**Statement of**

**Henri Bisson, Deputy Director**

**Bureau of Land Management**

**Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee**

**Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests**

**H.R. 2632, Sabinoso Wilderness Act**

**July 16, 2008**

Thank you for inviting me to testify on H.R. 2632, the Sabinoso
Wilderness Act The Department of the Interior supports H.R. 2632, a bill
designating 15,995 acres of BLM-managed land in northwestern New Mexico
as the Sabinoso Wilderness area.

The Department strongly supports Congressional efforts to resolve
wilderness designations throughout the West, and we welcome this
opportunity to further those efforts. Only Congress can determine
whether to designate Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) as wilderness or
release them for other multiple uses. We support the resolution of WSA
issues and stand ready to work with Members of Congress toward this
goal.

The Sabinoso area provides a rugged and dramatic landscape. Deep sinuous
canyons are interspersed with flat-topped mesas in an area that has
changed little over the last several hundred years. While there is both
archaeological and historical evidence of sporadic human visitation, the
rough nature of the terrain has discouraged all but the hardiest. Today,
the canyons and mesas are home to mule deer, elk, mountain lion, and
wild turkey. Golden eagles and turkey vultures soar off the thermals
rising from sandstone canyon walls.

The Department is concerned about ensuring that consideration is given
to energy potential when any legislative proposal for special
designation is considered. The BLM has reviewed the traditional and
renewable energy values of the proposed Sabinoso Wilderness, and has
determined that there is low or no potential for energy development
within the area.

The BLM is currently working with the state on a land exchange which
would result in the acquisition of state land inholdings within the
proposed wilderness. This process should be completed within a year. We
also are in discussions with private landowners in the area about
acquiring either conservation easements or fee title of some of the
private inholdings. The BLM only explores such options from willing
landowners.

The local community has worked in the spirit of cooperative conservation
to reach consensus on the proposed designation. The New Mexico House of
Representatives and San Miguel County, New Mexico have passed
resolutions in support of wilderness designation of Sabinoso.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify. I will be happy to answer any
questions.

**Statement of**

**Henri Bisson, Deputy Director**

**Bureau of Land Management**

**Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee**

**Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests**

**H.R. 3651, the Utah National Guard Readiness Act**

**July 16, 2008**

Thank you for inviting me to testify on H.R. 3651, the Utah National
Guard Readiness Act. The Department supports the conveyance of the lands
identified in H.R. 3651 to the State of Utah for homeland security or
national defense purposes. However, we would like the opportunity to
work with the Committee on some modifications to the reversionary
clause.

**[Background]{.underline}**

Camp W. G. Williams is located approximately 25 miles south of Salt Lake
City, Utah, in an area of expanding residential development. The 24,000
acre base is a National Guard training site administered by the Utah
Army National Guard and includes training facilities for a variety of
military purposes. Approximately 18,000 acres of the base are comprised
of public land that has been withdrawn to the United States Army as a
training facility for the Utah Army National Guard under the provisions
of Executive Order 1922 and Title IX of Public Law 101-628, the Arizona
Desert Wilderness Act of 1990.

**[H.R. 3651]{.underline}**

H.R. 3651 directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the State
of Utah at no cost approximately 431 acres of the 18,000 acres currently
withdrawn for the purpose of permitting the Utah Army National Guard to
use the conveyed land. The legislation includes a reversionary clause to
return the land to the ownership of the United States if attempt is made
by the State of Utah to sell the land or use the land for non-National
Guard or non-national defense purposes.

Because the public lands proposed for conveyance are currently withdrawn
for the benefit of the United States Army, a portion of the overall
withdrawal to the Army is revoked by this legislation in order that the
lands may be appropriately conveyed. We defer to the Department of
Defense on their position on the partial revocation of the underlying
withdrawal.

As we have expressed in prior statements, the Department generally
supports a conveyance at no cost if the conveyed land is used for
important national security and defense purposes. We would note that
these lands are already withdrawn for military uses to the U.S. Army for
use by the Utah National Guard. We would like clarification why it is
necessary to convey land directly to the State of Utah for use by the
National Guard.

We would like to work with the sponsor of the legislation on some
technical considerations regarding the reversionary clause.
Specifically, the reversionary clause language is broad and would be
difficult for the Department of the Interior to oversee. Additionally,
the Department would like any reversionary clause to be exercised at the
discretion of the Secretary.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony.

**Statement of**

**Henri Bisson, Deputy Director**

**Bureau of Land Management**

**United States Department of the Interior**

**Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee**

**Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests**

**H.R. 3490, the Tuolumne Me-Wuk Land Transfer Act**

**July 16, 2008**

Thank you for inviting me to testify on H.R. 3490, the Tuolumne Me-Wuk
Land Transfer Act. The legislation directs that approximately 66 acres
of land currently administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) be
taken into trust for the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne
Rancheria (Tribe). The House of Representatives passed this legislation
on April 29, 2008, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The
Department supports the bill; however we would like to work with this
Committee to clarify language in the House-passed bill.

H.R. 3490 represents years of cooperative effort between the Tribe and
the BLM. The Tribe seeks trust status for three parcels of BLM-managed
lands: the first tract, an approximately 50.24-acre parcel, to establish
a cultural center.  The second tract, of approximately 15.35 acres,
would help meet the Tribe's agricultural, housing, and open space
needs.  The third tract, of approximately 0.4 acres, contains a cemetery
where tribal members and other Indians are buried.  These scattered
tracts of public lands are adjacent to the current Tuolumne Indian
Rancheria, located just north of the small community of Tuolumne, in
rural northwest Tuolumne County, California. 

The land in question has been managed by the BLM pursuant to a 1983
Management Framework Plan (MFP) for the Tuolumne River Management Area. 
The MFP was replaced by the Sierra Resource Management Plan (SRMP)
through a Record of Decision on February 15, 2008.  The SRMP clearly
identifies these scattered tract parcels as potentially available for
disposal based on current land uses.  Transfer of the administrative
jurisdiction of the three parcels from the BLM to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA) would therefore conform to the SRMP. 

The Department is pleased that H.R. 3490 addresses valid and existing
rights and gaming.  Our testimony on H.R. 3490 before the House
Committee on Natural Resources (April 9, 2008) raised a concern about
the time frame the bill allowed for completing necessary surveys. At
markup, the Natural Resources Committee amended section 3(d) of the bill
as we had recommended. The Department appreciates the positive action to
address our concerns.

We are concerned that language pertaining to the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) in the House-passed bill may lead to confusion. We
would appreciate the opportunity to work with this Committee on
clarifying language.

The Department has had a cooperative working relationship with the
Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians on this requested land transfer and
supports H.R. 3490 with clarification.

This concludes my prepared testimony.  I am happy to answer any
questions the Committee may have.

**Statement of**

**Henri Bisson, Deputy Director**

**Bureau of Land Management**

**United States Department of the Interior**

**Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee**

**Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests**

**S. 3065, Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and Dominguez
Canyon Wilderness Area Act**

**July 16, 2008**

Thank you for inviting me to testify on S. 3065 the Dominguez-Escalante
National Conservation Area and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area Act. The
Department of the Interior supports S. 3065 and would like the
opportunity to work with the sponsor and the Committee on some
modifications.

**[Background]{.underline}**

The nearly 211,000 acres of public lands comprising both the proposed
Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area (NCA) and within it the
Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area span three western Colorado counties:
Mesa, Delta and Montrose. Special designation for this area recently
came to fruition through a collaborative process driven by the Colorado
Congressional delegation, the Mesa, Montrose and Delta County
Commissions, the National Resources and Policy Institute at Mesa State
College and the Public Lands Partnership.

This effort, undertaken in the spirit of cooperative conservation, seeks
to protect astounding landscapes. Red-rock canyon walls and sandstone
bluffs covered in pinyon-juniper tower thousands of feet above a
treasure trove of cultural and historic sites. These canyons are
interlaced with the West's most valuable resource---water. Escalante
Creek and the Little and Big Dominguez Creeks drain the eastern
Uncompahgre Plateau, cascading through sandstone canyon walls displaying
600 million years of history. A variety of wildlife call
Dominguez-Escalante home, including desert bighorn sheep, golden eagle,
mountain lion, black bear, mule deer and the collared lizard. The area
offers some of the best mule deer hunting to be found anywhere in the
Rocky Mountain West.

Rock art, created by those who came before, tells the story of shelter
and sustenance sought in these canyons and valleys for thousands of
years. Today, the Ute Tribes view these lands as an important connection
to their ancestral past.

**[S. 3065]{.underline}**

S. 3065 proposes to designate 210,677 acres of BLM-managed land as the
Dominguez-Escalante NCA and within it the 66,280 acre Dominguez Canyon
Wilderness Area. Each of the NCAs designated by Congress and managed by
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is unique. For the most part,
however, they have certain critical elements, which include withdrawal
from the public land, mining and mineral leasing laws; OHV-use
limitations; and language that charges the Secretary to allow only those
uses that further the purposes for which the NCA is established.
Furthermore, NCA designations should not diminish the protections that
currently apply to the lands. Section 4 of S. 3065 designating the
Dominguez-Escalante NCA is consistent with these principles and we
support its designation.

Section 5 of the bill designates over 66,000 acres of the NCA as
wilderness. These lands are currently part of the Dominguez Wilderness
Study Area (WSA). The Department strongly supports Congressional efforts
to resolve wilderness designations throughout the West, and we welcome
this opportunity to further those efforts. Only Congress can determine
whether to designate WSAs as wilderness or release them for other
multiple uses and we have repeatedly urged that these issues be
addressed legislatively. We support the designation proposed by the
legislation and would like the opportunity to work with the sponsor and
the Committee on possible minor boundary adjustments to ensure efficient
manageability.

The current WSA covers approximately 68,505 acres of BLM-managed public
lands. Approximately 3,000 acres currently managed as WSA are not
proposed for wilderness designation. We recommend the release of those
acres from WSA status. Those acres remain within the NCA but their
release from WSA status will improve efficiency and clarify management.

There are three unusual provisions in the S. 3065 which are unique to
this area and we would like to briefly describe them. First, section
7(d) (3) allows for the exchange of certain lands within the NCA.
Typically we do not exchange lands within NCAs, however in this case the
exchange of private land within the NCA for public land within the NCA
would further the protective purposes for which the NCA is established
and resolve an inadvertent trespass situation. We support this
provision. Second, section 7(h)(5)(B) allows for construction of new
livestock watering facilities described in existing planning documents,
provided they result in no impairment of the wilderness and provide for
the protection and improved management of the wilderness. This is
consistent with Congressional guidance on grazing in wilderness and is
in accordance with BLM's wilderness management regulations. Lastly,
section 7(j) makes clear that the legislation does not affect the
preexisting life estate agreement for a single individual within the
wilderness. This agreement has been in place for nearly 20 years and we
support the provision clarifying that there is no intent to modify or
alter that agreement.

The Department is concerned about ensuring that consideration is given
to energy potential when any legislative proposal for special
designation is considered. The BLM has reviewed the traditional and
renewable energy values of this area proposed for designation, and has
determined that there is low or no potential for energy development
within the proposed Dominguez-Escalante NCA and wilderness area.
However, we would note that the BLM has undertaken a planning process
for energy right-of-way corridors as required by section 368 of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58). A portion of one of those
proposed corridors (#132-136) crosses the eastern edge of the proposed
Dominguez-Escalante NCA. This proposed corridor on Federal land provides
for an important north-south route connection for critical energy
transmission, crossing the Gunnison River on the eastern side of the NCA
and connecting to an existing designated corridor on Federal land north
of Highway 50. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the
corridor planning process under Section 368 was released in November
2007; a Final EIS is expected to be released in November of this year.
While rights-of-way are not prohibited within NCAs, the sponsor may want
to consider a minor boundary modification to exclude the proposed
corridor from the NCA.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of S. 3065, I will
be happy to answer any questions.

**Statement of**

**Henri Bisson, Deputy Director**

**Bureau of Land Management**

**United States Department of the Interior**

**Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee**

**Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests**

**S. 3069, Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act**

**July 16, 2008**

Thank you for inviting me to testify on S. 3069, the Eastern Sierra and
Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act. The designations included in S.
3069 are largely on National Forest System lands and we defer to the
Department of Agriculture on designations on lands predominantly under
their jurisdiction. The Department of the Interior supports the proposed
Wild & Scenic River designation on lands administered by the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) and, with modifications, the proposed Granite
Mountain Wilderness area to be managed by the BLM.

S. 3069 is a wide-ranging bill which designates nearly half a million
acres of wilderness, 52 miles of Wild & Scenic River, and a number of
special management areas in the Eastern Sierra region of California. We
will limit ourselves to a discussion of those designations directly
affecting BLM-managed lands, specifically the proposed Amargosa Wild &
Scenic River and the proposed Granite Mountain Wilderness, as well as
the release of several BLM-managed Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs).
Additionally, we will address those portions of the proposed White
Mountain Wilderness and John Muir Wilderness Additions that are managed
by the BLM.

The BLM supports that portion of section 6 of S. 3069 that designates
approximately 26 miles of the BLM-managed Armargosa River under the Wild
& Scenic Rivers Act. This designation is consistent with BLM planning
and has strong local backing. Five separate segments of the Amargosa are
designated including one wild segment, two scenic segments, and two
recreational segments. The Amargosa, known locally as the "Crown Jewel
of the Mojave Desert," is the only free-flowing river in the Death
Valley area and as such provides a rare and lush riparian space in the
desert. This proposed Wild & Scenic River designation is the result of a
grassroots community-based effort through cooperative conservation.

Section 3 of S. 3069 designates a number of areas as wilderness,
including one that is primarily on BLM-managed lands, and section 5
releases all or part of four BLM WSAs to a wider range of multiple uses.
The Department strongly supports Congressional efforts to resolve
wilderness designations throughout the West, and we welcome this
opportunity to further those efforts. Only Congress can determine
whether to designate WSAs as wilderness or release them for other uses.
We would like the opportunity to work with the sponsor and the Committee
on some technical modifications to the wilderness management language to
assure consistency.

The proposed 35,564 acre Granite Mountain Wilderness lies primarily on
BLM-managed lands (approximately 2,700 acres are within the Inyo
National Forest). This is an area of stunning vistas: to the northwest
is Mono Lake with a spectacular backdrop of the Great Basin, and the
Sierra Nevada range soars to the skyline with snowcapped peaks and
granite spires. Wildlife values are high and the area abounds with
raptor nesting sites and provides an intact natural corridor for deer
during critical seasonal migrations.

We support the designation and would like the opportunity to work with
the sponsor and the Committee on possible minor boundary adjustments to
ensure efficient manageability. In addition, we would like the
opportunity to prepare the map of the Granite Mountain Wilderness to be
referenced in the legislation.

The Department is concerned about ensuring that consideration is given
to energy potential when any legislative proposal for special
designation is considered. The BLM has reviewed the traditional and
renewable energy values of the DOI portions of the Granite Mountain
Wilderness proposed for designation and has determined that there is low
or no potential for energy development within the area.

The legislation also releases several WSAs and returns them to a wider
range of multiple public uses as prescribed in BLM's Bishop Resource
Management Plan. Specifically, the bill releases the 6,493 acre Masonic
Mountain WSA, the 7,721 acre Mormon Meadow WSA, the 12,840 acre Walford
Springs WSA, and those portions of the Granite Mountain WSA not
designated by this bill, approximately 22,481 acres. We support these
Congressional efforts to resolve WSA status. In addition, we recommend
the release of the 760 acres of the White Mountains WSA that are not
designated as wilderness by this bill.

Finally, S. 3069 designates as wilderness several areas of BLM-managed
land that are contiguous to much larger areas of National Forest System
lands designated as wilderness in this bill. The proposed 80,000-acre
John Muir Wilderness Additions include five small BLM parcels totaling
780 acres. The proposed 223,500-acre White Mountains Wilderness includes
five small BLM parcels totaling 1,200 acres on the western edge of the
proposed wilderness and one large 22,300 acre area on the eastern edge.
We defer to the Forest Service on the larger issue of designation of the
John Muir Wilderness Additions and the White Mountains Wilderness.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify on S. 3069 as it affects
BLM-managed lands. I'll be glad to answer any questions.

**Statement of**

**Henri Bisson, Deputy Director**

**Bureau of Land Management**

**United States Department of the Interior**

**Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee**

**Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests**

**S. 2354, Twin Falls, Idaho Land Conveyance**

**July 16, 2008**

Thank you for inviting me to testify on S. 2354. This legislation
directs the Secretary to convey without consideration approximately 165
acres of BLM public lands to the City of Twin Falls, Idaho, to be used
to improve water quality in the Snake River and enhance wildlife
habitat. We understand that the proposed conveyance is part of a broader
project that would accomplish important public purposes, and the
Department recognizes the vision and leadership of the City of Twin
Falls in developing this innovative and cooperative conservation effort.
The Department supports S. 2354. We would like the opportunity to work
with the sponsors on certain clarifying technical amendments.

**Background**

In 2002, the City of Twin Falls purchased about 520 acres of private
land within the Snake River Canyon in order to create a public park and
wildlife habitat with unique environmental and public benefits. The
land, known as Auger Falls, is located about two miles downstream of the
City's wastewater treatment plant, which daily discharges nearly 7
million gallons of treated wastewater into the Snake River. The treated
wastewater meets or exceeds Federal permit standards, but still contains
nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which tend to promote the
growth of mosses and other potentially harmful aquatic species within
the river. The proposed project would improve water quality in the Snake
River by constructing 53 acres of wetlands at Auger Falls. The treated
wastewater would be piped from the treatment plant to the wetlands,
where it will be filtered further by soils, aquatic plants, and
organisms, allowing cleaner water to return to the Snake River. The
City's project master plan envisions acquiring and incorporating 165
acres of adjacent BLM lands into the Auger Falls Project. The treated
wastewater would be used to establish riparian vegetation in the series
of wetlands and to create wildlife habitat throughout the combined 685
acre site. Public access would be provided to the entire area, and
hiking, wildlife viewing, environmental education and other dispersed
recreation activities would be made available and encouraged.

**S. 2354**

S. 2354 would convey to the City of Twin Falls, without consideration,
four parcels of BLM-managed land totaling approximately 165 acres. Under
the bill, the conveyed lands would be used to support public purposes
and could not be used for residential or commercial purposes, except for
a limited agricultural exemption to allow for water quality and wildlife
habitat improvements. The conveyed lands would revert to the United
States, at the discretion of the Secretary, if the lands identified were
no longer used in accordance with the purposes of the bill. The bill
also provides that the City of Twin Falls would pay all survey and
administrative costs necessary for the transfer, and that the conveyance
would be subject to valid existing rights.

The BLM lands identified for conveyance in S. 2354 are isolated parcels
surrounded by private or City-owned lands. Two of the parcels have no
legal public access. We note that among the valid existing rights on the
parcels are a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Water Power
Site Reservation (Project No. 565, IDI-15630), a FERC Power Project
Withdrawal (Project No. 6015, IDI-26589), and a United States Geological
Survey (USGS) Water Power Site Classification (Project No. 390,
IDI-15798). In accordance with Section 24 of the Federal Power Act,
patents issued for the conveyed lands must include a reservation to the
United States for potential future power site development. We understand
that FERC representatives have indicated the proposed transfer would
have minimal affect on the withdrawals, but we defer to FERC for its
views on this issue.

The Department supports the conveyance identified in S. 2354 because it
will help achieve important public purposes and is consistent with the
intent of the Recreation and Pubic Purposes Act. The bill would maintain
and potentially enhance the resource values on these lands, and we
understand it would also contribute to a broader effort that would
provide important public and environmental benefits. To confirm and
strengthen this understanding, we would like to work with the sponsors
to more fully describe the purpose of the conveyance in terms of the
specific goals of the Auger Falls Project. We would also like to work
with sponsors on certain technical amendments to clarify and facilitate
the conveyance process, including providing a map instead of legal
descriptions of the lands to be conveyed.

We appreciate the effort of the City of Twin Falls and the sponsors to
craft an innovative and cooperative conservation effort that will
provide wide-ranging benefits to public lands and the region's
environment.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify. I will be glad to answer
questions.

**Statement of**

**Henri Bisson, Deputy Director**

**Bureau of Land Management**

**U.S. Department of the Interior**

**Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee**

**Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests**

**S. 3085, the Cooperative Watershed Act of 2008**

**July 16, 2008**

Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, I am pleased to provide
the Department of the Interior's views on S. 3085, the Cooperative
Watershed Management Act of 2008. The Administration believes current
programs address some of the purposes of this bill and would like to
review its various programs with the sponsors; however, because of the
concerns outlined below, the Administration cannot support the bill.

This legislation would authorize \$199 million to provide grants to
create a new Cooperative Watershed Management Program (Program) that
would facilitate cooperative watershed management groups (Groups).
Participation in the Program would be subject to eligibility criteria,
and these Groups would be made up of a broad cross section of
stakeholders within a given watershed and include tribes and any federal
agencies with authority in the watershed, including the United States
Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, and the
Department of Commerce (through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration).

The legislation would require DOI, within one year of the legislation's
enactment, to establish an application process for which an eligible
entity would apply for a grant. S. 3085 also would require DOI to
establish criteria that would determine if a management entity was
eligible for a grant. S. 3085 also proposes implementing this program in
three separate phases. The first phase seeks to provide funding as a way
of increasing or establishing membership in the various management
groups, develop a mission statement for the group, and develop project
concepts. The second phase is designed to provide grants to eligible
management groups to conduct watershed management projects. Finally, the
legislation envisions a third phase that would enable management groups
that have completed the requirements of the second phase and
demonstrated demonstrable improvements in the functioning condition of
at least one river or stream in the watershed to receive multi-year
funding.

There are a multitude of groups of various forms with watershed
management interests. The groups are generally grass roots in nature and
structured to meet local needs. Interior agencies participate in and
support watershed groups as appropriate to their local jurisdiction.

The Department has several concerns with S. 3085. While grant funding as
in S. 3085 would benefit certain of these groups, implementation of this
bill would have to compete for funds with other ongoing federal
projects. Also, the Federal cost share commitment -- which can range
from 50 percent to 100 percent -- could leave the Federal government as
the primary source of funding for these watershed projects.

Furthermore, the Department's Water for America initiative contemplates
an increased role for Interior agencies working at the watershed level
with urban, rural, and agricultural water users to stretch existing
water supplies and carry out measures to protect endangered species at
high-risk watersheds, thereby averting water crises. The President's FY
2009 Budget included \$21.3 million for the Water for America
initiative.

In addition, the Department's Cooperative Conservation Enhancement Act
(S. 2231), introduced by Senator Bingaman on behalf of the
Administration, would among other things, authorizes grants and
cooperative agreements for funding up to 50% of the costs of planning,
designing, or constructing improvements for water conservation and use
purposes. The Department, through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
also provides financial support to implement the National Fish Habitat
Action Plan, a state-led investment strategy that fosters local and
regional partnerships, which mirror the watershed management groups
envisioned by S. 3085. S. 2231 also would clarify existing partnership
and cooperative agreement authorities while reducing administrative
barriers.

The Department is well aware of the challenges western water users are
facing as a result of drought and increased demand for limited water
resources. Further, we agree that many of the best solutions to the
challenges faced by individual watersheds come from the local level.
Toward resolving these problems, Interior agencies have subject matter
experts on the ground in these watersheds, and, Reclamation in
particular, are working with local entities to address short- and
long-term water challenges. We remain concerned, however, that the new
program would compete with existing funding for ongoing projects, and
could be duplicative of those efforts.

The Department understands the importance of continuing its coordination
and participation with local watershed groups and is continuing to
explore options that will provide significant benefits to the water
users and public. Thank you for the opportunity to present the
Department of the Interior's views on this legislation.