Mississippi River Basin Blog

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Senate Appropriations Committee Releases Omnibus Appropriations Bill

Breaking: The Senate Appropriations Committee today took a decidedly different approach to funding the Federal government than the House did with its Continuing Resolution passed last week (see here), as that Senate Committee released a FY 2011 Omnibus Appropriations Bill consisting of separate appropriations measures passed out of the various Senate Appropriations subcommittees earlier this year (full text and earmarks lists here). Whether the omnibus measure has the 60 votes needed to clear the full Senate is not yet clear.

House Committee Ranking Member Designations

House Democratic Caucus members have designated 112th Congress ranking members for the various House committees, which convenes on January 5 (see "Calendars," below in this blog). Here is a summary of the incoming Ranking Members named thus far for each committee (listed alphabetically):

    * Agriculture-Collin Peterson (MN)
    * Appropriations-Norm Dicks (WA)
    * Armed Services-Adam Smith (WA)
    * Budget-Chris Van Hollen (MD)
    * Education and Labor-George Miller (CA)
    * Energy and Commerce-Henry Waxman (CA)
    * Financial Services-Barney Frank (MA)
    * Foreign Affairs-Howard Berman (CA)
    * Homeland Security-Bennie Thompson (MS)
    * House Administration-Robert Brady (PA)
    * Judiciary-John Conyers (MI)
    * Natural Resources-Ed Markey (MA)
    * Oversight and Government Reform-Elijah Cummings (MD)
    * Rules-Louise Slaughter (NY)
    * Science and Technology-Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX)
    * Small Business-Nydia Velazquez (NY)
    * Standards of Official Conduct-Zoe Lofgren (CA)
    * Transportation and Infrastructure-Nick Rahall (WV)
    * Veterans' Affairs-Bob Filner (CA)
    * Ways and Means-Sander Levin (MI)

Earlier in December, the Republican Caucus named Chairs for each of the respective House Committees.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Major Appropriation Additions and Subtractions in the House-Passed Long-Term Continuing Resolution

The House narrowly passed a year-long Fiscal Year 2011 Continuing Resolution last evening (December 8), which would provide funding for Federal programs through the end of September, 2011. The Senate has yet to take up the measure, and its fate in the Senate is uncertain (see, for example, here). The House-passed version of the long-term Continuing Resolution (HR 3082) largely freezes Fiscal Year 2011 discretionary appropriations at the Fiscal Year 2010 levels, although it includes several major changes to spending from Fiscal Year 2010 levels. Some of those changes reflect White House requests and some are Democratic priorities.

DISCRETIONARY APPROPRIATIONS (IN MILLIONS):

FY 2010 actual: $1,089,652
FY 2011 president’s request: $1,135,555
FY 2011 continuing resolution (HR 3082): $1,089,652

BIGGEST ADJUSTMENTS FROM 2010 (IN DOLLARS):

Reductions from fiscal 2010 levels

$6 billion less for the Census, plus a rescission of $1.7 billion
$5.1 billion less for defense base closure funding
$1.5 billion less for high-speed rail
$630 million rescinded from previously authorized highway projects
$500 million rescinded from the Asset Forfeiture Fund

Increased Spending

$5.7 billion more for Pell grants
$4.9 billion more for the Defense Department for regular Pentagon operations
$3.1 billion more for Veterans Administration medical operations
$843 million more for programs in the jurisdiction of the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee
$723 million more for Social Security, Medicare and unemployment compensation
$624 million more for nuclear weapons programs, dependent upon New START ratification
$550 million more for Race to the Top education grants
$438 million for nuclear nonproliferation efforts
$38 million more for programs in the jurisdiction of the Interior and Environment Subcommittee (including adjustments in funding to allow the US Forest Service to continue the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program in ten states, which "helps protect our nation’s forest watersheds and enhances rural forestry employment.")

The Act also requires the Department of Energy, Bureau of Reclamation and the Corps of Engineers to submit a spending plan for the fiscal year within 30 days.

SOURCE: House Appropriations Committee (http://appropriations.house.gov/); summary (pdf file) available here.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

Ring Out the Old; Ring in the New
As the last days of the 111th Congress wind down, with a final adjournment expected next week, preparations are being made for the 112th Congress, which will convene on January 5, 2011. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Senate and House, respectively, released their 2012 legislative calendars (which differ from each other considerably; see here for more details). And on Wednesday, the House Republican Conference approved new committee chairs for the 112th Congress (listed here).

Key Committee Chair assignments that impact directly upon Mississippi River Basin water resource issues include: Agriculture (Frank Lucas (R-OK-3rd)); Appropriations (Harold Rogers (R-KY-5th)); Budget (Paul Ryan (R-WI-1st)); Natural Resources (Doc Hastings (R-WA-4th)); and Transportation and Infrastructure (John Mica (R-FL-7th)). Links for each chairperson are to their congressional web page.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week:

In the States -

Environment Iowa calls on Iowa leaders to curb agriculture pollution http://bit.ly/gygYfc
USGS: Biofuels production has unintended consequences on water quality & quantity in Mississippi (state) http://bit.ly/i4CRZ9
Ducks Unlimited & USDA-NRCS's Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Prog returning IL farmland to wetlands http://bit.ly/fz1aa1
Study at former Rhinelander WI manufactured gas plant site along Wisconsin River resumes http://bit.ly/ftpiql
WI Brd of Ag considering adding ~10,000 Ac to 1.2 M where herbicide atrazine cannot be used due to polluted wells http://bit.ly/i6Lye0
Two natural Mississippi River waterfalls could be recreated around downtown Minneapolis island http://bit.ly/gSoUfJ

Floodplains, Dams and Navigation -

RT @PAODanaClark: Corps to dredge ox bows lakes - Kaskaskia River http://bit.ly/gMNzvA via @AddThis #USACE
Army Corps using Recovery Act $ to open up silted-in oxbows on Kaskaskia River stretch http://bit.ly/efIa6k & http://bit.ly/eX4RJ7
MO homeowners near Mississippi River concerned about "Plan H" flood plan they say protects some areas more than others http://bit.ly/dRDnt1

Agriculture -

Denmark regulations on ag fertilizer use & disposal may have curbed N in groundwater http://bit.ly/gkzyue
Corn & Soybean Digest: Pointers for Keeping Farm Nitrogen Where Farmers Benefit Most http://bit.ly/f7awhC
On farm subsidies: question no longer whether to cut but by how much & which programs http://bit.ly/fFvfA9
CO Farm Bureau approves policy that supports elimination of direct payments in 2012 Farm Bill http://bit.ly/iieZxX
Illinois Farm Bureau delegates declare direct payments to be a favorite Farm Bill program http://bit.ly/dGN5ZV
Congress likely to extend major ethanol incentive, rather than let it expire at end of Dec, but w 20% cut http://reut.rs/gh08W5
Tax credits for ethanol & other biofuels among issues under debate for sweeping tax bill http://reut.rs/ejzCgI
Report: World grain prices could as much as double by 2050 due to population growth & climate change http://bit.ly/dEiD30
Purdue U: Climate change may mean new crop strategy for US Midwest farms http://bit.ly/e57Lpv & http://bit.ly/gA3WwI & http://bit.ly/g4jtY6
RT @InvasiveNotes: set of resource materials 2 help farmers make practical & profitable responses 2 climate changes http://bit.ly/hkLdm0
Ag giant Cargill defends environmental record http://bit.ly/f3lDtZ

Water Quality-

Parking lot/driveway sealants largest contributors to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban lakes & reservoirs http://bit.ly/icmvcc
Minneapolis, St. Paul, Blaine & Prior Lake MN show interest in installing SAFL stormwater baffles http://bit.ly/eFO4Lv
Florida Sues EPA Over Water Standards (may have nationwide repurcusions) http://bit.ly/eDwuuT

Events -

Call for Abstracts (due by 12/31/2010): Philadelphia Low Impact Development Symposium: Greening the Urban Environment http://bit.ly/dRj2Sx
Mississippi River Research Consortium 43rd Annual Conference April 28-29, 2011 La Crosse, WI http://bit.ly/erwZ7V & http://bit.ly/dH8NmE
"Leaders in Corporate Sustainability" webinar December 16, 2:15 – 3:45 EST http://bit.ly/eXBVTS
Soil & Water Conservation Society 2011 Annual Conference July 17-21, Washington DC; abstracts due 12/17 http://bit.ly/eT5HcS

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

Congress passes Asian Carp import prevention bill [tho that horse may have already left the barn] http://bit.ly/fwqb6y
KY and TN considering reopening hunting for sand hill cranes http://bit.ly/gmVBX4
Columbia Environmental Research Center researchers study intersex sturgeon in the Missouri River http://bit.ly/gmwDKq
RT @InvasiveNotes: USDA-ARS climate change & invasive weed address at AGMasters conference http://bit.ly/i851Xu
Penn State research: states might want to establish invasive species quarantines at their borders http://bit.ly/hYYe2f
National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species launches redesigned invasive species website & resource page http://bit.ly/fnTBPu

Other news-

Iowa State University to burn wood chips or pellets in 104 year-old higher-sulfur coal plant http://bit.ly/g5L0jA
EWG report: Farmers in Chesapeake Bay region excessively applying phosphorus to fields http://bit.ly/i5VMKs & http://bit.ly/hYlFzy
US House reps call on FDA to ban triclosan-common ingredient in antibacterial soaps http://bit.ly/hRry0e
The Nat Great Rivers Research & Education Center's December E-Newsletter is now available online http://bit.ly/gFtCxd
EDF’s latest issue of Delta Dispatches, with news on efforts to restore Coastal Louisiana, now on-line http://bit.ly/fsK0K8
Strong evidence emerges of BP spill oil on Gulf of Mexico seafloor http://on.wsj.com/hQVZs3

Political Scene -

GOP gets queasy on earmark ban; some think party may have overreached; impact on Army Corps projects cited http://bit.ly/eGUGiX
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) chosen to lead powerful House Appropriations Committee http://bit.ly/hX8395
Democratic push to pass >100 public lands & water bills in lame duck session escalates http://politi.co/fD9qJ7
120 groups sign ad urging omnibus water/wilderness bill passage http://bit.ly/gWmaVY (pdf of full page add)
SanFran Examiner Editorial: GOP must pick the right committee chairs http://bit.ly/hGhHz3
Political campaign reprise: How WI (D) Sen Russ Feingold lost http://bit.ly/hIiqtI
New poll shows Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) "would cruise to reelection" vs any Republican opponent http://bit.ly/fOW1MX
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) releases 2011 Senate calendar; convenes Jan 5 http://bit.ly/eqT7JB
2011 House Calendar now available on Majority Leader-elect Eric Cantor’s website (pdf) http://bit.ly/eHp6J6
Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) selected to chair House Agriculture Committee in 112th Congress http://bit.ly/eo8E0E
House narrowly passes year-long FY 2011 Continuing Resolution; Senate fate unknown http://bit.ly/KVmsr

U.S. House of Representatives Committee Chairs Named

On Wednesday, the House Republican Conference approved new committee chairs for the 112th Congress, which convenes on January 5 (see "Calendars," below in this blog). Here is a summary of the incoming Chairpersons for each committee (listed alphabetically):

Agriculture-Frank Lucas (OK)
Appropriations-Hal Rogers (KY)
Armed Services-Buck McKeon (CA)
Budget-Paul Ryan (WI)
Education and Labor-John Kline (MN)
Energy and Commerce-Fred Upton (MI)
Financial Services-Spencer Bauchus (AL)
Foreign Affairs-Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL)
Homeland Security-Peter King (NY)
House Administration-Dan Lungren (CA)
Judiciary-Lamar Smith (TX)
Natural Resources-Doc Hastings (WA)
Oversight and Government Reform-Darrell Issa (CA)
Rules-David Dreier (CA)
Science and Technology-Ralph Hall (TX)
Small Business-Sam Graves (MO)
Standards of Official Conduct-Jo Bonner (AL)
Transportation and Infrastructure-John Mica (FL)
Veterans' Affairs-Jeff Miller (FL)
Ways and Means-Dave Camp (MI)

2011 Congressional Calendars

The 112th Congress’s Republican House majority released the 2011 House calendar on Wednesday (pdf). The calendar gives House members at least a full week each month in their districts and differs quite a bit from the 2011 Senate calendar (the House includes the monthly week’s off and does not include the Senate’s full weeks off for Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial and Independence days, for example). The Senate's 2011 calendar was released by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) office on Tuesday (on-line here and pdf here).

Key dates and planned recesses include:

Congress will convene on Wednesday, Jan. 5.
Recess Week of Jan. 17 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) Senate
Recess Week of Jan. 31 House
Recess Week of Feb. 21 (Presidents Day) both chambers
Recess Week of March 21 both chambers
Recess Weeks of April 18 and 25 both chambers
Recess Week of May 16 House
Recess Week of May 30 (Memorial Day) Senate
Recesses Weeks of June 6 and 27 House
Recess Week of July 4 (Independence Day) Senate
Recess Week of July 18 House
Recess Week of Aug. 8 through Labor Day, Sept. 5 both chambers
Recess Week of Sept. 26 both chambers (includes the start of Rosh Hashana on Sept. 29)
Recesses Weeks of Oct. 17 and 24 for the House and Senate, respectively
Recess Week of Nov. 7 House
Recess Week of Nov. 21 (Thanksgiving) House
Target adjournment for the House Dec. 8 (Senate does not set a target)

Friday, December 3, 2010

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week (Mega Post-holiday edition)

NRC Highly Critical of Obama Administration's Principles and Guidelines Update

On December 2 the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) released its highly-anticipated report on the draft Principles and Standards proposed last year by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). In the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA) Congress directed the Secretary of the Army to revise the Principles and Guidelines (P&G) that had guided water resources project planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Tennessee Valley Authority since the early 1980s. The Obama Administration is seeking to update and to expand the scope of the P&G (i.e., to cover all federal agencies that undertake water resource projects, not just the four agencies currently subject to the P&G).   As part of that effort, the CEQ released its "Proposed National Objectives, Principles and Standards for Water and Related Resources Implementation Studies" in December, 2009 (see CEQ's web page here).

The NAS report from the National Research Council (NRC) is a review of that 2009 document (a review directed by Congress in WRDA 2007). A link to the entire NRC report, along with supporting materials, can be found here. The NRC is highly critical of CEQ's effort in its report, finding, in part, that "the 2009 proposed revisions lack clarity and consistency in several respects. Given that the 2009 document represents only a partial revision to the P&G document, and given several areas of ambiguity and incompleteness in the 2009 proposed revisions, detailed advice on specific planning procedures at this point would be premature. As CEQ proceeds with further revisions to the P&G document, clarification and specification in these areas detailed (herein) will be necessary for the document to be of value to CEQ and the federal agencies that will use the document in decision making."

USDA Announces Three Key Mississippi River Basin Funding Initiatives for Fiscal Year 2011

During this past week, the USDA made three announcements that focus on Mississippi River Basin clean water initiatives under the agency's purview. These included a Fiscal Year 2011 Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (or MRBI) Request for Proposals, a Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) program funding announcement, and an announcement of continued funding for existing water quality improvement projects in the Mississippi River Basin under the MRBI.

A press release was issued on Monday, announcing that USDA will fund 70 existing conservation projects in 41 eligible watersheds in 12 states during the 2011 Fiscal Year as a continuing part of its MRBI. (the 12 states are Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin).

Also on Monday, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) published a Federal Register notice (PDF file here) announcing a request for proposals (RFP) for 2011 Fiscal Year MRBI Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI; $15 million) and Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP; $25 million) funding. NRCS will provide assistance for projects in 43 designated watershed focus areas (8-digit HUCs) in 13 states (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, South Dakota, and Wisconsin). Proposals are due by January 28, 2011.

On Tuesday, NRCS published the 2011 Fiscal Year CIG funding announcement on its web site, calling for special CIG emphases in the Chesapeake Bay and Mississippi River watersheds. The actual notice (PDF file) is here. Under CIG, Environmental Quality Incentives Program funds (an anticipated $25 million in Fiscal Year 2011) are used to award competitive grants to non-Federal governmental or non-governmental organizations, Tribes, or individuals. For the Mississippi River Basin, according to the NRCS announcement, "only pre-proposals that demonstrate the use of innovative technologies and/or approaches to address at least one bulleted topic specific to and within the Mississippi River Basin and address the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) objectives to manage and optimize nutrient management, reduce downstream nutrient loads, maintain agricultural productivity, and enhance wildlife and other ecosystem services will be considered." Applications for the pre-proposal phase must be received at the NRCS National Headquarters by 4 p.m. EST, on December 28; selected pre-proposal applications will be announced by January 17. Full proposal packages will be due by March 4.

Input on National Flood Insurance Program Reform Alternatives Sought

The Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA") is involved in an effort to identify options for reforming the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and has, for over a decade, sought input and conducted internal assessments on NFIP and its management by FEMA. This effort has culminated in a three-phase thorough evaluation, the first two of which were completed in 2009 and the first part of 2010. Those first two phases involved (1) capturing stakeholder concerns and recommendations from a November 2009 NFIP Listening Session, and (2) creating an NFIP Reform Working Group to conduct additional analyses of stakeholder feedback and develop NFIP evaluation criteria (see this FEMA NFIP reform page for more background information).   The third and final phase has now begun (creating a portfolio of public policy options and evaluating them using the criteria developed in Phase II).

On December 2, FEMA hosted a meeting in Washington, D.C. to describe, update and explain the public policy options being presented for consideration and to hear comments from interested stakeholders (a second similar meeting will be held on December 9, in Denver, CO). At the December 2 meeting FEMA (photos here)   presented four policy "themes" and two to four alternatives for moving forward with reform within each of the four theme areas. The four policy theme areas (and links to PDF files for further descriptions) are:

    * Privatization of the National Flood Insurance Program
    * Community-Based Flood Insurance Options
    * Federal Assistance Options
    * National Flood Insurance Program Optimization

After the alternatives have been refined and vetted (taking into account public feedback from the two December meetings and comments provided online (see below)), the NFIP Reform Working Group will evaluate the proposed policy alternatives and score them using the evaluation and weighting criteria developed during Phase II. The policy alternative with the highest score, or a combination of high-scoring elements from several of the alternatives, will become the recommended NFIP Reform policy that will be developed into a full NFIP Reform package (including any proposed legislative, regulations and policy. The package will then be submitted to senior management in FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security leadership for consideration.

FEMA continues to solicit input from stakeholders on their NFIP reform effort and related policy alternatives. Comments can be submitted through Friday, December 31, to the NFIP Reform Working Group here.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week:

In the States -

Large fish die-off at the mouth of Mississippi River http://bit.ly/faod7i
Cargill facility cited in Environment Illinois call for crackdown on farm pollution http://bit.ly/hy59Fg