“Shortly before Congress adjourned for the August District Work Period, the House Appropriations Committee began consideration of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY2014.  As Chairman of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, I worked to ensure that western interests were protected in this bill, and I was disappointed that it was pulled from consideration before it could be passed out of Committee.  

“During my time in Congress, I have consistently worked to preserve responsible access to and use of public land.  This is why I included language in the Interior Appropriations bill to delay the decision on whether to list the sage-grouse as an endangered species for a year.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) must determine whether to list the sage-grouse by the end of FY2015, a deadline included in two large court settlements that dealt with 251 species and more than a dozen lawsuits.  In advance of this decision, the BLM is currently under a court-imposed deadline to amend 68 resource management plans across the West to ensure that sage-grouse is protected under them.  This decision is of paramount importance to Idaho, so agencies need adequate time to complete this work.

“It’s important to note that this listing deadline was imposed by a judge, not based on science.  Unfortunately, since the court set this arbitrary deadline, agency budgets have continued to decline, and BLM is stretched thin in its efforts to amend these plans.  I continue to hear from many of the stakeholders involved who are concerned that the listing deadline has resulted in less collaboration and less effective conservation strategies.  By delaying the listing decision for one year, we can provide the BLM and state land managers with the time they need to do the job right.

“My bill includes these additional provisions regarding sage-grouse conservation efforts:

• Requested funding to the BLM for sage-grouse conservation and related resource management amendments;
• Directing the BLM to provide assistance to states for the implementation of state sage-grouse conservation plans and recognizing that states play a critical role in the success of this effort; and
• Directing the FWS and the USGS to make public data used in the listing decision, information which has not been made available.

“The bill contains a number of other provisions important to the West, including:

• Full funding for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program (PILT), which reimburses local and state governments for the lack of tax base due to the presence of federal lands;
• Language making permanent a long-standing provision to allow the BLM to extend expiring grazing permits while they complete the environmental work required for renewals;
• Language extending the length of grazing permits from the current 10 years to 20 years, allowing agencies to focus on areas that are the most environmentally sensitive;
• A provision making vacant grazing allotments available to grazing permittees adversely impacted by drought or wildfire;
• Language preventing the Forest Service from implementing new wilderness directives that would greatly expand the areas to be considered for wilderness; and,
• Language prohibiting the Forest Service and BLM from requesting or requiring that water rights be relinquished as a condition for initiating or renewing a permit.

“In Idaho, our way of life has long depended on access to public lands, whether for recreation, agriculture, or the responsible use of natural resources.  These provisions are important to our state’s culture and economy, and I hope that the House will act on this bill soon.”