Subcommittee Hearing: Hybrid WOW Legislative Hearing – May 12, 2022

Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Date: Thursday, May 12, 2022 Time: 02:00 PM Location: Longworth House Office Building 1324 Presiding: The Honorable Jared Huffman, Chair

On Thursday, May 12, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. ET, in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building and via Cisco WebEx, the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife will hold a hybrid legislative hearing on the following bills: 

  • H.R. 263 (Rep. Mike Quigley, D-IL) To amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to clarify provisions enacted by the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, to further the conservation of certain wildlife species, and for other purposes. Big Cat Public Safety Act.
  • H.R. 3081 (Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-ND) To make certain irrigation districts eligible for Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program pumping power, and for other purposes.
  • H.R. 5880 (Rep. Tom O’Halleran, D-AZ) To amend the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2010 to modify the enforceability date for certain provisions, and for other purposes.
  • H.R. 6238 (Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-NM) To amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to increase Tribal access to water conservation and efficiency grants, and for other purposes. WaterSMART Access for Tribes Act
  • H.R. 6369 (Rep. Matthew Rosendale, R-MT) To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct, operate, and maintain facilities in the Sun River Project, Montana, for the purpose of hydroelectric power generation. Sun River Hydropower Authorization Act.
  • H.R. 7612 (Rep. Mike Levin, D-CA) To advance desalination research and technological innovation, and for other purposes. Desalination Research Advancement Act.
  • H.R. 7632 (Rep. Joe Neguse, D-CO) To provide access to reliable, clean, and drinkable water on Tribal lands, and for other purposes. Tribal Access to Clean Water Act.
  • H.R. 7633 (Rep. Tom O’Halleran, D-AZ) To approve the settlement of water rights claims of the Hualapai Tribe and certain allottees in the State of Arizona, to authorize construction of a water project relating to those water rights claims, and for other purposes. Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2022.

Witness List

Panel I: Congressional Witnesses

Representative Melanie Stansbury (H.R. 6238) New Mexico, 1st Congressional District

Representative Mike Quigley (H.R. 263) Illinois, 5th Congressional District

Representative Tom O’Halleran (H.R. 5880 and H.R. 7633) Arizona, 1st Congressional District

Representative Matthew Rosendale (H.R. 6369) Montana, At-Large Congressional District 

Panel II: Government Witnesses

Dr. David Raff (H.R. 3081, H.R. 6238, H.R. 7612, and H.R. 7632) (testimony)

Chief Engineer

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Washington, DC

The Honorable Jonathan Nez (H.R. 6238 and H.R. 7632) (testimony)

President

Navajo Nation Window Rock, AZ

The Honorable Dr. Damon R. Clarke (H.R. 7633) (testimony)

Chairman

Hualapai Tribe

Peach Springs, AZ

The Honorable Kasey Velasquez (H.R. 5880) (testimony)

Chairman

White Mountain Apache Tribe

Whiteriver, AZ

Panel III: Expert Witnesses

Sandy L. Kerl (H.R. 7612) (testimony)

General Manager

San Diego County Water Authority San Diego, CA

Carter Vander Wal (H.R. 3081) (testimony)

Irrigator, Board of Directors, North Dakota Irrigation Association

District 2 Representative, Board of Directors, KEM Electric Cooperative

Pollock, SD

Matt Lutz (H.R. 263) (testimony)

Sheriff

Muskingum County Zanesville, OH

Erling A. Juel, P.E. (H.R. 6369) (testimony)

District Manager

Greenfields Irrigation District Fairfield, MT