This bill would change the 1913 Act that governs the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin in Yosemite. It raises the annual rental amount in section 7 from $30,000 to $2,000,000 and requires that amount to be adjusted each year for increases in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The bill adds a rule that the grantee may not recoup those sums from wholesale water or power customers. The bill also adds "wildfire mitigation activities" to the list of allowable improvements.
The bill creates a new Section 12 directing the Secretary of the Interior, through the National Park Service Director, to administer the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin areas for public recreation and to preserve scenic, historic, scientific, and other important features. It lists recreational activities that shall be allowed, subject to conditions the Secretary sets: swimming, non-motorized watercraft, camping (not below ordinary high-water marks), picnicking, other activities the Secretary finds appropriate, and use of roads to access the areas if such use does not harm the operation or maintenance of any dam facilities.
The bill requires the Secretary to deliver a report to relevant congressional committees within 1 year of enactment. The report must analyze whether the original intent regarding public access has been followed and analyze how revenue collection and fund allocation can provide equitable public access. The report must consider maintenance costs (trail maintenance, road improvements, wildfire prevention and suppression) and ways to mitigate such costs, including adjusting water and power prices from the Hetch Hetchy system, treating the City of San Francisco as a concessioner, and adding to the City of San Francisco's annual rental fee the annual monetary value of benefits lost if the areas had not been created (including recreation and flood control).
If enacted, the National Park Service would be directed to manage Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin for public recreation and preservation. The bill lists specific recreational uses that could be allowed, subject to rules set by the Secretary. It also directs a report to Congress about past access and options for funding and fees to support public access and maintenance.
The bill changes the annual rental fee in section 7 to $2,000,000 and requires annual adjustment for CPI increases. It adds wildfire mitigation as an allowable use of improvement funds. The bill requires a report that must analyze maintenance and prevention costs and possible ways to raise or reallocate revenue, but it does not provide further budget figures or specify funding sources. No publicly available information on total costs or budget impacts beyond the rental amount in the bill text.
The bill's text emphasizes expanding and preserving public recreation, preserving scenic and historic features, and providing for maintenance and wildfire mitigation. It directs consideration of ways to allocate revenue and fees to support equitable public access, including changes to water and power pricing and treatment of the City of San Francisco as a concessioner.
No publicly available information.