Bill > HR177

This bill aims to expand recreational access and activities in the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin areas within Yosemite National Park by amending the original 1913 legislation. The bill increases the annual rental fee paid by the City of San Francisco from $30,000 to $2,000,000, with annual adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index, and explicitly prohibits the city from recouping these costs from water or power customers. The Secretary of the Interior would be required to administer these areas for public recreation while preserving their scenic, historic, and scientific features, and would allow a range of recreational activities including swimming, non-motorized watercraft use, camping (above the high-water mark), picnicking, and other activities deemed appropriate. Additionally, the bill mandates a comprehensive report within one year examining the original intent of the 1913 act, analyzing how to provide equitable public access, and exploring potential cost mitigation strategies such as adjusting water and power prices or treating San Francisco as a concessioner. The bill also allows for vehicle access to these areas for recreational purposes, provided such access does not negatively impact dam facility operations.