Dalles Watershed Development Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 655) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain Federal land to the City of The Dalles, Oregon, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 655, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 655, sponsored by my colleague, Representative Bentz.

This straightforward legislation would transfer 150 acres of U.S. Forest Service land to the City of The Dalles, Oregon.

The area encompassed by the legislation includes a dam and reservoir that the City currently operates under a special use permit from the Forest Service.

The Crow Creek Reservoir, located in the Mount Hood National Forest, is key to providing clean water for drinking, residential, and commercial uses in The Dalles. In fact, the existing infrastructure provides 80 percent of the City's annual water supply.

However, in order to access and maintain this critical water infrastructure, the City must perpetually reapply for special use permits from the Forest Service, a time-consuming and expensive process.

In addition to wasting time and personnel resources, the renewal process is estimated to cost the City at least $150,000.

Between 2010 and 2020, the population of The Dalles increased by more than 11 percent. To address the needs of its current and future population, the City plans to increase the Crow Creek Reservoir's capacity from 900 to 3,000 acre-feet. Allowing the City to take full ownership of the land within the reservoir's watershed will allow local leaders to move ahead with planned capacity and safety improvements to the Crow Creek Reservoir without running into red tape and wasting taxpayer money.

This is a fiscally responsible bill that will cut costs for the local community and for the Forest Service. A land transfer will allow the City to advance upgrades to the Crow Creek Reservoir. H.R. 655 is a simple, practical step that saves money immediately and decreases costs over time by shrinking the Federal estate.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Bentz for his leadership on this issue and for his steadfast work on behalf of his constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 655, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Bentz), the lead sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will eliminate the City's need to reapply for a special use permit to access land within its own municipal watershed and allow local leaders to move forward with a vital expansion of its reservoir capacity, which is necessary to serve its growing population.

Expanding the City's water supply will support the growing number of businesses and families that call The Dalles home. This legislation is straightforward, timely, returns power to local government, and saves taxpayer money. I thank Representative Bentz for sponsoring this critical measure.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 655, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 655, the Dalles Watershed Development Act.

The City of The Dalles, located in my district, depends on its municipal watershed for almost all of its supply of drinking water. Protecting and managing this watershed is vital to the health, safety, and future of The Dalles community.

Today, that task is complicated by the fact that critical infrastructure, the Crow Creek Reservoir and the surrounding timbered area, is located on both City-owned and federally managed Forest Service lands.

The City operates these facilities under a special use permit, which is inefficient and costly and limits the City's ability to expeditiously expand and modernize this water supply.

The City of The Dalles is a growing City. It is an important City, and it is one that deserves this kind of help and attention. I am happy to bring this bill to achieve this purpose.

This bill offers a practical solution by transferring 150 acres of Forest Service land within the watershed of the City into the City's ownership. This transfer will allow the City of The Dalles to officially upgrade the Crow Creek Dam, increase its reservoir capacity by 2,100 acre-feet, eliminate the need for ongoing special use permits with Forest Service, and allow implementation of a comprehensive watershed management strategy. We would also save tens of thousands of dollars in administrative costs for both the City and the Forest Service.

Mr. Speaker, this is a narrowly tailored, community-driven proposal that directly supports clean water, public safety, economic growth, and good government.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chair Westerman and the members of the committee for their support of this bill, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 655.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 655, the Dalles Watershed Development Act, introduced by my colleague from the Pacific Northwest, Representative Bentz from Oregon.

This bill would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey approximately 150 acres of Federal land in the Mount Hood National Forest to the City of The Dalles, Oregon.

This land is vital to the City's watershed and supports roughly 80 percent of its annual water supply. Local ownership of this land will allow the City to better manage its water resources, protect water quality, and plan for future water infrastructure.

Under the bill, the land transfer would occur at no cost to the City and be subject to valid existing rights.

The City would cover the administrative expenses of the conveyance, including surveying, and the conveyance would be executed by quitclaim deed.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority for working with us to include language that guarantees the property is used by the City for the public in perpetuity. With this important update, the legislation offers a practical, bipartisan solution to address clear infrastructure need and to adapt to a changing climate in which water resources are becoming more and more scarce. I thank Representative Bentz for his leadership on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 655, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.