U.S. Senator Ken Salazar Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs Committees 2300 15^th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
For Immediate Release Tuesday, December 18, 2007		CONTACT:Stephanie Valencia – 202-228-3630 Cody Wertz 303-350-0032
Sen. Salazar Secures Funding for Key Priorities in the Four Corners Region; Omnibus Appropriations Bill Passes in Senate WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tonight, by a vote of 76 to 17 the United States Senate passed the omnibus appropriations bill for 2008. United States Senator Ken Salazar announced that he secured funding for key priorities in the Four Corners region in the bill. The funding Senator Salazar secured improves transportation infrastructure, provides funds for local law enforcement, supports our military and veterans and increases access to health care. “I am proud that this bill helps meet the needs of Colorado’s communities,” said Senator Salazar. “These investments are vital to the Four Corners region, helping make progress on the Animas-La Plata Project, helping improve health care access for families, and helping protect our history and our heritage.” Below is a list of key projects that Senator Salazar included in the bill for the Four Corners region: $61,625,000 million for the Animas-La Plata Project: The Fiscal Year 2008 funds Senator Salazar secured will allow for the continued development of a water project that will supply up to 66,000 acre-feet of water annually to the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes. The Animas-La Plata project is the lynchpin of the 1988 Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement, amended in 2000. It is now under construction near Durango, Colorado. The President’s Budget called for $58 million. $287,000 for Mercy Health Foundation in La Plata County: The funding Senator Salazar fought for will allow Mercy Health Foundation to continue expanding its primary care and prevention services for the elderly, children and underserved, filling a major gap. $1,575,000 for acquisition of the Henneman property at Mesa Verde: The bill authorizes and appropriates funding that will allow the National Park Service to purchase the 324-acre Henneman property adjacent to the entrance of Mesa Verde National Park. The requested funds will allow the National Park Service to greatly diminish the impact of development at the Park entrance, preserving the current visitor experience for future generations. $493,500 for the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation Native American Law Enforcement, Court System, and Detention Improvement Program: The funds Senator Salazar secured will be used to meet personnel needs and purchase equipment and supplies for the reservation’s law enforcement agency, court system and detention facility. Mileage Reimbursement for Veterans: The omnibus includes $125 million in funding that Senators Tester and Salazar added as an amendment to the Military Construction and Veterans Administration appropriations bill to support a long-overdue mileage reimbursement increase for veterans to 28.5 cents per mile. Currently, veterans living in rural areas who travel long distances to receive medical care are only reimbursed at 11 cents per mile. $133,950 for the 22nd Judicial District Drug Task Force to combat meth usage. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2007 will be sent back to the House of Representatives for final passage. It is expected to be sent to the President’s desk by the end of the week. ###