[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 49 (Monday, March 31, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H1786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LOWER COLORADO RIVER MULTI-SPECIES CONSERVATION PROGRAM ACT
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 2515) to authorize appropriations for the Bureau of
Reclamation to carry out the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species
Conservation Program in the States of Arizona, California, and Nevada,
and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2515
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 ``Lower Colorado River Multi-
Species Conservation Program Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Lower colorado river multi-species conservation
program.--The term ``Lower Colorado River Multi-Species
Conservation Program'' or ``LCR MSCP'' means the cooperative
effort on the Lower Colorado River between Federal and non-
Federal entities in Arizona, California, and Nevada approved
by the Secretary of the Interior on April 2, 2005.
(2) Lower colorado river.--The term ``Lower Colorado
River'' means the Colorado River from Lake Mead to the
Southerly International Boundary with Mexico, including its
historic floodplain and its mainstem reservoirs to their full
pool elevations.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(4) States.--The term ``States'' means each of the States
of Arizona, California, and Nevada.
SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION AND WATER ACCOUNTING.
(a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to participate
in the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation
Program.
(b) Water Accounting.--The Secretary is authorized to enter
into an agreement with the States providing for the use of
water from the Lower Colorado River for habitat creation and
maintenance.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary such sums as may be necessary to participate in
the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program,
to remain available until expended.
(b) Nonreimbursable and Nonreturnable.--All amounts
appropriated to and expended by the Secretary for the LCR
MSCP shall be nonreimbursable and nonreturnable.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Hawaii.
General Leave
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Hawaii?
There was no objection.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 2515, as introduced by our colleague and friend,
Representative Dean Heller, would authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to participate in the multi-species habitat conservation plan
on the lower 400 miles of the Colorado River. The States of Nevada,
Arizona and California, along with several major water districts, are
participants and funding partners in this program.
As amended, this legislation is not controversial and should be
supported. And I might say, Madam Speaker, exhibits the multiple
responsibilities of the Resources Committee and the really
extraordinary complications and details that have to be considered when
such legislation comes forward. It is a tribute to the staffs of the
members on the committee, and most particularly the professional staff
of the Resources Committee, that this legislation is able to be
compiled, understood and comprehended by the members, and then brought
forward to the body as a whole in a way that advances the public
interest.
With that, Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
This particular bill helps solve the conundrum that we face in the
protection and conservation of certain species: For example, the bony-
tailed chub, the razorback sucker, and the humpback chub.
H.R. 2515, introduced by Dean Heller of Nevada and Harry Mitchell of
Arizona, is an amended bipartisan measure aimed at protecting
endangered species while keeping the waters running and the lights on
for consumers in the Southwest.
As amended at the committee level, this bill has been scaled back,
but still codifies a very popular multi-species habitat conservation
plan on the Lower Colorado River. I note that some water and power
supply organizations support key provisions taken out by the majority.
However, in the interest of moving this bill forward, they support the
passage of this bill with the hope that the final bill signed into law
will better resemble the original legislation.
At a time when our water supply is being diminished due to a number
of factors, this bill--although somewhat incomplete--is still a win-win
for our water and power consumers.
I have no additional speakers, and I am prepared to yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Madam Speaker, I observed that Mr. Bishop was
looking directly at me when he recited, with a look that I can only
determine as ``gleeful,'' he cited the razorback sucker and the
bonytail chub. I am not sure whether I was being categorized by him in
the sucker category or the chub category, or he was gazing at me
metaphorically.
Do you suppose he might be able to answer that for me.
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. I will yield.
Mr. BISHOP of UTAH. I have certainly never thought of the gentleman
as either a razorback or a bonytail.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Thank you very much.
Madam Speaker, it is now clear for me.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2515, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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