releases: https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-gardner-bennet-bill-to-extend-platte-river-recovery-implementation-program
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-gardner-bennet-bill-to-extend-platte-river-recovery-implementation-program | Senate Passes Gardner, Bennet Bill to Extend Platte River Recovery Implementation Program | 2019-12-19 | 2019 | 2019-12 | Republican | House | CO | Cory Gardner | G000562 | www.gardner.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C.Today the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan bill introduced by Colorado U.S. SenatorsCory Gardner (R) andMichael Bennet (D) to extend thePlatteRiver Recovery Implementation Program (PRRIP) as part of the year-end spending package. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives earlier this week and will now go to the president's desk to be signed into law. ThePlatteRiver Recovery Implementation Program has responsibly protected endangered species living in Colorado's natural habitats,said Senator Gardner.It's a great example of how a partnership between federal, state, and local stakeholders can promote conservation, protect nature and prevent litigation, and I'm pleased to see it reauthorized. ThePlatteRiver in Colorado is the bedrock of our economy and the headwaters for a unique and important ecosystem. ThePlatteRiver Recovery Implementation Program has helped protect endangered species through a collaborative approach with other states and water users in the region,said Senator Bennet.I'm glad to see this effective program extended. Over the past decade, thePlatteProgram has become a model for collaborative endangered species recovery programs,saidJason Farnsworth, Executive Director of thePlatteRiver Recovery Implementation Program.Much of our success stems from the commitment and ongoing support of Program stakeholders who have demonstrated that environmental groups, water users and regulators can work together to benefit the endangered species of thePlattebasin and the people who live here. We are appreciative of the time and effort that has already been expended to navigate the legislative process and look forward to continuing the Program's important work during the Extension. ThePlatteRiver Recovery Implementation Program is an important partnership with resounding benefits to Colorado's economy,said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources.The Program allows for water development in Colorado's booming Front Range and supports our farming communities in Northeastern Colorado all while benefiting the recovery of four threatened and endangered species. This collaborative and proactive conservation program stands as a national model and has led to 13 years of success. I lend my full support for the reauthorization of this Program Background: In April,Gardner andBennet, along with U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) introduced thePlatteRiver Recovery Implementation Program Extension Act. ThePlatteRiver Recovery Implementation Program (PRRIP) is a cooperative agreement among the governors of Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and the Secretary of the Interior to achieve Endangered Species Act compliance on thePlatteRiver. PRRIP also allows new and existing water use and development through this streamlined consultation process. The program was initiated to alleviate habitat threats along thePlatteRiver for the endangered whooping crane, interior least tern and pallid sturgeon, and the threatened piping plover. A recentannouncementfrom the Fish and Wildlife Service credited the PRRIP with helping to recover the interior least tern. In addition to addressing protections under the federal Endangered Species Act, PRRIP has allowed the three states and the Department of Interior to avoid lengthy and expensive litigation involving the Endangered Species Act. The program has provided a level of certainty to water users in thePlatteRiver drainage that litigation would not have afforded. PRRIP was authorized by Congress in 2008. The first increment of the program is set to expire on December 31, 2019. S. 990 extends the program by an additional 13 years. The legislation was developed by the three state representatives on the Governance Committee and enjoys broad bipartisan support from lawmakers, water users, conservation groups, and the administration. ### Cory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |