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<br />address impacts from the construction and operation of
<br />flood control, navigation, and other projects. The bill
<br />also contains provisions for aquatic ecosystem
<br />restoration, revision of the principles and guidelines by
<br />which proposed water projects are evaluated, and
<br />authorization for the construction of small recreation and
<br />environmental projects with local cost share
<br />requirements, including in-kind contributions.
<br />
<br />A summary explanation of the bill in the
<br />Congressional Record prov'des that the bill is not
<br />intended to impact the mast r manual review process
<br />currently ongoing in the Corp Missouri River Division.
<br />
<br />The bill is in response to a final report by an
<br />interagency floodplain mana ement review committee
<br />Issued June 30, which inclu es recommendations on
<br />changes in current federal policies, programs and
<br />activities to most effectively achieve risk-reduction,
<br />economic efficiency, and environmental enhancement in
<br />the floodplain and related watersheds. The review
<br />committee was established last January by the
<br />Administration to address the major causes and
<br />consequences of the 1993 midwest flooding and
<br />evaluate the performance of existing floodplain
<br />management and related watershed management
<br />programs.
<br />
<br />Known as the "Galloway" report, for Army Brigadier
<br />General Gerald E. Galloway, Executive Director of the
<br />review committee, it examines the structure of current
<br />federal programs and relationships with states, tribes
<br />and local govemment. The review committee concludes
<br />that within the federal system water resource activities in
<br />general need better coordination and recommends that
<br />the President reactivate the Water Resources Council
<br />and, as appropriate, reestablish basin commissions
<br />(WSW #1057). Also, in what would be a change to
<br />longstanding policy, the committee concluded, "state and
<br />local governments must have a fiscal stake in floodplain
<br />management; without this stake, few incentives exist for
<br />them to be fully involved in floodplain management."
<br />The committee did find substantial progress in pre-
<br />disaster, response, recovery and mitigation programs.
<br />The report notes that the approach of buyouts of flood
<br />prone homes and damaged lands has made
<br />considerable inroads towards reducing future flood
<br />losses.
<br />
<br />Sharing the Challenge: Floodplain Management into
<br />the 21st Century, report of the Interagency Floodplain
<br />
<br />Management Review Committee to the Administration
<br />Floodplain Management Task Force, is available for sale .
<br />by the U.S. Govemment Printing Office, Superintendent
<br />of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, D.C.
<br />20402-9328; ISBN 0-16-045078-0.
<br />
<br />Western Water Policy
<br />
<br />I n a press release dated September 2, President
<br />Clinton announced his intention to appoint R. Keith
<br />Higginson as a member of the Advisory Commission on
<br />Western Water Resources, authorized in the last
<br />Congress to undertake a "comprehensive review of
<br />federal activities in western states that directly or
<br />indirectly affect the allocation and use of water
<br />resources, both surface and ground waters." (WSW
<br />#1056) This completes the appointments to be made by
<br />the President to the Commission. The President
<br />announced nine appointments on July 29. Mr.
<br />Higginson is currently Director of Idaho's Department of
<br />Water Resources. Keith is also a member of the
<br />Western States Water Council and served as
<br />Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation from 1977-
<br />1981.
<br />
<br />MEETINGS
<br />
<br />The 1994 Conference of Western Attorneys .
<br />General was held August 31-September 3 at Jackson
<br />Hole, Wyoming. Interior Solicitor John Leshy spoke at
<br />a plenary session, addressing severai issues of interest
<br />to western states, including grazing reform, the
<br />Endangered Species Act, Indian water rights, and Wild
<br />and Scenic River designations. Also of note, WSWC
<br />members Jeff Fassett, Keith Higginson, and Harley
<br />Harris, as well as Mike Quealy of the Utah Attorney
<br />General's Office, spoke on the topic of "Water and
<br />Change in the West." Jeff Fassett emphasized the need
<br />for predictability in federal/state relations in order to
<br />facilitate the efficient allocation of water resources. Keith
<br />Higginson discussed the pending review of western
<br />water policy under the Commission recently named by
<br />the Clinton Administration (~WSW#1056 and related
<br />article in this issue). Harley Harris described water as
<br />the "miner's canary of federalism," and cited changes
<br />coming from both internal and extemal pressures on the
<br />resource. Mike Quealy talked about the need for
<br />education, cooperation and creative approaches to
<br />resolve problems of competition for limited water
<br />resources.
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />The WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL Is an organization of representatives appointed by the Governors
<br />of member states - Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, HawaII, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota,
<br />Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming, and associate member states Montana, and Washington.
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