Admin trumpets rural jobs initiatives, fields questions on regs

House subcommittee hearing considers how to use public lands to create jobs in rural communities.

Obama administration officials and House Democrats yesterday touted initiatives to use public lands to create jobs in rural communities, though the administration had to field questions from both Republican and Democratic members about policies and regulations that may be stunting economic renewal in rural areas.

In particular, many concerns were raised over federal policies related to biomass energy, the burning of forest materials for heat and electricity.

Jay Jensen, the Agriculture Department's deputy undersecretary for natural resources and environment, told a House Natural Resources subcommittee yesterday that his agency is using tools such as stewardship contracts, forest restoration initiatives and loan programs to bolster rural economies.

Along with conservation initiatives, USDA's rural development agency gave out more than $31 billion in development loans, Jensen said.

Jensen also touted a federal initiative in Alaska intended to help timber-based communities broaden their economies while maintaining healthy forests.

Opponents of conservation initiatives "undermine Western communities by framing their struggles as a choice between economic prosperity and conservation," said Rep. Ben Luján (D-N.M.), adding that federal initiatives are helping the communities to achieve both goals.

"For those communities that were dependent on just one commodity for their development, this evolution is critical," Luján said.

But some lawmakers said other administration policies were stunting rural economies.

Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (D-S.D.) said an inappropriately narrow definition of what forest materials could be used for biomass energy was preventing timber communities from building their economies by providing a new source of renewable energy. Herseth-Sandlin called on federal agencies to adopt a broader definition of "renewable biomass," such as the one included in the 2008 farm bill.

Jensen defended the administration's biomass initiatives, noting USDA's use of stimulus funds to support biomass projects in Idaho. He also said his department was working to reconcile with other federal agencies on an appropriate stance on biomass, adding that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has testified in support of the 2008 farm bill definition.

The administration's approach to biomass also drew criticism from Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), who blasted U.S. EPA for possibly including carbon emissions from biomass in upcoming regulations on greenhouse gases.

Environmental groups say a blanket assumption that biomass is a carbon-neutral energy source could quietly undermine efforts to reduce contributions to climate change. EPA is still considering its position on the issue and this week solicited more public comment.

Across the aisle, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) grilled the administration on endangered species policies -- particularly wolves in New Mexico -- that he said were preventing Westerners from making a living. He also renewed his inquiry into what he says are administration plans to quietly designate millions of acres of Western lands as national monuments, a charge the Interior Department has repeatedly denied.

The committee also heard from several Western groups touting the benefits of cooperative, multi-use land management.

Kristin Troy, the Lemhi Regional Land Trust's executive director, said her organization had been successful in balancing salmon conservation with the needs of local ranchers and foresters, largely because all parties involved knew their livelihoods depended on it. The Lemhi Regional Land Trust is an organization that works to connect conservation and economic development in Idaho's Lemhi County, where 92 percent of the land is owned by the federal government.

"All over the West, we are motivated to create a balance between our environment and our livelihoods," Troy said. "When we figure out how to keep enough water in the streams for fish but still allow the rancher enough to irrigate his hay while providing an option other than subdividing, we know we have succeeded in achieving this balance. We have retained not just a few jobs, but potentially several generations of jobs, and the vibrancy of our small towns."