To further the purposes of the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 by directing the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to carry out an assessment and demonstration program to assess potential increases in water availability for Bureau of Reclamation projects and other uses through control of salt cedar and Russian olive.

July 31 (legislative day, JULY 21), 2003

Mr. DOMENICI (for himself and Mr. CAMPBELL) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

To further the purposes of the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 by directing the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to carry out an assessment and demonstration program to assess potential increases in water availability for Bureau of Reclamation projects and other uses through control of salt cedar and Russian olive.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Salt Cedar Control Demonstration Act'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that--

(1) the western United States is currently experiencing its worst drought in modern history;

(2) it is estimated that throughout the western United States salt cedar and Russian olive--

(A) occupy between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000 acres of land; and

(B) are non-beneficial users of 2,000,000 to 4,500,000 acre-feet of water per year;

(3) the quantity of non-beneficial use of water by salt cedar and Russian olive is greater than the quantity that valuable native vegetation would use;

(4) much of the salt cedar and Russian olive infestation is located on Bureau of Land Management land or other land of the Department of the Interior; and

(5) as drought conditions and legal requirements relating to water supply accelerate water shortages, innovative approaches are needed to address the increasing demand for a diminishing water supply.

SEC. 3. SALT CEDAR AND RUSSIAN OLIVE ASSESSMENT AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT- In furtherance of the purposes of the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 (106 Stat. 4600), the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation (referred to in this Act as the `Secretary'), shall carry out a salt cedar and Russian olive assessment and demonstration program to--

(1) assess the extent of the infestation of salt cedar and Russian olive in the western United States; and

(2) develop strategic solutions for long-term management of salt cedar and Russian olive.

(b) ASSESSMENT- Not later than 1 year after the date on which funds are made available to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall complete an assessment of the extent of salt cedar and Russian olive infestation in the western United States. The assessment shall--

(1) consider past and ongoing research on tested and innovative methods to control salt cedar and Russian olive;

(2) consider the feasibility of reducing water consumption;

(3) consider methods of and challenges associated with the restoration of infested land;

(4) estimate the costs of destruction of salt cedar and Russian olive, biomass removal, and restoration and maintenance of the infested land; and

(5) identify long-term management and funding strategies that could be implemented by Federal, State, and private land managers.

(c) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS- The Secretary shall carry out not less than 5 projects to demonstrate and evaluate the most effective methods of controlling salt ceder and Russian olive. Projects carried out under this subsection shall--

(1) monitor and document any water savings from the control of salt cedar and Russian olive;

(2) identify the quantity of, and rates at which, any water savings under paragraph (1) return to surface water supplies;

(3) assess the best approach to and tools for implementing available control methods;

(4) assess all costs and benefits associated with control methods and the restoration and maintenance of land;

(5) determine conditions under which removal of biomass is appropriate and the optimal methods for its disposal or use;

(6) define appropriate final vegetative states and optimal revegetation methods; and

(7) identify methods for preventing the regrowth and reintroduction of salt cedar and Russian olive.

(d) CONTROL METHODS- The demonstration projects carried out under subsection (c) may implement 1 or more control method per project, but to assess the full range of control mechanisms--

(1) at least 1 project shall use airborne application of herbicides;

(2) at least 1 project shall use mechanical removal; and

(3) at least 1 project shall use biocontrol methods such as goats or insects.

(e) IMPLEMENTATION- A demonstration project shall be carried out during a time period and to a scale designed to meet the requirements of subsection (c).

(f) COSTS-

(1) IN GENERAL- Each demonstration project under subsection (c) shall be carried out at a cost of not more than $7,000,000, including costs of planning, design, implementation, maintenance, and monitoring.

(2) COST-SHARING-

(A) FEDERAL SHARE- The Federal share of the costs of a demonstration project shall not exceed 75 percent.

(B) FORM OF NON-FEDERAL SHARE- The non-Federal share of the costs of a demonstration project may be provided in the form of in-kind contributions, including services provided by a State agency.

(g) COOPERATION- In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall--

(1) use the expertise of Federal agencies, national laboratories, Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, State agencies, and soil and water conservation districts that are actively conducting research on or implementing salt cedar and Russian olive control activities; and

(2) cooperate with other Federal agencies and affected States, local units of government, and Indian tribes.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act--

(1) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and

(2) such sums as are necessary for each fiscal year thereafter.

END