Red Lodge Clearinghouse

Seventeen of the bills are already part of an omnibus public lands bill, S. 2483, that Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) hopes to bring to a vote in the next few days, according to Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.).

The bills marked up that are already part of S. 2483 are:

H.R 359, to direct the Interior secretary to conduct a special resource study on sites in Arizona, California and other states that are significant to the life of Cesar Chavez and the farm labor movement. The committee chose to mark up this version in lieu of its version, S. 327.

S. 1039, to extend the authorization for the Coastal Heritage Trail in New Jersey from Sept. 30, 2007, to Sept. 30, 2011.

S. 1941, to study designating the Wolf House in Norfolk, Ark., as a unit of the National Park Service. Neither site fits the criteria for federal protection.

S. 1991, to authorize a study of extending the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail to include additional sites associated with the preparation and return phases of the expedition.

H.R. 299, to adjust the boundary of Lowell National Historical Park.

H.R. 830, to authorize the exchange of certain lands in Denali National Park in Alaska.

H.R. 1025, to authorize Interior to study to the feasibility of implementing a water supply and conservation project to improve supply reliability, increase the capacity of water storage and improve water management efficiency in the Republican River Basin between Harlan County Lake in Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas.

H.R. 1191, to authorize NPS to pay for services rendered by subcontractors under a General Services Administration indefinite deliver/indefinite quantity contract at Grand Canyon National Park.

H.R. 1526, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program.

H.R. 1662, to protect federal dams and reservoirs from terrorist attack.

The other bills the committee approved include:

S. 2034, to designate forest lands in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest as the Copper Salmon Wilderness Area and designate segments of the North Sand South Forks of the Elk River as additions to the existing Elk Wild and Scenic River.

S. 86, to designate segments of Fossil Creek, a tributary to the Verde River in Arizona, as a wild and scenic river under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

S. 2098, to establish the Northern Plains Heritage Area in North Dakota

S. 127, to amend the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000 to explain the purpose and provide for the administration of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge.

S. 189, to decrease the matching funds requirement and authorize additional appropriations for Keweenaw National Historical Park in Michigan.

S. 1143 , to designate the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and surrounding federal land in Florida as an Outstanding Natural Area and a unit of the National Landscape System.

S. 1247, to limit development of any property acquired by the Interior Department for the development of visitor and administrative facilities for the Weir Farm National Historic Site.

S. 1304, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Arizona National Scenic Trail.

S. 1329, to extend the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission, to provide improved visitor services at the park, and for other purposes.

S. 1341, to provide for the exchange of certain Bureau of Land Management land in Pima County, Ariz.

S. 1433, to amend the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to provide competitive status to certain federal employees in Alaska. The competitive status would go to employees who completed the equivalent of two years of competitive and satisfactory service.

S. 1522, to amend the Bonneville Power Administration portions of the Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act of 2000 to authorize appropriations for fiscal 2008 through 2014.

S. 1740, to amend the Act of Feb. 22, 1889, and Act of July 2, 1862, to provide for the management of public land trust funds in North Dakota.

S. 1802, to adjust the boundaries of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho.

S. 1939, to transfer control of 6.2 acres of the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico to a private party.

S. 1940, to reauthorize the Rio Puerco Watershed Management Program in New Mexico.

S. 1961, to expand the boundaries of the Little River Canyon National Preserve in Alabama.

H.R. 1462, to implement the federal share of a management plan for the Platte River.

Two bills were pulled from the agenda, one of which would designate a Massachusetts river as "wild and scenic," which could prohibit a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal there from receiving a federal license or assistance.

Sponsored by Massachusetts Democratic Sens. Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, S. 868 would designate 40 miles of the Taunton River as wild and scenic, from the headwaters all the way to Mount Hope Bay in Fall River, Mass., the site of a proposed LNG terminal.

Weaver's Cove Energy is seeking to build the LNG terminal and has the approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, although the Coast Guard last year determined the Massachusetts and Rhode Island waterways are unsafe for the transport of LNG to the Fall River terminal.

The other bill, S. 783, would adjust the boundary of the Barataria Preserve Unit of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana.

It is unclear why either bill was pulled prior to the markup, although committee staff said the bills may have had amendments that were simply not ready in time.

Also, Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) attempted to included an amended version of his bill S. 617, which would make the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass available for $10 to any honorably discharged veteran, in the markup.

But Bingaman declined to put it up for consideration, echoing previous concerns by the Bush administration that the bill could undermine the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement passed in the 108th Congress.

Assistant National Park Service Director Katherine Stevenson told the National Parks subcommittee last summer that Congress had debated whether to extend discounted passes to several groups but decided to grant them only to senior citizens and disabled people (E&E Daily, July 13, 2007).

Smith had argued that the bill is a small gesture to those who serve their country and that the amended version fixes some of the administration's concerns with the bill. Bingaman agreed to include the amended bill in a second markup of public lands legislation expected soon.

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