I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3570
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
DECEMBER 20, 2001
Mr. BEREUTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure, 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 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 Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lewis and Clark Voy-
age of Scientific Discovery Act’’.
SEC. 2. 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 River Studies Center of the Biological Resources
Division of the United States Geological Survey, located
in Columbia, Missouri—
(1) to determine and monitor the biological and
chemical characteristics of the Missouri River;
(2) to determine and monitor the interrelation-
ship 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 Missouri 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 Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency; and
(6) the Missouri River Basin Tribes.
(c) ACTIVITIES.—The program under subsection (b)
shall provide scientific information to—
(1) guide operation and management of the
Missouri River; and
(2) measure and model the impact of manage-
ment alternatives through—
(A) monitoring of biota, including threat-
ened or endangered species, habitats, and water
quality;
(B) focused investigations of cause and ef-
fect relationships; and
(C) identification and evaluation of meth-
ods to conserve fish and wildlife, including
threatened and endangered species.
(d) BASELINE.—The program under subsection (b)
shall establish a baseline of conditions against which fu-
ture activities can be measured.
(e) DATABASE.—The Secretary of the Interior
shall—
the Secretary of the Interior and the affected State Gov-
ernments.
(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 2002;
(B) $8,500,000 for fiscal year 2003; and
(C) $15,100,000 for each of fiscal years
2004 through 2016.
(2) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—Funding of the
program shall be implemented in the following man-
ner:
(A) Not more than the following percent-
age of the funds available shall be directed to
the River Studies Center of the Biological Re-
sources Division of the United States Geological
Survey, located in Columbia, Missouri:
(i) 25 percent in fiscal year 2002
(ii) 40 perccent in fiscal year 2003
(iii) 65 percent in fiscal years after
2003.
At least 50 percent of such funds shall be di-
rected to the River Studies Center in fiscal
years after 2003.
(B) The remaining funds shall be made
available to State fish and wildlife agencies in
the Missouri River basin to conduct monitoring
activities designed to enhance and supplement
existing scientific knowledge of the Missouri
River system.
(3) THREATENED
AND
ENDANGERED
SPE-
CIES.—Of the amounts made available under para-
graph (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 Missouri
River fish and wildlife to monitor and conduct fo-
cused investigations of endangered fish, including
pallid sturgeon response to main stem reservoir op-
erations.
(4) STATE AGENCY FUNDING.—Funds author-
ized to be appropriated under this section shall be
made available as necessary to contract with the
State agencies with jurisdiction for Missouri River
fish and wildlife to collect field data and support
field operations for the monitoring component of the
program.
(5) FUNDING OF FOCUSED INVESTIGATIONS.—
The focused investigations component of the pro-
gram established under this section shall be funded
using a competitive process. Each year, the directors
of the State fish and game agencies with jurisdiction
for Missouri River fish and wildlife, in consultation
with the Secretary of the Interior, and the entities
listed under section 2(b)(1), shall prioritize informa-
tion needs and issue a request for proposals to
State, Federal, for-profit, and not-for-profit organi-
zations with Missouri River interest and expertise.
The directors and the Secretary shall review and se-
lect those proposals to be funded.
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