MAJORITY OF HOUSE CO-AUTHORS THOMPSON’S BILL TO TRANSFER MANAGEMENT OF LAKE BERRYESSA TO BLM

WASHINGTON D.C. – A bipartisan majority in the U.S. House of Representatives has co-authored 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 224 co-authors, six more than is needed to pass the House. A House Committee on Natural Resources hearing has been scheduled for late May.

"No matter what side of the aisle you're on everyone agrees that our federal agencies need to be operating efficiently and effectively and that's why a bipartisan majority in the House supports changing management at Lake Berryessa," said Thompson. "The management status quo at the lake isn't working. A new course is needed and BLM is the agency best suited 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. A hearing on the legislation will take place in late May.

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 5^th 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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