II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4190 

To authorize the Director of the United States Geological Survey to establish 

a regional program to assess, monitor, and benefit the hydrology of 

saline lakes in the Great Basin and the migratory birds and other 

wildlife dependent on those habitats, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 2, 2020 

Mr. MERKLEY (for himself and Mr. ROMNEY) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 

Public Works 

A BILL 

To authorize the Director of the United States Geological 

Survey to establish a regional program to assess, monitor, and benefit the hydrology of saline lakes in the 

Great Basin and the migratory birds and other wildlife 

dependent on those habitats, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Saline Lake Eco5 systems in the Great Basin States Program Act of 2020’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. SALINE LAKE ECOSYSTEMS IN THE GREAT BASIN 

2 STATES ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING PRO3 GRAM. 

4 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

5 (1) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means 

6 the Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin 

7 States Assessment and Monitoring Program estab8 lished under subsection (b). 

9 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

10 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di11 rector of the United States Geological Survey. 

12 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 

13 a Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States As14 sessment and Monitoring Program to assess and monitor 

15 the hydrology of saline lake ecosystems in the Great Basin 

16 and the migratory birds and other wildlife that depend on 

17 those ecosystems to inform and support coordinated man18 agement and conservation actions to benefit those eco19 systems, migratory birds, and other wildlife. 

20 (c) WORK AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Under the Program, the 

22 Secretary, in coordination with the Director of the 

23 United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the en24 tities described in paragraph (2), shall establish a 

25 multiyear work and implementation plan to assess, 

26 monitor, and conserve saline lake ecosystems in the 


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1 Great Basin and the migratory birds and other wild2 life that depend on those ecosystems. 

3 (2) COORDINATING ENTITIES.—The entities re4 ferred to in paragraph (1) include— 

5 (A) Federal, State, Tribal, and local agen6 cies; 

7 (B) institutions of higher education; 

8 (C) nonprofit organizations; and 

9 (D) other local stakeholders. 

10 (3) INCLUSIONS.—The work and implementa11 tion plan established under paragraph (1) shall in12 clude— 

13 (A) a synthesis of available information, 

14 literature, and data, and an assessment of sci15 entific and informational needs, relating to— 

16 (i) water quantity, water quality, 

17 water use, and water demand; 

18 (ii) migratory bird and other wildlife 

19 populations, habitats, and ecology; 

20 (iii) annual lifecycle needs of migra21 tory birds; and 

22 (iv) environmental changes and other 

23 stressors, including climatic stressors; 

24 (B) a description of how the plan should 

25 be implemented to address the scientific and inVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:35 Jul 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4190.IS S4190

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1 formational needs described in subparagraph 

2 (A), including proposed activities, such as moni3 toring, data infrastructure needs, and develop4 ment of tools necessary to implement the Pro5 gram; 

6 (C) recommendations and a cost assess7 ment for the implementation of the plan; and 

8 (D) such other matters as the Secretary 

9 determines to be appropriate. 

10 (4) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 

11 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

12 submit to Congress a report describing the work and 

13 implementation plan established under paragraph 

14 (1). 

15 (d) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary shall imple16 ment the Program based on the information, findings, and 

17 recommendations contained in the work and implementa18 tion plan established under subsection (c). 

19 (e) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS AND GRANTS.— 

20 Using such sums as the Secretary considers to be appro21 priate of amounts made available for each fiscal year 

22 under subsection (f), the Secretary may enter into cooper23 ative funding agreements with, or provide grants to, enti24 ties described in subsection (c)(2) for the purposes of— 


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1 (1) participating in developing, or providing in2 formation to inform the development of, the work 

3 and implementation plan under subsection (c); 

4 (2) carrying out assessments and monitoring of 

5 water quality, quantity, use, and demand under the 

6 Program; and 

7 (3) carrying out ecological, biological, and avian 

8 assessments and monitoring under the Program. 

9 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

10 authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Program 

11 $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2026. 

Æ 


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