Rio Grande Natural Area Act

Bill: 108-s-1467
Sponsor: Sen. Campbell, Ben Nighthorse [R-CO]
Introduced: 2003-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Animals
Archaeology
Arts, Culture, Religion
Colorado
Commemorations
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Cultural property
Dams
Environmental Protection
Environmental assessment
Federal advisory bodies
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Habitat conservation
Historic sites
History
Infrastructure
Land transfers
Land use
Landowners
Landscape protection
Law
Licenses
Motor vehicles
Natural areas
Outdoor recreation
Planning
Research natural areas
Reservoirs
Restoration ecology
Roads and highways
Sports and Recreation
Transportation and Public Works
Water Resources Development
Water rights
Wildlife conservation

Summary:
action_date: 2003-07-25
text: 
Rio Grande Outstanding Natural Area Act - Establishes the Rio Grande Outstanding Natural Area, which shall consist of specified land along the Rio Grande River in southern Colorado from the southern boundary of the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge to the Colorado-New Mexico State line, encompassing the River and its adjacent riparian areas.
 
Establishes the Rio Grande Outstanding Natural Area Commission to assist Federal, State, and local authorities in the development and implementation of an integrated resource management plan for the Area, which shall coordinate existing Federal, State, and local plans. Directs the Commission, upon approval of the plan by the Secretary of the Interior, to assist the Secretary in implementing the plan by taking steps to preserve and interpret the natural resources of the Area and its surrounding area. Provides that the plan will be binding on private lands within the Area only if the landowner agrees. Permits the Secretary to acquire land within the Area from willing sellers only.
 
Terminates the Commission ten years and six months after the enactment of this Act.
 

 

 
Prohibits the Secretary or any other Federal agency from approving or issuing any permit or providing any assistance for construction of any new dam, reservoir, or impoundment on any segment of the Rio Grande River or its tributaries within the Area's exterior boundaries.
 
Revokes all reservations of public lands within the Area for Federal purposes that have been made by an Act of Congress or executive order and restores such lands to public land status. Withdraws all public lands within the Area from settlement, sale, location, entry, or disposal under public land laws. 
 
Prohibits any Area land or water from being designated as a wild, scenic, or recreational river.

action_date: 2004-07-13
text: 
Rio Grande Natural Area Act - (Sec. 3) Establishes the Rio Grande Natural Area in Colorado (which shall include the Rio Grande River from the southern boundary of the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge to the New Mexico State border, extending 1/4 mile on either side of the bank of the River) to conserve, restore, and protect the natural, historic, cultural, scientific, scenic, wildlife, and recreational resources of the Area.
 
(Sec. 4) Establishes the Rio Grande Natural Area Commission to: (1) advise the Secretary of the Interior with respect to the Area; and (2) prepare a management plan relating to non-Federal land in the Area.
 
(Sec. 5) Sets forth provisions governing the powers of the Commission, including authorizing the Commission to enter into cooperative agreements for purposes of carrying out such management plan on non-Federal land in the Area. Prohibits the Commission from acquiring any real property or interest in real property. 
 
Directs the Commission to assist the Secretary in implementing such management plan by carrying out authorized activities to preserve and interpret the Area's natural, historic, cultural, scientific, scenic, wildlife, and recreational resources which include allowing the Commission to: (1) assist the State of Colorado in preserving State land and wildlife within the Area; (2) encourage the political subdivisions of the State to adopt and implement land use policies that are consistent with the Area's management and such management plan; and (3) encourage and assist private landowners in the Area in the implementation of the management plan.
 
(Sec. 6) Directs the Secretary to prepare a management plan relating to the management of Federal land in the Area. Requires the Commission to submit its management plan for the management of the non-Federal land in the Area to the Secretary for approval or disapproval. Instructs the Secretary and the Commission to cooperate to ensure that the management plans are consistent.
 
Sets forth specified requirements regarding the preparation of the management plans. Requires the Secretary to publish notice of such plans in the Federal Register.
 
(Sec. 7) Requires the Secretary to administer the Federal land in the Area in accordance with the laws applicable to public land and the management plan for such land and in a manner that provides for: (1) the purposes described in this Act; (2) the continued use of the Area for education, scientific study, and limited public recreation purposes in a manner that does not substantially impair the purposes for which the Area was established; (3) the protection of the wildlife habitat of the Area; (4) a prohibition on the construction of water storage facilities in the Area; and (5) the reduction in the use or removal of roads in the Area and the reduction in or prohibition against the use of motorized vehicles in the Area, including the removal of roads and a prohibition against motorized use on Federal land in the area on the western side of the Rio Grande River from Lobatos Bridge south to the New Mexico State line.
 
Encourages the Secretary to negotiate with the State, the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, and affected water users in the State to determine if changes in the streamflow that are beneficial to the Area may be accommodated.
 
Applies the management plan for the non-Federal land to private land in the Area only if the private landowner agrees to be bound by such plan.
 
Withdraws all Federal land in the Area from: (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) disposition under the mineral leasing laws (including geothermal leasing laws). 
 
Permits the Secretary to acquire land or an interest in land within the Area from willing sellers. Requires any acquired land or interest to be administered in accordance with the management plan for the Federal land and this Act.
 
Prohibits applying to the Area Wild and Scenic Rivers Act requirements that Federal agencies consider potential national wild, scenic, and recreational river areas in planning for the use and development of water and related land resources.
 
(Sec. 8) States that nothing in this Act: (1) amends, modifies, or is in conflict with the Rio Grande Compact; (2) authorizes the regulation of private land in the Area; (3) authorizes the imposition of any mandatory streamflow requirements; (4) creates an express or implied Federal reserved water right; (5) imposes any Federal water quality standard within or upstream of the Area that is more restrictive than would be applicable had the Area not been established; or (6) prevents the State from acquiring an instream flow through the Area under the terms, conditions, and limitation of State law to assist in protecting the natural environment to the extent and for the purposes authorized by State law.
 
(Sec. 9) Authorizes appropriations.
 
(Sec. 10) Terminates the Commission ten years after the enactment of this Act.

action_date: 2004-09-15
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on July 13, 2004. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Rio Grande Natural Area Act - (Sec. 3) Establishes the Rio Grande Natural Area in Colorado (which shall include the Rio Grande River from the southern boundary of the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge to the New Mexico State border, extending 1/4 mile on either side of the bank of the River) to conserve, restore, and protect the natural, historic, cultural, scientific, scenic, wildlife, and recreational resources of the Area.
 
(Sec. 4) Establishes the Rio Grande Natural Area Commission to: (1) advise the Secretary of the Interior with respect to the Area; and (2) prepare a management plan relating to non-Federal land in the Area.
 
(Sec. 5) Sets forth provisions governing the powers of the Commission, including authorizing the Commission to enter into cooperative agreements for purposes of carrying out such management plan on non-Federal land in the Area. Prohibits the Commission from acquiring any real property or interest in real property. 
 
Directs the Commission to assist the Secretary in implementing such management plan by carrying out authorized activities to preserve and interpret the Area's natural, historic, cultural, scientific, scenic, wildlife, and recreational resources which include allowing the Commission to: (1) assist the State of Colorado in preserving State land and wildlife within the Area; (2) encourage the political subdivisions of the State to adopt and implement land use policies that are consistent with the Area's management and such management plan; and (3) encourage and assist private landowners in the Area in the implementation of the management plan.
 
(Sec. 6) Directs the Secretary to prepare a management plan relating to the management of Federal land in the Area. Requires the Commission to submit its management plan for the management of the non-Federal land in the Area to the Secretary for approval or disapproval. Instructs the Secretary and the Commission to cooperate to ensure that the management plans are consistent.
 
Sets forth specified requirements regarding the preparation of the management plans. Requires the Secretary to publish notice of such plans in the Federal Register.
 
(Sec. 7) Requires the Secretary to administer the Federal land in the Area in accordance with the laws applicable to public land and the management plan for such land and in a manner that provides for: (1) the purposes described in this Act; (2) the continued use of the Area for education, scientific study, and limited public recreation purposes in a manner that does not substantially impair the purposes for which the Area was established; (3) the protection of the wildlife habitat of the Area; (4) a prohibition on the construction of water storage facilities in the Area; and (5) the reduction in the use or removal of roads in the Area and the reduction in or prohibition against the use of motorized vehicles in the Area, including the removal of roads and a prohibition against motorized use on Federal land in the area on the western side of the Rio Grande River from Lobatos Bridge south to the New Mexico State line.
 
Encourages the Secretary to negotiate with the State, the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, and affected water users in the State to determine if changes in the streamflow that are beneficial to the Area may be accommodated.
 
Applies the management plan for the non-Federal land to private land in the Area only if the private landowner agrees to be bound by such plan.
 
Withdraws all Federal land in the Area from: (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) disposition under the mineral leasing laws (including geothermal leasing laws). 
 
Permits the Secretary to acquire land or an interest in land within the Area from willing sellers. Requires any acquired land or interest to be administered in accordance with the management plan for the Federal land and this Act.
 
Prohibits applying to the Area Wild and Scenic Rivers Act requirements that Federal agencies consider potential national wild, scenic, and recreational river areas in planning for the use and development of water and related land resources.
 
(Sec. 8) States that nothing in this Act: (1) amends, modifies, or is in conflict with the Rio Grande Compact; (2) authorizes the regulation of private land in the Area; (3) authorizes the imposition of any mandatory streamflow requirements; (4) creates an express or implied Federal reserved water right; (5) imposes any Federal water quality standard within or upstream of the Area that is more restrictive than would be applicable had the Area not been established; or (6) prevents the State from acquiring an instream flow through the Area under the terms, conditions, and limitation of State law to assist in protecting the natural environment to the extent and for the purposes authorized by State law.
 
(Sec. 9) Authorizes appropriations.
 
(Sec. 10) Terminates the Commission ten years after the enactment of this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-09-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands.
action_date: 2004-09-17
text: Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
action_date: 2004-09-17
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2004-09-17
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2004-09-15
text: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S9344-9347; text as passed Senate: CR S9344-9347)
action_date: 2004-09-15
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S9344-9347; text as passed Senate: CR S9344-9347)
action_date: 2004-07-13
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 627.
action_date: 2004-07-13
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Domenici with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 108-303.
action_date: 2004-07-13
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Domenici with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 108-303.
action_date: 2004-06-16
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2003-11-18
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 108-321.
action_date: 2003-07-28
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10055)
action_date: 2003-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR 7/28/2003 S10055-10057)
action_date: 2003-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate