[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 8641' 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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