[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 135 (Friday, December 8, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2144]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SAN JOAQUIN RIVER RESTORATION SETTLEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 6, 2006

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of 
the legislation introduced today by Congressman Radanovich to implement 
a practical agreement to revive our State's second-longest river.
  This is a remarkable accomplishment, and I congratulate the parties 
who have worked tirelessly to get to this point.
  When we debated and passed the Central Valley Project Improvement Act 
in the early 1990s, we anticipated a program to reestablish the San 
Joaquin River's salmon run that was eliminated by the construction of 
Friant Dam.
  But bringing about something as momentous as this agreement is easier 
said than done. This settlement has been literally decades in the 
making, and I think we should all be very glad we're at this point, 
rather than watching another several years of litigation and argument.
  It took a collaborative effort to bring this settlement about, and 
I'd like to take a moment to recognize the leaders of this effort.
  Congressman Radanovich and Senator Dianne Feinstein took the lead in 
directing the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Friant water 
users to settle the 18-year legal dispute, and in negotiating the 
legislation to implement their settlement.
  Attorney Hal Candee has shepherded NRDC's effort to reverse 60 years 
of destruction on the San Joaquin, and Friant's counsel, Dan Dooley, 
ensured that the river could flow without devastating his farmers.
  My hat is off to each of the parties who have made this happen.
  There is still a lot of work to be done before the salmon can return 
to the San Joaquin River again, and I look forward to working in the 
110th Congress and beyond to help move the restoration efforts forward.
  I will also make sure that this worthy effort does not detract from 
other ongoing restoration efforts, like the important work taking place 
on the Trinity River in northern California.
  There is still much to be done in order to implement and fund the 
2000 Record of Decision for Trinity River restoration, and I intend to 
work with my colleagues to restore that river and its fishery, 
including the resources that the United States holds in trust for the 
Hoopa Valley Tribe.
  Again, I want to thank those who have led in this collaborative 
effort, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to settle 
a very long legal dispute and finally to bring salmon back to the once-
great San Joaquin River.

                          ____________________