Panel debates opening ESA reviews to water contractors

A House Natural Resources subcommittee split over whether farmers and other water users should have more sway over endangered species rules.

Members of the House Natural Resources Committee debated Wednesday whether to give local water contractors input into Endangered Species Act reviews, as shrinking water supplies across the West increasingly put agricultural and environmental needs at odds.

The Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries reviewed H.R.8259, the “Federal Water Projects Consultation Improvement Act,” which would require federal agencies to involve local contractors during ESA biological assessments, which can dictate when and how much water flows.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.), focuses on the Bureau of Reclamation which operates across 17 western states. That includes the Klamath Basin in Oregon, where Reclamation is rewriting the endangered species rules that govern its dams and pumps.

“This bill does not change the Endangered Species Act or change consultation requirements," said Bentz who has argued that existing ESA rules do not give irrigation districts and farmers consideration. “This bill would improve the ESA consultation process and nothing more.”

Democrats on the panel objected to the proposal, pointing other Trump administration efforts to roll back ESA and expressing concern the measure might work to do the same.

California Rep. Jared Huffman, the top Democrat on the full committee, called the bill a “deeply one-sided approach” that elevates contractors while overlooking tribes and other local groups.

Elizabeth Nielsen, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, told lawmakers that water contractors have “some of the most critical knowledge” on water supply and delivery, as well as its impact on wildlife.

“In our experience, the process has often been inconsistent, unpredictable and lacking transparency,” she testified.

ESA assessments for water projects can have “significant real-world consequences” like lost crops and higher costs, so involving contractors early could benefit the process, Nielsen said.

By:  Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp
Source: E&E News By POLITICO

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