WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bipartisan agreement has been reached on the natural resources provisions that will be included within this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The House-Senate agreement supports American job creation and economic growth through a balanced approach to improve the management of our public lands and natural resources while protecting treasured areas.
For
multiple Congresses, the NDAA has included provisions within the
jurisdiction of the House Natural Resources Committee and the Senate
Energy & Natural Resources Committee. This year’s provisions are
included
in Title 30 of NDAA, with the multiple sections reflecting individual
bills, each of which has been subject to public review in the House or
Senate, and the majority have already passed the House or Senate.
The
bills in the agreement will create thousands of American jobs, cut
red-tape to energy production on federal lands, boost American mineral
production, protect multiple-use and public recreation on federal lands,
convey over 100,000 acres of federal land for job-creating economic and
community development, protect treasured lands through the measured
establishment of locally-supported parks and wilderness areas, and
provide new means to enhance private dollars to support
America’s National Parks.
“As
it has traditionally done, this year’s annual national defense bill
contains natural resources provisions that are the result of a
bipartisan agreement. Of great importance to the House is the inclusion
of
long-standing priorities and House-passed bills that have languished in
the Senate. The agreement offers a balanced approach to public lands
management, providing opportunities for new job creation and energy and
mineral production, while simultaneously protecting
special areas,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04).
Key highlights include:
Expanding American Energy & Mineral Production
·
Boosts new
oil and natural gas production on federal lands by reducing permit
delays, providing
regulatory certainty to American job creators, preventing the Obama
Administration from increasing costs, and extending a successful pilot
program that helps the Bureau of Land Management deal with a backlog of
drilling permit applications.
·
Responsibly
facilitates several proposed mineral development projects, which
includes allowing for opening up the third largest undeveloped copper
resource in the world – supporting nearly 3,700 American jobs, creating
$61.4 billion in total economic impact, generating nearly $20 billion
in federal, state, county and local tax revenue, and producing enough
copper to meet 25 percent of current U.S. demand.
Protecting Jobs and Multiple-Use of Federal Lands
·
Reduces grazing permit backlogs and adds needed certainty to America’s ranching community.
·
Updates
fee structure to provide predictable, fair rates so families are not
forced to tear down cabins they own in national forests.
Balancing Conservation Designations with Federal Land Conveyances
·
Provides
for over 110,000 acres of land to be conveyed out of federal ownership –
to be utilized for economic development (including mineral production,
timber production, infrastructure
projects) and community development (ie, local cemetery, shooting
range).
·
Supports
America’s National Parks by providing new means of enhancing private
funding (through donor recognition and the issuance of a commemorative
coin to recognize the 100th
anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016) and by designating a
select number of new park units that have strong local support.
·
Designates
approximately 245,000 acres of wilderness in specific areas with strong
local and Congressional support. Nearly half of those acres are
already managed as if it were wilderness
due to its current status as a roadless or wilderness study area.
·
Releases 26,000 acres of current wilderness study areas to multiple use.
·
Protects private property owners by ensuring that no private property can be condemned.
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