[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 205 (Friday, December 4, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H6818-H6819]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        LAKES FREEMAN AND SHAFER

  (Mr. BAIRD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, today I rise on behalf of the communities and 
the residents surrounding Lakes Freeman and Shafer.
  This summer, these communities witnessed the water levels in Lake 
Freeman reach a dangerously low level. The low water levels were 
brought on by drought, but were exacerbated by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service ruling meant to protect several species of mussels.
  However well-intended the ruling, it is having devastating 
consequences for these communities and the city of Monticello. Local 
businesses are struggling to get by, property values are decreasing, 
and the ecosystem of the lake is threatened.
  Fish and Wildlife have the power to resolve this issue, but the 
agency has been unable to adjust to realtime circumstances.
  I brought this issue to the attention of the Department of the 
Interior. My hope is that our government can be responsive to the 
concerns of the people on a problem they have helped create.

[[Page H6819]]

  

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