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(3) a healthy and sustainable ecosystem is essen-
tial to the long-term economic and cultural viability
of the region;
(4) the impairment of the Rio Puerco watershed
has caused damage to 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 stor-
age capacity and life expectancy of the Elephant
Butte Dam and Reservoir system due to sedi-
mentation;
(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 ex-
otic species, and alteration of riparian habitat which
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have disrupted the original dynamics of the river and
disrupted natural ecological processes;
(7) the Rio Puerco watershed is a mosaic of pri-
vate, Federal, tribal trust, and State land ownership
with diverse, sometimes differing management objec-
tives;
(8) development, implementation, and monitor-
ing of an effective watershed management program
for the Rio Puerco watershed is best achieved through
cooperation among affected Federal, State, local, and
tribal entities;
(9) the Secretary of the Interior, acting through
the Director of the bureau of Land Management, in
consultation with Federal, State, local, and tribal en-
titles and in cooperation with the Rio Puerco Water-
shed Committee, is best suited to coordinate manage-
ment efforts in the Rio Puerco Watershed; and
(10) accelerating the pace of improvement in the
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. 2502. MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior, act-
ing through the Director of the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment shall—
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(1) in consultation with the Rio Puerco Manage-
ment Committee established by section 2503—
(A) establish a clearinghouse for research
and information on management within the area
identified as the Rio Puerco Drainage Basin, as
depicted on the map entitled ‘‘the Rio Puerco
Watershed’’ dated June 1994, including—
(i) current and historical natural re-
source conditions; and
(ii) data concerning the extent and
causes of watershed impairment; and
(B) establish an inventory of best manage-
ment practices and related monitoring activities
that have been or may be implemented within
the area identified as the Rio Puerco Watershed
Project, as depicted on the map entitled ‘‘the Rio
Puerco Watershed’’ dated June 1994; and
(2) provide support to the Rio Puerco Manage-
ment Committee to identify objectives, monitor results
of ongoing projects, and develop alternative watershed
management plans for the Rio Puerco Drainage
Basin, based on best management practices.
(b) RIO PUERCO MANAGEMENT REPORT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the
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Interior, in consultation with the Rio Puerco Man-
agement Committee, shall prepare a report for the im-
provement of watershed conditions in the Rio Puerco
Drainage Basin described in subsection (a)(1).
(2) CONTENTS.—The report under paragraph (1)
shall—
(A) identify reasonable and appropriate
goals and objectives for landowners and man-
agers in the Rio Puerco watershed;
(B) describe potential alternative actions to
meet the goals and objectives, including proven
best management practices and costs associated
with implementing the actions;
(C) recommend voluntary implementation
of appropriate best management practices on
public and private lands;
(D) provide for cooperative development of
management guidelines for maintaining and im-
proving the ecological, cultural, and economic
conditions on public and private lands;
(E) provide for the development of public
participation and community outreach programs
that would include proposals for—
(i) cooperative efforts with private
landowners to encourage implementation of