[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 13 (Tuesday, February 7, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S770-S774]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. SANTORUM:
S. 2249. A bill to eliminate the requirement that States collect
Social Security numbers from applicants for recreational licenses; to
the Committee on Finance.
Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the ``Sportsmen's
Privacy Protection Act'' to address a number or privacy concerns I have
heard from my constituents. When I worked with my colleagues to pass
the 1996 welfare reform law, we made sure that we created a system to
hold parents accountable for supporting their children. A provision
included in that law obligated States to implement new requirements to
encourage payment of child support that cross-referenced Social
Security Numbers of applicants for drivers' licenses, professional
licenses, occupational licenses and recreational licenses. States that
failed to implement these requirements would have faced the loss of
Federal welfare funding.
Under current state law, Pennsylvania is required to revoke or deny
recreational licenses, including hunting and fishing licenses of
parents who are behind on child support payments. As a result, any
individual that applies or renews a driver's, occupational or
recreational license must include their Social Security Number on their
application form. And it is the application that is the problem. In
Pennsylvania and many other States, the drivers', professional and
occupational records are automated or computerized, while the
recreational licenses remain in a paper book often with multiple
entries on a page. In my view, there are significant privacy concerns
to continuing this provision as it relates to recreational licenses
such as hunting and fishing.
In preparing this bill we asked the Congressional Research Service,
CRS, about the effectiveness of this provision. CRS spoke with the
Pennsylvania Child Support Program, PACSP, regarding the effectiveness
of retracting or denying individuals hunting and fishing licensees. CRS
indicated to my staff that there have been very few instances where
individuals have been denied hunting and fishing licenses for falling
behind in child support payments. In the overwhelming majority of the
instances where they have been denied, the custodial parent will tip-
off PACSP of the non-custodial parent's interest in obtaining a hunting
and fishing license. PACSP can then notify the PA Hunting and Gaming
Commission to deny the non-custodial parent a license.
I have heard from a lot of hunters about their legitimate concerns in
giving their Social Security Number when applying for a hunting
license. This bill will repeal the Federal mandate that requires States
to collect Social Security Numbers for recreational licenses. The
requirement for drivers', professional and occupational licenses would
remain in place. My home State colleague, Representative English, has
introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives. I urge my
colleagues to consider cosponsoring this legislation that restores the
privacy rights of recreational hunters and fisherman, while maintaining
an effective system of child support enforcement.
______
By Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself and Mr. Harkin):
S. 2250. A bill to award a congressional gold medal to Dr. Norman E.
Borlaug; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am calling upon Congress to honor Dr.
Norman E. Borlaug, the man of whom it is often said ``has saved more
lives than any other person who has ever lived,'' with the
Congressional Gold Medal.
Dr. Borlaug is commonly known in the agricultural world and beyond as
the father of the Green Revolution. His accomplishments in terms of
bringing radical change to world agriculture and uplifting humanity are
without parallel.
Named by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 most influential minds of
the 20th Century, Norman E. Borlaug is one of the great stories of our
time. Norm, as he is known to all who work with him, was born in 1914
to Norwegian-American parents outside the town of Cresco in northeast
Iowa near the Iowa/Minnesota border. His boyhood was spent on a Norman
Rockwellesque farm and in a one-room schoolhouse. Eventually Norm found
his way to the University of Minnesota where he became a star in Big
Ten Wrestling and earned a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology.
Following World War II, he spent 20 years working in the poorest
areas of rural Mexico. It was there that Dr. Borlaug made his
breakthrough achievement in developing a strand of wheat that could
exponentially increase yields while actively resisting disease.
With the strong support of the governments involved, Dr. Borlaug's
Green Revolution uplifted hundreds of thousands of the rural poor in
Mexico and saved hundreds of millions from famine and outright
starvation in India and Pakistan. His approach to wheat production next
spread throughout the Middle East and was then adapted to rice growing,
increasing the number of lives saved to more than one billion people.
In 1970 Norman E. Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the only
person working in agriculture to ever be so honored, for a lifetime of
work to feed a hungry world. Since then, he has received numerous
honors and awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, The
National Academy of Sciences' highest honor--the Public Service Medal,
and the Rotary International Award for World Understanding and Peace.
At age 91, Dr. Borlaug continues to alleviate poverty and
malnutrition. He currently serves as president of Sasakawa Global 2000
Africa Project, which seeks to extend the benefits of agricultural
development to the 800 million people still mired in poverty and
malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Finally, Dr. Borlaug continues as Chairman of the Council of Advisors
[[Page S771]]
for the World Food Prize, an organization he created in 1986 to be the
``Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture''.
The World Food Prize presents $250,000 award each October at an
international ceremony in Des Moines, IA, to the Laureate who has made
an exceptional achievement similar to Dr. Borlaug's breakthrough forty
years ago. Beyond recognizing these people for their personal
accomplishments, Borlaug saw the World Food Prize as a means of
establishing role models who would inspire others.
In the 20 years of its existence, the World Food Prize has honored
Laureates from Bangladesh, India, China, Mexico, Denmark, Sierra Leone,
Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
While Dr. Borlaug was born in Iowa, he is truly a citizen of all of
America and, indeed, of all the world. The State of Minnesota has
enacted a special day of recognition in his honor; He continues as a
teacher, serving as a Distinguished Professor at Texas A&M University;
and he has received honorary degrees from colleges and universities in
virtually every state of the union.
Reflecting this fact, a year ago the U.S. Senate passed a resolution
designating October 16 as World Food Prize Day in America in honor of
Dr. Borlaug. Beyond that, his name is widely recognized in Mexico,
India, Pakistan and the Middle East reflecting his great humanitarian
achievements in those countries. And he continues to be honored
throughout South Asia and Africa, for his ongoing efforts to expand the
benefits of the Green Revolution to the hundreds of millions of people
still suffering from chronic hunger and malnutrition.
Dr. Borlaug's achievements are in keeping with the recent
presentation of Congressional Gold Medals.
For over a half century, the scientific and humanitarian achievements
of Dr. Norman E. Borlaug have kept starvation at bay for millions of
people in third world countries. Through the passage of this
legislation, the United States Senate can recognize the humanitarian
contributions Dr. Borlaug has made to the entire world. The man who has
saved more lives than any other person who has ever lived certainly
deserves the highest honor the Congress can bestow.
As the only working farmer in the U.S. Senate, I am proud and honored
to introduce this important bill, and I call upon my colleagues to
support this noble legislation. I ask unanimous consent that the text
of the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2250
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 ``Congressional Tribute to Dr.
Norman E. Borlaug Act of 2006''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds as follows:
(1) Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, was born in Iowa where he grew
up on a family farm, and received his primary and secondary
education.
(2) Dr. Borlaug attended the University of Minnesota where
he received his B.A. and Ph.D. degrees and was also a star
NCAA wrestler.
(3) For the past 20 years, Dr. Borlaug has lived in Texas
where he is a member of the faculty of Texas A&M University.
(4) Dr. Borlaug also serves as President of the Sasakawa
Africa Association.
(5) Dr. Borlaug's accomplishments in terms of bringing
radical change to world agriculture and uplifting humanity
are without parallel.
(6) In the immediate aftermath of World War II, Dr. Borlaug
spent 20 years working in the poorest areas of rural Mexico.
It was there that Dr. Borlaug made his breakthrough
achievement in developing a strand of wheat that could
exponentially increase yields while actively resisting
disease.
(7) With the active support of the governments involved,
Dr. Borlaug's ``green revolution'' uplifted hundreds of
thousands of the rural poor in Mexico and saved hundreds of
millions from famine and outright starvation in India and
Pakistan.
(8) Dr. Borlaug's approach to wheat production next spread
throughout the Middle East. Soon thereafter his approach was
adapted to rice growing, increasing the number of lives Dr.
Borlaug has saved to more than a billion people.
(9) In 1970, Dr. Borlaug received the Nobel Prize, the only
person working in agriculture to ever be so honored. Since
then he has received numerous honors and awards including the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Public Service Medal, the
National Academy of Sciences' highest honor, and the Rotary
International Award for World Understanding and Peace.
(10) At age 91, Dr. Borlaug continues to work to alleviate
poverty and malnutrition. He currently serves as president of
Sasakawa Global 2000 Africa Project, which seeks to extend
the benefits of agricultural development to the 800,000,000
people still mired in poverty and malnutrition in sub-Saharan
Africa.
(11) Dr. Borlaug continues to serve as Chairman of the
Council of Advisors of the World Food Prize, an organization
he created in 1986 to be the ``Nobel Prize for Food and
Agriculture'' and which presents a $250,000 prize each
October at a Ceremony in Des Moines, Iowa, to the Laureate
who has made an exceptional achievement similar to Dr.
Borlaug's breakthrough 40 years ago. In the almost 20 years
of its existence, the World Food Prize has honored Laureates
from Bangladesh, India, China, Mexico, Denmark, Sierra Leone,
Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
(12) Dr. Borlaug has saved more lives than any other person
who has ever lived, and likely has saved more lives in the
Islamic world than any other human being in history.
(13) Due to a lifetime of work that has led to the saving
and preservation of an untold amount of lives, Dr. Norman E.
Borlaug is deserving of America's highest civilian award: the
congressional gold medal.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Presentation Authorized.--The President Pro Tempore of
the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
are authorized to make appropriate arrangements for the
presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of
appropriate design, to Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, in recognition
of his enduring contributions to the United States and the
world.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the
presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of
the Treasury (in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'')
shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and
inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the
Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the
gold medal struck under section 3 at a price sufficient to
cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use
of machinery, and overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold
medal.
SEC. 5. STATUS AS NATIONAL MEDALS.
(a) National Medal.--The medal struck under this Act is a
national medal for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United
States Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of
title 31, United States Code, all duplicate medals struck
under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) Authority to Use Fund Amounts.--There are authorized to
be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise
Fund, such sums as may be necessary to pay for the cost of
the medals struck under this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of
duplicate bronze medals under section 4 shall be deposited in
the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
______
By Mr. ENZI (for himself and Mr. Thomas):
S. 2252. A bill to designate the National Museum of Wildlife Art,
located at 2820 Rungius Road, Jackson, Wyoming, as the National Museum
of Wildlife of the United States; to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources.
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I am privileged to introduce a bill today
that provides a national designation to the National Museum of Wildlife
Art in Jackson, WY. As it should, a national designation signifies
something unique that belongs to all the people of our Nation. Just as
President Theodore Roosevelt recognized the uniqueness of Devils Tower
in Wyoming when he proclaimed it to be the first national monument, my
bill recognizes the uniqueness of the National Museum of Wildlife Art
in Jackson, WY. Wildlife museums are not unusual in the United States.
Art museums are not unusual in the United States. This museum, however,
sets itself apart from all the others as it focuses on wildlife art.
This interdisciplinary approach fosters education as the museum uses
art to teach people about wildlife and encourages wildlife lovers to
explore art. The museum's educational focus is clear in their motto
``bringing people, wildlife and fine art together.''
The person responsible for bringing National Museum of Wildlife Art
to my attention is Margaret, Maggie, Webster Scarlett. Given her
involvement and accomplishments in the museum world, Maggie knows a
worthy museum when she sees it. In 2002, the Senate confirmed Maggie as
a member of the National Museum and Library Services
[[Page S772]]
Board. This 24-member advisory body includes 20 Presidentially
appointed and Senate-confirmed members of the general public who have
demonstrated expertise in, or commitment to, library or museum
services. She also is currently a member and past president of the
board of trustees of the National Museum of Wildlife Art.
The National Museum of Wildlife Art was founded in 1987 with a
private gift of a collection of art and is accredited with the American
Association of Museums. The National Museum of Wildlife Art features a
collection of over 2,000 pieces of art portraying wildlife. Dating from
2000 B.C. to the present, the collection chronicles much of the history
of wildlife in art, focusing primarily on European and American
painting and sculpture. The collection of American art from the 19th
and 20th centuries is particularly strong, recording European
exploration of the American West. Many of these works predate
photography, making them vital representations of the frontier era in
the history of the United States.
Using the collection as a base, the central themes to the museum's
programming are connections between people, wildlife, and fine art.
Even before this designation, people from across the United States had
discovered the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Since its inception, it
has become an American West destination attraction with an annual
attendance of 92,000 visitors from all over the world and an award-
winning Web site that receives more than 10,000 visits per week.
These visitors find wildlife on the walls of the museum but also
outside of its doors. The National Museum of Wildlife Art is housed in
an architecturally significant and award-winning 51,000 square foot
facility that overlooks the 28,000 acre National Elk Refuge and is
adjacent to the Grand Teton National Park. The museum displays and
interprets this wildlife art in one of the few remaining areas of the
United States where native wildlife roams abundantly.
The works in the museum are united by their subject and their
quality. The permanent collection of the National Museum of Wildlife
Art has grown to more than 3,000 works by important historic American
artists including Edward Hicks, Anna Hyatt Huntington, Charles M.
Russell, William Merritt Chase, and Alexander Calder, as well as
contemporary American artists Steve Kestrel, Bart Walter, Nancy Howe,
John Nieto, Jamie Wyeth, and others.
The National Museum of Wildlife Art seeks to educate a diverse
audience through collecting fine art focused on wildlife, presenting
exceptional exhibitions, providing community, regional, national, and
international outreach, and presenting extensive educational
programming for adults and children. A national designation presents a
great opportunity to use the invaluable resources of the National
Museum of Wildlife Art to teach the Nation's school children, through
on-site visits, traveling exhibits, classroom curriculum, on-line
distance learning, and other educational initiatives.
I look forward to officially recognizing the renown of the National
Museum of Wildlife Art through this bill.
______
By Mr. DOMENICI (for himself, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Talent, and Mr.
Dorgan):
S. 2253. A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to offer the
181 Area of the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas leasing; to the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, today, I introduce a bill to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to hold a lease sale within one year in the
area known as 181. This bill does not in any way alter the moratorium
law on the OCS. The areas covered under this bill are not under
executive or congressional moratorium. Furthermore, this bill protects
a 100 mile buffer from the coastline of the State of Florida and it
protects the prerogative of the United States armed forces to perform
military activities in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. These protections
are explicit in the bill and can not be disputed.
But more than that, this bill seeks to protect the American people
from the rising cost of heating their homes. Only six years ago, the
price of natural gas in the U.S. was $2 per million btu. In the past
few months, we have witnessed the price of natural gas rise above as
much as $14 per million btu. This morning, amidst a winter of above-
average temperatures throughout much of the United States, the price of
natural gas was over $8 per million btu. In countries competing for our
jobs, the price of the same commodity is substantially cheaper than
that, in some cases one or two dollars per million btu. This increase
in cost and volatility in the price of natural gas in the United States
should have the immediate attention of our Nation's policy makers.
The effects of the rising price of natural gas cut across every major
sector of our Nation's economy. Natural gas is used as a major source
for electricity generation, home heating, cooling and cooking, and as
an essential feedstock for the production of ammonia for use in
fertilizer production. It is necessary to the manufacturing of fabrics,
glass, steel, plastics and paint. In short, affordable natural gas is
of relevance to every region and each State in this country and it is
essential to maintaining our Nation's long-term sustained economic
growth. Think of the one-two punch that will be dealt to the American
consumer if the U.S. housing market fails to sustain its unprecedented
growth of the last few years and energy costs continue to rise. The
Federal Reserve estimated that in 2004, the American people had
approximately $600 billion in their pockets from refinancing and home
equity loans. But an increasing amount of that money is going right
back out to pay the added costs of heating those homes. Over a six year
period, America's natural gas bill has risen from $50 billion to $200
billion. That is $150 billion less that the American people have to
spend, save and invest. And it serves as an additional burden on the
businesses that drive this nation's economy. This burden acts as a tax
on the American people and only serves to stymie growth.
With this bill we seek to alleviate some of that burden. We direct
the Department of the Interior to lease an area that holds a potential
of nearly 5 tcf of gas. That is enough natural gas to heat and cool
approximately five million homes for a period of 15 years. The natural
gas from this area will have a real, substantial effect on the market
and thus on the American consumer. Opening up this area will send an
immediate signal to the natural gas market that Congress is pushing to
quickly open up an area for production with great potential for a
significant new supply of natural gas. The area is close to existing
infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico and is the best hope for a large
infusion of natural gas on the market in the near term.
This bill presents a choice between affordable natural gas versus
burying our heads in the sand while American people foot the bill and
manufacturing jobs head overseas. There is certainly bipartisan support
for the idea of relieving the energy costs of the American consumer,
and I think that opening Lease Sale 181 helps us achieve this goal.
I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2253
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS LEASING IN 181 AREA OF GULF
OF MEXICO.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) 181 area.--The term ``181 Area'' means the area
identified in map 15, page 58, of the Proposed Final Outer
Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 1997-2002
of the Minerals Management Service.
(2) Military mission line.--The term ``Military Mission
Line'' means the north-south line at 8641' W. longitude.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior, acting through the Minerals Management
Service.
(b) Lease Sale.--Except as otherwise provided in this
section, the Secretary shall offer the 181 Area for oil and
gas leasing pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
(43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) as soon as practicable, but not
later than 1 year, after the date of enactment of this Act.
(c) Excluded Areas.--In carrying out subsection (b), the
Secretary shall not offer for oil and gas leasing--
(1) any area east of the Military Mission Line, unless the
Secretary of Defense agrees in writing before the area is
offered for lease that the area can be developed in a manner
that will not interfere with military activities; or
[[Page S773]]
(2) any area that is within 100 miles of the coastline of
the State of Florida.
(d) Leasing Program.--The 181 Area shall be offered for
lease under this section notwithstanding the omission of the
181 Area from any outer Continental Shelf leasing program
under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43
U.S.C. 1344).
Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to cosponsor the bill
offered by the chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
This legislation would require the Secretary of the Interior to offer
for oil and gas lease certain lands within the original Lease Sale 181
Area in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico Planning Area. The lease sale is to
be conducted within 1 year after the date of enactment of the
legislation.
The original Lease Sale 181 Area was proposed in 1997 by the Clinton
administration after negotiations with the late Governor Lawton Chiles.
The area to be leased under the bill includes only a portion of the
original sale area, and does nothing to affect areas currently under
congressional moratoria or Presidential withdrawal. No part of the area
to be leased under the bill is closer than 100 miles from the Florida
coastline. The so-called ``stovepipe'' portion of the original lease
sale area is not included in the area to be leased under the bill.
Leasing east of the Military Mission line under the bill can occur only
with the prior written agreement of the Secretary of Defense that such
area can be developed in a manner that will not interfere with military
activities.
The area to be leased under the bill is estimated to contain some
6.03Tcf of natural gas and 0.93 billion barrels of oil. In this time of
record high oil and gas prices, these energy resources can make a
significant contribution to our domestic energy supply. Much of the
necessary energy infrastructure is already in place in this region, so
production can come online and be marketed in the near term.
The lease sale is to take place within a year after the date of
enactment of the provision. This time frame is intended to allow full
compliance with all applicable environmental laws. It is our
expectation that expeditious, but complete, environmental compliance
will be undertaken by the relevant agencies.
I regret that large portions of this sale area were previously made
off limits by the current administration. In 2001, Secretary Norton
reduced the size of the area to be offered in Lease Sale 181 from 5.9
million acres to 1.5 million acres. This action took off the table over
61 percent of the gas resources, some 7 Tcf, and 5-percent of the oil
resources, about a billion barrels, estimated to be in the original
area.
Directing the Secretary to offer for lease these additional portions
of the Lease Sale 181 Area is one thing that the Congress can do to
address our energy situation in the near term. It is past time to
proceed with leasing the area that would be made available by the bill.
I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.
______
By Mr. DOMENICI:
S. 2254. A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Army to carry out
restoration projects along the Middle Rio Grande; to the Committee on
Environment and Public Works.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, we get few opportunities to help usher
in visionary projects that can potentially transform communities, both
of man and of nature. I rise today to talk about such a project--one
that has been discussed before on this floor when I helped unveil a
vision that would rehabilitate and restore New Mexico's Bosque. I
return here today to implement that vision that concerns this long
neglected treasure of the Southwest.
According to an old Chinese Proverb, ``if you are thinking one year
ahead, sow seed. If you are thinking ten years ahead, plant a tree. If
you are thinking 100 years ahead, educate the people.'' The bill I am
introducing today encompasses the wisdom of that proverb.
The Albuquerque metropolitan area is the largest concentration of
people in New Mexico. It is also the home to the irreplaceable riparian
forest which runs through the heart of the city and surrounding towns
that is the Bosque. It is the largest continuous cottonwood forest in
the Southwest, and one of the last of its kind in the world.
Unfortunately, mismanagement, neglect, and the effects of upstream
development have severely degraded the Bosque. The list of its woes is
long: it has been overrun by non-native vegetation; graffiti and trash
mar locations along its length; the drought and build up of hazardous
fuel have contributed to fires. As a result, public access is
problematical and crucial habitat for scores of species is threatened.
Yet the Middle Rio Grande Bosque remains one of the most biologically
diverse ecosystems in the Southwest. My goal is to restore the Bosque
and create a space that is open and attractive to the public.
This is a grand undertaking to be sure; but I want to ensure that
this extraordinary corridor of the Southwestern desert is preserved for
generations to come--not only for generations of humans, but for the
diverse plant and animal species that reside in the Bosque as well.
The rehabilitation of this ecosystem leads to greater protection for
threatened and endangered species; it means more migratory birds,
healthier habitat for fish, and greater numbers of towering cottonwood
trees. This project can increase the quality of life for a city while
assuring the health and stability of an entire ecosystem. Where trash
is now strewn, paths and trails will run. Where jetty jacks and
discarded rubble lie, cottonwoods will grow. The dead trees and
underbrush that threaten devastating fire will be replaced by healthy
groves of trees. School children will be able to study and maybe catch
sight of a bald eagle. The chance to help build a dynamic public space
like this does not come around often, and I would like to see Congress
embrace that chance on this occasion.
Having grown up along the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, the Bosque is
something I treasure, and I lament the degradation that has occurred.
Because of this, I have been involved in Bosque restoration since 1991,
and I commend the efforts of groups like the Bosque Coalition for the
work they have done, and will continue to do, along the river. I
propose to build on their efforts with the legislation I am introducing
today.
I remain grateful to each of the parties who has been involved with
this idea since its inception. Each one contributes a very critical
component of the project. The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District
(the ``MRGCD") owns the vital part of the Bosque which runs from the
National Hispanic Cultural Center north to the Paseo Del Norte Bridge.
The MRGCD has proven to be a valuable local partner that has worked
with all parties to provide options on how the Bosque can be preserved,
protected and enjoyed by everyone. Additionally, the Army Corps of
Engineers is developing a preliminary restoration plan for the Bosque
along the Albuquerque corridor.
My bill authorizes $10 million dollars in Fiscal Year 2007 and such
sums as are necessary for the following nine years to complete
projects, activities, substantial ecosystem restoration, preservation,
protection, and recreation facilities along the Middle Rio Grande. I
urge my fellow members to help preserve this rare and diverse ecosystem
and to aid the city of Albuquerque and the State of New Mexico in
building a place to treasure.
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:
S. 2254
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) the Middle Rio Grande bosque is--
(A) a unique riparian forest along the Middle Rio Grande in
New Mexico;
(B) the largest continuous cottonwood forest in the
Southwest;
(C) 1 of the oldest continuously inhabited areas in the
United States;
(D) home to portions of 6 pueblos; and
(E) a critical flyway and wintering ground for migratory
birds;
(2) the portion of the Middle Rio Grande adjacent to the
Middle Rio Grande bosque provides water to many people in the
State of New Mexico;
(3) the Middle Rio Grande bosque should be maintained in a
manner that protects endangered species and the flow of the
Middle Rio Grande while making the Middle Rio Grande bosque
more accessible to the public;
[[Page S774]]
(4) environmental restoration is an important part of the
mission of the Corps of Engineers; and
(5) the Corps of Engineers should reestablish, where
feasible, the hydrologic connection between the Middle Rio
Grande and the Middle Rio Grande bosque to ensure the
permanent healthy growth of vegetation native to the Middle
Rio Grande bosque.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Middle rio grande.--The term ``Middle Rio Grande''
means the portion of the Rio Grande from Cochiti Dam to the
headwaters of Elephant Butte Resevoir, in the State of New
Mexico.
(2) Restoration project.--The term ``restoration project''
means a project carried out under this Act that will produce,
consistent with other Federal programs, projects, and
activities, immediate and substantial ecosystem restoration,
preservation, recreation, and protection benefits.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Army.
SEC. 3. MIDDLE RIO GRANDE RESTORATION.
(a) Restoration Projects.--The Secretary shall carry out
restoration projects along the Middle Rio Grande.
(b) Project Selection.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary may select restoration
projects in the Middle Rio Grande based on feasibility
studies.
(2) Use of existing studies and plans.--In carrying out
subsection (a), the Secretary shall use, to the maximum
extent practicable, studies and plans in existence on the
date of enactment of this Act to identify the needs and
priorities for restoration projects.
(c) Local Participation.--In carrying out this Act, the
Secretary shall consult with--
(1) the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Act
Collaborative Program; and
(2) the Bosque Improvement Group of the Middle Rio Grande
Bosque Initiative.
(d) Cost Sharing.--
(1) Cost-sharing agreement.--Before carrying out any
restoration project under this Act, the Secretary shall enter
into an agreement with the non-Federal interests that shall
require the non-Federal interests--
(A) to pay 25 percent of the total costs of the restoration
project through in-kind services or direct cash
contributions, including the cost of providing necessary
land, easements, rights-of-way, relocations, and disposal
sites;
(B) to pay 100 percent of the operation, maintenance,
repair, replacement, and rehabilitation costs associated with
the restoration project that are incurred after the date of
enactment of this Act; and
(C) to hold the United States harmless for any claim or
damage that may arise from the negligence of the Federal
Government or a contractor of the Federal Government.
(2) Non-federal interests.--Notwithstanding section 221 of
the Flood Control Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 1962d-5b), a non-
Federal interest carrying out a restoration project under
this Act may include a nonprofit entity.
(3) Recreational features.--
(A) In general.--Any recreational features included as part
of a restoration project shall comprise not more that 30
percent of the total project cost.
(B) Non-federal funding.--The full cost of any recreational
features included as part of a restoration project in excess
of the amount described in subparagraph (A) shall be paid by
the non-Federal interests.
(4) Credit.--The non-Federal interests shall receive credit
toward the non-Federal share of the cost of design or
construction activities carried out by the non-Federal
interests (including activities carried out before the
execution of the cooperation agreement for a restoration
project) if the Secretary determines that the work performed
by the non-Federal interest is integral to the project.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
Act--
(1) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(2) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years
2007 through 2015.
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