Week Ahead: May 16-20

Week of May 16 - 20

On Tuesday, May 17, the full committee will receive testimony on the following four bills related to oil and gas development:

· S. 516, the Lease Extension and Secure Energy Act of 2011;

· S. 843, the Outer Continental Shelf Permit Processing Coordination Act;

· S. 916, the Oil and Gas Facilitation Act of 2011; and

· S. 917, the Outer Continental Shelf Reform Act of 2011. Witnesses will be posted to our website. (Dirksen 366 at 10:00 a.m.)

On Wednesday, May 18, the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests will hold a legislative hearing on the following 20 bills:

· S. 220, the Oregon Eastside Forests Restoration, Old Growth Protection, and Jobs Act of 2011;

· S. 270, the La Pine Land Conveyance Act;

· S. 271, the Wallowa Forest Service Compound Conveyance Act;

· S. 278, the Sugar Loaf Fire Protection District Land Exchange Act of 2011;

· S. 292, to resolve the claims of the Bering Straits Native Corporation and the State of Alaska to land adjacent to Salmon Lake in Alaska and to provide for the conveyance to the Bering Straits Native Corporation of certain other public land;

· S. 322, the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Addition and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act;

· S. 382, the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act of 2011;

· S. 427, the Sloan Hills Withdrawal Act;

· S. 526, the Mohave Valley Land Conveyance Act of 2011;

· S. 566, the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring Program Act;

· S. 590, to convey certain submerged lands to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in order to give that territory the same benefits in its submerged lands as Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa;

· S. 607, the Cathedral Rock and Horse Heaven Wilderness Act of 2011;

· S. 617, the Elko Motocross and Tribal Conveyance Act;

· S. 683, the Box Elder Utah Land Conveyance Act;

· S. 684, to provide for the conveyance of certain parcels of land to the town of Alta, Utah;

· S. 667, the Rio Grande del Norte National Conservation Area Establishment Act;

· S. 729, to validate final patent number 27-2005-0081;

· S. 766, the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness Act of 2011;

· S. 896, to amend the Public Land Corps Act of 1993 to expand the authorization of the secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce and the Interior to provide service opportunities for young Americans; help restore the nation’s natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational and scenic resources; train a new generation of public land managers and enthusiasts; and promote the value of public service;

· S. 897, to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to clarify that uncertified States and Indian tribes have the authority to use certain payments for certain non-coal reclamation projects and acid mine remediation program.

Witnesses include Mike Pool, deputy director of operations, Bureau of Land Management; and Mary Wagner, associate chief, U.S. Forest Service. (Dirksen 366 at 2:30 p.m.)

On Thursday, May 19, the full committee will receive testimony on policies to reduce oil consumption through the promotion of advanced vehicle technologies and accelerated deployment of electric-drive vehicles, as proposed in S. 734 and S. 948. Witnesses will be posted to our website. (Dirksen 366 at 10:00 a.m.)

On Thursday, May 19, the Water and Power Subcommittee will receive testimony on the following seven bills:

· S. 201, to clarify the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior with respect to the C.C. Cragin Dam and Reservoir;

· S. 333, to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving the Little Wood River Ranch;

· S. 334, to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving the American Falls Reservoir;

· S. 419, the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority System Act of 2011;

· S. 499, the Bonneville Unit Clean Hydropower Facilitation Act;

· S. 519, the Hoover Power Allocation Act of 2011; and

· S. 808, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to allow for prepayment of repayment contracts between the United States and the Uintah Water Conservancy District.

Witnesses will be posted to our website. (Dirksen 366 at 2:30 p.m.)

Bonuses …

Stay ahead. Want up-the-minute updates without a blizzard of emails filling your inbox? Then look to the Democratic Committee Staff’s Twitter page - @SenateEnergy – for breaking news on floor activities, hearing announcements, bill introductions, events and other news of the day. It’s the ultimate tool for following Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Stay tuned. This Sunday, Chairman Bingaman will guest C-SPAN’s weekly Sunday interview program, Newsmakers. The program will air twice, at 10:00 a.m. (EST) and 6:00 p.m. (EST).

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