§373f — Title 43 Public Lands | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary may work with, give grants to, or sign cooperative agreements with local joint powers authorities that irrigation districts, water districts, or local governments form. These partnerships are for doing planning and feasibility work on water storage projects that Congress has approved. The Secretary must make sure any planning documents and environmental review papers under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are shared with the joint powers authority that helps move the project forward. The Secretary, through the Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner, must make NEPA reviews happen quickly and use the shortest appropriate process, including draft and final environmental impact statements when needed. The Bureau does not have to finish a feasibility study or NEPA documents if the Commissioner and the Secretary agree the joint powers authority can speed up the project as a non-Federal effort, or if the project fails Federal cost-benefit rules. The Secretary must not give money for these studies or projects unless there is a clear Federal interest.

Title 43, §373f

Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary may hereafter partner, provide a grant to, or enter into a cooperative agreement with local joint powers authorities formed pursuant to State law by irrigation districts and other local water districts and local governments, to advance planning and feasibility studies authorized by Congress for water storage project: Provided, That the Secretary shall ensure that all documents associated with the preparation of planning and feasibility studies and applicable environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act [42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.] for a project covered by this section shall be made available to any joint powers authority with whom the Secretary enters into an agreement to advance such project: Provided further, That the Secretary, acting through the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, shall ensure that all applicable environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act, to the degree such reviews are required, are completed on an expeditious basis and that the shortest existing applicable process under the National Environmental Policy Act shall be utilized, including in the completion of feasibility studies, Draft Environmental Impact Statements (DEIS) and Final Environmental Impact Statements (FEIS): Provided further, That the Bureau of Reclamation need not complete the applicable feasibility study, DEIS or FEIS if the Commissioner determines, and the Secretary concurs, that the project can be expedited by a joint powers authority as a non-Federal project or if the project fails to meet applicable Federal cost-benefit requirements or standards: Provided further, That the Secretary shall not provide financial assistance towards these studies or projects, unless there is a demonstrable Federal interest.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The National Environmental Policy Act, referred to in text, probably means the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Pub. L. 91–190, Jan. 1, 1970, 83 Stat. 852, which is classified generally to chapter 55 (§ 4321 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 4321 of Title 42 and Tables.

§373f Partnerships, Grants, and Cooperative Agreements with Local Joint Powers Authorities