THE NATURE CONSERVANCY for NATURE CONSERVANCY

Budget/Appropriations BUD

Action on the development of the 2010 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, including specific provisions relating to the US Geological Survey funding for water management and climate research, the USDA Forest Service Forest Health Protection program, invasive species research and development, Land and Water Conservation Fund projects, Willamette Valley and Camp Creek Army Corps of Engineer Projects, Forest Legacy projects, Forest Service wildland fire funding, the Cooperative Endangered Species Fund, the Albemarle/Pamlico National Estuary Program, funding for river restoration projects, the National Landscape Conservation System budget, the Healthy Lands Initiative budget, US Fish and Wildlife Service international programs, US Forest Service international programs, the Multi-Species Conservation Fund, Peru/US Free Trade Agreement logging annex, appropriations related to Nestucca, Pacific Northwest Streams, and Hells Canyon acquisition, and Savannah River Comp. Water Resources Study; The fiscal year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act, including specific provisions relating to Sikes Act agreements, the Department of Defense Legacy grant proposal, Department of Defense readiness and environmental protection initiative, authority of combatant commanders to fund conservation activities overseas, military base expansion, training and testing area requirements, authority to participate in conservation banking programs, and provisions related to the impact of climate change on national security; the 2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, including specific provisions relating to border security initiatives; the 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, including specific provisions relating to funding for the Department of Defense Legacy grant program, the Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative, overseas conservation activities, and other military activities impacting biodiversity; the 2010 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, including specific provisions relating to funding for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection, primarily Emerging Plant Pests line, and funding for invasive species, pests and pathogens; the 2010 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, including specific provisions relating to NOAA funding, Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program, Fisheries Habitat Restoration programs, Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, and coral reef conservation programs; H.R. 2764, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, including specific provisions relating to foreign operations, international conservation funding initiative, and coral triangle funding; FY10 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, including specific provisions relating to Army Corps of Engineers ecosystem restoration projects; H.R. 1, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, including specific provisions relating to funding for BLM and Forest Service wildland fire management account, funding for the US Army Corps of Engineers, natural resource restoration, coastal habitat restoration and noxious weed control; FY2010 Presidents Budget, specifically support for Land and Water Conservation Fund, Forest Legacy, and wildland fire funding; FY10 appropriations packages; and proposed legislation to establish permanent appropriations for ocean research, conservation, and restoration. Covered officials contacted: Director for Environmental Readiness and Safety, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense; Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Environmental, Safety, and Occupational Health, Department of Defense; Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, United States Navy; Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment, Safety, and Occupational Healthy, United States Army; Deputy Director, Joint Guam Program Office, United States Navy; Director, Bureau of Land Management; Budget Director, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; Chief Financial Officer, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; Manager, Coral Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; Associate Director Land and Water Ecosystems, Council on Environmental Quality; Associate Director for Policy Outreach, Council on Environmental Quality; Chair, Council on Environmental Quality; Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget, Department of the Interior; Program Examiners, Office of Management and Budget; Associate Director, Natural Resources, Energy, and Science, Office of Management and Budget; Program Examiner, Commerce Branch, Office of Management and Budget; Branch Chief, Commerce Branch, Office of Management and Budget; and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Administrator, US Department of Agriculture.

Contacted: Defense, Dept of (DOD); Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Energy, Dept of; Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS); U.S. Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management (BLM); SENATE; Army, Dept of (Other); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Interior, Dept of (DOI)

Bills named: H.R. 2764 (111th), H.R. 1 (111th)

Real Estate/Land Use/Conservation RES

Action on S. 2593/ H.R. 5263, Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008, including specific provisions relating to fire and restoration of forest landscapes on Public Land (now a part of S. 3213, Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2008); S. 22/HR 146, Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009, including specific provisions relating to Title IV Forest Landscape Restoration Program, Title II Sabinosos Wilderness, and acquisition and conservation of coastal and estuarine lands; Conservation Learning Network Assistance Agreement status and budget; H.R. 5541, FLAME Act, including specific provisions relating to fire suppression emergency funding; H.R. 5648, Emergency Wildland Fire Response Act of 2008, including specific provisions relating to emergency funding to address fire suppression; H.R. 2185, To amend the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 to provide debt relief to developing countries that take action to protect tropical forests and coral reefs and associated coastal marine ecosystems, to reauthorize such Act through fiscal year 2010, and for other purposes; S. 700/H.R. 1422, Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2007, including specific provisions relating to the Endangered Species Program regarding Section 7 Program Implementation and Fish and Wildlife collaborative efforts to eradicate invasives on islands; H.R. 669, Non-Native Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act; Habitat acquisition and restoration to protect Pacific salmon; S. 3366, Refuge Ecology Protection Assistance an Immediate Response Act; H.R. 860, To reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, and for other purposes, including specific provisions relating to protection of coastal and marine resources; implementation on Barnes Property and Upper Klamath Lake MOU; Bureau of Land Management offset mitigation policy; Proposed forest legislation by Senator Rob Wyden; Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Expansion, Conte Conservation Plan; In conjunction with Americas Energy Coast, a project of Americas Wetlands, met with Senate and House staff to promote conservation, restoration and sustainability of coastal AL, MS, LA, and TX; Reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act; Develop proposal to reauthorize the Federal Land Transfer Facilitation Act; and administrative implementation of NOAAs consultation authorities/responsibilities related to possible impacts to fishery resource, marine mammals, coral reefs, and other NOAA trust resources due to upcoming build up of US Department of Defense on Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. Covered officials contacted: Associate Deputy Secretary of the Interior; Assistant Director, Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; Assistant Secretary, Fish and Wildlife Service , Department of the Interior; Deputy Assistant Secretary, Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Department of the Interior; Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget, Department of the Interior; Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Interior; National Fire Plan Director, Department of Interior; Secretary, US Department of Agriculture; Acting Under Secretary, US Department of Agriculture; Chief, US Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture; Deputy Chief, US Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture; National Fire and Aviation Director, US Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture; National Fire Plan Director, US Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture; Acting Deputy Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, US Department of Agriculture; Executive Director, National Invasive Species Council, US Department of Agriculture; Acting Director, Bureau of Land Management; Deputy Associate Director, Planning and Natural Resource, Bureau of Land Management; Chief of Staff, Bureau of Land Management; Program Director, Coral Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; Program Examiners, Office of Management and Budget; and Branch Chief, Commerce Branch, Office of Management and Budget.

Contacted: SENATE; Bureau of Land Management (BLM); U.S. Forest Service; Energy, Dept of; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Defense, Dept of (DOD); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Interior, Dept of (DOI); Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Army, Dept of (Other)

Bills named: S. 700 (111th), S. 3213 (111th), H.R. 1422 (111th), H.R. 5541 (111th), H.R. 5648 (111th), S. 3366 (111th), H.R. 5263 (111th), S. 2593 (111th), H.R. 860 (111th), H.R. 2185 (111th), S. 22 (111th), H.R. 146 (111th), H.R. 669 (111th)

Agriculture AGR

Action on United States Department of Agriculture regulation development for Quarantine 37; Natural Resources Conservation Service program operations; and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. Covered officials contacted: Assistant Secretary, United States of Agriculture; Director, Office of Ecosystem Services and Markets, United States Department of Agriculture; Secretary of Agriculture; Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture; Under Secretary for Regulatory and Marketing, United States Department of Agriculture; and Deputy Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture.

Contacted: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Army, Dept of (Other); Interior, Dept of (DOI); Energy, Dept of; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS); U.S. Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management (BLM); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Defense, Dept of (DOD); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); SENATE; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS)

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

Action on anticipated bill to amend the IRS Code of 1986 to make permanent the special rule of contribution of qualified conservation contributions; anticipated legislation to amend IRS Code of 1986 to increase limitations on the amount excluded from the gross estate with respect to land subject to qualified easement; and other conservation tax provisions.

Contacted: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Energy, Dept of; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Bureau of Land Management (BLM); U.S. Forest Service; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); SENATE; Interior, Dept of (DOI); Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS); Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); Army, Dept of (Other); Defense, Dept of (DOD); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS)

Energy/Nuclear ENG

Action on proposed legislation to authorize marine spatial planning, including specific provisions relating to siting renewable and traditional energy offshore and to provide for appropriate marine conservation; Climate Change Adaptation outreach; Energy by Design mitigation planning for Mojave; H.R. 3221, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007, including specific provisions relating to energy mitigation work on Jonah Field; S. 536, a bill to amend the Clean Air Act to modify the definition of the term renewable biomass; S. 636, A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to conform the definition of renewable biomass to the definition given the term in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002; H.R. 1190, To promote the use of certain materials harvested from public lands in the production of renewable fuel, and for other purposes; Greenhouse Cap and Trade legislation; Waxman-Markey discussion draft; Forest carbon provisions; Offset provisions; Adaptation provisions; and H.R. 1790, To reduce global greenhouse gas emissions resulting from land conversion and deforestation in developing countries, to provide incentive for developing countries to increase forest carbon stocks, and for other purposes. Covered officials contacted: Acting Undersecretary, United States Department of Agriculture; Acting Deputy Undersecretary, United States Department of Agriculture; Chief, US Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture; Director, Office of Ecosystem Services, United States Department of Agriculture; Associate Director, Natural Resources, Energy, Science, and the Arts, Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget; Special Envoy to Climate Change, Department of State; Deputy Special Enjoy to Climate Change, Department of State; Chair, Council on Environmental Quality; Associate Directors, Council on Environmental Quality; Secretary, Department of Energy; and Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce.

Contacted: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Energy, Dept of; SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Defense, Dept of (DOD); U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS); Bureau of Land Management (BLM); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Interior, Dept of (DOI); U.S. Forest Service; Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Army, Dept of (Other); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)

Bills named: S. 636 (111th), H.R. 1790 (111th), S. 536 (111th), H.R. 1190 (111th), H.R. 3221 (111th)

Homeland Security HOM

Action on the development of the upcoming Homeland Security Authorization Act, including specific provisions relating to the Department of Homeland Security waiver authority, authority for a border buffer program, issues relating to the U.S./Mexico Border Fence, consultation requirements for border security infrastructure, and the monitoring and mitigation program for ecological impacts of border security infrastructure; and discussion drafts on Healthy Borderlands Act of 2008 and Border Conservation and Security Act. Covered officials contacted: Deputy Executive Director, Security Border Initiative, Department of Homeland Security; Chief of Staff, Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security; Associate Director for Habitat, US Fish and Wildlife Service; National Borderlands Coordinator, Department of the Interior; Deputy Secretary, Department of the Interior; Assistant Secretary, Department of Defense; and Deputy Director, Bureau of Land Management.

Contacted: U.S. Forest Service; Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Interior, Dept of (DOI); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Energy, Dept of; Defense, Dept of (DOD); Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); SENATE; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS); Army, Dept of (Other); Bureau of Land Management (BLM); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Clean Air and Water (quality) CAW

Action on H.R. 1533/S.843, To provide for the establishment of a national mercury monitoring program; H.R.1534/S. 906, To prohibit certain sales, distributions, and transfers of elemental mercury, to prohibit the export of elemental mercury, and for other purposes; S. 2156, SECURE Water Act, including specific provisions relating to dam management, climate adaptation strategy and grants; the development of the 2009 Water Resources Development Act, including specific provisions relating to the Sustainable Rivers Partnership; administrative action to review introduction of non-native oysters into the Chesapeake Bay; and administration action to establish a national ocean policy to protect ocean ecosystems and promote marine conservation. Covered officials contacted: Chair, Council on Environmental Quality; Associate Directors, Council on Environmental Quality; Chief, Commerce Branch, Office of Management and Budget; and Program Examiner, Commerce Branch, Office of Management and Budget.

Contacted: SENATE; U.S. Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management (BLM); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Energy, Dept of; Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); Army, Dept of (Other); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Defense, Dept of (DOD); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Interior, Dept of (DOI); Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS)

Bills named: S. 2156 (111th), S. 843 (111th), H.R. 1534 (111th), H.R. 1533 (111th), S. 906 (111th)

Natural Resources NAT

Action on the development of the upcoming reauthorization of the Sikes Act, including specific provisions relating to natural resource management on or in the vicinity of Department of Defense lands. Covered officials contacted: Deputy Secretary, Department of the Interior; Deputy Assistant Secretary, Department of the Interior; Counselor to Secretary, Department of Interior; Associate Director for Habitat, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; and Chair, Council on Environmental Quality

Contacted: Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Energy, Dept of; Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); U.S. Forest Service; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS); Defense, Dept of (DOD); Interior, Dept of (DOI); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Army, Dept of (Other); Bureau of Land Management (BLM)