[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 17628]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mr. Udall 
        of Colorado, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Bennett, and Mr. Hatch):
  S. 1453. A bill to amend Public Law 106-392 to maintain annual base 
funding for the Bureau of Reclamation for the Upper Colorado River and 
San Juan fish recovery programs through fiscal year 2023; to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce the 
Bureau of Reclamation Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act of 
2009 with my colleagues Senator Udall of New Mexico, Senator Udall of 
Colorado, Senator Bennet, Senator Bennett, and Senator Hatch. This bill 
will extend the Bureau of Reclamation's authorization to provide cost 
sharing for capital construction and annual operations from 2011 
through 2023 for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin endangered 
fish recovery programs.
  The programs have the dual goals of recovering federally listed 
endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado River basin while 
allowing water development and management activities to proceed in 
compliance with state laws, interstate compacts and the federal 
Endangered Species Act. The programs have substantial support from the 
Upper Basin states of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, the 
Navajo Nation, the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the Southern Ute Tribe, and 
the Ute Mountain Tribe. Other water users, power customers and 
environmental organizations are also active participants in the 
programs. The Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, the 
National Park Service and Western Area Power Administration also 
participate in the programs. All of the partners contribute 
significantly to the success of the programs.
  Since 2000, the Bureau of Reclamation has been authorized to utilize 
revenues generated from Colorado River Storage Project Act projects as 
base funding for operation and maintenance of capital projects, 
monitoring and research to evaluate the need for, and effectiveness of, 
any recovery action, and for general program management. This bill 
extends the Bureau of Reclamation's authority to provide annual base 
funding for the programs through 2023 which coincides with the term of 
the existing Cooperative Agreements for the recovery programs and the 
expected date of recovery for certain species covered by the programs. 
The annual base funding contributes significantly to the successful 
implementation of the recovery actions in both programs.
  Currently the Bureau of Reclamation's ability to use such funding 
will expire in 2011. If the expiration date is not extended, the annual 
base funding will be significantly reduced which would likely delay or 
impede the success of the recovery programs. The original authorizing 
legislation has been extended most recently through Section 9107 of the 
Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, P.L. 111-11, and the 
amendments proposed by this bill would ensure that the Bureau of 
Reclamation's authorization for base funding coincides with the other 
authorizing provisions in P.L. 106-392.
  I hope my colleagues will work with me and the bi-partisan group of 
cosponsors to help ensure that the recovery goals of the San Juan and 
Upper Colorado River Basin Recovery Programs can continue to be met. I 
therefore urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1453

       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 ``Bureau of Reclamation Fish 
     Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act of 2009''.

     SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF BASE FUNDING FOR FISH RECOVERY 
                   PROGRAMS.

       Section 3(d)(2) of Public Law 106-392 (114 Stat. 1602) is 
     amended in the fourth sentence by striking ``2011'' and 
     inserting ``2023''.

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