Graves Fights Federal Land Grab on Missouri River, Protections Signed into Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Sam Graves (MO-06), House Small Business Committee Chairman, today applauded the President's signing of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (WRRDA). Signifying major legislation to update our nation's water infrastructure, the bill authorizes the key missions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including flood prevention and navigation projects.

"The Corps has been buying up land without making its intentions clear and without a means for management and upkeep. This has been a longstanding problem, and I'm glad to have worked with my friend Congressman Luetkemeyer the past several years to have it addressed in this bill," said Congressman Graves. "Our government has a hard enough time taking care of the land it already owns. Now is the time to put a check on the government's land grab along the Missouri River."

Specifically, the legislation ensures that the Army Corps of Engineers has a clear, results-based strategy for mitigation on the Missouri River, and requires the Corps to submit to Congress a detailed explanation and purpose for buying up land.

Importantly, Graves was named to the bicameral conference committee by Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) after being recommended by House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA). The committee was tasked with negotiating differences between House and Senate versions of the bill before being sent to the President. As a member of the conference committee, Graves worked to ensure that language to stop the federal land grab on the Missouri river was included in the final House-Senate agreement.

The final agreement also prevents the Corps from charging a fee on surplus water storage for 10-years on Missouri River reservoir projects.

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