[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3373 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3373
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
October 24, 2003
Mr. Bereuter introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
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 ``Missouri River Enhancement and
Monitoring Act of 2004''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the River Studies
Center of the Biological Resources Division of the United
States Geological Survey, located in Columbia, Missouri.
(2) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the
meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
(3) River.--The term ``River'' means the Missouri River.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior, acting through the Biological Resources
Division of the United States Geological Survey.
(5) State.--The term ``State'' means--
(A) the State of Iowa;
(B) the State of Kansas;
(C) the State of Missouri;
(D) the State of Montana;
(E) the State of Nebraska;
(F) the State of North Dakota;
(G) the State of South Dakota; and
(H) the State of Wyoming.
SEC. 3. 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 Center--
(1) to determine and monitor the biological and chemical
characteristics of the 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
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 Fish and Wildlife Service;
(6) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency; and
(7) the Missouri River Basin Indian Tribes.
(c) Activities.--The program described in subsection (a) shall
provide scientific information to--
(1) guide the operation and management of the River;
(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; and
(3) make recommendations on means to restore or enhance the
ecosystem of the River.
(d) Baseline.--The program described in subsection (a) 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 River biota, including
threatened or endangered species, habitats, and water quality;
and
(2) make the database readily available to the entities
listed in subsection (b) and the public.
(f) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of establishment
of the program described in subsection (a), 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 River.
(g) Indian Tribes.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Secretary of the Interior may 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 River and have an interest in environmental restoration. The
tasks to be contracted shall assist in the implementation of the
research and monitoring program elements 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 2005;
(B) $8,500,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(C) $15,100,000 for each of fiscal years 2007
through 2020.
(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 Center:
(i) 25 percent in fiscal year 2005.
(ii) 40 percent in fiscal year 2006.
(iii) 65 percent in fiscal years after
2007.
At least 50 percent of such funds shall be directed to
the Center in fiscal years after 2007.
(B) The remaining funds shall be made available by
the Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the
Center, to State hydrology, environmental quality,
natural resource, and fish and wildlife agencies in the
River basin in order to collect field data, provide
field operational support for monitoring, and conduct
monitoring activities that are designed to enhance and
supplement existing scientific knowledge of the 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 River fish and
wildlife to monitor and conduct focused investigations of
endangered fish, including the response of the pallid sturgeon
to main stem reservoir operations.
(4) Funding of focused investigations.--The focused
investigations component of the program established under
paragraph (3) shall be funded using a competitive process. Each
year, the directors of the State fish and game agencies with
jurisdiction for River fish and wildlife, in consultation with
the Secretary of the Interior, and the entities listed under
subsection (b)(1), shall prioritize information needs and issue
a request for proposals to State, Federal, for-profit, and not-
for-profit organizations with River interest and expertise. The
directors and the Secretary shall review and select those
proposals to be funded.
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