DATE

HEARING SUBJECT

WITNESS(ES)

Thurs., 12/13

Forest Restoration and Underbrush Clearing

 

Subcommittee oversight hearing on forest restoration and hazardous fuels reduction efforts in the forests of Oregon and Washington

 

Senate Energy and Natural Resources S/C on Public Lands and Forests (Wyden)

Jim Caswell, Director, Bureau of Land Management

Wed., 12/12

Commercial Filming in National Parks

 

Full Committee oversight hearing on "New Fees for Filming and Photography on Public Lands."

 

House Natural Resources Committee (Rahall)

Mitchell J. Butler, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks

Tues., 12/11

Water Management

 

Full Committee hearing on S. 2156 (Bingaman), A bill to authorize and facilitate the improvement of water management by the Bureau of Reclamation, to require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Energy to increase the acquisition and analysis of water resources for irrigation, hydroelectric power, municipal, and environmental uses, and for other purposes

 

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (Bingaman)

Robert Johnson, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation

                             

Robert M. Hirsch, Associate Director for Water, U.S. Geological Survey

Tues., 12/4

New Madrid Seismic Zone

 

Subcommittee oversight hearing on “The New Madrid Seismic Zone: Whose Fault is it, Anyway?

                             

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs S/C on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration (Pryor)

David Applegate, Senior Science Advisor for Earthquake and Geologic Hazards, U.S. Geological Survey

Tues., 11/27

Southern California Wildfires

 

Appropriations Subcommittee oversight field hearing on policy and budget issues raised by the catastrophic 2007 Southern California wildfires

 

Senate Appropriations S/C on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies (Feinstein)

Dr. Jon E. Keeley, Western Ecological Research Center, Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, U.S. Geological Survey

Wed., 11/14

Alaska and Native American Bills

 

Full Committee hearing on H.R. 2445 (Young), To amend that Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to recognize Alexander Creek as Native village, and for other purposes; H.R. 3350 (Young), To amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to provide for equitable allotment of lands to Alaska Native veterans; H.R. 3351 (Young), To adapt the lessons of foreign aid to underdeveloped economies to the provision of Federal economic development assistance to similarly situated remote Native American communities, and for other purposes; and H.R. 3560 (Young), To provide for the completion of certain land selections under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and for other purposes

 

House Natural Resources Committee (Rahall)

Michael Nedd, Assistant Director, Minerals, Realty and Resource Protection, Bureau of Land Management

Tues., 11/13

Wilderness Legislation

 

Subcommittee hearing on H.R. 2334 (Udall), To designate as wilderness certain land within the Rocky Mountain National Park and to adjust the boundaries of the Indian Peaks Wilderness and the Arapaho National Recreation Area of the Arapaho National Forest in the State of Colorado; H.R. 2632 (Udall), To establish the Sabinoso Wilderness Area in San Miguel County, New Mexico, and for other purposes; and  H.R. 3682 (Bono), 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

 

House Natural Resources S/C on National Parks, Forest and Public Lands (Grijalva)

Elena Daly, Director, National Landscape Conservation System, Bureau of Land Management

Tues., 11/13

Surface Mining Policy

 

Full Committee oversight hearing on the “The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977: Policy Issues Thirty Years Later”

 

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (Bingaman)

Brent Wahlquist, Director, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

Thurs., 11/8

National Parks Bills

 

Subcommittee hearing S. 1365 (Kerry), A bill to amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with any of the management partners of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, and for other purposes; S. 1449 (Salazar), A bill to establish the Rocky Mountain Science Collections Center to assist in preserving the archeological, anthropological, paleontological, zoological, and geologic artifacts and archival documentation from the Rocky Mountain region through the construction of an on-site, secure collections facility for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in Denver, Colorado; S. 1921 (Webb), A bill to amend the American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996 to extend the authorization for that Act, and for other purposes; S. 1941 (Lincoln), A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Wolf House, located in Norfolk, Arkansas, as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes; S. 1961 (Sessions), A bill to expand the boundaries of the Little River Canyon National Preserve in the State of Alabama; S. 1991 (Bunning), A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of extending the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail to include additional sites associated with the preparation and return phases of the expedition, and for other purposes; S. 2098 (Dorgan), A bill to establish the Northern Plains Heritage Area in the State of North Dakota; and H.R. 1191 (Renzi), To authorize the National Park Service to pay for services rendered by subcontractors under a General Services Administration Indefinite Deliver/Indefinite Quantity Contract issued for work to be completed at the Grand Canyon National Park

 

Senate Energy and Natural Resources S/C on National Parks (Akaka)

Katherine H. Stevenson, Acting Assistant, Business Services, National Park Services

Thurs., 11/8

Indian Self-Governance

 

Full Committee hearing on H.R. 3994 (Boren), To amend the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to provide further self-governance by Indian tribes, and for other purposes

 

House Natural Resources Committee (Rahall)

Jim Cason, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Indian Affairs

Wed., 11/7

Carbon Sequestration

 

Subcommittee oversight hearing on the research and development efforts to safely and efficiently sequester carbon dioxide

 

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation S/C on Science, Technology, and Innovation (Kerry)

Dr. Robert C. Burruss, Research Geologist, Energy Resources Team, U.S. Geological Survey

Thurs., 11/1

Arizona Land Exchange

 

Subcommittee hearing on H.R. 3301 (Pastor), To authorize and direct the exchange and conveyance of certain National Forest land and other land in southeast Arizona

 

House Natural Resources S/C on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands (Grijalva)

Luke Johnson, Deputy Director, Bureau of Land Management

Wed., 10/31

Oil and Gas Development

 

Full Committee hearing on the applicability of federal requirements that protect public health and the environment to oil  and gas development

 

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee (Waxman)

Robert Anderson, Deputy Assistant Director for Minerals, Realty and Resource Protection, Bureau of Land Management

Wed., 10/31

Alaska Land Bill

 

Full Committee hearing on H.R. 2801 (Young), To provide for the inclusion of certain non-Federal land in the Izembek and Alaska Peninsula Wildlife Refuges and Wilderness in the State of Alaska and for the granting of a right-of-way for safe and reliable access for the Native Village of King Cove, Alaska, and for other purposes

 

House Natural Resources Committee (Rahall)

H. Dale Hall, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Tues., 10/30

Parks Bills

 

Subcommittee hearing on H.R. 415 (Frank), To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the Taunton River in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; H.R. 1143 (Christensen), To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease certain lands in Virgin Islands National Park, and for other purposes; H.R. 1286 (Hinchey), To amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail; H.R. 1545 (Fortuno), To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a boundary study to evaluate the significance of Fort San Geronimo and other related resources in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the suitability and feasibility of their inclusion in the National Park System as part of the San Juan National Historic Site, and for other purposes; H.R. 1836 (Shays), To amend the acquisition authority for land for the development of visitor and administrative facilities at Weir Farm National Historic Site in the State of Connecticut; H.R. 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; H.R. 3120 (Wasserman), To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Stranahan House in Broward County, Florida, and for other purposes; H.R. 3265 (Skelton), To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Harry S Truman Birthplace State Historic Site, in Lamar, Missouri, and for other purposes; H.R. 3616 (Emerson), To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of extending the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail to include additional sites associated with the preparation and return phases of the expedition, and for other purposes; and H.R. 3821 (Rahall), To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of sites and resources at Matewan, West Virginia, associated with the Battle of Matewan to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating certain historic areas as a unit of the National Park System

 

House Natural Resources S/C on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands (Grijalva)

Karen Taylor-Goodrich, Associate Director, Visitor and Resource Protection, National Park Service

Wed., 10/24

Water Projects and Systems

 

Subcommittee hearing on H.R. 496 (Walden), To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to assist in the planning, design, and construction of the Tumalo Irrigation District Water Conservation Project in Deschutes County, Oregon; H.R. 3323 (Capps), To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey a water distribution system to the Goleta Water District, and for other purposes; H.R. 3437 (Salazar), To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to carry out the Jackson Gulch rehabilitation project in the State of Colorado

 

House Natural Resources S/C on Water and Power (Napolitano)             

Robert Johnson, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation

Tues., 10/23

Environmental and Health Impact of Uranium Mining on Navajo Lands

                             

Full Committee oversight hearing on the adverse health and environmental impacts experienced by the Navajo people in the aftermath of decades of uranium mining and processing conducted in and around the Navajo reservation in order to meet the federal government’s need for nuclear weapons material

 

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee (Waxman)          

Jerry Gidner, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs

Tues., 10/23

Public Lands Bills

 

Subcommittee hearing on H.R. 816 (Porter), To provide for the release of certain land from the Sunrise Mountain Instant Study Area in the State of Nevada and to grant a right-of-way across the released land for the construction and maintenance of a flood control project; H.R. 1311 (Berkley), To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey the Alta-Hualapai Site to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, for the development of a cancer treatment facility; H.R. 1922 (Mahoney), To designate the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and the surrounding Federal land in the State of Florida as an Outstanding Natural Area and as a unit of the National Landscape System, and for other purposes; H.R. 2246 (Heller), To validate certain conveyances made by the Union Pacific Railroad Company of lands located in Reno, Nevada, that were originally conveyed by the United States to facilitate construction of transcontinental railroads, and for other purposes

 

House Natural Resources S/C on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands (Grijalva)

Michael Nedd, Assistant Director, Minerals, Realty and Resource Protection, Bureau of Land Management

Thurs., 10/18

Parks and Lands Bills

 

Subcommittee hearing on H.R. 1975 (Maloney), To designate certain National Forest System lands and public lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior in the States of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, wildland recovery areas, and biological connecting corridors, and for other purposes

 

House Natural Resources S/C on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands (Grijalva)

Henri Bisson, Deputy Director, Bureau of Land Management

Wed., 10/17

Global Warming and Permanently Frozen Ground

 

Subcommittee oversight hearing on “Disappearing Polar Bears and Permafrost: Is a Global Warming Tipping Point Embedded in the Ice?” 

 

House Science and Technology S/C on Investigations and Oversight (Miller)

Dr. Susan D. Haseline, Associate Director for Biology, U.S. Geological Survey

Thurs., 10/11

Environmental Threats to the Great Basin

 

Subcommittee oversight field hearing on the major environmental threats to the Great Basin in the 21st century

 

Senate Energy and Natural Resources S/C on Public Lands and Forests (Wyden)

Jayne Belnap, Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey

 

Mike Pellant, Great Basin Restoration Initiative Coordinator, Bureau of Land Management

 

Tues., 10/9

National Wildlife Refuges

 

Subcommittee oversight hearing on the “Implementation of the National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act: Has the Promise Been Fulfilled?”

                                                 

House Natural Resources S/C on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans (Bordallo)

Dale Hall, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Thurs., 10/4

Interior Department Backlog of Indian Lands Issues

 

Full Committee hearing on Backlogs at the Department of the Interior: Land in to Trust Applications; Environmental Impact Statements; Probate; Appraisals and Lease Approvals

 

Senate Indian Affairs Committee (Dorgan)

Carl J. Artman, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs

Wed., 10/3

Indian Tribal Recognition

 

Full Committee hearing on H.R. 2837 (Falemavaega), To provide for administrative procedures to extend Federal recognition to certain Indian groups, and for other purposes

 

House Natural Resources Committee (Rahall)

Carl J. Artman, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs

Fri., 9/28

Pandemic Preparedness

 

Subcommittee Oversight hearing on “The Role of Federal Executive Boards in Pandemic Preparedness”, to examine how Federal Executive Boards (FEBs), can play a greater role in the dissemination and coordination of information in the event of a pandemic or other emergency

                   

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs S/C on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia (Akaka)

Raymond Morris, Executive Director, Minnesota Federal Executive Board, National Business Center

Thurs., 9/27

Parks Bills

 

Subcommittee hearing on S. 128 (Allard), A bill to amend the Cache La Poudre River Corridor Act to designate a new management entity, make certain technical and conforming amendments, enhance private property protections, and for other purposes; S. 148 (Lautenberg), A bill to establish the Paterson Great Falls National Park in the State of New Jersey, and for other purposes; S. 189 (Levin), A bill to decrease the matching funds requirements and authorize additional appropriations for Keweenaw National Historical Park in the State of Michigan; S. 697 (Specter), A bill to establish the Steel Industry National Historic Site in the State of Pennsylvania.; S. 867 and H.R. 299 (Kennedy and Meehan), A bill to adjust the boundary of Lowell National Historical Park, and for other purposes; S. 1039 (Lautenberg), A bill to extend the authorization for the Coastal Heritage Trail in the State of New Jersey; S. 1341 (Kyl), A bill to provide for the exchange of certain Bureau of Land Management land in Pima County, Arizona, and for other purposes; S. 1476 (Feinstein), A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct special resources study of the Tule Lake Segregation Center in Modoc County, California, to determine suitability and feasibility of establishing a unit of the National Park System; S. 1709 and H.R. 1239 (Biden and Hastings), A bill to amend the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1998 to provide additional staff and oversight of funds to carry out the Act, and for other purposes; S. 1808 (Murkowski), A bill to authorize the exchange of certain land in Denali National Park in the State of Alaska; and S. 1969 (Hatch), A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating Estate Grange and other sites related to Alexander Hamilton's life on the island of St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes

 

Senate Energy and Natural Resources S/C on National Parks (Akaka)

Daniel N. Wenk, Deputy Director, National Park Service  

Thurs., 9/27

Aquatic Nuisance Species

 

Subcommittee oversight hearing on "Aquatic Nuisance Species and Activities of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force"

 

House Natural Resources S/C on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans (Bordallo)

Dr. Mamie Parker, Assistant Director for Fisheries and Habitat Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Thurs., 9/27

Land and Memorial Bills

 

Subcommittee hearing on H.R. 830 (Young), To authorize the exchange of certain lands in Denali National Park in the State of Alaska; H.R. 2094 (Moore), To provide for certain administrative and support services for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission, and for other purposes; and H.R. 3111 (Miller), To provide for the administration of Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes

 

House Natural Resources S/C on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands (Grijalva)

William D. Shaddox, Acting Associate Director, Park Planning, Facilities, and Lands, National Park Service

Wed., 9/26

National Geothermal Initiative

 

Full Committee hearing on S. 1543 (Bingaman), A bill to establish a national geothermal initiative to encourage increased production of energy from geothermal resources, and for other purposes