The Weekly Preview - U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources
May 12 – 16, 2008
This Week’s Hearings:
Can’t make it to our hearings or markups in person? Stay connected with our live video and audio webcasts, available at http://resourcescommittee.house.gov.
On Wednesday, the Committee on Natural Resources will meet in open markup session to consider the following 5 bills:
o HR 554 (McGovern): To provide for the protection of paleontological resources on Federal lands, and for other purposes. “Paleontological Resources Preservation Act”
o HR 3022 (Costa): To designate the John Krebs Wilderness in the State of California, to add certain land to the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park Wilderness, and for other purposes. “Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park Wilderness Act of 2007″
o HR 2632 (T. Udall): To establish the Sabinoso Wilderness Area in San Miguel County, New Mexico, and for other purposes. “Sabinoso Wilderness Act of 2007″
o HR 5680 (Grijalva): To amend certain laws relating to Native Americans, and for others purposes.
o HR 3682 (Bono Mack): To designate certain Federal lands in Riverside County, California, as wilderness, to designate certain river segments in Riverside County as a wild, scenic, or recreational river, to adjust the boundary of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, and for other purposes. “California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act”
Visit the Committee’s Web site to view the markup report following the markup. (May 14, 2008, at 11:00 a.m., Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building)
On Thursday, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans will hold an oversight hearing on the management of West Coast fisheries. The hearing will look at the most recent salmon disaster and how it has affected local communities. The hearing will also examine broader questions surrounding the management of West Coast salmon stocks by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service and the failure to maintain robust and resilient salmon populations that can sustain inevitable changes in ocean conditions.
Visit the Committee’s Web site to access witness testimony following the conclusion of the hearing. (May 15, 2008, at 10:00 a.m., Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building)
In Case You Missed It:
On May 7, 2008, the Natural Resources Committee approved the National Centennial Fund Act (H.R. 3094), introduced in July 2007 by National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Chairman Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV). The bill would establish a National Park Centennial Fund and provide annual mandatory appropriations for 10 years. The National Park Service (NPS), which will celebrate its Centennial on August 25, 2016, manages a network of 391 natural, cultural, and recreational sites encompassing 84 million acres and attracting over 270 million visitors each year. The legislation would require the Secretary to submit a list of centennial project proposals with the President’s budget request each year and requires that the list be developed with input from the public, NPS employees, and the Congress. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a legislative hearing on H.R. 3094 on August 2, 2007. Visit the Committee’s Web site to access witness testimony from the hearing or the Committee’s Web site to access the press release with additional information.
On May 8, 2008, President Bush signed the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (S. 2739) into law. Fifty seven of the bills included in the Act – which is nearly evenly split between bills sponsored by Democrats and Republicans – originated in the House Natural Resources Committee, where Chairman Rahall worked closely with Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Subcommittee on Water and Power Chairwoman Grace Napolitano (D-CA), and Subcommittee on Insular Affairs Chairwoman Donna Christensen (D-VI) to shepherd the measures through the Committee and the full House of Representatives. Visit the Committee’s Web site to access the press release with additional information and a list of the provisions included in the bill.
On May 9, 2008, Chairman Rahall issued a press release regarding a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report – conducted at the request of Rahall – on offshore aquaculture. Rahall has expressed concern about the environmental and economic risks of an unregulated offshore aquaculture industry. The GAO report underscores these concerns and outlines the steps needed to establish a clear regulatory system that will oversee the potential expansion of the aquaculture industry into offshore waters. Visit the Committee’s Web site to access the press release with additional information or visit the GAO’s Web site to view the report.
Tags: 110th Congress, california desert, coast fisheries, House of Representatives, Natural Resources Committee, san jacinto mountains, sequoia kings canyon, Wilderness, Wilderness Act, wilderness areaRelated posts
Tags: california desert, coast fisheries, san jacinto mountains, sequoia kings canyon, Wilderness, Wilderness Act, wilderness area
