Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008
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Long title | A bill to authorize certain programs and activities in the Department of the Interior, the Forest Service, and the Department of Energy, to implement further the Act approving the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America, to amend the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003, and for other purposes. |
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Acronyms (colloquial) | CNRA |
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Enacted by | the
110th United States Congress |
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Effective | May 8, 2008 |
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Public law |
110-229 |
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Statutes at Large | 122 Stat. 754-876 |
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The Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (
Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States)
110–229 (text)
(PDF),
S. 2739, 122
Stat.
754-876, enacted May 8, 2008; CNRA) was an
act passed in the
110th United States Congress and enacted on May 8, 2008.
Legislative history
The bill was introduced by
Senator
Jeff Bingaman of
New Mexico, a
Democrat and the chairman of the
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, on March 10, 2008, as S. 2739. It was a "
bicameral and
bipartisan" package of land and water
federal lands bills considered as an
omnibus bill.
The bill was reported by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee on March 11. It passed the full Senate on April 10 on a 91-4 vote, with five Senators not voting. It passed the
United States House of Representatives on April 29 on a 291-117 vote, with 23 Representatives not voting. The bill passed the House under a motion to
suspend the rules and pass (usually used for non-controversial legislation and requiring a
two-thirds majority to pass). It was signed into law by
President
George W. Bush on May 8, 2008.
The
long title of the act is A bill to authorize certain programs and activities in the Department of the Interior, the Forest Service, and the
Department of Energy, to implement further the Act approving the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America, to amend the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003, and for other purposes.
Provisions
Title I is entitled "
Forest Service Authorizations":
Title II is entitled "
Bureau of Land Management Authorizations":
Title III is entitled "
National Park Service Authorizations":
Subtitle A—Cooperative Agreements has only one section, Sec. 301, which authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to "enter into cooperative agreements with State, local, or tribal governments, other Federal agencies, other public entities, educational institutions, private nonprofit organizations, or participating private landowners for the purpose of protecting natural resources of units of the
National Park System through collaborative efforts on land inside and outside of National Park System units," and sets terms and conditions, limitations, and authorizes appropriations for such cooperative agreements. One of the terms is that cooperative agreements must provide clear and direct benefits to natural resources in units of the NPS such as the preservation of
riparian systems, eradication of
invasive
exotic species, and restoration of native wildlife habitat" (S. 241 and H.R. 658)
Subtitle B—Boundary Adjustments and Authorizations includes three sections:
Subtitle C—Studies includes seven sections:
- Sec. 321 directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine whether the
American Civil War battlefield site of the
First Battle of Newtonia and
Second Battle of Newtonia should be added to the
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield (H.R. 376)
- Sec. 322 directs the Secretary to conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum in
St. Louis, Missouri, as a unit of the National Park System (H.R. 1047)
- Sec. 323 directs the Secretary to conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the Wolf House on
Highway 5 in
Norfork, Arkansas, as a unit of the
National Park System (S. 1941)
- Sec. 324 directs the Secretary to conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing a memorial in
Texas on one of the sites where large debris from the
Space Shuttle Columbia was recovered following the
Columbia disaster (H.R. 807)
- Sec. 325 directs the Secretary to conduct a study to determine whether sites important to the life of
Cesar Chavez and the farm labor movement meet the criteria for listing on the
National Register of Historic Places or designation as
National Historic Landmarks (S. 327 and H.R. 359)
- Sec. 326 directs the Secretary to conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating certain historic buildings and areas in
Taunton, Massachusetts, as a unit of the National Park Service (S. 1184 and H.R. 1021)
- Sec. 327 directs the Secretary to conduct a study of the Rim of the Valley Corridor area in
Southern California ("generally including the mountains encircling the
San Fernando,
La Crescenta,
Santa Clarita,
Simi, and
Conejo Valleys") to determine whether any part of the area should be added to the
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (H.R. 1835; S. 2739)
Subtitle D—Memorials, Commissions, and Museums includes the following sections:
- Sec. 331 directs the establishment of a commemorative work on federal land in the
District of Columbia without using federal funds to honor the service of
American Revolutionary War
Brigadier General
Francis Marion (S. 312 and H.R. 497)
- Sec. 332 gives the
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission greater administrative powers, "including the ability to enter into contracts for specialized or professional services, appoint an architect, and enter into cooperative agreements with federal agencies, state, local, tribal, and international governments, and private organizations" (S. 890 and H.R. 2094)
- Sec. 333 establishes a commission to study the creation of a
National Museum of the American Latino in
Washington, D.C. (S. 500 and H.R. 512)
- Sec. 334 establishes two commissions to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the voyage of
Samuel de Champlain, the 400th anniversary of the voyage of
Henry Hudson, and the 200th anniversary of the voyage of
Robert Fulton (S. 1148 and H.R. 1520)
- Sec. 335 expresses the sense of Congress that the
Museum of the American Quilter's Society in
Paducah, Kentucky, should be designated as the "National Quilt Museum of the United States." (H. Con. Res. 29)
- Sec. 336 expresses the sense of Congress that the
National Museum of Wildlife Art in
Jackson, Wyoming, should be designated as the "National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States" (S. Con. Res. 6 and H. Con. Res. 116)
- Sec. 337 redesignates the Ellis Island Library as the "
Bob Hope Memorial Library" (H.R. 759)
- Title IV
- Title V
- Authorizes the
United States Geological Survey and the
Bureau of Reclamation to perform a comprehensive study of water resources in the State of Alaska and identify critical needs (S. 200 and H.R. 1114)
- Authorizes the
Redwood Valley County Water District in California to enter into additional non-federal obligations in order to finance the procurement of dedicated water rights (S. 1112 and H.R. 235)
- Transfer ownership of the
American River Pump Station Project located at
Auburn, California, to the Placer County Water Agency (H.R. 482)
- Authorizes the Bureau of Reclamation to conduct a feasibility study, include an environmental evaluation and a cost allocation, on raising the height of the
Arthur V. Watkins Dam to allow for additional water storage supply (S. 512 and H.R. 839);
- Authorizes the United States Geological Survey and Bureau of Reclamation to provide the State of New Mexico technical assistance and grants to conduct comprehensive water resources mapping in New Mexico and develop statewide digital
orthophotography mapping (S. 255)
- Convey certain buildings and lands of the Bureau of Reclamation
Yakima Project in Washington to the
Yakima-Tieton Irrigation District (S. 235)
- Add
Juab County, Utah to the Bonneville Unit of the Central Utah Project so that funds may be provided to study systems for
groundwater recharge, management, and the conjunctive use of surface water resources with groundwater resources (S. 1110)
- Allow any owner of land within the A & B Irrigation District in Idaho to repay, at a time of their choosing, the construction costs of District project facilities (S. 220 and H.R. 467).
- Amend the
Oregon Resource Conservation Act of 1996 to extend the authorization of the
Deschutes River Conservancy Program; authorize federal participation in rehabilitating
Wallowa Dam; authorize a water resource study in the
Little Butte/
Bear Creek basin; amend a contract of the North Unit Irrigation District to facilitate a water conservation project (S. 263, S. 264, S. 265, S. 266 and H.R. 495)
- Study the feasibility of implementing a water supply and conservation project in the
Republican River Basin between
Harlan County Lake in
Nebraska and
Milford Lake in
Kansas to improve water management efficiency (H.R. 1025)
- Amend the
Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to assist in providing recycled water to the Eastern Municipal Water District in California (H.R. 30) and to the Palo Alto and Mountain View, Pittsburg, Delta Diablo, Antioch, North Coast County, South County Santa Clara Valley, and San Jose Water Districts (S. 1475 and H.R. 1526)
- Allocate security-related costs incurred post-
September 11 attacks to Reclamation water and power users (S. 1258 and H.R. 1662).
- "Study the obstacles to reducing the quantity of water produced during oil, natural gas, coal-bed methane exploration and evaluate the extent possible that water can be used for irrigation or other purposes without adversely affecting water quality, public health, or the environment" (S. 1116 and H.R. 902)
- Authorize federal participation in the
Platte River Endangered Species Recovery Implementation Program Cooperative Agreement, and the modification of
Pathfinder Dam and Reservoir (S. 752 and H.R. 1462)
- Study the feasibility of alternatives to augment the water supplies of the
Central Oklahoma Master Conservatory District and the cities it serves (S. 175 and H.R. 1337)
- Title VI
- Title VII
- Title VIII
Other
The
National Parks Conservation Association and
League of Conservation Voters supported the bill.
External links