Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5001, ``the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act'' which extends through FY2024 the authority of the Department of the Interior to implement construction of facilities for the endangered fish recovery programs for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River basins. The bill also extends through FY2022 the deadline for the submission of the report on the recovery implementation programs.

The Upper Colorado River Basin is home to 14 native fish species, including the endangered humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker. These endangered fish are found only in the Colorado River system.

The Recovery Program is a unique partnership of local, state, and federal agencies, water and power interests, and environmental groups working to recover endangered fish in the Upper Colorado River Basin while water development proceeds in accordance with federal and state laws and interstate compacts.

The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program was first established in 1988 to help bring four species of endangered fish back from the brink of extinction: the humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker.

This bill will protect those 14 endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin and allow critical water infrastructure projects to continue.

The Colorado River provides water to nearly 40 million people, flows through 9 National Parks, and drives a $1.4 trillion economy. If the Colorado River basin were a country, it would be the world's 7th largest by economic output.

On average, 90 percent of streamflow in the Colorado River Basin originates in the Upper

Basin, which is the area above Lees Ferry, Arizona. This water has a multitude of uses that include irrigation, municipal and industrial purposes, mining activities, recreation, and supporting habitat for livestock, fish and wildlife.

The Colorado River Basin also has an immense capacity to generate hydropower. Hundreds of hydroelectric dams along the river's main stem and tributaries have a combined generating capacity of approximately 4,178 megawatts, making it part of the solution for combatting climate change.

But the river is stretched to its limit. Climate change and increasing water demand due to an expanding population is and will continue present significant challenges that if left unaddressed, will impact regional and national economies, degrade the environment, challenge agricultural heritage and food production, and limit recreational opportunities from fishing and boating to skiing.

Protecting this river basin and its biodiversity is therefore of the utmost importance. Without its biodiversity, this river basin will be thrown out of equilibrium and cease to function and subsequently provide as it has for centuries.

This would create a humanitarian disaster for 40 million people and economic disaster for countless more, in addition to the loss of incomparable natural beauty and endangered life.

However, under the leadership of Secretary Deb Haaland, whom I hold in the highest regard, I am certain that these 14 species of fish and in turn the Colorado River Basin can be saved, averting unquestionable disaster for millions.

This Act is common sense, bipartisan, and ultimately needed legislation that I am proud to support. It is for that reason that I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5001, The Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5001, the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act. This bipartisan bill would reauthorize and extend critical endangered fish recovery programs in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program was first established in the 1980s to help bring four species of endangered fish back from the brink of extinction, while continuing existing water development and ensuring compliance with the Endangered Species Act.

The San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program was established in 1992, and similarly works to protect these endangered fish in the San Juan River sub-basin, a part of the larger Upper Colorado River Basin.

These programs are unique collaborative efforts between local, state and Tribal officials, federal agencies, water and power interests, and environmental groups--all working together to recover these endangered species, preserve ecosystems, and maintain water development.

These four species of fish are only found in the Colorado River Basin--making the work of the recovery partners crucial to their recovery. Both programs work collaboratively for the recovery of these species, and have become models for their collaborative conservation efforts to protect endangered species.

Last year, one of the endangered species in the Upper Colorado River Basin--the humpback chub--was moved from endangered to threatened status due to the many years of effort from this partnership. Another species--the razorback sucker--was also proposed for delisting last summer, resulting from the actions of the recovery programs and their partners over the past 30 years.

My bill would reauthorize these critical programs through 2024 and extend current reporting deadlines for the Recovery Programs.

Extending the program authorization an additional year allows federal partners to include funding for the programs in their three-year budgetary planning cycle, and does not raise the cost ceiling for the current programs.

The bill also provides an extension of reporting requirements for the recovery programs--as requested by the program partners--to account for challenges and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am glad to have the support of several of my colleagues from these states as cosponsors on this effort, along with the support of local and state officials across the Upper Colorado River Basin.

The technical amendments my bill makes are necessary to preserve the functioning of these successful programs, and ensure the programs are able to continue to operate smoothly for an additional year.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5001) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to continue to implement endangered fish recovery programs for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5001, introduced by my Natural Resources Committee colleague, Representative Joe Neguse of Colorado. This bipartisan bill will reauthorize two programs that are working to recover threatened and endangered fish in the Upper Colorado River Basin.

This legislation will continue the collaboration work of Tribes, water users, environmental groups, local utilities, and State and Federal agencies that are partnering to recover four fish species currently listed under the Endangered Species Act as either threatened or endangered.

These programs provide Endangered Species Act compliance for projects that use water resources from the San Juan River and Upper Colorado River Basins, so that these rare native fish can be recovered while human water use can continue.

With the conservation actions undertaken through the recovery programs, one fish was downlisted from endangered to threatened last year, and another fish is under consideration for downlisting to threatened as well. This good work is important, and it should continue.

I want to commend my colleague, the chair of the National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee, Representative Neguse, for his leadership on this bill.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it is good to know that the ranking member has a weakness, and so we are going to put razorback in every piece of legislation from now on.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 5001 would extend the Upper Colorado and San Juan recovery implementation programs and their reporting requirements for an additional year.

The programs provide Endangered Species Act compliance for more than 2,500 water and power projects that withdraw more than 3.7 million-acre feet of water for human needs.

The program's goals are to recover four endangered fish species while continuing facility operations with the ultimate goal of species delisting. Last year, the Fish and Wildlife Service reclassified one of these species, the humpback chub, from endangered to threatened, and proposed a similar reclassification for the razorback sucker.

Madam Speaker, if it has razorback in the name, it has to be important, and we need to take care of it.

Current law required the Secretary of the Interior to submit a report to Congress by September 30, 2021, on recommendations for the programs post 2023. Unfortunately, the Department of the Interior failed to meet this deadline. As such we are here today extending the programs by 1 year in order to give the administration enough time to complete the report.

While I support the extension today, I want to be clear that any further extension of the programs will require an in-depth discussion of the programs' goals, achievements, and administrative overhead costs.

In closing, Madam Speaker, again, I support this bill, I support the razorback sucker, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, I was unable to vote on Roll Call vote No. 72: Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 5001, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to continue to implement endangered fish recovery programs for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins, and for the other purposes. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''