Mni Sose Newsletter
July 7, 1999

Water Resource Development Act of 1999 Passes in Both House and Senate

The U.S. House and Senate have approved versions of the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 (WRDA), which authorizes new U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects and sets new flood control, navigation, and environmental policy.

To view each bill, visit http://thomas.loc.gov and type in S.507 and H.R. 1480. To view a list of projects authorized by the bills, visit http://www.amrivers.org/wrdsprojects.htm

Visit the Friends of the Earth synopsis of the legislation at http://www.foe.org/act/e4e33wrda.html.

Habitat Restoration Funding in Jeopardy

The Senate cut funding for several habitat restoration funding programs, including habitat restoration programs for the Missouri, Upper Mississippi, and Columbia Rivers.

For more information, visit http://www.amrivers.org/rbudget.html and click on Help Protect Funding for Rivers.

Negotiated Settlements

Reprinted by Permission from the Western Governors Association. The article originally appeared in the April 1999 issue of the Western Governors Report, a quarterly newsletter published by the Western Governors Association

The Western Governors Associations Ad Hoc Group on Indian Water Rights held a congressional workshop in February to discuss ways negotiated settlements of Indian water rights claims can be better facilitated and implemented. Participants expressed broad, bi-partisan support for negotiated and funding settlements.

In addition to the Western Governors Association, the group includes the Western Regional Council, the Native American Rights Fund, the Council of Energy Resource Tribes, the National Congress of American Indians, and the Western States Water Council. Representatives from affected federal agencies and key congressional staff also attended the meeting February 23, 1999.

Speakers included Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber, Bruce Sunchild of the Chippewa Cree Tribe, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, Senator John Kyl of Arizona, and Representative J.D. Hayworth of Arizona.

A number of speakers noted that Congress approved the last Indian water rights settlement in 1992, and since that time, there has been a large turnover in Congress and a change in administrations. The result has been a loss of institutional memory on these issues.

Workshop participants agreed that the ad hoc group could play an important role in establishing and maintaining that institutional knowledge through additional workshops targeted at key decision-makers. Such an effort would facilitate the process of gaining congressional approval once they reach a settlement.

Other key issues raised at the meeting included:

• the need for speedy quantification of tribal reserved water rights;
• the shared interest to settle rather than litigate Indian water rights claims; and
• the federal governments trust responsibilities, including the important role that Congress plays in funding settlements.

A number of negotiated settlements are nearing agreement and will require congressional approval, increasing the importance of improved communications in the future.

Air Quality Website

The Western Regional Air Partnership recently launched an interactive website that will provide comprehensive and timely information on the partnerships strategies it is developing to reduce haze in national parks and wilderness areas in the West. Visit the website at: www.wrapair.org

Renewable Energy Technologies Websites

For information on renewable energy technologies, including standards, policy issues, cost, features, and case studies visit the following websites:

• www.eren.doe.gov (Department of Energys Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network)
• www.solstice.org (The Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologys Solstice
• www.nrel.gov (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
• www.millionsolarroofs.org (Million Solar Roofs Initiative)