House Passes Platte River Legislation

Press Release

HOUSE PASSES PLATTE RIVER LEGISLATION

The House yesterday passed legislation to implement the federal share of the Platte River recovery implementation plan as part of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (S. 2739). The bill has passed both houses of Congress and will now go to the President for signing.

"Access to water is very important in the Platte River region, but we must also be mindful of threatened and endangered species in the area when creating methods for water use," said Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson. "This legislation will ensure that the water in this region is used responsibly and effectively."

In late 2006 the Governors of Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming and the Department of Interior signed the final program agreement after working together since 1997 to develop a recovery plan that benefits certain species yet allows continued water use and development along the Platte.

S. 752 - passed out of the committee as HR 1462 - will authorize the Secretary of Interior to proceed with the program and includes $157 million to carry it out. The cost will be shared 50/50 by the states and federal government. Through the program the states will provide benefits for the endangered and threatened species as well as land, water, and scientific monitoring and research to evaluate benefits of the program.

The Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 also includes legislation that authorizes a 10 year annual $100,000 stipend to the non-profit M.R.B. Lewis and Clark Interpretive Trails and Visitor Center Foundation, Inc. to develop and stabilize the Missouri River Basin Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Nebraska City. This is a substantial savings to the National Park Service, which currently owns the building and visitor's site; they support the transfer of the Center to the locally based Foundation. Senator Nelson championed this measure from its beginning and was instrumental in getting it included in the bill.

The Senate sponsors of the legislation were United States Senators Ben Nelson, Wayne Allard, Ken Salazar and Chuck Hagel.

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