Washington, D.C. – The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold three hearings and a business meeting next week.

The Committee will hold a full committee hearing on the impact the Energy Policy Act of 2005 has had on the relicensing of hydropower dams. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, will chair the hearing which will be held at 3 p.m. in SD-366.

Invited witnesses include:

Mr. J. Mark Robinson
Director of the Office of Energy Projects       
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Mr. Larry Finfer
Acting Director
Office of Policy Analysis
U.S. Department of the Interior

Dan Adamson
Vice Chair, Legislative Committee
National Hydropower Association
Washington, DC

Mr. Andrew Fahlund
Vice President of Protection and Restoration
American Rivers
Washington, DC

The committee will hold a business meeting to consider the nomination of Gov. Dirk Kempthorne to the position of Secretary of the Interior on Wednesday at 10 a.m. in SD-366.

The Public Lands and Forest Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. in SD-366 to receive testimony on the following bills:

S. 906, to promote wildland firefighter safety;

S. 2003, to make permanent the authorization for watershed restoration and enhancement agreements; 

H.R. 585, to require Federal land managers to support, communicate, and cooperate with, designated gateway communities to improve the ability of gateway communities to participate in Federal land management planning.

H.R. 3981, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out certain land exchanges involving small parcels of National Forest System land in the Tahoe National Forest in the State of California.

Invited witnesses include: 

Panel 1

Mr. Joel Holtrop
Deputy Chief
National Forest System
Department of Agriculture

Mr. Chris Kearney
Deputy Assistant Secretary
Policy Management and Budget
Department of the Interior

Panel 2

Mr. Steve Duerr
Attorney at Law
Former Executive Director
Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce
Jackson, WY

Mr. Bob Warren
Chairman
National Alliance of Gateway Communities
Redding, CA

The full committee will hold an oversight hearing on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. in SD-366 to hear testimony on the status of the Department of Energy’s Yucca Mountain Project.

Confirmed witnesses include:

Mr. William Wehrum, Jr.
Acting Assistant Administrator
Office of Air and Radiation
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

 Mr. Paul Golan
Acting Director
Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste
U.S. Department of Energy

Dr. B. John Garrick
Chairman
U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

Invited Witness:

The Honorable Kenny C. Guinn
Governor
The State of Nevada
 
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