Recent Federal Bills

Below are summaries of Bills Introduced, Committee Reports, Chamber Actions, and Public Laws reported in the most recent issue of ELR's Weekly Update.

would address the bark beetle epidemic, drought, deteriorating forest health conditions, and high risk of wildfires on National Forest System land and land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management by expanding authorities established in the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 to provide emergency measures for high-risk areas, and make permanent Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management authority to conduct good-neighbor cooperation with states to reduce wildfire risks.

would direct the heads of federal public land management agencies to prepare reports on the availability of public access and egress to federal public lands for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes, and amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to provide funding for recreational public access to federal land.

would officially replace President Obama's Proposed Final Outer Continental Shelf Oil & Gas Leasing Program with a congressional plan that will conduct additional oil and natural gas lease sales.

would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the energy efficient appliance credit.

would amend the renewable fuel program under CAA §211(o) to require the cellulosic biofuel requirement to be based on actual production.

would preserve the Green Mountain Lookout in the Glacier Peak Wilderness of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

would modify the boundary of the Shiloh National Military Park, located in Tennessee and Mississippi, and establish Parker's Crossroads Battlefield as an affiliated area of the National Park System.

would provide a temporary tax credit for increased payroll and eliminate certain tax benefits for major integrated oil companies.

would modify the Mississippi River Ship Channel to Baton Rouge navigation project.

would authorize development of hydropower and efficiencies at existing Bureau of Reclamation facilities.