[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 88 (Monday, July 10, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S7281]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          FISHERIES RESTORATION AND IRRIGATION MITIGATION ACT

  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I wish to join my colleagues from Oregon 
and Washington in introducing S. 3522, the Fisheries Restoration and 
Irrigation Mitigation Act, FRIMA, of 2006. It is important that we pool 
our resources and work together in the region to get serious about fish 
restoration. FRIMA has proven to be cost effective and efficient at 
this goal and, therefore, should be reauthorized.
  The FRIMA program exemplifies the great potential of forward-thinking 
public-private partnerships, and the wisdom of working closely with 
local communities. Since it was enacted in 2000, we have achieved real 
results. In my home State of Idaho, according to the Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 13 projects have been completed and 206 miles of streams have 
been ``protected, enhanced, or made accessible to fish.'' One example 
of work being done is in the Salmon River Basin near Salmon, ID, where 
partners such as the Lemhi Soil and Water Conservation District and the 
U.S. Forest Service have installed fish screens on three irrigation 
water diversions. These screens protect salmon and other fish species 
and allow farmers to continue to irrigate their farms. And let me 
emphasize in supporting the reauthorization of this program that there 
remain important projects such as these yet to be completed.
  This program makes sense, especially from a financial perspective. 
FRIMA extends the reach of Federal dollars by enlisting other 
interested parties. This results in more money for FRIMA projects and 
more talent and experience working to achieve success. In fact, from 
fiscal years 2002 to 2004, local and State government, businesses, 
irrigation districts, and environmental groups, to name just a few, 
have shouldered 58 percent of the cost. This cost-sharing surpassed the 
35 percent threshold required in the original legislation.
  An important aspect of this legislation reduces the hurdles for 
public and private restoration dollars to participate in the Fish and 
Wildlife Service's cost-sharing program to protect, enhance, and 
restore important fish habitat in the Pacific Northwest. This 
clarification is important so that the Bonneville Power 
Administration's nonfederal dollars can be used to make other Federal 
and private money go further to recover salmon.
  Finally, this program has received the support of our new Secretary 
of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne. When he was Governor of Idaho he 
remarked:

       The FRIMA program serves as an excellent example of 
     government and private land owners working together to 
     promote conservation. The screening of irrigation diversions 
     plays a key role in Idaho's efforts to restore salmon 
     populations while protecting rural economies.

  The Idaho Fish and Game Department and the Idaho Water Users 
Association are also strong advocates of the program.

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