§544o Savings Provisions

Summary

Keeps many existing rights, duties, and laws unchanged. It says these rules do not change Indian tribes’ treaty or trust rights, water rights or how water is used except where another part of the law says otherwise, or the rights and control of the United States, States, tribes, or others over rivers, streams, groundwater, or river transportation. It does not change any interstate agreements made before November 17, 1986. It also does not limit the Bonneville Power Administration’s ability to run its power lines, affect lands held in trust for tribes, change hunting and fishing laws or treaties, force changes to forest plans under the National Forest Management Act, or create protected buffer zones around the scenic or special management areas. It leaves the Army Corps of Engineers’ duty to improve navigation at Bonneville Dam alone, except for offsite disposal of digged material. It generally preserves private timber owners’ rights under Oregon and Washington forest rules, except for how timber on non-Federal lands inside special areas is handled. Required language about the Commission is meant to be a condition before Congress approves the interstate compact. If the States fail to follow the compact rules, the Secretary does not have to act on creating the Commission. Certain listed actions by the Secretary are not treated as major federal actions under the National Environmental Policy Act and do not need an environmental assessment; otherwise NEPA duties stay the same.