United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
A organizational summary by the ENVS 560/L Watershed Systems class at CSUMB.
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This page is an introduction to the United States Bureau of Reclamation with specific emphasis on the Central Coast of California.
Contents
Overview
The United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) is a federal agency within the United States Department of the Interior that operates in the Western United States. USBR carries out a variety of water resource management activities, which include the construction of dams, powerplants, and canals[1]. In the California Central Coast Region, USBR plays a major roll in water allocation[2].
Mission
USBR's service mission is " to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public."[3]. Their goal is to provide water and its associated resources (i.e., irrigation, hydroelectric power) to millions of Americans in a safe and cost effective manner[1]
Legal Status / Authority
PLACE HOLDER
USBR was established in 1902 by President Theodore Roosevelt to “make the desert bloom.”[4]
USBR holds many responsibilities related to the protection and conservation of inland fish, wildlife, and plants. Many of its functions involve acquiring, protecting, and managing ecosystems deemed necessary to sustain important fish and wildlife. USFWS operates a network of 567 National Wildlife Refuges nationwide. USFWS has primary responsibility for the implementation of the Endangered Species Act, and also promotes conservation of threatened species through their Migratory Bird program and Fish and Aquatic Conservation program.[5] USFWS protects species and their habitats with their Office of Law Enforcement, which helps prevent illegal wildlife trade and trafficking, habitat destruction, and environmental contamination. Special agents and wildlife inspectors enforce state, federal, and international wildlife regulations in cooperation with state and tribal organizations.[6]
Governance
PLACE HOLDER
USBR governs the nation's ecosystems within the 12 DOI Interior Regions. These regions are based on watersheds in order to facilitate ecosystem management efficiency, and cover approximately 530 million acres of surface land.[7]
- Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
- Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf
- Region 3: Great Lakes
- Region 4: Mississippi Basin
- Region 5: Missouri Basin
- Region 6: Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas-Gulf
- Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin
- Region 8: Lower Colorado Basin
- Region 9: Columbia-Pacific Northwest
- Region 10: California-Great Basin
- Region 11: Alaska
- Region 12: Pacific Islands
The national headquarters are located in Washington, D.C. and USFWS has many local offices in every US state and territory.[8] These state offices carry out National Wildlife Refuge System operations, host researchers, and house Office of Law Enforcement personnel.[9]
Although USBR has a large amount of autonomy and many of its decisions are based on the scientific research and collaboration with other local managers, the presidentially-appointed US Secretary of the Interior has the ultimate authority over agency actions. As a statutory member of the presidential cabinet, the secretary reports directly to the president.
Organizational Structure
PLACE HOLDER
The USBR agency executive is the director. The director is nominated by the President of the United States and then must be approved by the US Senate. The director and USFWS headquarters is primarily responsible for budget allocation and policy creation. Eight regional directors report to the agency director and oversee implementation of policies and field office program management.[10]
Major sub-units of the USFWS include:
- National Wildlife Refuge System
- Division of Migratory Bird Management
- National Fish Hatchery System
- Endangered Species Program
- Internal Affairs Program
- National Conservation Training Program
- USFWS Office of Law Enforcement
Central Coast Context
PLACE HOLDER
Many local organizations coordinate with USFWS for environmental management in the Central Coast region. Big Sur Land Trust secured $14 million from USFWS and several state agencies for the Carmel River Floodplain Restoration and Environmental Enhancement (Carmel River FREE) Project. This project strives to restore floodplain habitat for many native species as well as reduce flooding of developed areas. USFWS has also designated critical habitat for California Tiger Salamander in California's Central Coast Region, and the Pacific Southwest Region office worked with state agencies to create a species recovery plan for CA tiger salamanders in 2017. Since 1992, USFWS has operated the California Condor Recovery Program, which breeds and reintroduces condors to the wild.[11] Because of its authority over the California Condor Recovery Program and its role in Central Coast conservation and management, USFWS is a potential partner for the Range of the Condor National Heritage Area, which would promote further environmental stewardship and outreach for the region.
USFWS is also responsible for approving Habitat Conservation Plans such as the Fort Ord Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and supplying permits for environmental management projects that involve terrestrial species covered by the Endangered Species Act.
USBR manages the National Wildlife Refuge System. Refuges in or near California's Central Coast region include:
- Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge near Watsonville
- Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge near Marina
- Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge near Taft
- Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge near Nipomo
- Kern National Wildlife Refuge near Lost Hills, in the Central Valley
- Pixley National Wildlife Refuge near Delano, in the Central Valley
- Blue Ridge National Wildlife Refuge near Visalia in the foothills of the southern Sierra Nevada
Related links
- Organizations involved in the management of California's Central Coast Region
- USFWS home page
- United States Department of the Interior
References
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ California-Great Basin. US Bureau of Reclamation. USBR. 2020 Nov 04. [accessed 2021 Mar 16]. https://www.usbr.gov/mp/aboutus/index.html
- ↑ About Us- Mission. US Bureau of Reclamation. USBR. 2020 Oct 30. [accessed 2021 Mar 16]. https://www.usbr.gov/main/about/mission.html
- ↑ William D. Rowley. The Bureau of Reclamation: Origins and Growth to 1945. US Bureau of Reclamation. Vol 1, 2006. [acessed 2021 Mar 16]. https://www.usbr.gov/history/OriginsandGrowths/Volume1.pdf
- ↑ Reference text https://www.fws.gov/policy/022fw1.html
- ↑ Reference text https://www.fws.gov/le/about-le.html
- ↑ Reference text https://www.doi.gov/employees/reorg/unified-regional-boundaries
- ↑ Reference text https://www.fws.gov/offices/statelinks.html
- ↑ Reference text https://www.fws.gov/offices/Directory/ListOffices.cfm?statecode=6
- ↑ Reference text https://www.fws.gov/help/about_us.html
- ↑ Reference text https://www.fws.gov/cno/es/CalCondor/Condor.cfm
Disclaimer
This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.