Bill Aiding Arizona-s Land & Water Resources Clears Final Congressional Hurdle

WASHINGTON, D.C. The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 146, The Omnibus Public Land Management Act -- a catch-all package that contains more than 160 separate public land, water, and resource bills, including two that were authored by U.S. Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), and several others that he cosponsored or supports. The U.S. Senate approved the same bill on Thursday, March 19. Kyls bills, aimed at preserving and protecting Arizonas water resources, include: * The Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Act, authored by Senator Kyl, authorizes funding for the federal governments share of a comprehensive effort among 50 federal and non-federal entities in Arizona, California, and Nevada to protect and maintain wildlife habitat along the Colorado River. It also provides assurance to the affected water and power agencies of the three states that their river operations may continue as long as they comply with the conservation program. * The Sierra Vista Subwatershed Feasibility Study Act, authored by Senator Kyl, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to study ways to add to the water supply in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed, which is home to Fort Huachuca, the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, and nearly 76,000 residents in southern Arizona. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) is a cosponsor. Several other bills contained in H.R. 146 were authored by Senator McCain and cosponsored by Senator Kyl, including: * The Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River Act: Adds 16.8 miles of Fossil Creek to the Scenic Rivers System. * The Arizona National Scenic Trails Act: Adds 807 miles of trail from the Arizona-Mexico border to the Arizona-Utah border to the National Trails System. * The Walnut Canyon Study: Directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study of an area identified as the Walnut Canyon Proposed Study Area to assess the feasibility of designating all or part of the study area as an addition to the Walnut Canyon National Monument in Arizona. Despite the inclusion of their provisions that have an important impact in Arizona, both Kyl and McCain voted against final passage of the larger bill. Kyl cited objections to the bills overall cost, problematic authorizations, and that it could negatively impact the availability of energy resources. The bill will now be sent to the president for his signature.