administration s FY 00 funding request, President Clinton has threatened to veto the bill. Of special concern to the White House is the $263 million appropriated by the Senate for the Lands Legacy program, developed by the Administration to bring $1 billion in additional funds for land acquisition, state conservation programs, endangered species protection, and other preservation goals.
Among the objectionable riders were amendments to reverse the Interior Solicitor s opinion to restrict mill site limits to five acres per mining claim, extend the life of grazing permits while the Bureau of Land Management reviews them, deny funding of national forest management plan revisions until permanent planning regulations are completed, and impose a 120-day comment period for a report on the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project.
For more information on the bill and appropriations for specific agencies and programs, see
Senate debate of S. 1292 was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 8.
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Conferees for the Energy and Water Appropriations bill have put their meeting on hold until Appropriations Committee leaders from both houses can agree on the total funding level for the bill. The House passed its $20.2 billion FY 00 funding bill (H.R. 2605) by a vote of 420-8 on July 27. The Senate passed its $21.7 billion version of the bill on June 16. The bills provide funding for the Department of Energy, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Bureau of Reclamation.
H.R. 2605 would provide the US Army Corps of Engineers with $4.19 billion for its civil works program, which includes flood control, shoreline protection, and navigation. This is $91.2 million more than FY 99 funding and $282.6 million more than the Clinton Administration s FY 00 request. The Senate bill includes $3.76 billion for the Corps civil works projects.
Although overall funding for the Corps would increase in the House and Senate bills, they would both cut funding for habitat restoration programs by the Corps. For example, the House bill would provide $18.945 million the Corps Environmental Management Program, and the Senate would fund the program at just $16.2 million. Through EMP, the Corps restores and enhances fish and wildlife habitat and conducts long-term monitoring of the ecological health of the Upper Mississippi River.
House contacts are Jim Ogsbury (majority), 202-225-3421 or Sally Chadbourne (minority), 202-225-3481. Senate contacts are Alex Flint (majority), 202-224-7260 or Greg Daines (minority), 202-224-0335.
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The House scheduled floor debate on its FY 00 funding bill for VA-HUD-Independent Agencies for Wednesday. The House Appropriations Committee approved the $91.27 billion bill on Friday, including $68.63 billion in discretionary funding. The bill would provide the Environmental Protection Agency with about $73 billion, $278 below the FY 99 level and $106 million more than the Clinton Administration s request. The House bill would appropriate $775 million for safe drinking water state revolving funds ($25 million below the Clinton Administration s request), $1.175 billion for clean water state revolving funds, a $3 million reduction in Tennessee Valley Authority borrowing authority, and $300 million for disaster relief to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on VA-HUD-Independent Agencies hopes to mark up its version of the FY 00 funding bill before the August recess.
The Clinton Administration has threatened to veto the funding measure because it would eliminate Americorps and cut funding for a number of key programs. Carol Browner pointed out that the House bill would cut EPA s operating budget by $195 million, money that would have to come out of clean water, clean air, and toxic waste programs and environmental law enforcement. Browner also criticized the more than 100 earmarks for special projects in members districts totaling almost $352 million.
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In a field hearing on Saturday, the House Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Natural Resources will focus on the mining issue of the day the recent ruling by the Interior Solicitor affecting the modern, heap-leach mines for gold and other hardrock minerals under the 1987 General Mining Law. The hearing is part of a series being held by the subcommittee on how the Clinton Administration s interpretation and implementation of federal mining laws will impact the mining industry and mining revenues for states and communities.
The Department of Interior s decision focuses on the ratio of mill sites to lode claims and resulted in the DOI s rejection of an operating plan for Battle Mountain Gold s proposal for the Crown Jewel Mine on mostly federal lands in Washington near the Canadian border.
Under the DOI s new interpretation of the General Mining Law, according to Interior Solicitor John Leshy, each mining claim cannot use more than five acres for mill sites on which to dump waste rock. The company s proposal, in which they would use cyanide to extract gold from crushed rocks, would exceed the ratio by almost 500 acres. If the DOI decision holds, mining companies would be required to obtain a permit under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act for a site to dispose of waste rock. Such a request could be refused under the law if the site were located in an environmentally sensitive area and miners would be required to avoid undue degradation.
On August 27, the Bureau of Land Management announced that it plans to write the Interior Solicitor s decision into the agency s mining regulations. The public comment period on the proposal is open until October 26.
The field hearing will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 11 at Riverpoint Higher Education Park, 668 North Riverpoint Blvd, Spokane, WA.
Contacts are John Rishell at 202-225-2761 (majority) and Deborah Lanzone at 202-226-2311 (minority).
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The following lands and trails bills could come up for floor debate in the Senate at any time:
S. 244 to authorize the construction of the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System.
s. 109 to improve protection and management of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in Georgia.
S. 441 to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the route of the War of 1812 British invasion of Maryland and Washington DC, and the route of American defense, for study of potential inclusion in the system.
S. 711 to allow for the investment of joint federal and state funds from the civil settlement of damages from the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
H.R. 15 to designate a portion of the Otay Mountain region of California as wilderness.
S. 762 to direct the Secretary of Interior to conduct a feasibility study on the inclusion of the Miami Circle in Biscayne National Park.
S. 953 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey 41 acres of Forest Service land in the Black Hills National Forest to a local ski operation.
S. 1088 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to convey approximately 300 acres to the city of Sedona, Arizona, for a sewage disposal system.
S. 938 to eliminate restrictions on the acquisition of certain land contiguous to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
To view the bills, visit the Thomas website at
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Upcoming Events:
Sept. 14, 10 a.m.: House Resources National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee hearing on legislation to authorize a land conveyance to Illinois for a historic and interpretive site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (H.R. 2737). Location: 1324 Longworth House Office Building.
Sept. 16, 10 a.m.: House Resources Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans Subcommittee hearing on legislation to catalyze restoration of estuary habitat through more efficient funding of projects and enhanced coordination of federal and non-federal restoration programs (H.R. 1775).
Location: 1334 Longworth House Office Building.
Sept. 23, 10 a.m.: House Resources Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans Subcommittee hearing on draft legislation to amend the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Location: 1334 Longworth House Office Building.
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Legislative information taken from many sources including Thomas, Congressional Greensheets, Greenwire, and Roll Call.
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