[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 9, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H5075-H5076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DALLES WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT ACT
Mr. HURD of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 655) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to
convey certain Federal land to the City of The Dalles, Oregon, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 655
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 ``Dalles Watershed Development
Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) City.--The term ``City'' means the City of The Dalles,
Oregon.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest
Service.
SEC. 3. THE DALLES CONVEYANCE.
(a) In General.--If, not later than 1 year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the City submits a written
request to the Secretary for conveyance of the land described
in subsection (b)(1), the Secretary shall, as soon as
practicable thereafter, convey to the City, all right, title,
and interest of the United States in and to such land.
(b) Description of Land.--
(1) In general.--The land described in this paragraph is
the parcel of real property generally depicted as ``parcel
A'' on the map, consisting of approximately 150 acres of
National Forest System land located in the Mount Hood
National Forest in Oregon.
(2) Map.--
(A) Definition.--In this section, the term ``map'' means
the map entitled ``The Dalles Conveyance Parcel A'' and dated
November 4, 2024.
(B) Minor errors.--The Secretary may correct minor errors
in the map.
(C) Availability of map.--A copy of the map shall be on
file and available for public inspection in the appropriate
offices of Forest Service.
(3) Survey.--The exact acreage and legal description of the
National Forest System land to be conveyed under subsection
(a) shall be determined by a survey satisfactory to the
Secretary.
(c) Terms and Conditions.--The conveyance under subsection
(a) shall be--
(1) subject to valid existing rights;
(2) made without consideration;
(3) made by quitclaim deed; and
(4) subject to such additional terms and conditions as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate to protect the
interests of the United States.
(d) Administrative Costs.--As a condition of the conveyance
under subsection (a), the City shall pay all costs associated
with the conveyance, including the cost of a survey under
subsection (b)(3).
(e) Use of Conveyed Land.--
(1) In general.--The land conveyed to the City under
subsection (a) shall be used by the City for public purposes,
including for municipal water supply and use and related
infrastructure needs or expansions.
(2) Reversion.--If the land conveyed under subsection (a)
is used in a manner that is inconsistent with the requirement
of paragraph (1), all right, title, and interest in and to
the land shall revert to the United States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Hurd) and the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Randall)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.
General Leave
Mr. HURD of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 655, the bill now under
consideration.
[[Page H5076]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Colorado?
There was no objection.
Mr. HURD of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 655, sponsored by
my colleague, Representative Bentz.
This straightforward legislation would transfer 150 acres of U.S.
Forest Service land to the City of The Dalles, Oregon.
The area encompassed by the legislation includes a dam and reservoir
that the City currently operates under a special use permit from the
Forest Service.
The Crow Creek Reservoir, located in the Mount Hood National Forest,
is key to providing clean water for drinking, residential, and
commercial uses in The Dalles. In fact, the existing infrastructure
provides 80 percent of the City's annual water supply.
However, in order to access and maintain this critical water
infrastructure, the City must perpetually reapply for special use
permits from the Forest Service, a time-consuming and expensive
process.
In addition to wasting time and personnel resources, the renewal
process is estimated to cost the City at least $150,000.
Between 2010 and 2020, the population of The Dalles increased by more
than 11 percent. To address the needs of its current and future
population, the City plans to increase the Crow Creek Reservoir's
capacity from 900 to 3,000 acre-feet. Allowing the City to take full
ownership of the land within the reservoir's watershed will allow local
leaders to move ahead with planned capacity and safety improvements to
the Crow Creek Reservoir without running into red tape and wasting
taxpayer money.
This is a fiscally responsible bill that will cut costs for the local
community and for the Forest Service. A land transfer will allow the
City to advance upgrades to the Crow Creek Reservoir. H.R. 655 is a
simple, practical step that saves money immediately and decreases costs
over time by shrinking the Federal estate.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Bentz for his leadership on this
issue and for his steadfast work on behalf of his constituents.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 655,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. RANDALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 655, the Dalles Watershed
Development Act, introduced by my colleague from the Pacific Northwest,
Representative Bentz from Oregon.
This bill would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey
approximately 150 acres of Federal land in the Mount Hood National
Forest to the City of The Dalles, Oregon.
This land is vital to the City's watershed and supports roughly 80
percent of its annual water supply. Local ownership of this land will
allow the City to better manage its water resources, protect water
quality, and plan for future water infrastructure.
Under the bill, the land transfer would occur at no cost to the City
and be subject to valid existing rights.
The City would cover the administrative expenses of the conveyance,
including surveying, and the conveyance would be executed by quitclaim
deed.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority for working with us to include
language that guarantees the property is used by the City for the
public in perpetuity. With this important update, the legislation
offers a practical, bipartisan solution to address clear infrastructure
need and to adapt to a changing climate in which water resources are
becoming more and more scarce. I thank Representative Bentz for his
leadership on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 655, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HURD of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Oregon (Mr. Bentz), the lead sponsor of this bill.
Mr. BENTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation,
H.R. 655, the Dalles Watershed Development Act.
The City of The Dalles, located in my district, depends on its
municipal watershed for almost all of its supply of drinking water.
Protecting and managing this watershed is vital to the health, safety,
and future of The Dalles community.
Today, that task is complicated by the fact that critical
infrastructure, the Crow Creek Reservoir and the surrounding timbered
area, is located on both City-owned and federally managed Forest
Service lands.
The City operates these facilities under a special use permit, which
is inefficient and costly and limits the City's ability to
expeditiously expand and modernize this water supply.
The City of The Dalles is a growing City. It is an important City,
and it is one that deserves this kind of help and attention. I am happy
to bring this bill to achieve this purpose.
This bill offers a practical solution by transferring 150 acres of
Forest Service land within the watershed of the City into the City's
ownership. This transfer will allow the City of The Dalles to
officially upgrade the Crow Creek Dam, increase its reservoir capacity
by 2,100 acre-feet, eliminate the need for ongoing special use permits
with Forest Service, and allow implementation of a comprehensive
watershed management strategy. We would also save tens of thousands of
dollars in administrative costs for both the City and the Forest
Service.
Mr. Speaker, this is a narrowly tailored, community-driven proposal
that directly supports clean water, public safety, economic growth, and
good government.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chair Westerman and the members of the committee
for their support of this bill, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 655.
Ms. RANDALL. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HURD of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, this legislation will eliminate
the City's need to reapply for a special use permit to access land
within its own municipal watershed and allow local leaders to move
forward with a vital expansion of its reservoir capacity, which is
necessary to serve its growing population.
Expanding the City's water supply will support the growing number of
businesses and families that call The Dalles home. This legislation is
straightforward, timely, returns power to local government, and saves
taxpayer money. I thank Representative Bentz for sponsoring this
critical measure.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 655, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
{time} 1520
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hurd) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 655, 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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