| HR 2707 IH
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2707
To direct the Secretaries
of the Interior and Agriculture, acting through the U.S. Forest Service,
to carry out a demonstration program to assess potential water savings
through control of Salt Cedar and Russian Olive on forests and public lands
administered by the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 10, 2003
Mr. PEARCE (for himself, Mr.
STENHOLM, Mr. MCINNIS, Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. BONILLA,
Mr. RENZI, Mr. CANNON, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. THORNBERRY, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr.
MORAN of Kansas, and Mr. OSBORNE) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee
on Agriculture, 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 Secretaries
of the Interior and Agriculture, acting through the U.S. Forest Service,
to carry out a demonstration program to assess potential water savings
through control of Salt Cedar and Russian Olive on forests and public lands
administered by the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service.
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 `Salt Cedar and Russian Olive Control Demonstration Act'.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
(a) SECRETARY CONCERNED-
The term `Secretary concerned' means the Secretary of Agriculture with
respect to National Forest System lands; and the Secretary of the Interior
with respect to Federal lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of
the Interior and Indian lands.
(b) FEDERAL LANDS- The term
`Federal lands' means the lands managed, administered, or owned by the
Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, National
Forest System.
(c) WESTERN UNITED STATES-
As defined by the 1902 Reclamation Act (43 U.S.C. Chapter 12), which includes
Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Kansas,
Oklahoma, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
SEC. 3. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM
FOR ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL OF SALT CEDAR AND RUSSIAN OLIVE IN WESTERN STATES.
(a) ASSESSMENT- Not later
than 1 year after the date when funds are made available to carry out this
section, the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary
of Agriculture through the United States Forest Service, shall complete
an assessment of the extent of Salt Cedar and Russian Olive invasion in
those States in which the Bureau of Reclamation operates, past and present
assessments and management options to control these phreatophytes, the
feasibility of reducing water consumption, methods and challenges in land
restoration estimated costs of all aspects of destruction, biomass removal,
and restoration and
maintenance, and shall identify
long-term management and funding strategies that could be implemented by
Federal, State and private land managers on all land management types,
including national forest system lands created from the public domain.
(b) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS-
The Secretary will initiate a program of not fewer than 3 projects, one
which must be on national forest system land created from the public domain,
to demonstrate and evaluate the most effective control methods, including
at least one project primarily using air-born application of herbicides,
at least one project using mechanical removal and at least one project
using biocontrol such as goats or insects or any combination thereof. Each
demonstration project shall be designed with integrated methods and carried
over time frames and spatial scales large enough to accomplish the following:
(1) Monitor and fully document
the water saved due to control of Salt Cedar and Russian Olive infestation
and what portions of the saved water returns to surface water or groundwater
supplies and at what rates.
(2) Assess the optimum application
approach and tools for an array of control methods.
(3) Assess all costs and
benefits associated with the control methods, land restoration and maintenance.
(4) Determine what conditions
indicate the need to remove biomass and the optimal methods for disposal
of use of biomass.
(5) Define appropriate final
vegetative states and optimal re-vegetation methods.
(6) Develop methods to prevent
re-growth and reintroduction of the invasive species.
(c) COST- The total cost
of each project may not exceed $7,000,000, including the costs of planning,
design, implementation, maintenance, and monitoring. The Federal share
of the costs of any activity funded under this program shall be no more
than 65 percent of the total cost. The Secretary may apply the value of
in-kind contribution, including State agency provided services, to the
non-Federal share of the costs. The Secretary shall report to Congress
each year how funds are being spent, including what agencies receive grants.
(d) COOPERATION- The Secretary
shall use the expertise of institutions of higher education, State agencies,
and soil water conservation districts that are actively conducting assessments
on or implementing Salt Cedar and Russian Olive control activities and
shall cooperate with other Federal agencies, including the Department of
Agriculture and Army Corps of Engineers, affected States, local units of
government, and Indian Tribes.
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS-
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of
this Act $25,000,000 each year for fiscal year 2004 through fiscal year
2007.
END
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