WaterWired

CRS InFocus Report: 'Bureau of Land Management - FY2024 Appropriations'

Carol Hardy Vincent wrote this CRS report (Updated 23 January 2024): 'Bureau of Land Management - FY2024 Appropriations'.

Download CRS_Report_BLM_FY2024_Appropriation_23Jan2024

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in the Department of the Interior (DOI), manages 245 million acres of federal land, nearly all in the West. Under its multiple-use mission, BLM manages lands for diverse purposes, including livestock grazing, energy development, recreation, and conservation. The agency also administers onshore federal energy and mineral resources generally.

As of January 22, 2024, BLM is receiving appropriations for FY2024 under continuing resolutions (CRs) providing appropriations at FY2023 levels. This is because full-year appropriations for FY2024 have not been enacted. The third CR (P.L. 118-35) provides BLM funding through March 8, 2024, unless different levels of appropriations are enacted earlier.

For FY2024, President Biden requested $1,621.5 million for BLM—$127.5 million (9%) over the FY2023 regular enacted level of $1,494.0 million (in P.L. 117-328, Division G). The request included increases for BLM’s main account—Management of Lands and Resources (MLR)— and for the account’s nine main activities (excluding mining law administration). (See Table 1.) It also included an increase for BLM’s second largest account—Management of Oregon and California Grant Lands (O&C).

On November 3, 2023, the House passed H.R. 4821 with $1,238.6 million for BLM for FY2024. Earlier, on July 24, 2023, the House Appropriations Committee reported H.R. 4821 (H.Rept. 118-155), also with $1,238.6 million. This would be a decrease of $255.4 million (17%) from FY2023. H.R. 4821 would decrease funding for the MLR account and eight of the account’s nine main activities, with level funding for the recreation activity. The bill also contained a decrease for the O&C account.

On July 27, 2023, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported S. 2605 (S.Rept. 118-83), with $1,498.6 million for BLM for FY2024. This would be an increase of $4.7 million (<1%) over FY2023. S. 2605 would increase funding for the MLR account; of the nine main activities in the account, five would receive level funding, three would increase, and one would decrease. S. 2605 also contained an increase for the O&C account.

BLM discretionary appropriations are provided in Title I of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations laws. BLM also receives a portion of the appropriations to DOI for wildland fire management. Mandatory (permanent) appropriations are provided to BLM under various statutes within the jurisdiction of authorizing committees. DOI estimated BLM mandatory appropriations at $564.1 million for FY2023 and $423.9 million for FY2024. This total does not include $95.0 million for BLM deferred maintenance (DM) for each year (discussed below).

For FY2024, issues for Congress include determining the amount of funding for BLM accounts and activities and the terms and conditions of such funding, as well as whether to enact related Biden Administration proposals. Congress also could conduct oversight of expenditures as well as consider additional funding (e.g., for any emergencies).

Discretionary Appropriations Accounts
For each BLM discretionary account, Table 2 shows FY2023 enacted amounts and FY2024 amounts requested by the Biden Administration, passed by the House (H.R. 4821), and reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee (S. 2605).

Management of Lands and Resources (MLR). For FY2024, the President sought a $115.1 million (9%) increase, the Senate committee-reported bill sought a $3.7 million (<1%) increase, and the House-passed bill included a $195.0 million (15%) decrease. This account, BLM’s largest, funds diverse activities and programs within those activities. For instance, the land resources activity includes programs on rangelands, forestry, cultural resources, and wild horses and burros. Table 1 shows amounts for the nine main activities in the MLR account (and mining law administration).

Oregon and California Grant Lands. This account funds management of more than 2 million acres of forested lands in Western Oregon, primarily for timber production. The FY2023 appropriations law included $120.3 million for this account. For FY2024, the President sought a $12.4 million (10%) increase, the Senate committee-reported bill sought a $1.0 million (1%) increase, and the House-passed bill included a $60.3 million (50%) decrease. 

Range Improvements. The Range Improvements account funds rehabilitation, protection, and improvement of BLM rangelands. By law, 50% of grazing fees collected on BLM lands or $10.0 million—whichever is greater—is credited to a Range Improvements Fund. Through the Range Improvements account, BLM typically receives an annual appropriation of $10.0 million for the fund. The FY2023 appropriations law included $10.0 million. For FY2024, the President’s request, House-passed bill, and Senate committee-reported bill also contained this amount. 

Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures. This account allows BLM to use monies paid to the agency for activities such as rights-of-way processing and energy and minerals authorizations. The FY2023 estimate was $30.0 million, offset by collections, for a net of $0. For FY2024, the President’s request, House-passed bill, and Senate committee-reported bill contained the same amount. 

Miscellaneous Trust Funds. This account appropriates contributions made to BLM (e.g., from individuals, businesses, and states). The FY2023 enacted amount was $26.0 million, as were the FY2024 levels requested by the President and contained in the House-passed and Senate committee-reported bills. 

Selected Mandatory Appropriations 

Deferred Maintenance (DM). BLM estimated its DM at $4.8 billion in FY2022 (the most recent available), more than four times the FY2019 estimate ($1.1 billion). The increase is largely due to changes in estimation methods. 

BLM receives both discretionary and mandatory appropriations to address DM. Annual Interior appropriations laws provide discretionary appropriations, with $32.0 million in FY2023 through the MLR account. For FY2024, the President sought an increase to $39.2 million, S. 2605 would provide level funding, and H.R. 4821 did not detail the level of funding. 

A source of DM mandatory appropriations is the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, established by P.L. 116-152, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). Under GAOA, BLM’s appropriation is about $95.0 million annually (assuming maximum revenue to the fund). GAOA requires BLM to include, as part of its budget submission, projects to be funded. Appropriations laws may specify alternate allocations. For FY2024, H.R. 4821 and S. 2605 would allocate funding as proposed by BLM. 

Land Acquisition. BLM typically receives appropriations from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to acquire lands. Under GAOA, LWCF programs receive mandatory appropriations. GAOA requires BLM to include, as part of its budget submission, program and project allocations for the LWCF funds. Appropriations acts may specify alternate allocations. For FY2023, the Interior appropriations law provided $69.9 million for BLM acquisitions. For FY2024, the President requested $73.9 million, H.R. 4821 reflected an allocation of $76.2 million, and S. 2605 reflected an allocation of $62.4 million. (Click on Table 2 to enlarge it.) 

Enjoy!

"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise." - Aldo Leopold

CRS Report: 'Outer Limits of the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf - Background and Issues for Congress'

Caitlin Keating-Bitonti wrote this important CRS Report (7 February 2024): 'Outer Limits of the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf - 'Background and Issues for Congress'.

Download CRS_Report_Outer_Limits_US_Extended_Continental_Shelf_Background_Issues_Congress_7Feb2024.R47912

This report is much longer than I usually post and discuss. It has some great graphics, though.

Summary
Areas of the ocean within U.S. jurisdiction encompass diverse marine ecosystems and contain natural resources of economic value and national security interest. The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which the United States is not a party, describes internationally recognized maritime zones. UNCLOS provides a coastal country with sovereign rights for the purpose of managing, conserving, exploring, and exploiting natural resources of the seabed and waters within 200 nautical miles (nmi) of its coastline. The United
States generally aligns with the UNCLOS framework for establishing maritime boundaries. Some coastal countries may pursue research efforts to document and claim areas of the seabed beyond this 200-nmi limit, known as the extended continental shelf (ECS). An ECS would allow coastal countries to capitalize on potential resources of this part of the seabed (e.g., critical minerals, oil and gas) as entitled under UNCLOS.

 

Under Article 76 of UNCLOS, coastal countries can file a submission concerning the extent of their ECS to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), an independent entity created under UNCLOS. The CLCS considers a coastal country’s submission of geological and geophysical data collected and analyzed to delineate the outer limits of the ECS. The CLCS does not approve or grant an ECS to a coastal country but makes recommendations on the outer limits of an ECS based on these data. The CLCS has no mandate to establish boundaries or resolve boundary conflicts between two coastal countries. Disputes over maritime boundaries must be resolved between the countries involved in the disagreement.

The U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Project is a federal initiative with an aim to establish the full extent of the U.S. ECS. The Department of State, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) work together through the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Project to collect geological and geophysical data in accordance with UNCLOS Article 76. The U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Project has analyzed data in each ocean region with potential U.S. ECS.

On December 19, 2023, the Department of State announced the outer limits of the U.S. ECS in seven ocean regions: the Arctic, Atlantic, Bering Sea, Eastern and Western Gulf of Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands, and Pacific. The declared U.S. ECS would be approximately 288,000 square nmi (987,700 square kilometers). According to the Department of State, the United States is ready to file its submission package with the CLCS upon U.S. accession to UNCLOS. The Department of State also said the United States is open to filing its submission to the CLCS as a non-party to UNCLOS.

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held hearings on UNCLOS during the 112th Congress. Given the Department of State’s recent announcement about the establishment of the outer limits of the U.S. ECS, Congress may consider the advantages and disadvantages of U.S. accession to UNCLOS. Congress may choose to deliberate the extent to which U.S. accession might strengthen the U.S. ability to exercise sovereign rights over the natural resources in these areas and compare that advantage against potential disadvantages of U.S. accession to UNCLOS, such as limited economic benefits to U.S. companies and the United States from exploitation of seabed minerals under the authority of the International Seabed Authority. For example, USGS scientists report that high concentrations of critical minerals in certain seafloor deposits may serve national security interests. Several countries party to UNCLOS have shown interest in exploring areas of the Pacific and the Arctic for potential mineral resources through exploration mining contracts or by filing ECS submissions with U.N. entities established under UNCLOS. It remains unclear how the international community would respond to a U.S. submission to the CLCS as a non-party to UNCLOS.

There is a lot of information in the report. I have just the summary and the graphics.

Enjoy!

"Most of the southern hemisphere is unexplored. We had more exploration ships down there during Captain Cook's time than now. It's amazing." - Robert Ballard

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geoscience; 2) Environmental Science; 3) Coastal Zone Management - 5 February 2024

California DWR: Watershed Resilience Program - http://tinyurl.com/yp3kbsj8

Thanks to John Matthews at https://www.alliance4water.org.

The following entries are solely those of Elaine J. Hanford.
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Geoscience Bulletin Board – 5 February 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Seasonal ground level fluctuations in Yosemite – isostatic adjustment due to weight of winter snow

• https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/seasonal-ground-motion-yellowstone 

Role of the ocean in the global carbon cycle

• https://eos.org/agu-news/a-closer-look-sea-at-the-oceans-carbon-cycle
• Issue:  https://eos.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Feb24.pdf 

Perceptions of risk from stratovolcano Popocatépetl in Mexico

• https://eos.org/features/how-dangerous-is-mexicos-popocatepetl-it-depends-on-who-you-ask 

Using rare earth element tracers to assess wind erosion

• https://eos.org/editor-highlights/new-tracers-of-wind-erosion-provide-insight-into-dryland-vegetation 

Visualizing all the existing nuclear waste in the world

• https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-all-the-nuclear-waste-in-the-world/ 

The mythological belief that humans can remedy the rapid depletion of groundwater

• https://theconversation.com/humans-are-depleting-groundwater-worldwide-but-there-are-ways-to-replenish-it-220816 

Critical minerals strategy in Canada

• https://www.geologyforinvestors.com/canadas-critical-minerals-strategy-the-first-step-on-a-long-road/ 

3 byo hydrothermal vent sediments – implications for origins of life on Earth

• https://phys.org/news/2024-01-billion-year-hydrothermal-vent-sediments.html 
• Paper:  https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adj4789 

Waves & mixing drive coastal upwelling in tropical Angolan system

• https://phys.org/news/2024-01-coastal-upwelling.html 
• Paper:  https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adj6686 

Recurrence intervals of great floods in the Lower Pearl River in southern China – 400+ floods over past 2,000 years

• https://phys.org/news/2024-01-alarming-pfas-cohttps://phys.org/news/2024-01-great-recurrently-pearl-river-southern.htmlntamination-small-coastal.html 

First ever sighting of newborn great white shark – near Santa Barbara, California

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1032350 
• Paper:  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-024-01512-7 

Wooly Mammoths were hunted by humans – human hunting camps near migration pathways

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240117141002.htm 
• https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adk0818 

Unlike cave bears, saber-tooth cates & hyenas, Holarctic Brown Bears (grizzlies) survived the last Ice Age

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240124132820.htm 
• Paper:  https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2023.2411 

Dinosaur bones from Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota yield clues to species vitality prior to Chicxulub impact

• https://www.sciencealert.com/hell-chicken-discovery-could-tell-us-just-how-doomed-the-dinosaurs-were 
• https://theconversation.com/a-newly-identified-hell-chicken-species-suggests-dinosaurs-werent-sliding-toward-extinction-before-the-fateful-asteroid-hit-221482 

Small feathered dinosaurs likely flapped their proto-wings to flush out hiding prey

• https://www.sci.news/paleontology/small-feathered-dinosaur-proto-wings-12639.html 
• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-50225-x

Non-isotropic tropospheric delays in Global Navigation Satellite Systems – application to geodesy and gravity studies as well as weather forecasting & climate studies

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Study_reveals_non_isotropic_nature_of_tropospheric_delays_in_GNSS_999.html 
• Paper:  https://satellite-navigation.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43020-023-00122-5 

Potential impacts of bombardment of Early Earth by asteroids – melts and tsunamis?

• https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/01/massive-melts-and-monstrous-tsunamis-resulted-from-early-earth-impacts/ 

Portland, Oregon, has higher earthquake risk identified by 2023 US National Seismic Hazard Model – potential for M7.2 event

• https://www.portlandtribune.com/townnews/geology/portland-earthquake-threat-much-bigger-than-thought/article_a9e31486-bbcc-11ee-9bee-5fcf8d83e1e7.html 

Panag mud volcano in southeastern Iran

• https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/494343/Mud-Volcano-a-rare-geological-phenomenon-attracts-travelers

How to avoid geologic hazards when buying land or building

• https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jan/27/ask-the-builder-how-to-avoid-geologic-hazards-when/ 

Geological exploration achievements in the South China Sea

• https://www.ecns.cn/news/sci-tech/2024-01-24/detail-ihcxacan3652213.shtml 

Perspective:  Naming the “Anthropocene” may not really matter but the impacts of humans do – “unsustainable course” of human actions in consuming resources, water & altering physical environment

• https://www.gazettenet.com/earth-matters-jan-27-53813721 

Volcanoes in the Sisters neighborhood in Oregon

• https://www.nuggetnews.com/story/2024/01/24/news/volcanoes-in-the-neighborhood/36049.html 

Zealandia, aka Te Riu-a-Māui to the Māori, recently recognized by geologists but fully mapped

• https://www.indy100.com/science-tech/earth-lost-continent-zealandia-2667112300 

Doubling the assessment of the critical mineral potential in Saudi Arabia

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/zengernews/2024/01/28/doubling-the-critical-mineral-potential-of-saudi-arabia/

Proposed new Geologic Time Scale for the history of the Moon

• https://www.bnnbreaking.com/world/china/groundbreaking-study-proposes-new-geologic-time-scale-for-moons-history/ 

Photographic geologic history

• https://fstoppers.com/documentary/know-earths-hidden-stories-654901 

NHSRC to install 28 seismometers along Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train route

• https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/rlys-to-install-28-seismic-readers-along-bullet-train-route-101706556310960.html 

Nuclear safety experts from NNRA & geologist investigating explosion at Bodija, Ibadan in Nigeria

• https://tribuneonlineng.com/nuclear-safety-experts-geologists-examine-ibadan-explosion-site/ 

President of Academy of Sciences & Director of Institute of Seismology agrees that an M9.0+ earthquake is considered devastating in Kyrgyzstan and elsewhere around the world – USGS rated 1992 Suusamyr EQ as M7.3

• https://akipress.com/news:757150:Head_of_Academy_of_Sciences_agrees_with_State_Construction_Agency_on_complete_collapse_in_the_event_of_a_9-magnitude_earthquake/ 
• 1992 EQ:  https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usp0005cq0/executive#general_summary 

The Moon is shrinking – now 150 feet less in circumference as core cooled

• https://www.sci.news/space/moon-shrinking-12640.html 
• Paper:  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/ad1332 

Nevada Supreme Court unanimously ruled that State can restrict new groundwater pumping if it will impact other users and wildlife – to help manage groundwater depletion

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/31012024/nevada-supreme-court-groundwater-restrictions/ 

Another magnetic field reversal is imminent in the Sun – cyclic event about every 11 years

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/the-sun-s-poles-are-about-to-flip-it-s-awesome-and-slightly-terrifying/ar-BB1hxNyY 

Vestiges of Ice Age pluvial Lake Manly in Death Valley, California

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/water-wonder-ice-age-era-lake-reemerges-from-dusty-depths-of-california-s-arid-death-valley/ar-BB1hzkSl

Trans Mountain Pipeline looking for solution to challenge in horizontal directional drilled section 

• https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/trans-mountain-mulling-how-to-remove-obstruction-causing-newest-b-c-construction-delay 

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Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 5 February 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford 

What is wrong with this picture?  “no Nature allowed in the Natural State”

• https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/city-targets-native-lawn-revised-063000239.html  

E-bikes still causing explosions, injuries, and deadly fires

• https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2024/01/25/e-bike-battery-sparks-house-fire-in-brevard-county/ 
• https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/e-bike-fire-on-ttc-subway-was-rapid-and-intense-toronto-fire-says-here-s-how-it-erupted-1.6708128 
• Video:  https://www.foxnews.com/us/e-bike-battery-explodes-burns-nyc-store-video 
• https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/lithium-batteries-drive-fire-death-toll-to-106-across-city-in-23-highest-in-20-years-GY3076697 
• https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/ebikes-and-scooters-keep-catching-fire-what-can-be-done-about-it-20240123-p5ezes.html 

FDA issues warning of potential severe adverse & fatal effects of use of tianeptine products

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/cm/fda-urges-consumers-not-buy-222842950.html  

Inadequate road design endangers drivers – Arkansas is the worst state for poor road design

• https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2024/01/24/321618.htm 
• https://usa.streetsblog.org/2023/10/25/study-yes-suvs-are-deadlier-than-cars-but-on-fast-arterials-pedestrians-die-no-matter-what 
• https://suburbanchicagoland.com/2024/01/22/illinois-has-the-fifth-most-car-crash-deaths-due-to-poor-road-design-research-reveals/  

Federal government opens 22 million acres to solar power development – more scars upon the land - in zones of highest seismic risk

• https://electrek.co/2024/01/18/us-govt-opens-22-million-acres-federal-lands-solar/ 
• https://www.utilitydive.com/news/blm-solar-development-roadmap-west/704855/ 
• Roadmap & PEIS documents:  https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022371/570 
• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26012024/could-get-easier-to-build-solar-in-western-us/ 

Nationwide recall for two Robitussin Honey cough syrup products due to microbial contamination

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/robitussin-cough-syrups-recalled-nationwide-due-to-life-threatening-contamination/ar-BB1hgMib 
• FDA:  https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/haleon-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-robitussin-honey-cf-max-day-adult-and-robitussin-honey-cf#recall-photos  

WOAH marks 100th anniversary addressing animal health & welfare

• https://www.woah.org/en/the-world-organisation-for-animal-health-turns-100-a-century-of-improving-animal-health-and-welfare/ 

Who pays the costs for decommissioning solar plants? – No uniform policy among the States & some have no rules – estimated 3,000 football fields of solar panel waste by 2030

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/25012024/inside-clean-energy-decommissioning-solar-plants/ 
• Report:  https://nccleantech.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/50-States-of-Solar-Decommissioning-2023-Snaspshot-NCCETC-2024.pdf 

Promoting bee populations among solar farms by planting wildflowers & native grasses

• https://electrek.co/2024/01/23/utility-scale-solar-farms-bees/ 
• Paper:  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ad0f72 

Quantifying occurrence of “rare” complications of covid based on 55 articles & 42 case studies – matters if you are one of those small groups – much higher frequencies of side effects of vaxx 

• https://www.verywellhealth.com/rare-covid-commplication-prevalence-8550117 
• Paper:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9847396/
• Paper:  https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.756633/full 

Robotic drones to assess damage & ongoing decommissioning at Fukushima nuclear power plant

• https://www.constructionbriefing.com/news/snake-like-robot-to-be-deployed-at-wrecked-fukushima-power-plant/8034606.article 

Hinkley Point nuclear power plant in UK again delayed as costs escalate

• https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/edfs-nuclear-project-britain-pushed-back-2029-may-cost-up-34-bln-2024-01-23/

Manufacture & sale of EVs is not viable – Ford Motor Co loses about $35,000 on every F-10 Lightning sold, laid off 70 of EV workers & ramps up production of gas-powered vehicles

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/enthusiasts/ford-loses-36-000-on-every-f-150-lightning-sold-fires-70-of-ev-workers-ramps-up-gas-production/ar-BB1hg8wF

OPEs replaced toxic polybrominated flame retardants but are now linked to premature births

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/chemicals-in-baby-products-linked-to-premature-birth/ar-BB1hgfbV 
• Paper:  https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP13182 

Nature-based solution applied to storm water in Denmark

• https://techxplore.com/news/2024-01-stormwater-solution-unveiled-tackle-rainfall.html

EPA barred from considering issues of race to decide environmental concerns in “Cancer Alley” since “pollution does not discriminate”

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/judge-bars-epa-from-enforcing-civil-rights-act-provision-in-louisiana-s-cancer-alley/ar-BB1hd1bh 

Mosquitoes are vectors of “flesh-eating” Buruli ulcer between possums and humans in SE Australia

• https://www.sciencealert.com/flesh-eating-buruli-ulcer-was-an-80-year-mystery-scientists-reveal-the-culprits
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-023-01553-1 

Undergoing plastic surgery in other countries can be deadly for US citizens

• https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/report-finds-93-us-deaths-after-cosmetic-surgery-106685943 
• CDC Report:  https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7303a3.htm 

The concept of intellectual humility – it is called science:  always questioning

• https://daily.jstor.org/can-intellectual-humility-save-us-from-ourselves/ 

Copco No. 1 dam breach on Klamath River – final hydroelectric dam being removed (video)

• https://www.opb.org/article/2024/01/24/fourth-dam-breached-on-the-klamath-river/

Perspective:  Naming the “Anthropocene” may not really matter but the impacts of humans do – “unsustainable course” of human actions in consuming resources, water & altering physical environment

• https://www.gazettenet.com/earth-matters-jan-27-53813721 

Open Southern Border is clear and present danger to America

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/former-top-officials-warn-america-biden-s-open-border-is-a-clear-and-present-danger-to-america/ar-BB1hjwNO 

Monkey farm is proposed near Bainbridge, Georgia – agreement cloaked in secrecy - would house 30,000 monkeys in breeding facilities for medical research – threat of disease & environmental damage – COO & CEO have history of working with firms that used questionable practices

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/cm/small-town-residents-unite-fight-101151326.html

Technological hazard:  Artificial Intelligence taught to go rogue could not be stopped by those who thought they were in charge – safety techniques did not work

• https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/legitimately-scary-anthropic-ai-poisoned-rogue-evil-couldnt-be-taught-how-to-behave-again 
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/artificial-intelligence-was-taught-to-go-rogue-for-a-test-it-couldn-t-be-stopped/ar-BB1hrjzD 
• Paper:  https://arxiv.org/pdf/2401.05566.pdf  

New class of life - virus-like organisms found in human gut – bits of genetic material with no detectable sequences or structural similarities to other biological agents

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/obelisks-entirely-new-class-of-life-has-been-found-in-the-human-digestive-system/ar-BB1hpn7l
• https://www.science.org/content/article/it-s-insane-new-viruslike-entities-found-human-gut-microbes 
• Paper:  https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.20.576352v1.full.pdf+html  

5 cases of Alzheimer’s disease linked to medical treatments decades earlier -patients received cadaveric pituitary-derived growth hormone

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/researchers-discover-alzheimer-s-disease-cases-acquired-from-past-medical-treatments/ar-BB1hqY4Q 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02729-2 

Ukraine to start construction of 4 new reactors at Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant

• https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/ukraine-start-building-4-new-nuclear-reactors-this-year-minister-2024-01-25/ 

Pesticides negatively impacting aquatic invertebrate community health in stream & river ecosystems

• https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/pesticides-are-likely-impacting-invertebrate-life-essential-our-nations
• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723082645?via%3Dihub 

Link between cold snaps and pandemics in the Roman Empire

• https://phys.org/news/2024-01-link-cold-snaps-roman-empire.html 
• Paper:  https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adk1033 

Natural events are acts of God but disasters are acts of man - Brazil hit by record 1,161 disasters in 2023 – mostly floods and landslides that must be blamed on man-made global warming

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Brazil_hit_by_record_1161_natural_disasters_in_2023_999.html 

Invasive big-headed ant caused lions to change their diet in Kenya – mutualism & cascading impacts

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/How_an_invasive_ant_caused_lions_to_change_their_diet_999.html 
• https://news.ufl.edu/2024/01/ant-species-disrupts-lion-behavior/ 

Faulty Robert Morris University economic impact studies justified $B in tax breaks to entice massive petrochemical complex to Pennsylvania – “academic malpractice”

• https://www.ehn.org/shell-plastics-pennsylvania-economics-2667094641.html 
• Report:  https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/pennsylvanias-bad-bet/ 

 

Perspective:  Waging full-scale assault on human life and human dignity

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/an-anti-human-campaign-for-an-anti-human-president/ar-BB1hrwaH 

Perspective:  Vaping is a very bad idea – stick a metal tube in your mouth & inhale e-potion of nicotine, propylene glycol, acetaldehyde & formaldehyde – inhaling antifreeze & embalming fluid

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/there-s-nothing-unfair-about-stopping-people-killing-themselves-vapes-are-horrific-creations/ar-BB1hrH78 

FDA orders warning black box label on CAR-T cancer therapy that warns of potential for blood cance

• https://www.nbcnews.com/health/cancer/fda-says-cancer-treatment-car-t-therapy-may-increase-risk-cancer-rcna135262 
• https://www.cancerhealth.com/article/cart-therapy-cause-secondary-cancers  

Syphilis cases on the increase in the US – 80% over past 5 years & congenital syphilis cases increased by 184% – some antibiotic resistant – highest rates in men ages 20-40

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/rise-in-syphilis-rates-prompts-calls-for-change-from-cdc/ar-BB1hv4Ex 
• https://www.statista.com/statistics/622816/syphilis-rate-in-the-us-by-age-and-gender/ 
• CDC:  https://www.cdc.gov/std/statistics/2022/overview.htm#Syphilis
• Paper:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9785152/ 

Cases of deadly drug-resistant Candida auris in China

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/drug-resistant-fungal-infections-surge-in-china/ar-BB1hvt4b 
• Paper:  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/22221751.2024.2302843 

Pyramid of Menkaure has stood for more than 4,000 years – “fixing” it making “Disneyland from ancient legacy”

• https://www.itv.com/news/2024-01-30/egyptian-pyramid-to-be-clad-in-granite-blocks-but-not-everyone-is-impressed 
• https://www.businessinsider.com/egypt-restoring-ancient-pyramid-giza-granite-horrifying-conservationists-2024-1

World treasures being ruined by mass tourism – too many very rude tourists ended my last visit to Niagara Falls & thankfully they did not follow me to the Finger Lakes area!

• https://www.thecollector.com/which-popular-sites-have-been-ruined-by-mass-tourism/ 

Uranium mine at new Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon Monument raises concerns for Havasupai

• https://www.azfamily.com/2024/01/30/havasupai-tribe-concerned-about-uranium-mine-new-grand-canyon-monument-site/ 

97% of gas stoves already meet “new energy efficiency standard”

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/the-gas-stove-debacle-is-finally-over/ar-BB1hvaJE  

Majority of voters oppose DEI agenda – even Democrats & Liberals oppose discriminatory practices

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/bad-news-for-democrats-majority-of-voters-oppose-dei-agenda/ar-BB1hyQk8

CWD is devastating deer & elk populations in North America – hunting will not stop it

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/deer-are-beta-testing-a-nightmare-disease/ar-BB1hBP82 

In hindsight, some lessons to be learned from draconian mis-handling of plandemic – plandemic chaos led to disproportionately higher percentage of deaths attributed to covid

• https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj.q150https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/scathing-report-unveils-shocking-systemic-failures-in-us-response-to-covid-pandemic/ar-BB1hy8Sk 
• BMJ series:  https://www.bmj.com/collections/us-covid-series

Decriminalizing drugs leads to increased drug addition & drug overdose deaths

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/measure-that-blue-state-voted-for-resulted-in-241-increase-of-opioid-deaths-forces-dems-to-declare-state-of-emergency/ar-BB1hzmzp 

New York City Mayor just classified social media as an environmental threat – it does indeed pose potential technological “social” threats along with some benefits

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/nyc-mayor-thinks-your-speech-is-an-environmental-threat/ar-BB1hBgyb  

Outbreak of Candida auris fungal infections in Washington State – 90% of US strains drug resistant

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/deadly-fungal-infection-outbreak-warning-as-cases-discovered-in-washington-state/ar-BB1hBGzj  

Woke perspective – hiring someone based on merit qualifications is “unfair”

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careers/american-psychological-association-claims-merit-based-hiring-is-unfair-in-new-study/ar-BB1hCw0d
• Paper:  https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/xge-xge0001525.pdf 

Newest vaccine is only 54% effective in “preventing” symptomatic infections

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/newest-covid-shots-are-54-effective-in-preventing-symptoms-cdc-finds/ar-BB1hCOF1 

Lack of regular maintenance of storm drains leads to repeated flooding of NY Metro stations – MTA wants billions of dollars to “address the problem”

• https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/200-nyc-subway-stations-have-flooded-in-recent-storms-22-of-which-need-major-fixes-mta/5093801/ 

How can this be?  NY & LA named along with London, Singapore & Paris as “most resilient” cities

• https://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20240129/NEWS06/912362376/New-York,-LA-atop-list-of-world%E2%80%99s-most-resilient-cities- 
• https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/reinsurance/low-insurance-penetration-continues-to-pose-a-growing-threat--tokio-marine-470024.aspx 

Viability of the Texas power grid – Unlike California, Texas Grid has 3 years without a crisis

• https://www.eenews.net/articles/texas-grid-has-gone-3-years-without-a-crisis-will-it-last/ 
• Report:  https://www.ferc.gov/media/ferc-nerc-regional-entity-joint-blackstart-and-next-start-resource-availability-study-texas 

Investigating cause of deadly under-construction collapse of hanger at Boise, Idaho, airport

• https://apnews.com/article/boise-idaho-building-collapse-2e4c92c1d37afa2525d6524430730957

Lawsuit filed against US Army COE aiming to prevent construction of new reservoir north of Fort Collins citing improper granting of construction permit – reservoir would support more development

• https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/northern-coloradans-file-lawsuit-prevent-construction-dam-north-fort-collins/  

Retrospective:  the epizootic of 1872

• https://daily.jstor.org/civilization-without-horses-the-epizootic-of-1872/  

Landfill fire near Moody, Alabama, “may ever be extinguished”

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02022024/alabama-underground-landfill-fire-still-burning-may-never-be-extinguished/  

Another problem – crash tests indicate guardrail systems cannot handle heavy EVs

• https://apnews.com/article/electric-vehicles-crash-test-guardrails-nebraska-3ec299a7ad87d0f63a6dd9357f663fce 
• https://apnews.com/article/technology-road-safety-national-transportation-board-automotive-accidents-dd5c4260f68e9f5dcb430a02cc939f6b 

Utah Legislature wants to prevent Nature from having legal status as growing “rights of nature” movement coalesces around efforts to “save” the Great Salt Lake

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01022024/utah-legislature-stopping-rights-of-nature/ 

Train derailment & toxic spill & fire in East Palestine, Ohio - one year later contamination lingers

• https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4440815-east-palestine-ohio-train-crash-anniversary-little-closure-residents/  

Systemwide rebuild of Pajaro River levee in California after major 2023 flooding

• https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2024/01/31/pajaro-river-levee-close-to-beginning-construction/ 

*******************************************************************

Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board - 5 February 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford 

Largest cruise ship ever, Icon of the Seas, launched “investing in false solutions” – iconic greenwashing

• https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/26/icon-of-the-seas-largest-cruise-ship-human-lasagne-climate-fuel-lng-greenwashing 

US Army COE proposal to raise Embarcadero 7 feet in San Francisco Bay – current estimated cost of $13.5B but that will escalate if construction actually begins – open for public comment

• https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/embarcadero-proposed-transformation-18621689.php 
• Plan & Comment links:  https://sfport.com/wrp 

NOAA & BOEM strategy to protect endangered whales from offshore wind projects – good luck with that

• https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/media-release/noaa-boem-announce-final-north-atlantic-right-whale-and-offshore-wind-strategy 
• Document:  https://www.boem.gov/sites/default/files/documents/environment/BOEM_NMFS_NARW_OSW_2.pdf 

Lighthouses and light stations in the National Park System

• https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2024/01/navigating-through-national-park-systems-lighthouses-and-light-stations

PFAS occurrence, distribution & risks in the dry season in micro-estuaries – remarkably high concentrations

• https://phys.org/news/2024-01-alarming-pfas-contamination-small-coastal.html 
• Paper:  https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00882 

Coastal cities being flooded not because of sea level rise but because of land subsidence

• https://theconversation.com/from-new-york-to-jakarta-land-in-many-coastal-cities-is-sinking-faster-than-sea-levels-are-rising-220120

Tracking migratory sea birds – decade-long study

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1032696 
• Paper:  https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2312438121 

Giant sea salt aerosols play key role in coastal clouds & precipitation in Hawaii

• https://new.nsf.gov/news/giant-sea-salt-aerosols-play-major-role-hawaiis 
• Paper:  https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/23/13735/2023/ 

Photo-essay:  Geology of the New South Wales South Coast

• https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-27/murramarang-national-park-beaches-geotourism-hotspots/103391078 

100 to 200+ old tires dumped on shore of Loch Ness

• https://uk.news.yahoo.com/more-100-tyres-dumped-shore-123000127.html 

Whales make daily onshore-offshore migrations

• https://spectrumlocalnews.com/hi/hawaii/news/2024/01/24/whales-make-daily-onshore-offshore-migrations-
• Paper:  https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230279 

Humpback whales no longer sing near shorelines

• https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/soestwp/announce/news/humpback-whales-move-daytime-singing-offshore/
• Sanctuary:  https://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/ 

Wildfires force evacuations of small coastal communities near Cape Town, South Africa

• https://www.nhregister.com/news/world/article/south-africa-evacuates-small-coastal-towns-near-18637088.php  

Surge in deaths of illegal aliens migrating by boat across the central & eastern Mediterranean

• https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/01/1145997 

US Navy will not send Littoral Combat Ships to the Red Sea

• https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/us-navy-wont-send-littoral-combat-ships-red-sea-208874 

European Energy of Denmark abandons nearshore wind project – would not be able to co-exist with plans for bird sanctuary

• https://renewablesnow.com/news/european-energy-abandons-danish-nearshore-wind-project-846840/ 

Some of the best snorkeling spots in US waters

• https://www.themanual.com/travel/best-places-to-snorkel-usa/  

Diving community around Maltese Islands concerned about lack of decisiveness to protect conservation areas

• https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/comment/blogs/127205/shillyshallying_on_conservation_areas_endangers_divers_and_damages_industry__agius_and_xerri 

Near-shore reefs in Florida less vulnerable

• https://www.waterfronttimes.com/node/16875 
• https://news.miami.edu/rosenstiel/stories/2024/01/south-floridas-nearshore-reefs-less-vulnerable-to-ocean-acidification-study-finds.html 
• Paper:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GB007789 

Landslides halt California coastal rail service between LA & San Diego indefinitely – threat continues with latest storm

• https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-25/metrolink-amtrak-san-clemente-landslide-train-service-halted 
• https://ktla.com/news/local-news/rail-service-still-suspended-as-crews-continue-removing-landslide-debris-from-tracks-in-o-c/ 

US Army COE & Nome, Alaska, sign agreement for construction of Port of Nome Modification Project to expand harbor causeways & deepen navigation channels

• https://mustreadalaska.com/nome-army-corps-of-engineers-sign-agreement-to-construct-expansion-of-nome-harbor/ 

Guam Waterworks Authority reaches agreement on sewer system overflows & illegal discharges into coastal waters

• https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/united-states-reaches-agreement-guam-waterworks-authority-requiring-investment-sewer

Need to admit that iconic California piers are just OLD while they keep on paying to repairing them

• https://apnews.com/article/rising-seas-climate-change-piers-pacific-california-570d5c934c4102f72966c6d4b300f246 

"What happens is not as important as how you react to what happens."- Ellen Glasgow

CRS Insight Report: 'Atmospheric Rivers - Background and Forecasting'; My AR (Pineapple Express) Recollections

Eva Lipiec and Nicole T. Carter updated (4 December 2023) this CRS Insight report: 'Atmospheric Rivers: Background and Forecasting'.

Download CRS_Insight_Atmos_Rivers_Background_Forecastig_4Dec2023

Lots of graphics; click on them to enlarge them. In the online versions there are some links, They are not active in the copy I have pasted below. ARs are now hitting close to home here in the Pacific Northwest and will likely be here for a few more days. At the bottom I have some personal remembrances from my days livein in the Sierra Nevada in Truckee, CA, just off I-80 below Donner Summit.

Introduction
An atmospheric river (AR) consists of a long band of water vapor moving through the atmosphere, typically resulting in heavy precipitation over land (Figure 1). Improved AR observations and understanding (especially for large ARs) may facilitate flood preparedness and response and water supply management. This is especially true in some snowpack-dominated watersheds. ARs significantly influence U.S. West Coast water conditions, producing on average 30%-50% of the region’s annual precipitation, and sometimes more. For example, from late December 2022 through mid-January 2023, ARs delivered about half of California’s average annual precipitation, and more ARs followed in the spring.

ARs may have implications for other U.S. regions, as well. For instance, ARs from the Gulf of Mexico contributed to central U.S. flooding in 1983 and 2008 and southern U.S. flooding in 2016. Congress may direct AR research and the use of AR information through authorizations and appropriations for agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which conduct and support AR science, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), which manages water resources and flood risks.

ARs typically form in tropical regions when winds over the ocean draw water vapor into narrow bands. AR interactions with land features, such as mountain ranges (Figure 2), or certain atmospheric conditions cause the water vapor to move upward in the atmosphere and then fall as heavy rain or snowfall. When ARs slow down over a particular area or occur in rapid succession, the resultant precipitation can lead to flooding, mudslides, landslides, and debris flows, especially in areas that have experienced wildfires in recent years. In some cases, ARs can help improve or “bust” drought conditions.

According to some estimates, multiple ARs are in motion around the Earth at any given time, with 90% of the planet’s atmospheric water vapor concentrated in four to five ARs at a time. Scientists have begun categorizing ARs based on their maximum water vapor transported over a certain space and time (Figure 3; e.g., the U.S. West Coast December 2022-January 2023 ARs ranged from Cat 1 to Cat 4).

 

Detection and Forecasting
Federal and nonfederal agencies and institutions employ a range of methods to observe and forecast ARs and their short- and longer-term impacts, including on snowpack, rivers and streams, and subsequent vegetation growth. Observations (e.g., wind, temperature, water vapor content) come from satellites, radar, and aircraft- or ocean-based missions (e.g., Figure 4). For example, scientists working on improving prediction of land-falling ARs in the western United States have established an Atmospheric River Reconnaissance (AR Recon) partnership. AR Recon activities include coordinating and sharing AR observations on the U.S. West Coast, and more recently in the Gulf of Mexico and southeastern United States. A limited number of land-based AR monitoring stations also have been deployed to collect data not well captured by other observing systems.

 

NOAA and others use these observations in forecasting models. NOAA’s National Weather Service uses the model outputs to issue outlooks and warnings for AR-related weather events, such as rain, snow, wind, high surf, flooding, thunderstorms, and tornadoes (e.g., Figure 5)

Emergency managers and infrastructure operators also may use AR information. For example, managers may use AR forecasts, along with other information, to inform when to release water from reservoirs— known as Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO)—to reduce flood risk and enhance water supplies.

As understanding of ARs improves, scientists are exploring how ARs may change with a warming climate. Some research (as noted by the USGS and NOAA) suggests a warmer climate may alter U.S. West Coast ARs’ frequency, intensity, and location. While globally ARs in a warming climate may be associated with more precipitation, the effects on precipitation may not be uniform along the U.S. West Coast. Potential changes to AR-related rain and snowfall may further encourage improved understanding and forecasting of ARs for watersheds that receive significant AR precipitation.

Additional Considerations
In recent years, Congress has supported AR-related activities through appropriations for NOAA to observe and predict ARs (explanatory statement accompanying P.L. 117-328) and authorization for USACE to expand its FIRO efforts to other river basins (P.L. 116-260, §157, Division AA; P.L. 117-263, Division H, Title LXXXI, §8303), among other ways. The 118th Congress may consider assessing federal efforts to advance the understanding and forecasting of ARs and their impacts, including on flood risk and water supplies.

Personal Reflections on ARs
I joke that if I had used the term 'AR' in one of my hydrology classes 30-40 years ago I probably would have had my hydrologic credentials stripped! 'Pineapple Express' was perfectly all right!

I lived in Truckee, CA (Sierra Nevada) in the mid-late 1980s. I recall that we got whacked with ARs for over a week in February. I could not get to my job in Reno because I-80 was treacherous driving and I could not even get to I-80 from my house! My wife and I spent a lot of time shoveling snow off the roof. It became apparent to me why mountain homes were not flat-roofed but had sloping metal roofs. My wife and I would watch the evening weather report on the Sacramento TV stations showing the storms backed up to Hawaii. We did not have the images you see above.

The folks who lived 'down below' (i.e., Sacramento and SFO) could not easily get to their vacation homes. That summer there were a lot of 'squashed' homes. Cars, too.  

In between the storms we got a lit of skiing in (downhill and Nordic) and even some snow camping. 

Flash forward to December 2023. Instead of living at 6000+ feet amsl in Truckee I'm at about 250 feet amsl in Corvallis, OR. Still getting hammered by the Pineapple Express, but it's falling as rain; the white stuff is several thousand feet above me in the Cascade Range. Too bad my skiing days are behind me!

Enjoy!

"A man's character isn't his fate; a man's fate is the joke his life plays on his character." - @Philip_Roth quoted in @Harpers via @TheWeek

CRS Report: 'Columbia River Treaty Review'

On 29-30 November 2023 we had 8 hours of Zoom meetings on the Columbia River Treaty (CRT) that was ratified in 1964 and can be altered under certain conditions. Right now it covers just flood control and power generation. Salmon is also under consideration especially among indigenous people. I was remiss in not posting the CRS Report by Charles V. Stern that covers the  CRT (updated 15 February 2023): 'Columbia River Treaty Review'. 

Download CRT_Review_15Feb2023

I will publish the Summary and the maps.Click on the maps to enlarge them.

Summary
The Columbia River Treaty (CRT or Treaty) is an international agreement between the United States and Canada for the cooperative development and operation of the water resources of the Columbia River Basin to provide for flood control and electric power. The Treaty was the result of more than 20 years of negotiations between the two countries and was ratified in 1961. Implementation began in 1964.

The Treaty provided for the construction and operation of three dams in Canada and one dam in the United States whose reservoir extends into Canada. Together, these dams more than doubled the amount of reservoir storage available in the basin and provided significant flood protection benefits. In exchange for these benefits, the United States agreed to provide Canada with lump- sum cash payments and a portion of downstream hydropower benefits that are attributable to Canadian operations under the CRT, known as the Canadian Entitlement. Some have estimated the Canadian Entitlement to be worth as much as $335 million annually.

The CRT has no specific end date. Currently, either the United States or Canada can terminate most provisions of the CRT with a minimum of 10 years’ written notice. If the CRT is not terminated or modified, most of its provisions would continue indefinitely without actions by the United States or Canada. The only exception is the CRT’s flood control provisions, which are scheduled to transition automatically to “called-upon” operations at that time, meaning the United States would request and compensate Canada for flood control operations as necessary.

To date, neither country has given notice of termination, but, following internal government Treaty reviews, both countries indicated interest in its modification. Perspectives on the CRT vary. Some believe the Treaty should include stronger provisions related to tribal resources and flows for fisheries that are not in the Treaty; others disagree and focus on the perceived need to adjust the Canadian Entitlement to reflect actual hydropower benefits. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Bonneville Power Administration, in their joint role as the U.S. Entity overseeing the Treaty, undertook a review of the CRT from 2009 to 2013. Based on studies and stakeholder input, they provided a Regional Recommendation to the State Department in December 2013. They recommended continuing the Treaty with certain modifications, including rebalancing the CRT’s hydropower provisions, further delineating called-upon flood control operations after 2024, and incorporating into the Treaty flows to benefit Columbia River fisheries. For its part, the Canadian Entity (the Province of British Columbia) released in March 2013 a recommendation to continue the CRT with modifications “within the Treaty framework.” It disputed several assumptions in the U.S. Entity’s review process.

Following a two-year federal interagency review of the U.S. Regional Recommendation, the U.S. State Department finalized its negotiating parameters and authorized talks with Canada in October 2016. Between 2018 and 2022, U.S. and Canadian negotiating teams held 15 rounds of negotiations. As of the date of this report, these negotiations remain ongoing.

Past Congresses have held oversight hearings and weighed in on CRT-related activities through their oversight roles, and the 117th Congress enacted new authority for the Corps to carry out post-2024 called-upon flood control operations. If the executive branch comes to an agreement with Canadian officials regarding modification of the CRT, any changes to the CRT’s text would require the Senate’s advice and consent. If notice of Treaty termination is given, it is unclear whether such a notice would be reversible within the 10-year window and how Congress might inform such a decision.

Yesterday I posted a video by Robert T. Lackey on salmon issues. View it here.It is excellent - about 30 minutes long. 

Enjoy!

"If the salmon and steelhead are running, then as far as I am concerned, God knows that all is well in His world...the health of the environment is good if the salmon and steelhead are around. It is that simple." - Former Oregon Governor Tom McCall