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American Rivers Policy Update For the week of September 13, 1999
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SEPT. 15 DEADLINE! 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 continue discussion of the funding bill for FY 00 for the Department of Interior and related agencies this week, having been unable to resolve some major issues after spending two days on the measure last week.
Among the remaining issues to be decided are proposals to continue a freeze on the Clinton Administration s push to change how royalties for oil produced on federal lands are assessed, to shift funding from the US Forest Service s logging program to fish and wildlife programs, and to increase funding for urban parks. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt and others in the Administration are pushing to revamp the oil royalty system to ensure that the largest oil companies stop underpaying the for oil mined on federal lands.
The Interior funding measure, S. 1292, would provide $13.924 billion in discretionary spending for the agencies covered by the bill 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.
During discussion on September 8, the Senate passed an amendment to provide $250,000 for a study of the potential hydrologic and biological impacts of mining for lead and zinc in the Mark Twain National Forest in southern Missouri. The amendment is sponsored by Senator Kit Bond (R-MO), who claimed it would allow environmental and other assessments of potential mining in the area to move ahead under the National Environmental Policy Act. Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) opposed the amendment, stating that the pristine beauty of the popular area of the Ozarks should not be considered for mining.
The Senate rejected an effort by Senator Chuck Robb (D-VA) to remove language from the bill that would grant the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management broad discretion regarding whether to undertake wildlife population studies before making management decisions. The rider would overturn a decision by a circuit court judge in February requiring the Forest Service to conduct wildlife population studies for proposed, endangered, threatened, and management indicator species for each forest plan or revision. Also rejected was an effort by Senator Durbin to revise a proposed extension of certain grazing permits.
This week, Senators will discuss Senator Richard Bryan s (D-NV) amendment to cut the Forest Service s logging and timber budget by $33 million, reducing those programs to the level requested by the Administration, and shifting that money into road maintenance and removal ($11.3 million), inland fish habitat management ($3 million), threatened and endangered species habitat management ($3 million), wildlife habitat management ($1.6 million), anadromous fish habitat management ($1.6 million), and deficit reduction ($13 million). The House defeated a similar amendment offered by Representative David Wu (D-OR) by a 250-174 vote. Senator Robert Torricelli s (D-NJ) may offer an amendment to provide urban park and recreation grant programs with $4 million. The bill currently contains no money for such programs. Senators Frank Murkowski (R-AK) and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) are expected to offer an amendment to provide the Land and Water Conservation fund with $30 million for state grants, which currently receive no funding in S. 1292.
For more information on the bill and appropriations for specific agencies and programs, see
Senate debate of S. 1292 could resume as early as Monday.
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The Senate-House conference on the FY 00 Energy and Water Appropriations bill is still on hold. Appropriations Committee leaders from both houses are trying to resolve differences over 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.
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 Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on VA-HUD-Independent Agencies plans to take up its funding measure for FY 00 this week, but have not yet set a specific time for the markup. Discussion of the bill has been on hold due to the low level of discretionary spending available for the programs covered by the bill -- $9.6 billion short of the funds needed to continue programs at their current level.
Last Thursday, the House passed its $91.27 billion FY 00 funding bill for VA-HUD-Independent Agencies, which includes $68.63 billion in discretionary funding. The bill would provide the Environmental Protection Agency with about $7.3 billion, $278 million 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 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.
Senate Appropriations contacts are Carolyn Apostolou (majority), 202-224-7211 and Paul Craliner (minority), 202-224-7231.
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This week, the House hopes to appoint conferees to negotiate with members of the Senate on the FY 00 funding levels for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Agencies. They hope to pass a bill through conference by September 30.
President Clinton has criticized both bills for their low levels of funding for conservation initiatives. The Senate bill would provide about $200 million less for conservation programs than requested by the Administration, and the House $140 less. Both bills would cut back funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program by $26 million. EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to farmers working to implement conservation practices on their land.
House Appropriations contacts are Martin Delgado, majority, 202-225-2638 and David Reich, minority, 202-225-3481. Senate Appropriations contacts are Rebecca Davies, majority, 202-224-7219 and Galen Fountain, minority, 202-224-7202.
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On Thursday, the House Transportation Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment will hold a hearing on Representative Frank Lucas (R-OK) bill to authorize $600 million over ten years for financial and technical assistance to repair and rehabilitate small watershed dams across the country. More than 11,000 dams have been built around the nation, some as long ago as 1948.
Margaret Bowman of American Rivers will testify before the subcommittee.
Although American Rivers is in favor of the bill (H.R. 728), Ms. Bowman points out that the bill needs to be strengthened by giving local dam owners the choice to either to fix the obsolete or failing dams or remove them.
The hearing will be held at 10:00 a.m. on September 16 in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building.
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American Rivers accepting nominations for America s Most Endangered Rivers of 2000. Every year, we work closely with grassroots organizations across the country to identify the rivers included in the report. By drawing national attention to the rivers on the list, the report sends a powerful wake up call to mobilize the public and key decision makers to take significant action before it is too late.
The rivers highlighted in the 1999 report the Lower Snake, Missouri, Alabama-Coosa-Tallapossa, Upper San Pedro, Yellowstone, Cedar, Fox, Carmel, Coal, and Bear Rivers continue to draw regional and national media attention. We expect an equally impressive response in 2000, as urban sprawl, water use conflicts, dam controversies, mining impacts, agricultural pollution, flood control projects, and myriad other threats continue to imperil rivers across the nation.
If your local river is one of the many facing a significant threat, America s Most Endangered Rivers of 2000 holds the promise of providing it with a much-needed spotlight to bring local, regional, and national attention to its plight and what must be done to protect or restore it. To nominate a river, please complete the enclosed nomination package found on the American Rivers webpage at
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Suzy McDowell at 202-347-7550 x3040 or smcdowell@amrivers.org
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On Thursday, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans will hold a hearing on Representative Wayne Gilchrest s (R-MD) bill to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay and other coastal estuaries. According to Representative Gilchrest, 75 percent of the commercial fish and shellfish harvested in the nation s waters rely upon estuaries for some portion of their lifecycle. Healthy estuaries are also important for recreation, jobs, water quality, and economic development.
Estuary protection and restoration bills have also been sponsored by Senator John Chafee (R-RI) and Representative Jim Saxton (R-NJ).
The hearing will be held in 1334 Longworth House Office Building at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 16.
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On Tuesday, the House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands will hold a hearing on a bill to provide almost forty acres of federal land to the state of Illinois to build an interpretive center marking the beginning of the 1804 Lewis and Clark expedition. The 39 acres is the site where Meriwether Lewis and William Clark camped from December 1803 to May 1804 near the mouth of the Wood River on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. The explorers used the site to make final preparations before setting out on their historic voyage.
H.R. 2737, introduced in August by Representative Jerry Costello (D-IL), would give Illinois the land and $4 million dollars to build an interpretive center. The tract is located within the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and is managed by the National Park Service. The state would be responsible for paying for surveying and transferring the land. If Illinois ever used the land for another purpose, it would revert back to the Department of Interior.
The hearing will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 14 in 1324 Longworth House Office Building.
To view the bills, visit the Thomas website at
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Sept. 13, 9:30 a.m.: House Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power field hearing on the role of the Tennessee Valley Authority in a competitive electricity environment. Location: 16 Legislative Plaza, Nashville, TN.
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. 15, 10 a.m.: House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution hearing on the Private Property Rights Implementation Act (H.R. 2372). Location:
2226 Rayburn 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. 16, 10 a.m.: House Commerce Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials hearing on the Public Utility Holding Company Act. Location: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building.
Sept. 16, 10 a.m.: House Transportation Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment hearing on a bill to repair and rehabilitate small dams (H.R.728). Location: 2167 Rayburn House Office Building.
Sept. 16, 2:30 p.m.: Senate Energy Subcommittee on Forests and Public Lands hearing on the status of President Clinton s 1994 Northwest Forest Plan.
Location: 366 Dirksen Senate 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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QUESTIONS?
Contact Suzy McDowell, Conservation Outreach Coordinator, at smcdowell@amrivers.org or 202-347-7550x3040.
Legislative information taken from many sources including Thomas, Congressional Greensheets, Greenwire, and Roll Call.
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