Priorities of the Committee: During the Committee’s January 2007 meetings, the Committee discussed legislative priorities and agreed on an initial list that will be reviewed following the 2007 Washington Roundtable discussions. The legislative information below will be updated as the 110 th Congress gets underway. Committee meetings are open to all Members of the Council.Contact Peter Evans for details. Federal Legislation Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007?: Congress has begun work on the authorization of new projects, with the introduction of HR-1495 by Congressman Oberstar. Stay tuned! More information is in our WRDA archive. Streamgaging Funding: On August 17, 2006, we produced a letter on behalf of 23 organizations and associations asking Interior Secretary Kempthorne to increase funding next year by $35 Million. We were able to meet with Interior Department and OMB officials in November to reiterate this support for better funding as the Department and OMB finalize recommendations for the Presidents FY-08 budget request. Following the announcement of the President’s request for FY-08, 27 organizations joined in a letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to endorse much stronger federal support. Contact Peter Evans for further information. Other Legislation: We will be working on additional issues, including the 2007 Farm Bill, appropriations bills and others prioritized by the Committee. National Integrated Drought Information System Act of 2006 The legislation introduced by Congressman Hall (R-TX) and Senator Nelson (R-NE) was passed by congress and signed by the President in 2006. It authorized $81M over the next six years for a program to establish an effective early warning system that collects and integrates key indicators of drought and enable NOAA to make reliable and timely drought forecasts and assessments of drought severity and impacts on an ongoing basis and inform decision makers better so that they can make more timely decisions leading to reduced impacts and costs. NOAA is planning to coordinate and integrate federal research in support of a drought early warning system and build upon existing forecasting and assessment programs and partnerships in consultation with federal, regional, state, tribal and local agencies. It needs to be funded this year. 2007 Farm Bill: The Department of Agriculture sought recommendations for the 2007 Farm Bill last year and has listed 5 areas in which they are interested, including the “achievement of conservation and environmental goals.” Several of the national farm organizations have announced support for increasing incentives for “stewardship practices” on agricultural lands and streamlining the programs that deliver those incentives. However, their support (and presumably that of the Administration) depends upon the results of international trade talks (known as the “Doha Round” of trade negotiations, inspired by a desire to help developing countries and reduce terrorist activities that many believe are motivated, in part, by economic disparities). Despite the July 23 suspension of further negotiations (to reduce agricultural subsidies in the US and European Union and drop market barriers in developing nations), the Senate Agriculture Committee appears ready to start hearings on the 2007 Farm Bill. The Florida Conservation Coalition has proposed a set of 9 programmatic improvements, many of which relate to water and land use practices that are essential elements of integrated water resource management and the watershed approach. Some of these conservation programs, including the Conservation Security Reserve and the Environmental Quality Incentives programs, are under continuing pressure in the budget reconciliation conference report that the House sent to the Senate in December 2005 (including $39.7B in spending cuts in agriculture conservation, energy and other programs). National Drought Preparedness Act of 2005: We hope Congress will continue work on the authorization of the National Drought Commission recommendations, such as Congressman Hastings (R-FL) and Senator Domenici (R-NM) introduced in the last session, stay tuned! (more...) State Revolving Funds: On December 15, 2005 Representative Hunter (R-TN) introduced HR-4560 to authorize appropriations to the state water pollution control revolving funds. It has been assigned to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and to the House Resources Committee for hearings. Inland Waters Policy Commission: On November 17, Senator Snowe (R-ME) introduced S-2050, which would establish a 16 member commission to hold hearings, conduct a study and make a report (including recommendations for a coordinated, comprehensive, and long-range national policy for responsible use and stewardship of inland waters) to the President within 2 years. Within 120 days, the President would be required to submit a report to Congress with proposals to implement or respond to the Commission’s recommendations. The bill includes an $8.5M authorization and has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation for hearing. Water Resources Planning and Modernization Act of 2006: On February 15, Senators Feingold (D-WI) and McCain (R-AZ) introduced S-2288, a revised version of legislation the same Senators introduced last year to require independent review of Corps’ projects costing more than $25M and those thought to have potentially significant impacts. It would also require periodic revision of the Corps’ planning guidelines and reinstatement of the Water Resources Council, first enacted in 1965 to oversee water resource projects (last year's version did not resurrect the Council). Under the 2006 version, the Council would assess risks and prioritize water projects based on environmental, economic and public safety considerations. Some complain that the proposal to have the Water Resources Council identify areas vulnerable to flooding and storms and to update agency planning guidelines duplicates measures taken last year by the Corps, but environmentalists applauded the effort, saying it will focus on national priorities and require federal projects to mitigate environmental and other impacts the way private companies and citizens are. It has been assigned to Senate EPW, but no Committee action has been scheduled. National Levee Safety Program Act of 2005 – Introduced by Rep. Duncan (R-TN and Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment) in December 2005, HR-4650 directs the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Corps of Engineers, to: 1) inspect every levee in the US that was constructed or maintained by the Corps or identified by a state governor, excluding levees the failure of which would not pose a significant threat to human life or property; 2) notify the Governors of inspection results, hazardous conditions, and remedial needs; 3) submit a priority list of flood damage reduction studies and projects each year; and 4) maintain an inventory of US levees and inspection results. HR-4650 would also establish an Interagency Committee on Levee Safety to assist federal levee safety programs through coordination and exchange of information concerning implementation of levee safety guidelines. It also directs the Corps to: 1) establish the National Levee Safety Review Board to monitor levee safety and to advise the Corps on national levee safety policy; 2) establish a national levee safety program, including federal levee safety guidelines; and 3) research levee construction, rehabilitation, inspection, safety, security, and management and maintain technical and archival records. Other Issues
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