By a vote of 238-174, the House approved HR 3189, which prohibits federal agencies from transferring privately held water rights to the federal government.
According to Agri-Pulse, supporters of the legislation said the U.S. Forest Service has attempted to require multiple use permit holders to transfer their privately owned water rights to the federal government as part of their permit renewal.
“The federal agencies must be accountable to citizens and the states and cannot, at will, circumvent state water laws at the expense of landowners,” National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Bob McCan said.