Showing posts with label Timber. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Timber. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

U.S. House Passes Thompson’s Cooperative Management of Mineral Rights Act

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson’s bill that protects oil and gas production in the Allegheny National Forest (ANF).

H.R. 2316, the Cooperative Management of Mineral Rights Act, clarifies existing law relating to energy production in the ANF.

A federal law passed in 1992 required the Forest Service to write new regulations on oil and gas production in the ANF. However, federal courts have repeatedly ruled that the Forest Service does not have the authority to do so because the minerals in the ANF are privately owned.

Rep. Thompson’s bill, which is consistent with the findings of the courts, corrects federal law by repealing the improper 1992 requirement.

“Federal courts have ruled that the U.S. Forest Service does not hold the legal authority to further regulate accessing oil and gas in the Allegheny National Forest,” Rep. Thompson said. “This legislation will prevent future lawsuits that impede oil and gas production and will ensure that individuals with sub-surface rights can access their property. With overwhelming bipartisan support again in the House, I look forward to working with the Senate and the President to have this legislation signed into law.”

The bill also contains protections for timbering and ensures that existing timbering authorities granted to the Forest Service will not be changed. A previous version of the bill was passed by the full House in 2016.

Monday, March 6, 2017

From the Senate: Substance Abuse, Wilbur Ross, Rick Perry, Abortion, Anti-semitism, Timber, Colonoscopies, Rosie the Riveter Day

U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren, (D-MA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) re-introduced the Budgeting for Opioid Addiction Treatment Act (LifeBOAT Act), which would establish a permanent funding stream to provide and expand access to substance abuse treatment.

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Wilbur Ross was confirmed as Commerce Secretary.

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Rick Perry was confirmed as Energy Secretary.

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U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) was joined by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and U.S. Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA-27), Marcia Fudge (D-OH-11), and Lois Frankel (D-FL-22) introduced the Women’s Health Protection Act. The Women’s Health Protection Act would protect a woman’s right to safe and legal abortion by stopping restrictive regulations and laws – such as those in place in states including Texas and Wisconsin – intended to curtail reproductive health services for women.

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A St. Louis man, Juan Thompson, who is accused of making bomb threats against Jewish Community Centers and other facilities across the country was arrested.

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John Boozman (R-AR) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced legislation to ensure that timber companies are treated more fairly under the tax code. The senators re-introduced the Timber Revitalization and Economic Enhancement (TREE) Act, which amends the IRS Code to restore parity and facilitate competitiveness for timber companies organized as C corporations. These businesses have faced a different tax rate than alternatively structured companies with timber holdings.

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U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced legislation to protect seniors from out-of-pocket costs for preventive colonoscopies.

Currently, Medicare charges seniors for colonoscopies when a polyp is removed during the procedure even though colorectal cancer screenings are promoted as a free service under Medicare. The Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act would make a long-overdue fix to Medicare to ensure seniors aren’t charged for a colonoscopy – regardless of whether or not a polyp or tissue is removed. Removing harmful tissue during these procedures is key to preventing cancer, yet the fear of having to pay unexpectedly could prevent Medicare recipients from getting these important screenings.

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To kick off Women’s History Month, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), along with Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Christopher Coons (D-Del.), introduced a Congressional resolution to designate March 21, 2017, as National Rosie the Riveter Day, a national day of recognition for the millions of women who supported the war effort on the home front during World War II.