[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 15, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H3731-H3732]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
UPPER COLORADO AND SAN JUAN RIVER BASINS RECOVERY ACT
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5001) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to continue
to implement endangered fish recovery programs for the Upper Colorado
and San Juan River Basins, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5001
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 ``Upper Colorado and San Juan
River Basins Recovery Act''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATIONS RELATED TO FISH RECOVERY
PROGRAMS.
Section 3 of Public Law 106-392 (114 Stat. 1603 et seq.) is
amended--
(1) by striking ``2023'' each place it appears and
inserting ``2024'';
(2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``$179,000,000'' and
inserting ``$184,000,000'';
(3) in subsection (b)(2) by striking ``$30,000,000'' and
inserting ``$25,000,000'';
(4) in subsection (h), by striking ``, at least 1 year
prior to such expiration,''; and
(5) in subsection (j), by striking ``2021'' each place it
appears and inserting ``2022''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.
General Leave
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arizona?
There was no objection.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5001, introduced by my
Natural Resources Committee colleague, Representative Joe Neguse of
Colorado. This bipartisan bill will reauthorize two programs that are
working to recover threatened and endangered fish in the Upper Colorado
River Basin.
This legislation will continue the collaboration work of Tribes,
water users, environmental groups, local utilities, and State and
Federal agencies that are partnering to recover four fish species
currently listed under the Endangered Species Act as either threatened
or endangered.
These programs provide Endangered Species Act compliance for projects
that use water resources from the San Juan River and Upper Colorado
River Basins, so that these rare native fish can be recovered while
human water use can continue.
With the conservation actions undertaken through the recovery
programs, one fish was downlisted from endangered to threatened last
year, and another fish is under consideration for downlisting to
threatened as well. This good work is important, and it should
continue.
I want to commend my colleague, the chair of the National Parks,
Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee, Representative Neguse, for his
leadership on this bill.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 5001 would extend the Upper Colorado and San Juan
recovery implementation programs and their reporting requirements for
an additional year.
The programs provide Endangered Species Act compliance for more than
2,500 water and power projects that withdraw more than 3.7 million-acre
feet of water for human needs.
The program's goals are to recover four endangered fish species while
continuing facility operations with the ultimate goal of species
delisting. Last year, the Fish and Wildlife Service reclassified one of
these species, the humpback chub, from endangered to threatened, and
proposed a similar reclassification for the razorback sucker.
Madam Speaker, if it has razorback in the name, it has to be
important, and we need to take care of it.
Current law required the Secretary of the Interior to submit a report
to Congress by September 30, 2021, on recommendations for the programs
post 2023. Unfortunately, the Department of the Interior failed to meet
this deadline. As such we are here today extending the programs by 1
year in order to give the administration enough time to complete the
report.
While I support the extension today, I want to be clear that any
further extension of the programs will require an in-depth discussion
of the programs' goals, achievements, and administrative overhead
costs.
In closing, Madam Speaker, again, I support this bill, I support the
razorback sucker, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, it is good to know that the ranking
member has a weakness, and so we are going to put razorback in every
piece of legislation from now on.
Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R.
5001, ``the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act''
which extends through FY2024 the authority of the Department of the
Interior to implement construction of facilities for the endangered
fish recovery programs for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River
basins. The bill also extends through FY2022 the deadline for the
submission of the report on the recovery implementation programs.
The Upper Colorado River Basin is home to 14 native fish species,
including the endangered humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow,
and razorback sucker. These endangered fish are found only in the
Colorado River system.
The Recovery Program is a unique partnership of local, state, and
federal agencies, water and power interests, and environmental groups
working to recover endangered fish in the Upper Colorado River Basin
while water development proceeds in accordance with federal and state
laws and interstate compacts.
The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program was first
established in 1988 to help bring four species of endangered fish back
from the brink of extinction: the humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado
pikeminnow, and razorback sucker.
This bill will protect those 14 endangered fish species in the Upper
Colorado and San Juan River Basin and allow critical water
infrastructure projects to continue.
The Colorado River provides water to nearly 40 million people, flows
through 9 National Parks, and drives a $1.4 trillion economy. If the
Colorado River basin were a country, it would be the world's 7th
largest by economic output.
On average, 90 percent of streamflow in the Colorado River Basin
originates in the Upper
[[Page H3732]]
Basin, which is the area above Lees Ferry, Arizona. This water has a
multitude of uses that include irrigation, municipal and industrial
purposes, mining activities, recreation, and supporting habitat for
livestock, fish and wildlife.
The Colorado River Basin also has an immense capacity to generate
hydropower. Hundreds of hydroelectric dams along the river's main stem
and tributaries have a combined generating capacity of approximately
4,178 megawatts, making it part of the solution for combatting climate
change.
But the river is stretched to its limit. Climate change and
increasing water demand due to an expanding population is and will
continue present significant challenges that if left unaddressed, will
impact regional and national economies, degrade the environment,
challenge agricultural heritage and food production, and limit
recreational opportunities from fishing and boating to skiing.
Protecting this river basin and its biodiversity is therefore of the
utmost importance. Without its biodiversity, this river basin will be
thrown out of equilibrium and cease to function and subsequently
provide as it has for centuries.
This would create a humanitarian disaster for 40 million people and
economic disaster for countless more, in addition to the loss of
incomparable natural beauty and endangered life.
However, under the leadership of Secretary Deb Haaland, whom I hold
in the highest regard, I am certain that these 14 species of fish and
in turn the Colorado River Basin can be saved, averting unquestionable
disaster for millions.
This Act is common sense, bipartisan, and ultimately needed
legislation that I am proud to support. It is for that reason that I
urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5001, The Upper Colorado and San
Juan River Basins Recovery Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 5001, as amended.
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. HARRIS. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
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