Dusty Johnson: “there is a great deal about the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 which is excellent, which is a very positive…”

“there is a great deal about the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 which is excellent, which is a very positive constructive piece of legislation. I have to join my colleagues, however, the gentleman from Montana [Mr. Williams] and the gentleman from North Dakota [Mr. Pomeroy] in expressing my very strong opposition to one particular provision within this bill which frankly makes a mockery of the Missouri River management process that is currently taking place by the Corps of Engineers. Currently, Mr. Speaker, we are in the midst of a 6-year, $23 million process in rewriting the Master Manual for the management of the Missouri River. Despite that, however, there is a provision within this legislation which gives priority to navigation, despite the fact that navigation accounts only for 1 percent of the economic benefit that flows from the uses of the Missouri River. It disregards flood control, recreation, drinking water, power production and wildlife, and our opposition is shared not just by the Northern Plains Members but by this administration, by the American Rivers Group, by the National Audubon Society, by the National Wildlife Federation, by the Environmental Defense Fund, by the Sierra Club, by Friends of the Earth, by the Bass Angler Sportsmens Society, the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and other recreation, wildlife and conservation organizations.”