110 HR 1462 : Platte River Recovery
U.S. House of Representatives
2007-10-23
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.Short title; table of
contents
(a)This Act may be cited
as the Platte River Recovery
Implementation Program and Pathfinder Modification Authorization
Act
.
(b)The table of
contents of this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Purposes.
TITLE I—Platte River Recovery Implementation Program
Sec. 101. Definitions.
Sec. 102. Implementation of Program.
Sec. 103. Cost-sharing contributions.
Sec. 104. Authority to modify Program.
Sec. 105. Effect.
Sec. 106. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 107. Termination of authority.
TITLE II—Pathfinder Modification Project
Sec. 201. Authorization of project.
Sec. 202. Authorized uses of pathfinder reservoir.
2.The purposes of this Act are to
authorize—
(1)the Secretary of the Interior, acting
through the Commissioner of Reclamation and in partnership with the States,
other Federal agencies, and other non-Federal entities, to continue the
cooperative effort among the Federal and non-Federal entities through the
implementation of the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program for
threatened and endangered species in the Central and Lower Platte River Basin
without creating Federal water rights or requiring the grant of water rights to
Federal entities; and
(2)the modification of the Pathfinder Dam and
Reservoir.
<enum>I</enum><header>Platte River
Recovery Implementation Program</header>
<section id="H1E70004673764772ADDDFD62141C8DB4"><enum>101.</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In this title:</text>
<paragraph id="HD8A08BE59FA34BC9A4DD568561CB1009"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Agreement</header><text>The
term <quote>Agreement</quote> means the Platte River Recovery Implementation
Program Cooperative Agreement entered into by the Governors of the States and
the Secretary.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HEF40D5805A144FD28EDFC5DE7EA26639"><enum>(2)</enum><header>First
increment</header><text>The term <quote>First Increment</quote> means the first
13 years of the Program.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HE1337B6FD8664F39BB3EFF7E6C7182AA"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Governance
committee</header><text>The term <quote>Governance Committee</quote> means the
governance committee established under the Agreement and composed of members
from the States, the Federal Government, environmental interests, and water
users.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HC9C3041F5C274CDEB23FAF4B3363864F"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Interest in land
or water</header><text>The term <quote>interest in land or water</quote>
includes a fee title, short- or long-term easement, lease, or other contractual
arrangement that is determined to be necessary by the Secretary to implement
the land and water components of the Program.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HC21BBA00429F40EFB5EEB07E176DA06"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Program</header><text>The
term <quote>Program</quote> means the Platte River Recovery Implementation
Program established under the Agreement.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H62DC3A49FFE6405DAABB29192D1CDC00"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Project or
activity</header><text>The term <quote>project or activity</quote>
means—</text>
<subparagraph id="H4F867C22923A4EC583008700727D36C8"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the planning,
design, permitting or other compliance activity, preconstruction activity,
construction, construction management, operation, maintenance, and replacement
of a facility;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HF2B11CD07A3D4D43AEF2A452B42B50F5"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the acquisition of
an interest in land or water;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H7C717369FE8243079D0007505437B9F8"><enum>(C)</enum><text>habitat
restoration;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HE2098E32E9E944C19768FFBB1231CD5"><enum>(D)</enum><text>research and
monitoring;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H2A49EE377324427D8815AC219F5403C5"><enum>(E)</enum><text>program
administration; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HF0889EA50D264A598FFDAB541F354179"><enum>(F)</enum><text>any other activity
that is determined to be necessary by the Secretary to carry out the
Program.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H5D11B9913EEB4052B3E36374B330655"><enum>(7)</enum><header>Secretary</header><text>The
term <quote>Secretary</quote> means the Secretary of the Interior, acting
through the Commissioner of Reclamation.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HD87343CB3C344A1E84D89C47CE690015"><enum>(8)</enum><header>States</header><text>The
term <quote>States</quote> means the States of Nebraska, Wyoming, and
Colorado.</text>
</paragraph></section><section id="H0DF673948FE042BE980237495810A4CB"><enum>102.</enum><header>Implementation
of Program</header>
<subsection id="HEE3BB40C01A145EAAD83FD64AE6E2500"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>The Secretary, in cooperation with the Governance
Committee, may—</text>
<paragraph id="HB6D8FCD00DB742748FCA2D00AB429538"><enum>(1)</enum><text>participate in the
Program; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HF3BF38EAB09C412487D1CAF0EA1FE30"><enum>(2)</enum><text>carry out any
projects and activities that are designated for implementation during the First
Increment.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HF9360F4EB79046498B19388BF947FC27"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Authority of
secretary</header><text>For purposes of carrying out this title, the Secretary,
in cooperation with the Governance Committee, may—</text>
<paragraph id="H74FB844A92BF42BA94BE00EDE686CB30"><enum>(1)</enum><text>enter into
agreements and contracts with Federal and non-Federal entities;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H62C1F31BBFA141FAB55EE7FB6BDDCBB1"><enum>(2)</enum><text>acquire interests
in land, water, and facilities from willing sellers without the use of eminent
domain;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HD9EAC107C11F4E15A0F698708E4C657E"><enum>(3)</enum><text>subsequently
transfer any interests acquired under paragraph (2); and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HBC790383DFDC436D835FB5108B9713C4"><enum>(4)</enum><text>accept or provide
grants.</text>
</paragraph></subsection></section><section id="H42FE04146E6D4B91B0E3CBE64698572"><enum>103.</enum><header>Cost-sharing
contributions</header>
<subsection id="H1B1C2B9CDCEB421292B515E6A7EA405C"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>As provided in the Agreement, the participating States
shall contribute not less than 50 percent of the total contributions necessary
to carry out the Program.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H14D4608ECA744CF9BDFC0088D9E32BB9"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Non-Federal
contributions</header><text>The following contributions shall constitute the
States’ share of the Program:</text>
<paragraph id="H92EEB2D241664ED2B47F3E1994EECB17"><enum>(1)</enum><text>$30,000,000 in
non-Federal funds, with the balance of funds remaining to be contributed to be
adjusted for inflation on October 1 of the year after the date of enactment of
this Act and each October 1 thereafter.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HDD49FC397B9441BDBBEC24F103DF222F"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Credit for
contributions of water or land for the purposes of implementing the Program, as
determined to be appropriate by the Secretary.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HB3C6C98A4CB24B80A8DA5644B600CFEA"><enum>(c)</enum><header>In-kind
contributions</header><text>The Secretary or the States may elect to provide a
portion of the Federal share or non-Federal share, respectively, in the form of
in-kind goods or services, if the contribution of goods or services is approved
by the Governance Committee, as provided in Attachment 1 of the
Agreement.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="H05A72F7B54D345ED93D7A2995590B634"><enum>104.</enum><header>Authority to
modify Program</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Program may
be modified or amended before the completion of the First Increment if the
Secretary and the States determine that the modifications are consistent with
the purposes of the Program.</text>
</section><section id="HAAD7660D82F44B7E8EA1790920504DD6"><enum>105.</enum><header>Effect</header>
<subsection id="HC49EB1F3C47B440DB3D47DAB4D6484"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Effect on
reclamation laws</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No action
carried out under this title shall, with respect to the acreage limitation
provisions of the reclamation laws—</text>
<paragraph id="H4C5C41B5C10D4021BA6308E89FCD1317"><enum>(1)</enum><text>be considered in
determining whether a district (as the term is defined in section 202 of the
Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/390bb">43 U.S.C. 390bb</external-xref>)) has discharged
the obligation of the district to repay the construction cost of project
facilities used to make irrigation water available for delivery to land in the
district;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H310B74E2F7274AEFBFECC680EA3F8C9B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>serve as the basis
for reinstating acreage limitation provisions in a district that has completed
payment of the construction obligations of the district; or</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H2D3DB2DA9FD64611B9C300411FCA6FF9"><enum>(3)</enum><text>serve as the basis
for increasing the construction repayment obligation of the district, which
would extend the period during which the acreage limitation provisions would
apply.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H206758C4E1C0455194186E1DEA98CC46"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Effect on water
rights</header><text>Nothing in this title—</text>
<paragraph id="H62E21B9F62F242CFA2A037C3523DFC1"><enum>(1)</enum><text>creates Federal
water rights; or</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H59F83016C4004118878DFC5BDFAE1495"><enum>(2)</enum><text>requires the grant
of water rights to Federal entities.</text>
</paragraph></subsection></section><section id="H26F1C89201044EF99564FFA1204218C"><enum>106.</enum><header>Authorization of
appropriations</header>
<subsection id="H2C0443F1526B4DBFA6E8A0348FC3DF"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out
projects and activities under this title $157,140,000, as adjusted under
subsection (c).</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H8FC73EEA54544AD1A2E801F9CBE67DD1"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Nonreimbursable
Federal expenditures</header><text>Any amounts expended under subsection (a)
shall be considered to be nonreimbursable Federal expenditures.</text>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H5303DCF76FB84EEC8242246C136000B7"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Adjustment</header><text>The
balance of funds remaining to be appropriated shall be adjusted for inflation
on October 1 of the year after the enactment of this Act and each October 1
thereafter.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H7144A6A2FD894A52BCE06029533D46F1"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Availability of
funds</header><text>At the end of each fiscal year, any unexpended funds for
projects and activities made available under subsection (a) shall be retained
for use in future fiscal years to implement projects and activities under the
Program.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="H9FE8CFD304664004A1DDF5B9266D4205"><enum>107.</enum><header>Termination of
authority</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The authority for
the Secretary to implement the First Increment shall terminate on September 30,
2020.</text>
</section><enum>II</enum><header>Pathfinder
Modification Project</header>
<section id="H4C4FD5275F3A4DBBA32C0000F930738C"><enum>201.</enum><header>Authorization
of project</header>
<subsection id="H4BE5052AFF9048AABC1F92CD33DF722"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the
Commissioner of Reclamation (referred to in this title as the
<quote>Secretary</quote>), may—</text>
<paragraph id="H34E24C705DDE41F289DC602F6D99733F"><enum>(1)</enum><text>modify the
Pathfinder Dam and Reservoir; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HFE49D70D8D5E46D0B9BC12653B3EABC3"><enum>(2)</enum><text>enter into 1 or
more agreements with the State of Wyoming to implement the Pathfinder
Modification Project (referred to in this title as the <quote>Project</quote>),
as described in Appendix F to the Final Settlement Stipulation in Nebraska v.
Wyoming, 534 U.S. 40 (2001).</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H9F3338FE2D694AB6BCBF0094042BE821"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Federal
appropriations</header><text>No Federal appropriations are required to modify
the Pathfinder Dam under this section.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="HEC3D3EC9865C4AFD9584EF6432C0278B"><enum>202.</enum><header>Authorized uses
of pathfinder reservoir</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The
approximately 54,000 acre-feet capacity of Pathfinder Reservoir, which has been
lost to sediment but will be recaptured by the Project, may be used for
municipal, environmental, and other purposes, as described in Appendix F to the
Final Settlement Stipulation in Nebraska v. Wyoming, 534 U.S. 40 (2001).</text>
</section>
Passed the House of
Representatives October 22, 2007.
Lorraine C. Miller,
Clerk