Wednesday, November 30, 2016

This policy update includes information on the November elections, an update on fiscal year (FY) 2017 appropriations, and the recent CWSF Pacific Islands appropriations one-pager.

November 2016 Elections

President-elect Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States of America along with Vice President-elect Michael Pence on November 8, 2016. Presidential-elect Trump garnered 306 electoral votes to Secretary Hillary Clinton’s 232 electoral votes. To read more on the 2016 Election results for Western Gubernatorial races and the Western United States Senate and House of Representatives races click here.  

Appropriations

Fiscal year (FY) 2017 began with the passage of a short-term Continuing Resolution (CR), or stopgap measure, to keep the government open beginning October 1, 2016. The CR is set to conclude on December 9, 2016 and Congress must pass spending legislation to avoid a federal government shutdown.

President-elect Donald Trump has signaled to House and Senate Republican leadership his interest in the passage of a second CR to supply funding until approximately March 2017. This would give the incoming Administration the ability to influence spending in the remaining months of FY2017. House Appropriations Committee Chairman, Hal Rogers, indicated his staff has begun to work on a stopgap spending bill. It remains unclear if a stopgap measure will garner the support necessary, particularly in the Senate, for passage.

U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources Field Hearing

Late last month, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources hosted a field hearing in Hawaii to “examine opportunities for federal and non-federal partnerships in integrated water management and efforts to improve water security in Hawaii.” Senate Committee member Mazie Hirono (D-HI) chaired the hearing. Among those testifying was Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife Administrator, David Smith, and USDA Forest Service Regional Forester for the Pacific Southwest Region, Randy Moore.   

Link to David Smith’s testimony here. Link to Randy Moore’s testimony here. For more information on the field hearing link here.

Pacific Islands Appropriations One-Pager
 
In advance of the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition Pacific Islands Forestry Committee (PIFC) meeting, CWFS staff crafted the Pacific Island Appropriations one-pager that outlines CWSF Pacific Island members priorities for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017. The one-pager includes the National Association of State Foresters recommended funding levels for FY2017. Click here to view and print the one-pager.
 

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