03.21.19

Natural Resources Hearings for Week of March 25 Include Wildlife, Arctic Refuge, DOI Budget, Colorado River Compact, Mining Reform

Washington, D.C. – The Natural Resources Committee is holding five hearings during the week of March 25. The full schedule is below.

Tuesday, March 26

Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife

Hearing: A legislative hearing on the following bills.

  • H.R. 1326 (Rep. Mike Thompson), To provide for the preservation of America’s outdoor heritage and enhance recreation opportunities on Federal land, and for other purposes.“ACCESS Act.”
  • H.R. 877 (Rep. Austin Scott), To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to modernize the funding of wildlife conservation, and for other purposes. “Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow's Needs Act.”
  • H.R. 1809 (Rep. Gregorio Sablan), To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act, to provide parity for United States territories and the District of Columbia, to make technical corrections to such Acts and related laws, and for other purposes. 
  • H.R. 737 (Rep. Gregorio Sablan), To prohibit the sale of shark fins, and for other purposes. “Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2019.” 
  • H.R. 1305 (Rep. Alan Lowenthal), To implement the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, and for other purposes. “Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act.”
  • H.R. 1380 (Rep. Mike Quigley), To amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to clarify provisions enacted by the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, to further the conservation of certain wildlife species, and for other purposes. “Big Cat Public Safety Act.”
  • H.R. 1568 (Rep. Seth Moulton), To assist in the conservation of the North Atlantic right whale by supporting and providing financial resources for North Atlantic right whale conservation programs and projects of persons with expertise required for the conservation of North Atlantic right whales, and for other purposes. “SAVE Right Whales Act.”

When: 10:00 a.m. Eastern time 

Where: Longworth 1324

Witnesses

Nick Pinizzotto

President and Chief Executive Officer, National Deer Alliance

Linda McCaul

Board of Directors, Earth Echo International

Ed Melvin

Marine Fisheries Senior Scientist, University of Washington

Carson Barylak

Campaigns Manager, International Fund for Animal Welfare

Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources

Hearing: The Need to Protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain – Includes discussion of Rep. Jared Huffman’s (D-Calif.) H.R. 1146, “The Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act.”

When: 2:00 p.m. Eastern time 

Where: Longworth 1324

Witnesses

Panel 1 

Bernadette Demientieff 

Executive Director, Gwich’in Steering Committee

Chief Galen Gilbert 

Arctic Village Council 

Chief Dana Tizya-Tramm 

Vuntut Gwich’in First Nation, Yukon, Canada

Chief/Chairman Victor Joseph

Tanana Chiefs Conference

Sam Alexander

Gwich’in Leader, Gwich’in Steering Committee

Fenton Rexford (minority witness)

Advisor to the Mayor of North Slope Borough, Tribal Member, Native Village of Kaktovik

Panel 2 

Right Reverend Mark Lattime

Bishop of Alaska, The Episcopal Church

Steven C. Amstrup

Chief Scientist, Polar Bears International

Chad Brown

Founder and President, Soul River, Inc.

Richard Glenn (minority witness)

Executive Vice President, External Affairs Arctic Slope Regional Corporation

Matthew Rexford (minority witness)

Tribal Administrator, Native Village of Kaktovik

 

Wednesday, March 27

Full Committee

HearingExamining the Department of the Interior’s Spending Priorities and the President’s Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Proposal

When: 10:00 a.m. Eastern time

Where: Longworth 1324

Witnesses

Scott Cameron

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management, and Budget

Denise Flanagan

Director, Office of Budget, U.S. Department of the Interior

Thursday, March 28

Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife

Hearing: The Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan

When: 10:00 a.m. Eastern time

Where: Longworth 1324

Witnesses

Brenda Burman

Commissioner, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

Tom Buschatzke

Director, Arizona Department of Water Resources

John D’Antonio

New Mexico State Engineer

James Eklund

Colorado Commissioner, Upper Colorado River Commission

John Entsminger

General Manager, Southern Nevada Water Authority

Eric Millis

Director, Utah Division of Water Resources

Peter Nelson

Chairman, Colorado River Board of California

Pat Tyrrell

Wyoming State Engineer

 

Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources

Hearing: Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation: Innovative Approaches and Economic Development Opportunities – Includes discussion of H.R. 315, “The Community Reclamation Partnerships Act of 2019,” and other legislative proposals

When: 10:00 a.m. Eastern time

Where: Longworth 1334

Witnesses

Eric Dixon

Senior Coordinator of Policy and Community Engagement, Appalachian Citizen's Law Center

Robert Hughes

Executive Director, Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation

Dan Fisher

Treasurer, City of Gillespie, Ill.

Eric Cavazza

Director, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Chris Wood

President and CEO, Trout Unlimited

Press Contact

Adam Sarvana

(202) 225-6065 or (202) 578-6626 mobile