[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 87 (Monday, July 10, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H5670-H5671]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      DESCHUTES RESOURCES CONSERVANCY REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1999

  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 1787) to reauthorize the participation of the 
Bureau of Reclamation in the Deschutes Resources Conservancy, and for 
other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1787

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Deschutes Resources 
     Conservancy Reauthorization Act of 1999''.

     SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF PARTICIPATION OF BUREAU OF RECLAMATION 
                   IN DESCHUTES RESOURCES CONSERVANCY.

       Section 301 of the Oregon Resource Conservation Act of 1996 
     (division B of Public Law 104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-534) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)(3), by inserting before the period at 
     the end the following: ``, and up to a total amount of 
     $2,000,000 during each of fiscal years 2002 through 2006''; 
     and
       (2) in subsection (h), by inserting before the period at 
     the end the following: ``and $2,000,000 for each of fiscal 
     years 2002 through 2006''.


[[Page H5671]]


  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Walden) and the gentleman from California (Mr. George 
Miller) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden).


                             General Leave

  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 1787.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Oregon?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I appreciate the efforts of the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Doolittle) and his staff in helping me to bring forward H.R. 1787, the 
Deschutes Resources Conservancy Reauthorization bill. I also appreciate 
the support of the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) and the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for this important bill.
  The DRC is one of the best examples of a win-win program that I have 
ever seen. Because it is a consensus-based mission, it brings together 
central Oregonians from diverse backgrounds and should be the model for 
other resource management programs across our great country.
  The DRC has brought together interests who have historically, at 
times, been at odds in competing for the limited supply of our 
resources. Board members include ranchers, the Bureau of Reclamation, 
the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Warm Springs Tribes, 
the Forest Service, timber companies, developers and environmentalists, 
all working together and doing exceptional projects on the ground in 
central Oregon to improve water quality and water quantity.
  The beauty of the DRC model is that they are taking scarce Federal 
dollars and then leveraging them with other grants to obtain the 
greatest impact. In 1999, the DRC leveraged its $450,000 appropriation 
to complete more than $2.1 million in on-the-ground restoration 
projects, more than a 4 to 1 ratio. These projects include piping 
irrigation district delivery systems to prevent water losses; securing 
in-stream water rights to restore flows to Squaw Creek; providing 
riparian fences to protect water banks; working with private timber 
landowners to restore riparian and wetland areas; and seeking donated 
water rights to enhance in-stream flows in the Deschutes River Basin.
  Madam Speaker, I wholeheartedly support the reauthorization of this 
sound conservation program for another 5 years and support the increase 
of its reauthorization level. If the authorization level is increased 
as requested in this legislation, I do not have any objections to 
including the Department of Agriculture as an additional funding 
source.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this sound 
environmental legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Oregon for explaining this 
legislation. He has done more than an adequate job explaining the 
values of the Deschutes Resources Conservancy and I urge Members to 
support this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 1787.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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