Jon L. Christensen: “H.R. 434 would allow for the nonmotorized maintenance and repair of 12 concrete dams in the Emigrant Wilderness in the…”

“H.R. 434 would allow for the nonmotorized maintenance and repair of 12 concrete dams in the Emigrant Wilderness in the Stanislaus National Forest in California. The bill would allow the Forest Service to enter into cooperative agreements to delegate the maintenance work and expense to private properties. These structures were built between 1931 and 1954 and were in existence when Congress designated the Wilderness area in 1974. Several provide water during the dry seasons for trout habitat. Although dams generally do not belong in Wilderness and the forest planning process is addressing this issue, several factors make the bill acceptable: first, litigation threatens to drag the planning process out for years. Second, these dams, some of which are eligible for listing on the National Register for Historic Places, predate the establishment of the Wilderness, have a history of nonmotorized maintenance, and are, for the most part, unobtrusive. Finally, the expense is not borne by the taxpayer. As reported out of committee, this bill represents a reasonable compromise, reducing the number of dams maintained from 18 to 12 and mirroring the bill that passed the House last Congress. I urge my colleagues to support it.”