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***NWL goes to press at noon every other Thursday. Our last issue went
to the printers on January 10, and just 3 hours later the President announced
his intention to nominate Energy Secretary Don Hodel to be Interior Secretary.
CONGRATULATION DON , and welcome back to the Department of the Interior. To
replace Mr. Hodel at the Department of Energy, the President has nominated
John Herrington of California . Herrington is currently serving as the
Assistant to the President for Personnel . Confirmation hearing for Herrington
has been set by Senator McClure for January 31 , and for Hodel on February 1 .
Letters endorsing these nominations should be sent to the Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510 .
***On December 20, the Honorable David C. Treen, Chairman of the Garrison
Diversion Unit Commission, submitted the final report report of the Commission
to Secretary of the Interior William C. Clark. Several members of the
Commission were present at that meeting including NWRA' s Pat O'Meara. O'Meara
gave the Secretary a letter in which he expressed some of his concerns about
the Commission' s recommendation. O'Meara supported the construction of the
Lonetree Reservoir and the delivery of water from Lake Sakakawea through the
Garrison Diversion Unit facilities to supply irrigation water via the James
River for use in South Dakota as requested by SD' s GovernorJanklow. Neither of
these features were recommended by the Commission . The Commission also
recommended an extensive and expensive municipal and industrial water
distribution system to 103 North Dakota cities, towns and rural areas. The
Commission voted this largess even though the officials of North Dakota said
they didn ' t want the system because , even with heavy subsidies (some from
power revenues) , the system was too costly.
After the final meeting of the Commission, too late for consideration,
the Commission received a sensible proposal from the State of North Dakota for
a joint Federal/state municipal and industrial water system. The cost of the
state proposal was less than one half of the Commission recommendation for M&I
water . O ' Meara urged the Secretary to give the ND plan every consideration
and asked that it be included in any legislative authorization request
prepared by the Department. The legislative package is under development at
Interior and is scheduled to be completed by February 15 .
On January 16 , Chairman Treen wrote an Open Letter to the Citizens of
North Dakota. He cited the following specifics in the Commission plan:
• Systems for improved water quality and availability for as many as 130
towns and rural areas across North Dakota at a cost affordable to users.
• Irrigation features to serve 130 , 940 acres, aiding farmers in a land
where nature is often unreliable in supplying needed water.
• Delivery of water into the Hudson Bay drainage for municipal ,
industrial, and rural uses -- water which has been treated to prevent transfer
of fish or fish disease into Canadian waters.
• Methods to mitigate wetland losses and, as a step beyond, to enhance
wildlife habitats . Five percent of the yearly construction budget will be
devoted to this purpose.
• Recreation areas for the enjoyment of residents and tourists alike.
To turn the plan into reality, the Commission recommended that the Secretary
take these specific steps :
• Begin immediately to construct portions of the Commission Plan which
are already authorized under the original Garrison Diversion Unit Plan.
• Take action, in accordance with the State , to initiate the
implementation of remaining features of the Commission Plan.
• Appoint by January 31 , 1985 , a five-member Commission to assess and
report on further measures necessary to compensate the Indian tribes of the
Fort Berthold and Standing Rock Indian Reservations for lands taken to create
Lakes Oahe and Sakakawea.
• Propose enabling legislation to Congress by February 15 , 1985 , to
ensure the Secretary' s authority to carry out the Commission Plan.
In the letter, Chairman Treen also wrote: "For the good of North Dakota,
I sincerely hope that no one would characterize the Commission Plan in terms
1985 win
NVENTION, SHERATON WAIF the initial reactionsHI, NOVEMBER 3-8
851217
Commissions ' recommendations on individual features , surely it is apparent
that the plan and its future are the real beneficiaries . " He went on to say:
"An essential element of democracy is compromise -- yielding some part of a
goal held dear for the greater overall benefit . It is not possible to
satisfy all the points of conflict that have embroiled residents of three
States , the Nation ' s environmental community, the Canadian Province of
Manitoba, and the Congress of four decades. As in all compromises , no party
has been either abandoned or fully satisfied. As a result, this plan seeks a
balance between "no development" and "pro development" attitudes and, while
continuing a portion of the project ' s irrigation objectives, will help meet
many of North Dakota' s long neglected domestic water needs . Canadian concerns
will be addressed by using current technology, but the potential for Lonetree
Dam and future irrigation in the Souris and Red River Basins is not foreclosed
forever. Many, but not all, of the project ' s environmental concerns have been
resolved. I believe that the compromise presented in the Commission Plan
offers a sound, well-reasoned project which will enlist broad popular,
international , and legislative support even in these times of widespread
opposition to Federal water projects . "
By no means are most of the people of ND as euphoric about the
Commission ' s recommendations as Chairman Treen. During the Commission ' s
deliberations , the State offered a compromise plan that the Commission chose
to ignore even though it is $300 million cheaper than the plan adopted by the
Commission. The scale-back in irrigated acreage and the deletion of the
Lonetree Reservoir are hard pills for the citizens of ND to swallow, but the
compromise plan may be the catalyst to move this long delayed project forward.
Secretary Clark has asked OMB to release the $52 million FY ' 85 Garrison
construction funds that were frozen by Congress at the time the Commission was
authorized. The quest for FY '86 construction funding should not have to face
the annual Congressional battle which the environmental opponents of this
project have vigorously promoted.
*** " IF NOT US , WHO? IF NOT NOW, WHEN?" When President Reagan uttered
that statement during his Inaugural address the bitter chill of Washington,
D.C. touched my heart. Was he talking about the study underway to merge the
BuRec and the COE? Well, probably not, for as far as we can discern,
throughout the entire election campaign, he did not address the subject of
water resources or water development . But at his direction, a full blown
study is underway by the two agencies to review status quo, the Bureau being
absorbed by the Corps , the Corps merging with the Bureau , or any other
options . The Idaho Water Users Association, the first NWRA affiliate state to
meet since the merger plan was initiated by OMB' s David Stockman, adopted a
resolution to condemn the proposal. There is nothing in the upcoming FY '86
budget proposal to implement any type of merger, but the recommendation under
study by the two agencies must be completed by February 15 .
In the last issue of NWL we urged you to write the President to oppose
this initiative and send copies of your letters to your Congressional
delegation. There seems to be the widespread misconception that the Bureau
and COE represent a duplication of effort . We think the current studies will
clearly show that any type of merger would offer miniscule savings and maximum
disruption.
***The scramble for Committee assignments is still underway on the Hill.
There is lots of horse-trading going on to select a replacement for "Chick"
Kazen as Chairman of the Water and Power Subcommittee of the Interior and
Insular Affairs Committee . In the hunt are Reps . James Weaver (OR) , Bruce
Vento (MN) , Tony Collho (CA) and George Miller (CA) . In the last Congress,
Miller left the Interior Committee, but is expected to return to the Interior
Committee and seems to have the inside track to replace Kazen.
***To plan and initiate programs and activities of NWRA during his term
as President, John M. Sayre has called an Executive Committee meeting at the
ACWA headquarters in Sacramento, California, for February 5 . All members of
the Board, whether they are members of the Executive Committee or not are
welcome to attend. The Committee to select a replacement for Pat O' Meara
interviewed applicants on January 14-15 in Washington, D.C.
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