Dalles Watershed Development Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. HURD of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 655) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain Federal land to the City of The Dalles, Oregon, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 655

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Dalles Watershed Development Act''. SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. In this Act:

(1) City.--The term ``City'' means the City of The Dalles, Oregon.

(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service. SEC. 3. THE DALLES CONVEYANCE.

(a) In General.--If, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the City submits a written request to the Secretary for conveyance of the land described in subsection (b)(1), the Secretary shall, as soon as practicable thereafter, convey to the City, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to such land.

(b) Description of Land.--

(1) In general.--The land described in this paragraph is the parcel of real property generally depicted as ``parcel A'' on the map, consisting of approximately 150 acres of National Forest System land located in the Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon.

(2) Map.--

(A) Definition.--In this section, the term ``map'' means the map entitled ``The Dalles Conveyance Parcel A'' and dated November 4, 2024.

(B) Minor errors.--The Secretary may correct minor errors in the map.

(C) Availability of map.--A copy of the map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of Forest Service.

(3) Survey.--The exact acreage and legal description of the National Forest System land to be conveyed under subsection (a) shall be determined by a survey satisfactory to the Secretary.

(c) Terms and Conditions.--The conveyance under subsection (a) shall be--

(1) subject to valid existing rights;

(2) made without consideration;

(3) made by quitclaim deed; and

(4) subject to such additional terms and conditions as the Secretary determines to be appropriate to protect the interests of the United States.

(d) Administrative Costs.--As a condition of the conveyance under subsection (a), the City shall pay all costs associated with the conveyance, including the cost of a survey under subsection (b)(3).

(e) Use of Conveyed Land.--

(1) In general.--The land conveyed to the City under subsection (a) shall be used by the City for public purposes, including for municipal water supply and use and related infrastructure needs or expansions.

(2) Reversion.--If the land conveyed under subsection (a) is used in a manner that is inconsistent with the requirement of paragraph (1), all right, title, and interest in and to the land shall revert to the United States.

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Mr. HURD of Colorado. 655, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 655, sponsored by my colleague, Representative Bentz.

This straightforward legislation would transfer 150 acres of U.S. Forest Service land to the City of The Dalles, Oregon.

The area encompassed by the legislation includes a dam and reservoir that the City currently operates under a special use permit from the Forest Service.

The Crow Creek Reservoir, located in the Mount Hood National Forest, is key to providing clean water for drinking, residential, and commercial uses in The Dalles. In fact, the existing infrastructure provides 80 percent of the City's annual water supply.

However, in order to access and maintain this critical water infrastructure, the City must perpetually reapply for special use permits from the Forest Service, a time-consuming and expensive process.

In addition to wasting time and personnel resources, the renewal process is estimated to cost the City at least $150,000.

Between 2010 and 2020, the population of The Dalles increased by more than 11 percent. To address the needs of its current and future population, the City plans to increase the Crow Creek Reservoir's capacity from 900 to 3,000 acre-feet. Allowing the City to take full ownership of the land within the reservoir's watershed will allow local leaders to move ahead with planned capacity and safety improvements to the Crow Creek Reservoir without running into red tape and wasting taxpayer money.

This is a fiscally responsible bill that will cut costs for the local community and for the Forest Service. A land transfer will allow the City to advance upgrades to the Crow Creek Reservoir. H.R. 655 is a simple, practical step that saves money immediately and decreases costs over time by shrinking the Federal estate.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Bentz for his leadership on this issue and for his steadfast work on behalf of his constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R.
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Mr. HURD of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, this legislation will eliminate the City's need to reapply for a special use permit to access land within its own municipal watershed and allow local leaders to move forward with a vital expansion of its reservoir capacity, which is necessary to serve its growing population.

Expanding the City's water supply will support the growing number of businesses and families that call The Dalles home. This legislation is straightforward, timely, returns power to local government, and saves taxpayer money. I thank Representative Bentz for sponsoring this critical measure.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 655, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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