Congressman criticizes Forest Service on water rights

Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, slammed the federal government for what he described as an attempt to interfere with long-standing state laws and takeover private water rights. Testifying before the House Natural Resources Water, Power and Oceans Subcommittee oversight hearing on Tuesday, Tipton criticized a directive proposed by the U.S. Forest Service aimed at establishing direction for management of groundwater resources on National Forest System lands. “In recent years, the federal government has repeatedly attempted to circumvent long-established state water law in order to hijack water rights,” Tipton said. “These efforts constitute a gross federal overreach and a violation of private-property rights. “Although the Forest Service has announced its intention not to require transfer of ownership of water rights in a ski area special-use permit, outside of the ski area permit context, the agency is keeping the policy on the books that requires permittees to transfer their water rights to the U.S. and apply for new water rights in the name of the U.S.” Tipton also announced his plans to reintroduce the Water Rights Protection Act this week. The measure seeks to protect those that rely on privately held water rights for their livelihood from losing those rights to federal agencies. Protected parties would include communities, businesses, recreational operations, farmers and ranchers. The proposed legislation would prohibit these agencies from extorting water rights through the use of permits and leases. “The purpose of this legislation is to be able to address what we continue to see out of the federal government,” Tipton told The Durango Herald. “The overreach by the government now stems beyond the ski areas, beyond our farm and ranch communities and now potentially having an impact on our municipalities as well.” Tipton introduced the bill in March 2014, but it died in the Senate after passing the House...more