The purpose of the business
meeting
is to consider the legislation on the agenda below.
S.
384,
a bill to establish the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument
in the State of Illinois, and for other purposes. (Ms. Duckworth).
S.
432,
a bill to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate the
Nulhegan River and Paul Stream in the State of Vermont for potential
addition to the national wild and scenic rivers system, and for
other purposes. (Mr. Welch).
S.
507,
a bill to establish the Ralph David Abernathy, Sr., National
Historic Site, and for other purposes. (Mr. Ossoff).
S.
594,
a bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of
the Interior to prioritize the completion of the Continental Divide
National Scenic Trail, and for other purposes. (Mr. Heinrich).
S.
608,
a bill to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the Deerfield River
for potential addition to the national wild and scenic rivers
system, and for other purposes. (Mr. Markey).
S.
636,
a bill to establish the Dolores River National Conservation Area and
the Dolores River Special Management Area in the State of Colorado,
to protect private water rights in the State, and for other
purposes. (Mr. Bennet).
S.
912,
a bill to require the Secretary of Energy to provide technology
grants to strengthen domestic mining education, and for other
purposes. (Mr. Barrasso).
S.
924,
a bill to amend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Development Act to
extend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Commission. (Mr. Cardin).
S.
961,
a bill to redesignate the Salem Maritime National Historic Site in
Salem, Massachusetts, as the “Salem Maritime National Historical
Park”, and for other purposes. (Mr. Markey).
S.
1015,
a bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the
Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site to Gila County,
Arizona. (Mr. Kelly).
S.
1059,
a bill to adjust the boundary of Big Bend National Park in the State
of Texas, and for other purposes. (Mr. Cornyn).
S.
1088,
a bill to authorize the relinquishment and in lieu selection of land
and minerals in the State of North Dakota, to restore land and
minerals to Indian Tribes within the State of North Dakota, and for
other purposes. (Mr. Hoeven).
S.
1097,
a bill to establish the Cesar E. Chavez and the Farmworker Movement
National Historical Park in the States of California and Arizona,
and for other purposes. (Mr. Padilla).
S.
1254,
a bill to designate and expand the wilderness areas in Olympic
National Forest in the State of Washington, and to designate certain
rivers in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park as wild
and scenic rivers, and for other purposes. (Mrs. Murray).
S.
1277,
a bill to modify the boundary of the Mammoth Cave National Park in
the State of Kentucky, and for other purposes. (Mr. McConnell).
S.
1405,
a bill to provide for the exchange of certain Federal land and State
land in the State of Utah. (Mr. Lee).
S.
1521,
a bill to amend the Federal Power Act to modernize and improve the
licensing of non-Federal hydropower projects, and for other
purposes. (Mr. Daines).
S.
1634,
a bill to provide for the designation of certain wilderness areas,
recreation management areas, and conservation areas in the State of
Colorado, and for other purposes. (Mr. Bennet).
S.
1657,
a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain
land to La Paz County, Arizona, and for other purposes. (Ms.
Sinema).
S.
1760,
a bill to amend the Apex Project, Nevada Land Transfer and
Authorization Act of 1989 to include the city of North Las Vegas,
Nevada, and the Apex Industrial Park Owners Association, and for
other purposes. (Ms. Cortez Masto).
S.
2018,
a bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an
assessment to identify locations in National Parks in which there is
the greatest need for broadband internet access service and areas in
National Parks in which there is the greatest need for cellular
service, and for other purposes. (Mr. Barrasso).
S.
2020,
a bill to amend the Oregon Resource Conservation Act of 1996 to
reauthorize the Deschutes River Conservancy Working Group, and for
other purposes. (Mr. Merkley).
S.
2042,
a bill to amend the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Act to
adjust the boundary of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area,
and for other purposes. (Ms. Cortez Masto).
S.
2136,
a bill to require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture to convey certain Federal land to the State of Utah for
inclusion in certain State parks, and for other purposes. (Mr. Lee).
S.
2149,
a bill to sustain economic development and recreational use of
National Forest System land in the State of Montana, to add certain
land to the National Wilderness Preservation System, to designate
new areas for recreation, and for other purposes. (Mr. Tester).
S.
2216,
a bill to release from wilderness study area designation certain
land in the State of Montana, to improve the management of that
land, and for other purposes. (Mr. Daines).
At today’s Climate Forward
Live
event, The New York Times bringing together newsmakers — including Bill
Gates, Al Gore, Michael Bloomberg and Ajay Banga — to share ideas, work
through problems and answer tough questions about the threats presented
by a rapidly warming planet.
The event is taking place at the Times Center at 242 W. 41st St.; New
York, N.Y. 10036
In-person tickets are $350.
9 A.M. EASTERN
A Billion-Dollar War Against the Petrochemicals Industry
Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg
Philanthropies
Gina McCarthy, former national White House climate adviser and
administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., president and C.E.O. of the Hip Hop Caucus
9:30 A.M.
What’s Standing in the Way of Climate Progress?
Al Gore, former vice president of the United States
10 A.M.
Living in the Age of Extreme Heat
Eleni Myrivili, global chief heat officer, UN-Habitat and Arsht-Rock
Resilience Center
Reema Nanavaty, director of rural organizing and economic development
at the Self-Employed Women’s Association
10:35 A.M.
Green Growth v. Conservation
Jason Grumet, C.E.O. of the American Clean Power Association
Ebony Twilley Martin, executive director of Greenpeace
USA
11 A.M.
Food in a Time of Crisis
José Andrés, chef and humanitarian
11:25 A.M.
Norway’s Paradox
Jonas Gahr Store, prime minister of Norway
11:50 A.M.: BREAK
1:20 P.M.
Opinion: Paddling Against the Wind
Robin Wall Kimmerer, author and scientist
1:35 P.M.
Greening the Grid
Calvin Butler, president and C.E.O., Exelon
Pedro J. Pizarro, president and C.E.O., Edison International
2 P.M.
A New Recipe for Food Systems
Jim Andrew, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer
of PepsiCo
Anthony Myint, executive director, Zero Foodprint and co-founder,
Mission Chinese Food
2:25 P.M.
New Technology and Smarter Policy
Bill Gates, founder of Breakthrough Energy and co-chair of the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation
2:55 P.M.
Carnivores and Climate Change
Gilberto Tomazoni, global C.E.O. of JBS
3:35 P.M.
Can a Tidy House Save the World?
Marie Kondo, tidying expert and founder of KonMari Media Inc.
4:15 P.M.
Financing a Just Transition
Ajay Banga, 14th president of the World Bank Group
To explore clean energy workforce development, the Joint Economic
Committee will hold a
hearing
titled “Growing the Economy Of the Future: Job Training For the Clean
Energy Transition” on Wednesday September 20, 2023 at 2:15
PM EST. The hearing will be held in the Hart
Senate Office Building, Room 216. Chair Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.)
In the last two years, the Biden administration and Democrats in
Congress have taken significant action to address the climate crisis by
increasing investments in the clean energy industry. Investments in the
Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have
increased the demand for workers who can fill roles in a range of clean
energy occupations, from manufacturing workers building wind turbines or
solar panels to HVAC installers putting in
heat pumps. This need creates an opportunity for millions of Americans
to start stable careers that pay a living wage without having to earn a
four-year college degree. In addition, new investments in clean energy
infrastructure will be spread out across the country and present an
opportunity to more intentionally employ women and people of color in
the energy sector and the skilled building trades where they have been
historically underrepresented.
On Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn House
Office Building, the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security
will hold a
hearing.
The title of the hearing is “American Hydropower: Unleashing Reliable,
Renewable, Clean Power Across the U.S.” Witnesses are by invitation
only. The hearing will review the following legislation:
• H.R. 4045, the “Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act”
Terry Turpin, Director of the Office of Energy Projects, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission
John Hairston, Administrator, Bonneville Power Administration
Thomas P. Smith, Chief of Operations and Regulatory Division, Army
Corps of Engineers
Matt Lee-Ashley, Chief of Staff, Council on Environmental Quality
H.R. 4045, the “Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act,” would amend the
Federal Power Act to expedite the hydropower licensing process and
promote next-generation hydropower projects. The legislation would
expedite the non-Federal hydropower licensing process by requiring
FERC, and all resource agencies with
responsibilities in the licensing process, to establish a schedule and
coordinate reviews, subject to interagency dispute resolution by
CEQ and penalties for failure to meet
scheduled deadlines. The legislation also contains an expedited 2-year
licensing process for next-generation hydropower facilities and
regulatory exemptions for small hydropower projects unlikely to threaten
protected species.
On Tuesday, September 19, 2023, at 2:15 p.m., in room 1334 Longworth
House Office Building, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold a
legislative hearing on the following bills:
H.R.
1657
(Rep. Stauber), “Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange Act of 2023”;
Panel II (Administration Officials and Outside Experts):
Mike Reynolds, Deputy Director, Congressional and External Relations,
National Park Service, Washington, D.C. [H.R. 3107, H.R. 3200, H.R.
4984]
Jacqueline Emanuel, Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System,
U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. [H.R. 1657, H.R. 3107, H.R.
3200]
Cory Smith, Commissioner, District 1, Itasca County, MN [H.R. 1657]
Randy Brodehl, Commissioner, Flathead County, Kalispell, MT [H.R.
3200]
Ambreen Tariq, Senior Program Director, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable,
Washington, D.C. [H.R. 3107 and H.R. 3200]
Delano Hunter, Acting Director, D.C. Department of General Services,
Washington, D.C. [H.R. 4984]
Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange Act of 2023
In and around federal land, small and often times family-owned
businesses provide robust outdoor recreation experiences. This is true
in northcentral Minnesota in the Chippewa National Forest and Lake
Winnibigoshish. Along the pristine lake, Bowen Lodge, a fishing and
hunting resort, has been welcoming guests since 1982. Currently, the
Lodge has a 20-year permit from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to
operate and maintain a marina along the lakeshore. The resort would like
to acquire approximately 13.8 acres of federal land adjacent to their
property, which contains approximately 1,640 feet of shoreline and would
provide permanent access to the lake. H.R. 1657 would facilitate a land
exchange between Bowen Lodge and the USFS.
This legislation would provide certainty and predictability for the
business, employees, and guests to ensure the continued use of the
marina. In exchange for the land, the resort would convey approximately
38 acres of land on Lake Winnibigoshish to the
USFS to be added to the Chippewa National
Forest. The USFS proposed this acreage in
order to better align with property boundaries and management of the
exchange parcel. H.R. 1657 establishes an equal value exchange between
the parcels. If necessary, a cash equalization payment between the
parties will be pursued in order to equalize values. Exchanging these
parcels is a win-win, as it would provide permanent access to Lake
Winnibigoshish for the Lodge and eliminate a headache-inducing
checkerboard pattern of land ownership for
USFS. This is a continuation of the
Committee’s work to “right size” the federal estate by allowing for
greater access and reducing checkerboard land ownership. So far this
Congress, the Committee has moved legislation that would reduce the
amount of federal land ownership by 4,530 acres. H.R. 1657 is a
bipartisan bill led by Representative Stauber (R-MN) and co-sponsored by
Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Joe
Neguse (D-CO), and Jared Huffman (D-CA).
H.R. 3107 (Rep. Neguse), “Improving Outdoor Recreation Coordination Act”
Outdoor recreation serves as a gateway to numerous physical, mental, and
societal benefits. Engaging in outdoor activities, whether it’s hiking,
camping, cycling, or simply spending time in nature, promotes physical
fitness and a healthier lifestyle, reducing the risk of chronic
diseases.2 In addition to enhancing physical wellbeing, outdoor
recreation fosters a deeper appreciation for our country’s natural
resources, inspiring environmental stewardship, and conservation
efforts.3
It also strengthens the bonds of community as people come together to
share recreational experiences, reinforcing the idea that access to
outdoor spaces is fundamental to a prosperous society. Despite the fact
that public lands play an important role in outdoor recreation, there
are often conflicting levels of access or policies among the federal
land management agencies. Increased coordination between these agencies
could help improve access, elevate recreation as a priority among land
managers, and reduce conflicting policies among federal agencies. H.R.
3107, the “Improving Outdoor Recreation Coordination Act,” would
establish the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation
(“Council”), to coordinate outdoor recreation policies among the various
land management agencies. The bill aims to streamline processes across
federal agencies to keep recreation on public lands enjoyable and
sustained. This Council would also be responsible for coordination
between various federal agencies involved in outdoor recreation and
related activities such as the NPS, Bureau of
Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and
USFS. The responsibilities of the Council
would include coordinating interagency policies related to recreation
management across agencies, addressing disruptions in recreational
areas, managing funds designated for outdoor recreation, and circulating
informational materials to the public. The bill would not impact
existing authorities, regulations, or policies of individual federal
agencies involved in outdoor recreation. This bipartisan bill is co-led
by Representative Lawler (R-NY). H.R. 3200 (Rep. Zinke), “Gateway
Community and Recreation Enhancement Act” Recently released data from
NPS demonstrates the impact visitors to our
public lands have on the economy, particularly rural economies. In 2022,
visitors to national parks generated a record $50.3 billion in economic
benefits and supported over 378,400 jobs.6 The economic impact of
recreating on federal lands is felt far and wide by the communities
surrounding the federal land’s borders and entrances – often referred to
as gateway communities. In national parks alone, more than 312 million
visitors spent an estimated $23.9 billion in gateway communities in
2022. This estimate does not include spending by visitors to other
locations managed by the BLM, USFWS, or
USFS.
H.R. 3200, the “Gateway Community and Recreation Enhancement Act,”
addresses the roles and needs of gateway communities as they support
visitation to federal lands. Under the legislation, the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of the Interior (DOI) would assess
the needs of gateway communities with respect to housing, municipal
infrastructure, visitation and crowding in consultation with state and
local governments, Tribes, housing authorities, and non-profit
organizations. H.R. 3200 also provides avenues to address these
challenges including financial or technical assistance; entering into
leases, rights-of-way, easements, or issuing special use permits; and
encouraging the Departments’ Secretaries to enter into public-private
partnerships, cooperative agreements, or memorandums of understanding.
Gateway communities are often small, rural towns whose economy depends
on seasonal visitation and access the local federal lands. Therefore,
any closing or reduction of access to a national park can have severe
implications for the gateway community and the families and small
businesses whose livelihoods depend on predictable access. To address
this, H.R. 3200 requires the NPS to consult
local communities via public meetings and a minimum 60-day comment
period before restricting access to national parks. There are exemptions
if the park must close due to health and safety concerns. The bill also
provides avenues for increased visitor access and experiences across
federal land recreation units. The bill would require agencies to create
a digital version of the America the Beautiful National Parks and public
lands pass so visitors can seamlessly access public lands via their
mobile device. The bill also establishes a pilot program to provide
visitation data for recreation lands. The visitation data could
encourage visitation of lesser-known areas, such as trails, to avoid
congestion. This bipartisan bill, co-led by Representatives Zinke (R-MT)
and Peltola (D-AK) has seven additional cosponsors. A companion bill was
introduced by Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Angus King (I-ME). A
similar version of this bill was included in the Senate’s Recreation
Package (S. 873, America’s Outdoor Recreation Act of 2023). S.873 passed
out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, as amended, by
voice vote.
H.R. 4984 (Rep. Comer), “D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus
Revitalization Act” The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus (RFK)
encompasses approximately 142 acres of NPS
land located in the eastern part of the District of Columbia (D.C.).
RFK is owned by the City of D.C., which also
has a lease NPS on the land underneath and
surrounding the stadium from for sports and recreation use until 2038.
From the early 1900’s until 1957, the land was used as a park and open
space.9 In 1957, Congress authorized construction of a stadium on the
land. The D.C. Stadium opened in 1961 as a multipurpose stadium for the
football team now known as the Washington Commanders and the Washington
Senators (a Major League Baseball team). By 1969, the D.C. Stadium was
renamed RFK Stadium in honor of Robert F.
Kennedy. In 1996, the football team played their last game and the
stadium. The Washingtom Nationals briefly utilized the stadium from 2005
to 2007 and D.C. United, a Major Leage Soccer team, utilized the
facility until 2017. The stadium is now vacant, falling into disrepair,
and is set to be demolished.
H.R. 4984 creates a long-term opportunity for coordination between the
D.C. and the federal government for the future development and use of
the RFK site. The “D.C. Robert F. Kennedy
Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act” would transfer
administrative jurisdiction of the RFK stadium
site from the Secretary of the Interior to the General Services
Administration (GSA). GSA provides centralized
procurement and shared services for the federal government, including
real estate. GSA manages a nationwide real
estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet. Under the
legislation, GSA would be required to enter
into a lease with D.C., under which D.C. may use the land for stadium
purposes, commercial and residential development, providing recreational
facilities or open space, or additional public purposes. The bill allows
for a lease of up to 99 years, which may be renewed by
GSA. The bill ensures any development of the
site will not adversely impact the land, including the restoration of
wetlands; is at least 30 percent parks and open space; will improve
access to the Anacostia River and maintain access to the Anacostia River
Trail; provide for necessary parking facilities and public safety
measures; and will reduce noise and traffic in surrounding areas.
Cosponsors include Delegate Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Representative
LaTurner (R-KS).