[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 13, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H1515-H1516]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1700
        ENDANGERED FISH RECOVERY PROGRAMS EXTENSION ACT OF 2017

  Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4465) to maintain annual base funding for the Upper Colorado 
and San Juan fish recovery programs through fiscal year 2023, to 
require a report on the implementation of those programs, and for other 
purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4465

       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 ``Endangered Fish Recovery 
     Programs Extension Act of 2017''.

     SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION TO USE UPPER COLORADO 
                   RIVER BASIN FUND REVENUES FOR ANNUAL BASE 
                   FUNDING OF FISH RECOVERY PROGRAMS; REMOVAL OF 
                   CERTAIN REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

       Section 3(d)(2) of Public Law 106-392 (114 Stat. 1604; 126 
     Stat. 2444) is amended--
       (1) in the fourth sentence--
       (A) by striking ``2019'' and inserting ``2023''; and
       (B) by striking ``; except that'' and all that follows 
     through ``capital projects and monitoring''; and
       (2) by striking the fifth, sixth, and seventh sentences.

     SEC. 3. REPORT ON RECOVERY IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMS.

       Section 3 of Public Law 106-392 (114 Stat. 1603; 126 Stat. 
     2444) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(j) Report.--
       ``(1) In general.--Not later than September 30, 2021, the 
     Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress a report that--
       ``(A) describes the accomplishments of the Recovery 
     Implementation Programs;
       ``(B) identifies--
       ``(i) as of the date of the report, the listing status 
     under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
     seq.) of the Colorado pikeminnow, humpback chub, razorback 
     sucker, and bonytail; and
       ``(ii) as of September 30, 2023, the projected listing 
     status under that Act of each of the species referred to in 
     clause (i);
       ``(C)(i) identifies--
       ``(I) the total expenditures and the expenditures by 
     categories of activities by the Recovery Implementation 
     Programs during the period beginning on the date on which the 
     applicable Recovery Implementation Program was established 
     and ending on September 30, 2021; and
       ``(II) projected expenditures by the Recovery 
     Implementation Programs during the period beginning on 
     October 1, 2021, and ending on September 30, 2023;
       ``(ii) for purposes of the expenditures identified under 
     clause (i), includes a description of--
       ``(I) any expenditures of appropriated funds;
       ``(II) any power revenues;
       ``(III) any contributions by the States, power customers, 
     Tribes, water users, and environmental organizations; and
       ``(IV) any other sources of funds for the Recovery 
     Implementation Programs; and
       ``(D) describes--
       ``(i) any activities to be carried out under the Recovery 
     Implementation Program after September 30, 2023; and
       ``(ii) the projected cost of the activities described under 
     clause (i).
       ``(2) Consultation required.--The Secretary shall consult 
     with the participants in the Recovery Implementation Programs 
     in preparing the report under paragraph (1).''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Curtis) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lowenthal) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which 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 Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today we are considering my bill, H.R. 4465, the 
Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Extension Act of 2017.
  This bipartisan bill extends efforts to promote the dual goals of 
recovering certain fish species protected under the Endangered Species 
Act, while ensuring the continued reliability of water and power 
operations in the West.
  I would like to thank the Members of Congress, both Republican and 
Democrat, who have cosponsored my bill. I also appreciate the work of  
Rob Bishop as chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee and his 
help over the last several months to move my bill through the 
legislative process.
  I think it is also worth mentioning that we have received over 20 
letters of support for this bill from a wide range of stakeholders, 
including water conservation districts, Indian Tribes, conservation 
organizations, State governments, and more.
  With a total water storage capacity of more than 30 million acre-feet 
and a capacity to generate over 5 billion megawatt hours of energy 
annually, the Colorado River Storage Project, or CRSP, has been vital 
to the economics of the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin States 
of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Arizona.
  Four fish species listed under the Endangered Species Act also call 
the basin home, and the threat of water and power restrictions 
resulting from these listings prompted the affected States to enter 
into an agreement with Federal and non-Federal partners to ensure the 
continued reliability of the water and power operations in the West.
  These agreements resulted in the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish 
Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation 
Program. In 2000, Congress enacted legislation to establish Federal 
participation and cost-sharing agreements, including the authority to 
use CRSP power revenues, to support these two programs.
  Congress reauthorized the programs in 2012, but also added necessary 
oversight and accountability reforms to ensure that funds are going 
towards recovery.
  H.R. 4465 extends the use of CRSP power revenues through 2023, which 
aligns with the recovery deadline for these programs and does not 
require any new Federal spending of Americans' hard-earned tax dollars.
  In addition, the bill extends the existing transparency improvements 
and adds a report to highlight the programs' performance. This 
reauthorization is necessary to ensure that the more than 2,300 water 
and power projects in the five-State region can continue to operate in 
compliance with the Endangered Species Act.
  I am hopeful that at the conclusion of this reauthorization through 
2023, these programs will have accomplished what they are seeking to 
achieve: the recovery and delisting of four endangered fish species.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe this bill is a great example of how Members of 
Congress can work across party lines to solve an issue facing their 
respective

[[Page H1516]]

States. I look forward to working together with my colleagues and 
solving other problems with a similar commonsense and bipartisan 
approach.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in supporting this bipartisan 
legislation and urge its adoption by the House.
  H.R. 4465 extends the authorization through 2023 of the Upper 
Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River 
Basin Recovery Implementation Program.
  These two multiagency partnerships bring together local, State, and 
Federal agencies; water users; utilities; and environmental 
organizations to help restore four endangered fish species, while also 
maintaining water delivery, hydropower generation, and protecting 
economic development along the Colorado and San Juan Rivers.
  This legislation will allow for the continued funding of projects 
that improve habitat, support crucial research and monitoring, and 
remove non-native species, which will both benefit endangered fish 
species and protect the many other uses of the rivers.
  Healthy rivers are vital to a region's overall environmental and 
economic well-being. When our rivers are healthy, our communities are 
healthy. We all share a responsibility to sustain and preserve the 
integrity of these resources for future generations.
  Mr. Speaker, I applaud the bipartisan cosponsors of this legislation 
for this leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Curtis) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 4465.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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