Legislation to help Idaho water storage, wildfire prevention, and enable domestic uranium production 

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources passed several bills authored or cosponsored by U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho). Idaho is at the center of all three bills, which cover dams with critical maintenance issues, reversal of the Cottonwood decision, and increasing domestic production while reducing dependence on Russian enriched uranium.

“I appreciate Chairman Joe Manchin, Ranking Member Barrasso, and my colleagues for passing these important bills benefiting the State of Idaho,”  said Risch. “The Gem State has tremendous natural resources and these pieces of legislation will help improve Idaho’s water storage, actively manage our forests, and increase nuclear energy production while reducing our dependence on Russia.”

S. 843 was introduced by Senator Risch. This bill will broaden a program to help address certain dams with critical maintenance issues.

Senator Risch was an original cosponsor on S. 1540 which will reverse the disastrous Cottonwood decision, which has tied up thousands of acres of forest management and restoration projects in activist litigation. The legislation removes a requirement that the Forest Service reinitiate consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service on ready-to-go land management projects every time “new information” emerges about potential effects on endangered species.

S. 452 and S. 763 were introduced to by Senator Risch with Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to  increase domestic enriched uranium production and  to ban imports of Russian uranium. The two bills were combined and passed out of Committee.

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