[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17686-17687]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



      DESCHUTES RESOURCES CONSERVANCY REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1999

  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the Senate bill (S. 1027) to reauthorize the participation of the 
Bureau of Reclamation in the Deschutes Resources Conservancy, and for 
other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                S. 1027

       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 ``Deschutes Resources 
     Conservancy Reauthorization Act of 1999''.

     SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF PARTICIPATION OF BUREAU OF RECLAMATION 
                   IN DESCHUTES RESOURCES CONSERVANCY.

       Section 301 of the Oregon Resource Conservation Act of 1996 
     (division B of Public Law 104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-534) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)(3), by inserting before the period at 
     the end the following: ``, and up to a total amount of 
     $2,000,000 during each of fiscal years 2002 through 2006''; 
     and
       (2) in subsection (h), by inserting before the period at 
     the end the following: ``and $2,000,000 for each of fiscal 
     years 2002 through 2006''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Walden) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. 
Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden).


                             General Leave

  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all

[[Page 17687]]

Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks on S. 1027.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Oregon?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  The Deschutes Resources Conservancy was authorized in 1996 as a 5-
year pilot project designed to achieve local consensus for projects to 
improve the ecosystem health in the Deschutes River Basin.
  The existing authorization provides up to $1 million through the 
Bureau of Reclamation each year for projects. Projects funded through 
the Conservancy demonstration include: piping for irrigation district 
delivery systems to prevent water loss; securing water rights for 
instream flows to secure Squaw Creek habitat; providing fencing of 
riparian areas to project riverbanks; working with private timberland 
owners to restore riparian and wetland areas; and seeking donated water 
rights to enhance instream flows in the Deschutes River Basin.
  Mr. Speaker, the bill would reauthorize the 5-year pilot project from 
2002 to 2006 and increase the authorization ceiling to $2 million 
annually.
  Mr. Speaker, this is an excellent piece of legislation. It is a great 
group that puts a lot of hard work into these projects, and I would 
encourage my colleagues to support its reauthorization.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the gentleman from Oregon, for 
the management of this legislation. I thank the good Senator from 
Oregon, Senator Gordon Smith, for his chief sponsorship of this bill. I 
thank also my good friend, the gentleman from Oregon, for his passage 
previously of similar legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, Senate bill 1027 is to extend participation of the 
Bureau of Reclamation in the Deschutes Resources Conservancy.
  The Deschutes Resources Conservancy was authorized in 1996 as a 5-
year pilot project designed to achieve local consensus for projects to 
improve ecosystem health in the Deschutes River Basin. Mr. Speaker, S. 
1027 will reauthorize funding of these activities for another 5 years 
and increase the authorization ceiling to $2 million annually.
  This is a highly successful, inexpensive, and popular program 
involving the cooperation of irrigators, ranchers, environmentalists 
and State, local and Federal Government agencies. I urge my colleagues 
to support the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. 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 Oregon (Mr. Walden) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the Senate bill, S. 1027.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________