Rio Puerco Watershed Act of 1994

Summary: Rio Puerco Watershed Act of 1994 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to:  (1) establish a clearinghouse for research and information on the management of the Rio Puerco Watershed; and (2) provide support to the Rio Puerco Management Committee to identify objectives, coordinate implementation of best management practices, and monitor results concerning the watershed's management. Directs the Secretary to prepare a plan for the restoration of such watershed. 
Establishes the Rio Puerco Management Committee to:  (1) advise the Secretary on the development and implementation of the management program; and (2) serve as a forum of information concerning the watershed and implementation of best management practices. 
Directs the Secretary to:  (1) report to specified congressional committees on the implementation of this Act; and (2) study and report to such committees on the Rio Grande from Caballo Lake to the Gulf of Mexico. 
Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rio Puerco Watershed Act of 1994''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) over time, extensive ecological changes have occurred 
        in the Rio Puerco watershed, including--
                    (A) erosion of agricultural and range lands;
                    (B) impairment of waters due to heavy 
                sedimentation;
                    (C) reduced productivity of renewable resources;
                    (D) loss of biological diversity;
                    (E) loss of functioning riparian areas; and
                    (F) loss of available surface water;
            (2) damage to the watershed has seriously affected the 
        economic and cultural well-being of its inhabitants, 
        including--
                    (A) loss of existing communities that were based on 
                the land and were self-sustaining; and
                    (B) adverse effects on the traditions, customs, and 
                cultures of the affected communities;
            (3) a healthy and sustainable ecosystem is essential to the 
        long-term economic and cultural viability of the region;
            (4) the impairment of the Rio Puerco watershed has damaged 
        the ecological and economic well-being of the area below the 
        junction of the Rio Puerco with the Rio Grande including--
                    (A) disruption of ecological processes;
                    (B) water quality impairment;
                    (C) significant reduction in the water storage 
                capacity and life expectancy of the Elephant Butte Dam 
                and Reservoir system due to sedimentation;
                    (D) chronic problems of irrigation system channel 
                maintenance; and
                    (E) increased risk of flooding caused by sediment 
                accumulation;
            (5) the Rio Puerco is a major tributary of the Rio Grande 
        and the coordinated implementation of ecosystem-based best 
        management practices for the Rio Puerco system could benefit 
        the larger Rio Grande system;
            (6) the Rio Puerco watershed has been stressed from the 
        loss of native vegetation, introduction of exotic species, and 
        alteration of riparian habitat which have disrupted the 
        original dynamics of the river and disrupted natural ecological 
        processes;
            (7) the Rio Puerco watershed is a mosaic of private, 
        Federal, tribal trust, and State land ownership with diverse, 
        sometimes differing management objectives;
            (8) development, implementation, and monitoring of an 
        effective watershed management program for the Rio Puerco 
        watershed requires cooperation among--
                    (A) the Bureau of Land Management;
                    (B) the Rio Puerco Watershed Committee;
                    (C) the National Forest Service;
                    (D) the Pueblos of Acoma, Isleta, Jemez, and 
                Laguna;
                    (E) the Eastern and Canoncito Bands of the Navajo 
                nation;
                    (F) the Jicarilla Apache Tribe;
                    (G) the Bureau of Reclamation;
                    (H) the Geological Survey;
                    (I) the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
                    (J) the Fish and Wildlife Service;
                    (K) the Soil and Conservation Service;
                    (L) the Army Corps of Engineers;
                    (M) the National Park Service;
                    (N) the State of New Mexico;
                    (O) private landowners;
                    (P) local and regional governmental entities;
                    (Q) other interested citizens; and
                    (R) affected local soil and water conservation 
                districts;
            (9) the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 
        Director of the Bureau of Land Management, in consultation with 
        the entities listed in paragraph (7), and in cooperation with 
        the Rio Puerco Watershed Committee, is best suited to 
        coordinate management efforts in the Rio Puerco watershed; and
            (10) accelerating the pace of improvement in Rio Puerco 
        watershed on a coordinated, cooperative basis will benefit 
        persons living in the watershed as well as downstream users on 
        the Rio Grande.

SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 
Bureau of Land Management and in consultation with the Rio Puerco 
Management Committee established pursuant to section 4, shall--
            (1) establish a clearinghouse for research and information 
        on management within the Rio Puerco watershed, as described in 
        the attached map, including--
                    (A) current and historical natural resource 
                conditions;
                    (B) data concerning the extent and causes of 
                watershed impairment; and
                    (C) implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of 
                best management practices initiated within the 
                watershed; and
            (2) provide support to the Rio Puerco Management Committee 
        to identify objectives, coordinate implementation of best 
        management practices, and monitor results.
    (b) Rio Puerco Management Plan.--Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the 
Rio Puerco Management Committee, shall prepare a plan for the 
restoration of the Rio Puerco watershed. The plan shall--
            (1) identify reasonable and appropriate goals and 
        objectives for landowners and managers in the Rio Puerco 
        watershed;
            (2) describe potential alternative actions to meet the 
        goals and objectives, including proven best management 
        practices and costs associated with implementing the actions;
            (3) recommend voluntary implementation of appropriate best 
        management practices on both public and private lands;
            (4) provide for cooperative development of management 
        guidelines for maintaining and improving the ecological, 
        cultural, and economic conditions on both public and private 
        lands;
            (5) provide for the development of public participation and 
        community outreach programs that would include proposals for--
                    (A) cooperative efforts with private landowners to 
                encourage implementation of best management practices 
                within the watershed; and
                    (B) involving private citizens in restoring the 
                watershed;
            (6) provide for the development of proposals for voluntary 
        cooperative programs among the Rio Puerco Management Committee 
        membership to implement best management practices in a 
        coordinated, consistent, and cost-effective manner;
            (7) provide for the encouragement and support 
        implementation of best management practices on private lands; 
        and
            (8) provide for the development of proposals for a 
        monitoring system that--
                    (A) builds upon existing data available from 
                private, Federal, and State sources;
                    (B) provides for the coordinated collection, 
                evaluation, and interpretation of additional data as 
                needed or collected; and
                    (C) will provide information to--
                            (i) assess existing resource and 
                        socioeconomic conditions;
                            (ii) identify priority implementation 
                        actions; and
                            (iii) assess the effectiveness of actions 
                        taken.
    (c) Additional Assistance.--If the Secretary of the Interior 
determines that employment of additional personnel is necessary to 
carry out this Act, the Secretary shall, where feasible, employ 
individuals who reside in the vicinity of the Rio Puerco watershed 
restoration area.

SEC. 4. RIO PUERCO MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the Rio Puerco Management 
Committee (referred to in this section as the ``Committee'').
    (b) Membership.--The Committee shall be convened by a 
representative of the Bureau of Land Management, and shall include 
representatives from--
            (1) the Rio Puerco Watershed Committee;
            (2) affected tribes and pueblos;
            (3) the National Forest Service of the Department of 
        Agriculture;
            (4) the Bureau of Reclamation;
            (5) the Geological Survey;
            (6) the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
            (7) the Fish and Wildlife Service;
            (8) the Army Corps of Engineers;
            (9) the Soil and Conservation Service of the Department of 
        Agriculture;
            (10) the State of New Mexico, including the New Mexico 
        Environment Department and the State Engineer;
            (11) affected local Soil and Water Conservation Districts;
            (12) the Elephant Butte Irrigation District;
            (13) private landowners; and
            (14) other interested citizens.
    (c) Duties.--The Rio Puerco Management Committee shall--
            (1) advise the Secretary of the Interior, acting through 
        the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, on the 
        development and implementation of the Rio Puerco Management 
        Program described in section 3; and
            (2) serve as a forum for information about activities that 
        may affect or further the development and implementation of the 
        best management practices described in section 3.

SEC. 5. REPORT.

    Two years after the date of enactment of this Act, and biennially 
thereafter, the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Rio 
Puerco Management Committee, shall transmit to the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources of the Senate and to the Committee on Natural 
Resources of the House of Representatives a report containing--
            (1) a summary of accomplishments as outlined in section 3; 
        and
            (2) proposals for joint implementation efforts, including 
        funding recommendations.

SEC. 6. LOWER RIO GRANDE HABITAT STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 
Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service shall, in cooperation with 
the States of New Mexico and Texas, conduct a study of the Rio Grande 
from Caballo Lake to the Gulf of Mexico. The study shall include--
            (1) a survey of the current habitat conditions of the river 
        and its riparian environment;
            (2) identification of the changes in vegetation and habitat 
        over the past 400 years and the affect of the changes on the 
        river and riparian area; and
            (3) an assessment of the feasibility, benefits, and 
        problems associated with activities to prevent further habitat 
        loss and restoration of habitat through reintroduction or 
        establishment of appropriate native plant species.
    (b) Transmittal.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which 
funds are made available to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall 
transmit the study authorized by this section to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and to the Committee on 
Natural Resources of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this Act, and to implement the plan prepared pursuant to 
section 3(b).