[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 71 (Tuesday, May 13, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6141-S6142]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DOMENICI (for himself, Mr. Reid, and Mr. Bingaman):
  S. 1051. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to carry out 
a demonstration program to assess potential water savings through 
control of Salt Cedar and Russian Olive; to the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a piece of 
legislation that is of paramount importance to the State of New Mexico 
and many other Western States. This bill will address the mounting 
pressures brought on by the growing demands throughout the West of a 
diminishing water supply.
  A water crisis has ravaged the West for 4 years. Drought conditions 
are expected to expand into the upper Midwest this year. Last year snow 
packs were abnormally low, causing severe drought conditions. Snow pack 
conditions this year are still low, but marginally better in the 
Southwest. The rest of the West does not look any more promising.
  I know that the seriousness of the water situation in New Mexico 
becomes more acute every single day. This drought has affected every 
New Mexican and nearly everyone in the West in some way. Wells are 
running dry, farmers are being forced to sell livestock, many of our 
cities are in various stages of conservation and many, many acres have 
been charred by catastrophic wildfires.
  The drought conditions also have other consequences. For example, the 
lack of stream flow makes it very difficult for New Mexico to meet its 
compact delivery obligations to the State of Texas.
  The bill that I am introducing today deals more specifically with the 
issue of in-stream water flows. To compound the drought situation, New 
Mexico is home to a vast amount of salt cedar. Salt cedar is a water-
thirsty non-native tree that continually strips massive amounts of 
water out of New Mexico's two predominant water supplies--the Pecos and 
the Rio Grande rivers.
  Estimates show that one mature salt cedar tree can consume as much as 
200 gallons of water per day; over the growing season that's 7 acre 
feet of water for each acre of salt cedar. In addition to the excessive 
water consumption, salt cedars increase fire, increase river 
channelization and flood frequency, decrease water flow and increase 
water and soil salinity along the river. Studies indicate that 
eradication of the salt cedars could increase river flows. Increasing 
river flows could help alleviate mounting pressure to meet compact 
delivery obligations--both on the Pecos and the Rio Grande.
  The drought and the mounting legal requirements on both the Pecos and 
Rio Grande rivers are forcing us toward a severe water crisis. Every 
river in the intermountain West seems to be facing these same problems. 
Solving such water problems has become one of my top priorities.
  I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  Mr. REID. Will the Senator yield?
  Mr. DOMENICI. I am happy to yield.
  Mr. REID. I apologize for interrupting the Senator. I applaud and 
commend the author of this legislation, with whom I joined, in 
presenting this legislation.
  For the State of Nevada, with the limited agriculture we have, and 
the very few rivers we have, the tamarisk is removing our agricultural 
possibilities, our recreational possibilities. If we can figure out a 
way to get rid of this salt cedar that has been ruining Nevada's rivers 
for decades now, it will do as much to help the State of Nevada and the 
environment as any one thing we can do. This will actually improve the 
environment of the State of Nevada.
  I want the record to reflect how much I, on behalf of the State of 
Nevada, applaud the Senator from New Mexico for offering this 
legislation.
  Mr. DOMENICI. This map which we just showed indicates that your 
problem is not just yours, my problem is not just mine. All the States 
that are green on the chart have tamarisk or one of these foreign 
plants such as salt cedar, that have infested the area, sucking up 
their water for no good use.
  Estimates show that a mature salt cedar tree can consume as much as 
200 gallons of water a day over the growing season or 7 acre feet of 
water for each acre of salt cedar.
  In addition to the excessive water consumption, the salt cedar 
increases fire, increases river channelization, flood frequency, 
decreases water flow, increases water and soil salinity over the 
various river basins.
  Mr. REID. If I could just say one more thing to my friend from New 
Mexico, in addition to that, they are not good for shade.
  Mr. DOMENICI. They are good for nothing.
  Mr. REID. They are not good for birds to nest in. They are just an 
ugly blight on Nevada's environment.
  Mr. DOMENICI. I thank the Senator for joining me.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

[[Page S6142]]

                                S. 1051

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

     SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the `Salt Cedar Control 
     Demonstration Act'.

     SEC. 2. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

       (a) Assessment.--Not later than 1 year after the date when 
     funds are made available to carry out this section, the 
     Secretary of the Interior (``Secretary'') shall complete an 
     assessment of the extent of Salt Cedar and Russian Olive 
     invasion in the Western United States, past and on-going 
     research on tested and innovative methods to control these 
     phreatophytes, the feasibility of reducing water consumption, 
     methods and challenges in land restoration, estimated costs 
     for all aspects of destruction, biomass removal, land 
     restoration and maintenance, and shall identify long-term 
     management and funding stragtegies that could be implemented 
     by federal, state and private land managers.
       (b) Demonstration.--The Secretary will initiate a program 
     of not fewer than 3 projects to demonstrate and evaluate the 
     most effective control methods including at least one project 
     primarily using air-born application of herbicides, at least 
     one project using mechanical removal and at least one project 
     using biocontrol such as goats or insects or any combination 
     thereof. Each demonstration project shall be designed and 
     carried out over time frames and spatial scales large enough 
     to--
       (1) monitor and fully document the water saved due to 
     control of Salt Cedar and Russian Oliver infestation and what 
     portions of the saved water returns to surface water supplies 
     and at what rates;
       (2) assess the optimum application approach and tools for 
     an array of control methods,
       (3) assess all costs and benefits associated with the 
     control methods, land restoration and maintenance,
       (4) determine what conditions indicate the need to remove 
     biomass and the optimal methods for disposal or use of 
     biomass;
       (5) define appropriate final vegetative states, optimal re-
     vegetation methods, and methods to prevent regrowth and 
     reintroduction of the invasive species.
       (c) Costs.--The total cost of each project may not exceed 
     7,000,000 dollars including costs of planning, design, 
     implementation, maintenance and monitoring. The Federal share 
     of the costs of any activity funded under this program shall 
     be no more than 65 percent of the total cost. The Secretary 
     may apply the value of in-kind contributions including State 
     Agency provided services to the non-Federal share of the 
     costs.
       (d) Cooperation.--The Secretary shall use the expertise of 
     institutions of higher education, state agencies, and soil 
     and water conservation districts that are actively conducting 
     research on or implementing Salt Cedar and Russian Olive 
     control activities and shall cooperate with other federal 
     agencies including the Department of Agriculture, Corp of 
     Engineers, affected states, local units of government, and 
     Indian Tribes.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the 
     provisions of this Act $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, and 
     such sums as are necessary for each fiscal year thereafter.
                                 ______