[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 11, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7726-S7728]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CAMPBELL (for himself and Mr. ALLARD):
  S. 1236. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish 
a program to control or eradicate tamarisk in the

[[Page S7727]]

western States, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Tamarisk 
Control & Riparian Restoration Act.
  Tamarisk is a noxious weed that is not native to the Americas, but 
has spread across 11 States, from California to Oklahoma, like a 
plague. Many westerners consider Tamarisk, also known as Salt Cedar, to 
be one of the West's most significant natural resources problems for a 
variety of reasons.
  Tamarisk's major threat is that it uses a significant amount of 
water, far more water than many realize. Yet, folks out West know all 
too well that we have been and are still experiencing one of the worst 
droughts in the West's recorded history. People who have been farming 
and ranching for generations have been forced to sell their homesteads 
and give up the life they love because there just hasn't been enough 
water for crops or to maintain livestock. I've personally felt the 
effects of the drought as my wife and I have had to sell our little 
cow/calf operation.
  I mentioned earlier that Tamarisk uses significant amounts of water, 
but I want to speak a little bit now about just how much water it uses. 
Studies have found that Tamarisk uses from 2 to 4\1/2\ million acre 
feet of water each year, water we frankly cannot afford to lose.
  To put that in perspective, several other States and the Republic of 
Mexico are delivered 10 million acre feet from all of Colorado's rivers 
and streams, including the mighty Colorado River. California is 
allotted 4\1/2\ million acre feet of Colorado water per year. That 
means that Tamarisk, a noxious, nonnative weed, uses the same amount of 
water flowing from Colorado to California. We must address the 
preventable loss of this most valuable resource before it's too late.
  My bill seeks to begin get the Tamarisk problem under control in a 
few innovative ways. First, my bill requires the Secretary of the 
Interior to assess the extent of Tamarisk invasion, identifying where 
it is in each affected State, and estimate the costs to restore the 
land.
  Second, my bill establishes a State Tamarisk Assistance Program to 
provide States the needed funds to control or eradicate Tamarisk. Grant 
funds will be distributed to states in accordance with the severity of 
the Tamarisk problem they have.
  The Governor of each State will appoint a state lead agency to 
administer the program in the State, working with Indian Tribes, 
colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations, soil and water 
conservancy districts, and Federal partners. This coordinate approach 
provides sufficient flexibility to deal with Tamarisk's spread and to 
reduce duplicative efforts.
  A watershed or basin can stretch across all kinds of land, including 
Federal, State, or tribal lands. Noxious weeds don't recognize those 
ownership boundaries and neither can we.
  Since my bill's focus is on getting rid of this water-sucking weed, 
it requires that 90 percent of the Federal funds must be used for 
eradiction or rehabilitation.
  This legislation authorizes $20 million for 2004 and such sums as 
necessary thereafter. States must share the burden by ponying up 25 
percent of the costs. The Tamarisk problem hurts everyone and the non-
Federal share can come from counties, municipalities, special 
districts, nongovernmental entities, or the States themselves.
  Our Nation is in a deficit, and every state is experiencing money 
shortages. Americans demand to know that their hard earned money is 
being spent wisely and in the most effient way possible. That is why my 
bill requires that each participating State must submit a report of the 
Secretary describing the purpose and results of the project in order to 
receive funding. In the West, water is more precious and scarce than 
elsewhere in our great nation. To do nothing about the preventable loss 
of precious water by the spread of this noxious plant and the loss of 
native habitat will cost us untold millions more in the future.
  Back in my State of Colorado, constituents tell me how the drought 
has affected them, even devastated their livelihoods. No one can 
control the weather and bring rain. However, getting a handle on the 
water-sucking Tamarisk plaguing the West is possible--if we act now.
  My bill provides the necessary tools to deal with this problem so 
that ther will be enough water for all of us, and habitat suitable for 
native species of plants and animals.
  I ask unanimous consent that the next of the bill be printed in the 
Record.

                                S. 1236

       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 ``Tamarisk Control and 
     Riparian Restoration Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) the western United States is currently experiencing its 
     worst drought in modern history;
       (2) the drought in the western United States has caused--
       (A) severe losses in rural, agricultural, and recreational 
     economies;
       (B) detrimental effects on wildlife; and
       (C) increased risk of wildfires;
       (3) it is estimated that throughout the western United 
     States tamarisk, a noxious and non-native plant--
       (A) occupies between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000 acres of land; 
     and
       (B) is a nonbeneficial user of 2,000,000 to 4,500,000 acre-
     feet of water per year;
       (4) the amount of nonbeneficial use of water by tamarisk--
       (A) is greater than the amount that valuable native 
     vegetation would have used; and
       (B) represents enough water for--
       (i) use by 20,000,000 or more people; or
       (ii) the irrigation of over 1,000,000 acres of land;
       (5) scientists have established that tamarisk infestations 
     can--
       (A) increase soil and water salinity;
       (B) increase the risk of flooding through increased 
     sedimentation and decreased channel conveyance;
       (C) increase wildfire potential;
       (D) diminish human enjoyment of and interaction with the 
     river environment; and
       (E) adversely affect--
       (i) wildlife habitat for threatened and endangered species; 
     and
       (ii) the abundance and biodiversity of other species; and
       (6) as drought conditions and legal requirements relating 
     to water supply accelerate water shortages, innovative 
     approaches are needed to address the increasing demand for a 
     diminishing water supply.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Program.--The term ``program'' means the Tamarisk 
     Assistance Program established under section 5.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of 
     Reclamation.
       (3) State.--The term ``State'' means--
       (A) each of the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, 
     Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, 
     and Wyoming; and
       (B) any other State that is affected by tamarisk, as 
     determined by the assessment conducted under section 4.

     SEC. 4. TAMARISK ASSESSMENT.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date on 
     which funds are made available to carry out this section, the 
     Secretary shall complete an assessment of the extent of 
     tamarisk invasion in the western United States.
       (b) Components.--The assessment under subsection (a) 
     shall--
       (1) address past and ongoing research on tested and 
     innovative methods to control tamarisk;
       (2) estimate the costs for destruction of tamarisk, biomass 
     removal, and restoration and maintenance of land;
       (3) identify the States affected by tamarisk; and
       (4) include a gross-scale estimation of infested acreage 
     within the States identified.

     SEC. 5. STATE TAMARISK ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

       (a) Establishment.--Based on the findings of the assessment 
     under section 4, the Secretary shall establish the Tamarisk 
     Assistance Program to provide grants to States to carry out 
     projects to control or eradicate tamarisk.
       (b) Amount of Grant.--The amount of a grant to a State 
     under subsection (a) shall be determined by the Secretary, 
     based on the estimated infested acreage in the State.
       (c) Designation of Lead State Agency.--On receipt of a 
     grant under subsection (a), the Governor of a State shall 
     designate a lead State agency to administer the program in 
     the State.
       (d) Priority.--
       (1) In general.--The lead State agency designated under 
     subsection (c), in consultation with the entities described 
     in paragraph (2), shall establish the priority by which grant 
     funds are distributed to projects to control or eradicate 
     tamarisk in the State.
       (2) Entities.--The entities referred to in paragraph (1) 
     are--
       (A) the National Invasive Species Council;
       (B) the Invasive Species Advisory Committee;

[[Page S7728]]

       (C) representatives from Indian tribes in the State that 
     have weed management entities or that have particular 
     problems with noxious weeds;
       (D) institutions of higher education in the State;
       (E) State agencies;
       (F) nonprofit organizations in the State; and
       (G) soil and water conservation districts in the State that 
     are actively conducting research on or implementing 
     activities to control or eradicate tamarisk.
       (e) Conditions.--A lead State agency shall require that, as 
     a condition of receipt of a grant under this Act, a grant 
     recipient provide to the lead State agency any necessary 
     information relating to a project carried out under this Act.
       (f) Administrative Expenses.--Not more than 10 percent of 
     the amount of a grant provided under subsection (a) may be 
     used for administrative expenses.
       (g) Cost Sharing.--
       (1) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of 
     carrying out a project under this section shall be not more 
     than 75 percent.
       (2) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share may be paid 
     by a State, county, municipality, special district, or 
     nongovernmental entity.
       (h) Report.--To be eligible for additional grants under the 
     program, not later than 180 days after the date of completion 
     of a project carried out under this Act, a lead State agency 
     shall submit to the Secretary a report that describes the 
     purposes and results of the project.

     SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     Act--
       (1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
       (2) such sums as are necessary for each fiscal year 
     thereafter.
                                 ______