The Week Ahead (Sept. 24-28)
• On Monday, Sept. 24, the full committee will examine the impacts of global climate change on wildfire activity in the United States. Witnesses include Dr. Ann Bartuska, deputy chief for research and development, U.S. Forest Service; Dr. Thomas Swetnam, director of the laboratory of tree-ring research & professor of dendrochronology, University of Arizona; Dr. John Helms, professor emeritus, University of California-Berkeley. (Dirksen 366 at 3:00 p.m.)
• On Tuesday, Sept. 25, the full committee will hear testimony on S. 1756, a bill to provide supplemental compensation to the Republic of the Marshall Islands for impacts of the nuclear testing program of the United States, and to receive testimony on the implementation of the Compact of Free Association between the U.S. and the Marshall Islands. Invited witnesses include Tom Bussanich, director, Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior; Witten Philippo, assistant-to-the-president, Republic of Marshall Islands; David Gootnick, director of international affairs and trade, Government Accountability Office; Jonathan Weisgall, legal counsel, Representing the People of Bikini, Enewetak, Rongelap and Utrik. (Dirksen 366 at 10:00 a.m.)
• On Wednesday, Sept. 26, the full committee will receive testimony on S. 1543, a bill to establish a national geothermal initiative to encourage increased production of energy from geothermal resources. Witnesses include Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, president of Iceland; Alexander Karsner, assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy, U.S. Department of Energy; Dr. Mark Myers , director, U.S. Geological Survey; Susan Petty, founder, AltaRock Energy, Inc.; Dr. Lisa Shevenell, Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, University of Nevada; Dr. David Wunsch, state geologist, New Hampshire Geological Survey; and Dr. Kenneth Williamson, geothermal consultant. (Dirksen 366 at 10:00 a.m.)
• On Thursday, Sept. 27, the full committee to receive testimony on hard-rock mining on Federal lands. Witnesses include Jim Butler, attorney, Parsons, Behle & Latimer; John Leshy, visiting professor, Harvard Law School, and others to be announced. (Dirksen 366 at 9:30 a.m.)
• On Thursday, Sept. 27, Subcommittee on National Parks will receive testimony on: S. 128, to amend the Cache La Poudre River Corridor Act in Colorado to designate a new management entity, make certain technical and conforming amendments, enhance private property protections; S. 148, to establish the Paterson Great Falls National Park in New Jersey; S. 189, to decrease the matching funds requirement and authorize additional appropriations for Keweenaw National Historical Park in Michigan; S. 697, to establish the Steel Industry National Historic Site in Pennsylvania; S. 867, to adjust the boundary of Lowell National Historical Park in Massachusetts; S. 1341, to provide for the exchange of certain Bureau of Land Management land in Pima County, Ariz.; S. 1476, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources study of the Tule Lake Segregation Center in Modoc County, Calif., to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing a unit of the National Park System; S.1709 and H.R. 1239, 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; S. 1808, to authorize the exchange of certain land in Denali National Park in Alaska; S. 1969, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study 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 U.S. Virgin Islands as a unit of the National Park System; and S.1039, to extend the authorization for the Coastal Heritage Trail in New Jersey. Witnesses to be announced. (Dirksen 366 at 2:30 p.m.)
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