[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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