AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD
AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED
AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2003

HEARINGS

BEFORE A

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND

DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES

HENRY BONILLA, Texas, Chairman

JAMES T. WALSH, New York

JACK KINGSTON, Georgia

MARCY KAPTUR, Ohio

ROSA L. DELAURO, Connecticut

SAM FARR, California

ALLEN BOYD, Florida

GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, JR., Washington MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York

TOM LATHAM, Iowa

JO ANN EMERSON, Missouri

VIRGIL H. GOODE, JR., Virginia

RAY LAHOOD, Illinois

NOTE: Under Committee Rules, Mr. Young, as Chairman of the Full Committee, and Mr. Obey, as Ranking

Minority Member of the Full Committee, are authorized to sit as Members of all Subcommittees.

HENRY E. MOORE, MARTIN P. DELGADO, MAUREEN HOLOHAN, and JOANNE L. PERDUE,

Staff Assistants

PART 3

TESTIMONY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND OTHER

INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS

AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD
AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED
AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2003

HEARINGS

BEFORE A

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND
DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES

HENRY BONILLA, Texas, Chairman

JAMES T. WALSH, New York

JACK KINGSTON, Georgia

MARCY KAPTUR, Ohio

ROSA L. DELAURO, Connecticut

SAM FARR, California

ALLEN BOYD, Florida

GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, JR., Washington MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York

TOM LATHAM, Iowa

JO ANN EMERSON, Missouri

VIRGIL H. GOODE, JR., Virginia

RAY LAHOOD, Illinois

NOTE: Under Committee Rules, Mr. Young, as Chairman of the Full Committee, and Mr. Obey, as Ranking
Minority Member of the Full Committee, are authorized to sit as Members of all Subcommittees.

HENRY E. MOORE, MARTIN P. DELGADO, MAUREEN HOLOHAN, and JOANNE L. PERDUE,
Staff Assistants

PART 3

TESTIMONY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND OTHER
INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS

78-831

Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 2002

JAMES W. DYER, Clerk and Staff Director

Chairman Bonilla, Ranking Member Kaptur, and Members of the Subcommittee:

I am grateful for this opportunity to request support for funding of urgently needed programs
under the FY2003 Agricultural Appropriations bill. I also want to express my support for
continued funding of the many valuable programs funded by this Subcommittee in past years.
Except for my request for new NRCS funds for urgent water system projects in Hawaii, I am
requesting flat funding for other Hawaii agricultural priorities.

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS)

Water System Improvement in Hawaii. Please provide new funding of $6.3 million in FY2003
to complete design and construction of urgently needed watershed projects on the islands of
Maui and Hawaii. This is my highest priority request. Persistent drought and occasional
flood conditions in Hawaii highlight the need to improve water storage and delivery systems for
irrigation, flood control, and ground water recharge. In prior years, dating back to the 1850s,
sugarcane plantations assumed the responsibility for water development and management.
With only two remaining plantations, there is a major vold in the maintenance of the water
infrastructure. In addition, reduced irrigation due to the decline in sugarcane results in
increased runoff into the ocean and considerably less recharging of groundwater aquifers.
Recent meetings convened in Hawaii with federal, state, and county officials responsible for
water resource management in Hawali concluded that water is Hawaii's most critical resource
issue

The Natural Resources Conservation Service continues to demonstrate an ability to bring
together community and govemment interests to address the critical water issues affecting the
economy and natural environment of Hawaii. The following PL-566 Watershed Projects
urgently require funds to complete design and construction:

Lower Hamakua Ditch Watershed ($1,300,000). Assists the Hawaii Department of
Agriculture to repair and rehabilitate the sugar-era water system for use by diversified
agriculture on the island of Hawaii.

Upcountry Maul Watershed ($1,300,000). Assists the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to
provide untreated agricultural water to farmers in the Upper Kula area of the island of Maui.
The farmers were previously using already scarce county water supplies.

Lahaina Watershed ($2,000,000). This project, located on the island of Maui, will provide
flood prevention to an area that has experienced several damaging floods in recent years.
Wailuku-Alenaio Watershed ($1,700,000). This flood prevention project, located in Hilo, is

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