Requires establishment of a publicly available database.
Makes a specified amount of funds provided under this Act available to monitor and conduct focused investigations of endangered fish, including pallid sturgeon.
[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3570 Introduced in House (IH)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3570
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to monitor the health of the
Missouri River and measure biological, chemical, and physical responses
to changes in river management and other significant variables.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 20, 2001
Mr. Bereuter introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to monitor the health of the
Missouri River and measure biological, chemical, and physical responses
to changes in river management and other significant variables.
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 ``Lewis and Clark Voyage of Scientific
Discovery Act''.
SEC. 2. LONG-TERM MONITORING PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation
with the Director of the United States Geological Survey, shall
establish a program at the River Studies Center of the Biological
Resources Division of the United States Geological Survey, located in
Columbia, Missouri--
(1) to determine and monitor the biological and chemical
characteristics of the Missouri River;
(2) to determine and monitor the interrelationship of those
characteristics with the hydrology and geomorphology of the
river; and
(3) to monitor and assess the biota, including threatened
or endangered species, habitats, and water quality of the
Missouri River.
(b) Development.--To develop the program, the Secretary of the
Interior and the Director of the United States Geological Survey shall
consult with--
(1) the Governors of affected States, acting through--
(A) the Missouri River Natural Resources Committee;
and
(B) the Missouri River Basin Association; and
(2) the Secretary of Agriculture;
(3) the Secretary of the Army;
(4) the Western Area Power Administration;
(5) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency; and
(6) the Missouri River Basin Tribes.
(c) Activities.--The program under subsection (b) shall provide
scientific information to--
(1) guide operation and management of the Missouri River;
and
(2) measure and model the impact of management alternatives
through--
(A) monitoring of biota, including threatened or
endangered species, habitats, and water quality;
(B) focused investigations of cause and effect
relationships; and
(C) identification and evaluation of methods to
conserve fish and wildlife, including threatened and
endangered species.
(d) Baseline.--The program under subsection (b) shall establish a
baseline of conditions against which future activities can be measured.
(e) Database.--The Secretary of the Interior shall--
(1) establish a database on Missouri River biota, including
threatened or endangered species, habitats, and water quality;
and
(2) make the database readily available to the public.
(f) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of establishment
of the program under subsection (b), and not less frequently than every
3 years thereafter, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the
Director of the United States Geological Survey, shall--
(1) review the program;
(2) as necessary, establish and revise the objectives of
the program; and
(3) submit to Congress a report on the environmental health
of the Missouri River.
(g) Indian Tribes.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Secretary of the Interior shall enter into contracts, pursuant to the
Indian Self Determination Act (title I of the Indian Self Determination
and Education Assistance Act; 25 U.S.C. chapter 14, subchapter II, part
A (25 U.S.C. 450f et. seq.)) with Tribes whose Reservations are located
along the Missouri River and have an interest in environmental
restoration. The tasks to be contracted shall implement the goals set
forth in this section and shall complement the activities undertaken by
the Secretary of the Interior and the affected State Governments.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of the Interior to carry out this section--
(A) $6,500,000 for fiscal year 2002;
(B) $8,500,000 for fiscal year 2003; and
(C) $15,100,000 for each of fiscal years 2004
through 2016.
(2) Allocation of funds.--Funding of the program shall be
implemented in the following manner:
(A) Not more than the following percentage of the
funds available shall be directed to the River Studies
Center of the Biological Resources Division of the
United States Geological Survey, located in Columbia,
Missouri:
(i) 25 percent in fiscal year 2002
(ii) 40 perccent in fiscal year 2003
(iii) 65 percent in fiscal years after
2003.
At least 50 percent of such funds shall be directed to
the River Studies Center in fiscal years after 2003.
(B) The remaining funds shall be made available to
State fish and wildlife agencies in the Missouri River
basin to conduct monitoring activities designed to
enhance and supplement existing scientific knowledge of
the Missouri River system.
(3) Threatened and endangered species.--Of the amounts made
available under paragraph (1) for each fiscal year, $1,500,000
shall be made available to the Secretary of the Interior and
the State agencies with jurisdiction for Missouri River fish
and wildlife to monitor and conduct focused investigations of
endangered fish, including pallid sturgeon response to main
stem reservoir operations.
(4) State agency funding.--Funds authorized to be
appropriated under this section shall be made available as
necessary to contract with the State agencies with jurisdiction
for Missouri River fish and wildlife to collect field data and
support field operations for the monitoring component of the
program.
(5) Funding of focused investigations.--The focused
investigations component of the program established under this
section shall be funded using a competitive process. Each year,
the directors of the State fish and game agencies with
jurisdiction for Missouri River fish and wildlife, in
consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, and the
entities listed under section 2(b)(1), shall prioritize
information needs and issue a request for proposals to State,
Federal, for-profit, and not-for-profit organizations with
Missouri River interest and expertise. The directors and the
Secretary shall review and select those proposals to be funded.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H10948-10949)
Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water and Power.
Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
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