165 BIPARTISAN MEMBERS OF CONGRESS CO-AUTHOR THOMPSON’S LEGISLATION TO TRANSFER MANAGEMENT OF LAKE BERRYESSA TO BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

April 14, 2014
Press Release

In one week, more than 100 representatives signed on in support of Thompson’s bill

WASHINGTON D.C. – In one week, a bipartisan group of more than 100 additional Members of Congress signed on as co-authors of U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson’s (CA-5) legislation that would transfer the management of Lake Berryessa from the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The bill, H.R. 4166, now has 165 co-authors.

“We are rapidly approaching a bipartisan majority of members in the House who are on record supporting a change of management at Lake Berryessa,” said Thompson. “People on both sides of the aisle agree that our federal agencies need to be operating efficiently, and BLM is the best agency to manage recreation at Lake Berryessa.”

BOR has failed to provide and manage adequate concessions at Lake Berryessa in recent years. Currently, only one of the seven concessions has a permanent operator and four are operated under interim contracts, providing only boat launching and camping without hook-ups, showers or running water. The two remaining concession locations are closed. The lack of concessions has caused tourism to drop and has hurt the local economy.

BLM manages 264 million acres of public lands across the United States, and has extensive experience managing outdoor activities on public lands – including camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, wildlife viewing, and more. BLM management of the Lake Berryessa Recreation area would help ensure better management and enhanced recreational opportunities for visitors to the lake.

Specifically the Lake Berryessa Recreation Enhancement Act would:

  • Transfer administrative jurisdiction over the Lake Berryessa Recreation Area from the Bureau of Reclamation to the Bureau of Land Management;
  • Direct the Department of the Interior to develop a comprehensive management plan ; and
  • Allow the Bureau of Reclamation to continue to administer the Monticello Dam and other facilities related to the Dam

The Lake Berryessa Recreation Enhancement Act has been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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