Hill Heat

On Wednesday, March 16, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. ET, Rep. Ro Khanna, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, will hold a hearing to examine the urgent need for the federal government to adopt better wildfire preparation measures, and discuss the human toll of wildfires that are becoming larger and more severe due to drought, global warming, and other climate stressors.

Forests stretch across approximately one-third of the land in the United States and hold important cultural significance, protect biodiversity, and promote recreation. Forests also mitigate climate change by sequestering and storing carbon, offsetting approximately 15% of annual U.S. carbon emissions from fossil fuels.

While wildfires are an important part of maintaining healthy forest ecosystems, careful prevention work is crucial to mitigating the damage from increasingly dangerous fires. The hearing will examine several strategies the Forest Service employs to prevent wildfires including prescribed burns, thinning, and commercial logging, as well as the challenges the Forest Service faces, such as a tight budget and an influential commercial logging industry.

Allowing Tribes and traditional ecological knowledge-holders to play a leading role in forest management can improve wildfire resilience and protect cultural resources. The Forest Service increasingly partners with Tribes on restoration projects through the Tribal Relations Program, but challenges persist in securing permits and local support for cultural prescribed burns.

This hearing will examine the Forest Service’s efforts and plans to mitigate and respond to wildfires, and hear from experts and environmental advocates, including internationally renowned singer and songwriter Carole King, about the urgent need to adopt better wildfire preparation measures in the face of intensifying fires due to climate change and human development.

Witnesses:

• Randy Moore, Chief, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Carole King, Celebrated Singer-songwriter, Land Conservation Advocate
• Ali Meders-Knight, Mechoopda Tribal Member, Traditional Ecological Knowledge Practitioner
• Dr. Michael Gollner, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Deb Faculty Fellow, Berkeley Fire Research Lab
• Dr. Dominick A. DellaSala, Chief Scientist, Wild Heritage, Project of Earth Island Institute
• James Hubbard (minority witness), Former Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture

On Wednesday, March 16, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. ET via WebEx and in 1324 Longworth HOB Hearing Room and livestreamed on the Committee’s YouTube page, the Committee on Natural Resources will meet to consider the following bills:

• H.R. 1638 (Rep. Dusty Johnson), To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer certain National Forest System land to the State of South Dakota, and for other purposes. Gilt Edge Mine Conveyance Act.
• H.R. 3587 (Rep. Grijalva), To prescribe procedures for effective consultation and coordination by Federal agencies with federally recognized Tribal Governments regarding Federal Government actions that impact Tribal lands and interests to ensure that meaningful Tribal input is an integral part of the Federal decision-making process. Requirements, Expectations, and Standard Procedures for Effective Consultation with Tribes Act or the RESPECT Act.
• H.R. 5093 (Rep. Herrera Beutler), To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer certain National Forest System land in the State of Washington to Skamania County, Washington. Wind River Administrative Site Conveyance Act.

Hearing page

Witnesses:

• Jonathan Ramseur, Environmental Policy Specialist, Congressional Research Service
• Tom Sigmund, Executive Director of NEW Water, National Association of Clean Water Agencies
• Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, Chief Executive Officer, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
• Laura Watson, Director, Washington State Department of Ecology

The purpose of this hearing is to provide Members with an opportunity to testify before the Subcommittee on their WRDA priorities related to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). This testimony will help to inform the drafting of a new WRDA for 2022, which the committee expects to approve this year.

Members submitting testimony:

• Rick Allen
• Nanette Barragán
• Sanford Bishop
• Earl Blumenauer
• Earl L. “Buddy” Carter
• Luis Correa
• Jim Costa
• Rosa L. Delauro
• Lizzie Fletcher
• Sylvia Garcia
• Josh Gottheimer
• Brian Higgins 
• Darrell Issa
• Marcy Kaptur
• Brenda L. Lawrence
• Susie Lee
• Elaine Luria
• Tracey Mann
• James P. McGovern
• Grace Meng
• Mary E. Miller
• Frank J. Mrvan
• Dan Newhouse
• Katie Porter
• Lisa Blunt Rochester
• Bradley S. Schneider
• Kurt Schrader
• Pete Sessions
• Mikie Sherrill
• Darren Soto
• Melanie A. Stansbury
• Paul D. Tonko
• Lori Trahan
• David Trone
• David G. Valadao
• Robert J. Wittman

Hearing page

Witnesses:

• Charles F. Conner, President and CEO, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, on behalf of the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance, Washington, DC
• Kristin Weeks Duncanson, Owner and Partner, Duncanson Growers, on behalf of the AGree Economic and Environmental Risk Coalition, Mapleton, MN
• Heidi Heitkamp, Co-Chair, Bipartisan Policy Center’s Farm and Forest Carbon Solutions Task Force, Washington, DC
• Shakera Raygoza, Owner and Operator, Terra Preta Farm, on behalf of the National Young Farmers Coalition, Edinburg, TX
• Dr. Glenda Humiston, Vice President, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, Davis, CA
• Dr. Joe Outlaw, Co- Director, Agriculture and Food Policy Center, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm joins American clean energy industry leaders for a roundtable discussion. Watch live on Twitter or Facebook.

Join Rep. Jason Crow (CO-06), Rep. Tom Malinowski (NJ-07), former Assistant Secretary of Defense Sharon Burke, former Assistant Secretary of the Navy Admiral Dennis McGinn, and more foreign policy experts for a Climate Power, Foreign Policy for America, and League of Conservation Voters (LCV) event on clean energy and national security. Watch on Twitter or Facebook.

Register for The 2022 National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center

Day 3 Agenda

8:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m.

Exhibit Hall Open

Conference Facilitator Ms. Carolyn Sawyer Communications Strategist Tom Sawyer Company

9:00 a.m.—10:00 a.m.

PRESENTATION: THE EVOLVING PARK IDEA David Vassar and Sally Kaplan have spent a lifetime making films and video about the natural world, parks, and environmental issues. They will present and discuss three short film clips which illustrate the evolving mission of parks: the importance of equitable access, the growing need for urban parks and historic sites that represent diverse peoples, and the battle to preserve lands that remain sacred for Native Americans. Clips include an interview with Robert Garcia, founder of City Project.

David Vassar Sally Kaplan Producers Backcountry Pictures

10:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m.

PANEL: Closing the Infrastructure Gap for Those in Need: Accessing Engineering Consulting Services for Infrastructure Provision in Underserved Areas of the US and its territories.

Natalie Celmo Senior Program Engineer Community Engineering Corps employed by Engineers Without Borders USA

Ellie Carley Senior Program Coordinator Community Engineering Corps employed by Engineers Without Borders USA

11:00 a.m.—11:15 a.m.

Break

11:15 a.m.—12:15 p.m.

PANEL: Resources, Tools, and Strategies to Promote Equitable Investments in Transportation Infrastructure.

James Schroll Senior Analyst Abt Associates

Nissa Tupper Transportation and Public Health Planner Minnesota Department of Transportation

Benito Perez Policy Director Transportation for America

Chris Forinash Principal Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates

12:15 p.m.—12:45 p.m.

BREAK

12:45 p.m.—2:00 p.m.

LUNCH

Introduction of Luncheon Keynote Speaker Dr. Kim Lambert Environmental Justice Coordinator U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

KEYNOTE REMARKS

Mike Martinez Deputy Assistant Secretary, Fish and Wildlife and Parks U.S. Department of the Interior

2:00 p.m.—2:15 p.m.

BREAK

2:15 p.m.—3:30 p.m.

PRESENTATIONS:

USDA Forest Service Environmental Justice Mapping Program

Mark D. O. Adams Senior GIS Specialist Office of Sustainability and Climate (OSC) USDA Forest Service

Dixie Porter Deputy Director Office of Sustainability and Climate (OSC) USDA Forest Service Satellite Data for Environmental Justice: Advancing EJ Mapping Tools and Building a New Community of Practice

Lauren Johnson The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health

3:30 p.m.—4:00 p.m.

CLOSING REMARKS

Dr. Melinda Downing Environmental Justice Program Manager U.S. Department of Energy

Mr. Benjamin F. Wilson, Esq. Chairman, Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. Chairman, Board of Directors, National Environmental Justice Conference, Inc.

Timothy Fields, Jr. Senior Vice President, MDB, Inc. Vice-Chairman, Board of Directors National Environmental Justice Conference, Inc.

DAY 3 – Friday, March 11, 2022 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING PROGRAMS

Grand Ballroom Salon E

9:30 a.m.—11:00 a.m.

Federal Title VI and Environmental Justice

This session will be a discussion with Federal civil rights offices engaged in Title VI enforcement and compliance work related to environmental and health programs receiving federal financial assistance.

Title VI Committee Federal Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice

Daria Neal Deputy Chief, Federal Coordination & Compliance Section Civil Rights Division U.S. Department of Justice

Lilian Dorka Director, External Civil Rights and Compliance Office U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Carla Carter Associate Deputy Director, Civil Rights Division in the Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Amy Vance Title VI Coordinator, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Yvette Rivera Associate Director for Equity and Access Division Departmental Office of Civil Rights U.S. Department of Transportation

Jacy Gaige FHEO Director of Compliance and Disability Rights U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

11:30 a.m.—12:45 p.m.

USDA Forest Service Conservation Education Strategy: Advancing Equity and Justice for All

The USDA Forest Service Conservation Education Program is developing a new Conservation Education Strategy to provide clear, agency-wide program direction, unifying how the Forest Service communicates the value and interdependence of Conservation Education while empowering delivery of programs that uplift our communities and partners. We aim to achieve a comprehensive strategy that advances equity and environmental justice for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent inequality. This session will engage participants in innovative thinking around the Forest Service’s new Conservation Education Strategy. We will review the draft strategy and engage in a small group discussions focused on how the FS and partners/communities can effectively collaborate in the advancement of equity and inclusion in Conservation Education programming.

John Crockett Associate Deputy Chief for State and Private Forestry USDA Forest Service

Tinelle Bustam National Director USDA Forest Service Conservation Education

Rachel Bayer Environmental Education Specialist USDA Forest Service Conservation Education

Elaine Jackson-Retondo Program Manager Regional Preservation Partnership and History Department of The Interior Park Service

Amtchat Edwards Education Specialist USDA Forest Service Conservation Education

2:30 p.m.—3:30 p.m.

Incorporating Cumulative Risk into Tribal Risk Assessments

Tribal Nations are disproportionately affected by environmental issues, including contamination and climate impacts. Further, Tribes are a uniquely vulnerable population in the US, as Federal agencies have a Trust responsibility to Tribes, stemming from historical treaties, requiring government to government consultation, and the respecting of treaty rights (e.g., the right to hunt/fish/gather in usual and accustomed places). Tribal communities may be at greater risk of exposure to contamination than the general population because of dependence on the environment for sustenance (hunting, gathering, fishing); fixed boundaries of reservations (compounding the effects of shifting biological populations); and confounding equity issues (such as social and health inequities). For these reasons, risk assessments that do not consider the cumulative impacts of both contaminant and non-contaminant stressors will fail to fully characterize health risk to Tribal Nations.

The purpose of this workshop is to share examples, ideas, and considerations for incorporating cumulative risk into Tribal risk assessments. Through the presentation of case studies and facilitated discussions, the goal of this workshop is to provide a broader understanding of Tribal risk assessment and to stimulate discussion and engagement on this topic.

Beth Riess Associate Abt Associates

Michelle Krasnec, PhD Senior Scientist Abt Associates

The purpose of the hearing is to examine the use of energy as a tool and a weapon, and ensuring energy security for the United States and its allies.

Witnesses:

• Jonathan Elkind, Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University
• Dr. Michelle Michot Foss, Fellow in Energy, Minerals and Materials, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University
• Collette Hirstius, Senior Vice President, Gulf of Mexico, Shell USA, Inc.
• Melanie Kenderdine, Principal, Energy Futures Initiative
• Dr. Kenneth B. Medlock III, James A Baker III and Susan G Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics and Senior Director, Center for Energy Studies, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Director, Master of Energy Economics, Economics Department, Rice University

All of the witnesses work at institutions funded by the fossil-fuel industry.

Register for The 2022 National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center

Day 2 Agenda

8:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m.

Exhibit Hall Open

Conference Facilitator Ms. Carolyn Sawyer Communications Strategist Tom Sawyer Company

8:30 a.m.—9:15 a.m.

PANEL: Community and College Partners Program (C2P2): Developing Alternative Energy Options for Indigenous People in Tyonek, Alaska

Michael Burns Founder/Executive Director C2P2

Margaret McCurdy Graduate Student, Peace Engineering Program Drexel University Philadelphia, PA

Joan Nguyen Graduate Student, Peace Engineering Program Drexel University Philadelphia, PA

Kate Ryan Graduate Student, Peace Engineering Program Drexel University Philadelphia, PA

9:15 a.m.—9:55a.m.

Introduction of Keynote Speakers

Dr. Melinda Downing Environmental Justice Program Manager U.S. Department of Energy

KEYNOTE REMARKS

The Honorable James E. Clyburn Majority Whip (Democrat, 6th District, South Carolina)

The Honorable Jennifer Granholm Secretary U.S. Department of Energy

9:55 a.m.—10:05 a.m.

BREAK

10:05 a.m.—11:15 a.m.

PANEL: Estimating Disproportionate Impacts of Climate Change on Childhood Asthma Rates Among Socially Vulnerable Populations in the U.S.

Margaret Black Abt Associates

Stefani L. Penn Industrial Economics, Inc. (IEc)

Lauren E. Gentile U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Estimating the Benefits of Reduced Air Pollution During COVID-19 for Socially Vulnerable Populations in New York City.

David Cooley Abt Associates

11:15 a.m.—12:15 p.m.

PANEL: USDA Forest Service’s Environmental Justice and Climate Change Related Topics.

Elisabeth Grinspoon, Ph.D. Environmental Justice and Technology Transfer Specialist Office of Sustainability and Climate USDA Forest Service

Dixie Porter Deputy Director Office of Sustainability and Climate (OSC)

USDA Forest Service

12:15 p.m.—12:30 p.m.

BREAK

12:30 p.m.—1:45 p.m.

LUNCH

Introduction of Luncheon Keynote Speaker

Dr. Melinda Downing Environmental Justice Program Manager U.S. Department of Energy

KEYNOTE REMARKS

The Honorable David Turk Deputy Secretary United States Department of Energy Washington, D.C.

1:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

BREAK

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

PRESENTATIONS:

Approaches for Evaluating Environmental Justice Issues at the State Level

Lisa McDonald, PhD Senior Associate Abt Associates

Appliance Standards: The Best Climate Change Policy You’ve Never Heard Of

Madeline Parker Outreach & Coalition-Building Associate Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP)

3:00 p.m.—4:00 p.m.

PRESENTATIONS:

Bridging America’s Outdoor Equity Gap

Diane Regas President and CEO The Trust for Public Land

In Defense of a Greenspace: Students Discover Agency in the Practice of Community-Engaged Technical Communication

Bob Hyland Associate Professor University of Cincinnati

DAY 2 – Thursday, March 10, 2022 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING PROGRAMS

Grand Ballroom Salon E

10:00 a.m.–-11:00 a.m.

What’s in My Neighborhood? How Communities Can Use EPA’s TRI Toxics Tracker to Identify Industrial Sources of Toxic Chemical Releases and Other Waste Management Activities.

EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program provides a detailed, multimedia dataset covering annual releases and other waste management activities from over 20,000 facilities in the United States for hundreds of different toxic chemicals. EPA makes these data available to the public, which can help inform decision-making by government agencies, community groups, companies, and other stakeholders. This training workshop will provide users with a basic introduction to the TRI Program and what types of data and information are collected by the EPA, as well as a live demonstration of the online TRI Toxics Tracker tool. TRI Toxics Tracker can be used to answer a variety of questions all in one place, such as what toxic chemical releases are occurring in a particular community with EJ concerns and which facilities might be contributing to disproportionate releases potentially affecting nearby residents.

T.J. Pepping Abt Associates

11:15 a.m.—12:15 p.m.

Pragmatic Approaches: Reaching Students in Areas with Limited Broadband to Access College Education

Lack of broadband access is a limiting factor to academic advancement of a remarkable number of youths in rural areas in America and worldwide. It has been documented that in rural areas, nearly one-fourth of the population – 14.5 million people lack access to this service. In tribal areas, nearly one-third of the population lacks access. Even in areas where broadband is available, approximately 100 million Americans still do not subscribe (FCC 2022). Consequently, an outreach was conducted in a rural area (Marion) of South Carolina with ineffective or no access to broadband. Parents and their high schoolers were invited. During this event, we had on board from Allen University, officials from the admission office, financial aid office, the university counsellors, a faculty and one junior student from Allen University.

Application forms were already printed out and handed over to high schoolers during this outreach. Seven high school students completed the application form on the spot. The financial aid officer succeeded in assisting one of these seven students to complete her FAFSA right on the spot using our personal hotspot internet access provided at the outreach site. Application forms were given to the high school students that attended with the promise to share with their friends. It is uber-important for colleges to make concerted efforts in reaching suburbs with limited broadband access. Such that youths in these areas will not be left behind. This workshop intends to shed more light on pragmatic approaches employed to forestall bottlenecks encountered during the outreach.

Oluwole Ariyo, PhD Principal Investigator, Environmental Justice Institute Allen University

2:00 p.m.—4 p.m.

EJ & NEPA Workshop: Considering Cumulative Effects and EJ in the NEPA Process

Increasingly, decisionmakers are recognizing the importance of looking at projects in the context of prior impacts and developments within the community or region. Direct effects continue to be most important to decisionmakers, in part because they are more certain. Nonetheless, the importance of other environmental stressors requires the need to address cumulative impacts on environmental justice (EJ) populations. The purpose of the workshop is to increase understanding of cumulative effects consideration of environmental justice (EJ) populations in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process. The specific focus is the importance of understanding cumulative effects are caused by the aggregate of past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions that, for many EJ populations, may last for many years beyond the life of the action that caused the effects. The goal is to provide an understanding of the principles of a cumulative effects analysis within Environmental Justice (EJ) communities.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) published their Phase 1 revisions to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Regulations which focused on a narrow set of changes to the 2020 regulations that restores some of the regulatory provisions from the 1978 NEPA Regulations. One of the changes restores the definition of “effects,” including use of the terms “direct,” “indirect,” and “cumulative” and removed potential limitations on effects analysis.

The NEPA Subcommittee of the White House Interagency Environmental Justice Council (WHEJAC) formally known as the Federal Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice (EJ IWG), produced the “Promising Practices for EJ Methodologies in NEPA Reviews” (Promising Practices Report) and address various methodologies for addressing effects within an EJ analysis and will be utilized in this session.

The workshop is designed to address the changes in NEPA regulations, provide expectations for cumulative effects analysis and provide case study examples for cumulative effects.

Denise C. Freeman Co-chair, NEPA Committee, WH EJ Interagency Council Senior Advisor/Communications Liaison Office of Legacy Management U.S. Department of Energy

Jomar Maldonado Director for NEPA Council on Environmental Quality Executive Office of the President

Carolyn L. Nelson, P.E. Co-chair, NEPA Committee, WH EJ Interagency Council Sr. Project Development/Environmental Specialist Office of Project Development and Environmental Review USDOT-Federal Highway Administration