U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today secured passage of legislation to combat the spread of invasive mussels in Montana.
Daines secured language in the Water Infrastructure Improvements Act for the Nation (WIIN) Act, clarifying congressional intent that inspection stations are not just intended to be in the Columbia River Basin, they must be strategically located across Montana and the West to prevent transmission of these invasive species from all bodies of water.
“If these invasive mussels continue to mature and spread it will have a costly impact on Montana’s ecosystem, obstructing irrigation and hydropower infrastructure and negatively impacting our economy,” Daines stated. “Watercraft inspection stations are one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of invasive mussels and I’m working to ensure the needed resources are delivered.”
Daines took to the Senate floor to talk about the importance of stopping the spread of the invasive mussels.
Click here to download Daines’ remarks.
Click here to view Daines’ remarks.
Earlier this week, Daines met with the Commander of the Northwest Division Brigadier General Scott Spellmon to pressure the release of funds for watercraft inspection stations to combat the spread of adult mussels wreaking havoc on Montana’s ecosystem.
On November 29, 2016, Daines’ staff met with Seattle District Commander Colonel Buck to request Col. Buck’s personal attention to this matter.
On November 21, 2016, Daines authored a letter to the Corps demanding they expedite implementation and distribution of funds for watercraft inspection stations as codified in Section 1039 of the Water Resource Reform Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014.
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