It as the potential to support more than 55,000 jobs in our state and contribute more than 53 billion in revenue. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and at this time i would yield to the chairman. Mr. Calvert im not going to oppose your amendment. I certainly appreciate what youre trying to accomplish and generally agree that this administration has placed way too many restrictions on drilling both on shore and offshore. These restrictions have delayed the permitting process slowed Economic Growth in your state and many other states around the union, various groups have used that to their advantage, so i agree that more certainly certainty is needed in the leasing and permitting process. What im afraid of is that this might lead to a precedent for preempting the department of interiors Decision Making authority under any president and may lead to other amendments and kind of opening pandoras box of members doing specific amendments that are off their particular states. But saying that, as we move this process forward, im not going to oppose the amendment, but i have some concerns we can talk about as we move the process along. We both want the same outcome, i just want to make sure that we make sure this works in an orderly fashion. With that, i yield back. I thank the gentleman for his comments. The chair does the gentlelady from maine rise in opposition . Ms. Pingree i do. This bill would ensure the amendment would undermine the bureaus fundamental mission to manage the development of offshore resources in an environmentally and economically responsible manner. The atlantic outer continental shell San Francisco a frontier area and the decision to include sale 260 in the 20172022 fiveyear leasing schedule should be informed by sound science using the best available data. The bureau is required by law to consider the Environmental Impacts of leasing decisions and this includes a comprehensive, programmatic Environmental Impact statement which has not yet been completed for the atlantic outer Continental Shelf. In fact the most current data on resources in this area was collected in the 1970s and 1980s. Thats really ancient by todays scientific standards. Without the collection and analysis of new information input from state governor and other federal agencies, and consideration of critical economicage cease, the decision to include sale 260 in the 20172022 program is premature and runs counter to the thoughtful and deliberative process established by congress through the outer Continental Shelf lands act. This amendment would violate multiple environmental statutes, including nepa the Marine Mammal protection act, the endangered species act and the Coastal Zone Management act. The amendment undermines environmental protect required by law and therefore i oppose the amendment. I reserve the balance of my time. The chair the gentlewoman reserves. The gentleman from next is recognized. From North Carolina is recognized. Thank you mr. Chairman. The reason we need this is to ensure that North Carolina gets a chance at jobs. Its been frustrating how hard it is to get the process to move forward. If you look at the proposed lease sale, the sale is allowed in the fourth year of the fiveyear period only one sale is allowed. An artificial buffer of 50 miles was inserted into the sale. Mr. Hudson were getting one sale late in the period with a fiveyear buffer when the old seismic shows that most of that oil and gas is 25 miles out. The question question got the yes we got from this administration, the fact that this process is moving forward is good news for North Carolina and the other states in the Atlantic Coast but its certainly not, in my opinion, an appropriate response to the potential weve got there. I agree with the gentlelady who said that seismic is old. It was done in the late 1970s, but this administration called for new seismic mapping and im looking forward to that because we do want to use good science. But we have been given one opportunity, pretty far out, in the fourth year of a fiveyear period, and im afraid were going to lose that. If you look at history under this administration, there was a lease sale proposed in virginia and that was taken away. So i think to guarantee we get at least some shot at unlocking this potential off the coast of getting new american sources of energy into the pipeline, getting north carolinians to work in these energy jobs i think its important we have this amendment. I urge my colleagues to support this. With that, mr. Chairman, i yield back the balance of my time. The chair the gentleman yields. The gentlewoman from maine is recognized. Ms. Pingree thank you mr. Chairman. I appreciate the gentleman from North Carolina and his concerns about jobs for his home state but as a member of congress who also represented coastal state of maine, i know the deep concerns that people have about the potential dangers of offshore oil drilling and the possible dangers to fisheries, marine maamals and a variety of other things. The reason we have this process is critically important to our state so i continue to oppose this amendment and i yield back the balance of my time and i oppose the amendment. The chair the gentlelady yields back. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from North Carolina. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. Ms. Pingree i request a recorded vote. The chair pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from North Carolina will be postponed. For what purpose does the gentleman from North Carolina seek recognition . Mr. Hudson i have an amendment at the desk, mr. Chairman, hudson 2. The chair the clerk will report the amendment. The clerk amendment number two offered by mr. Hudson of North Carolina. At the end of the bill insert the following. None of the funds made available by this act may be used by the Environmental Protection agency to implement, administration or enforce any residue from residential barbecues. The chair the gentleman from North Carolina and a member opposed will each control five minute. The chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina. Mr. Hudson i rise tonight to offer an amendment that would prohibit the e. P. A. From regulating particulate matter emissions from residential barbecues. The e. M. A. Last year issued a grant to reduce fine particulate emissions from residential barbecue. The e. P. A. Gos a lot of things wrong, especially with this study. Barbecue is a term we southerners use for the best pork in North Carolina. What theyre proposing is reducing emissions from residential propane grills, so they want to stop you and i from grilling outside on our own property. Propane is one of the most clean sources of energy out there. Regulations that waste our time, money and resources are bad as it is. But theyre trying to go as far as restricting our personal freedom. Mr. Chairman this grant was met with staunch opposition from conservatives and other outdoor enthusiasts like myself. If this isnt part of e. P. A. s larger goal of regulating grill e emissions, it begs the question, why are they wasting our tax dollars on this mindblowing study in the first place . Weve seen their overreach time and time again from flawed water regulations to the its a rouse clean power plans thats cap and trade by fiat, to their preposterous new proposals that would have major impacts on manufacturing. But now to study particulates from residential grilling. Enough is enough. The chair for what purpose does the gentlelady from maine seek recognition . Ms. Pingree i claim time in opposition. The chair the gentlelady is recognized. Ms. Pingree i appreciate the concerns of the member from North Carolina. I will give him credit, they have better barbecue than my home state, but weve got you beat on lobsters. But i think this argument is somewhat cynical and a little too suspicious of our government and perhaps republicans have gotten a little too far down this road. My understanding is this summer a conservative media outlet ran a sensationalized story about e. P. A. s regulatory overreach. The story claimed e. P. A. Has its eye on pollution from backyard barbecues. The problem with the story and this amendment is its based on a false trems and premise and mischaracterization of important work. E. P. A. Operates a Grant Program that encourages students around the nation to Design Solutions for a sustainable future. Its called people, prosperity, and the planet, student Design Competition for sustainability. Its purpose is to foster innovation, not to create regulations. The e. P. A. Awarded one of these design grants to a group of university of california students working to design a system to make barbecues burn cleaner and be better for the environment. The students received 15,000 from the e. P. A. For the idea. In addition the university has said the idea has potential for global application. Mr. Chairman, many developing nations, women hunch over traditional cook stoves for hours a day, breathing in toxic smoke. Exposure to this household air pollution is responsible for low birth weights childhood pneumonia and more than four million premature deaths each year. The availability of cleaner cooking technologies could literally be lifesaving for many of these women and children. Instead of attacking the e. P. A. For these innovative grants we should be applauding them. I reserve my time. The chair the gentlelady reserves. The gentleman is recognized. Mr. Hudson thank you mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlelady for her kind comments about North Carolina barbecue and i do admit the lobster rolls in maine are good, maybe we could work out an exchange. I am guilty as charged im very cynical about the government. Were talking about a 15 million grant to study the emotions of a propane grill in your backyard. Now, we all are concerned about toxic smoke in homes and Living Conditions of individuals, the example that have mentioned but were talking about a propane gas grill in your backyard. The e. P. A. Has no business regulating that. They spent 15 million of our tax money to form a study which is the first step in a rule making process. So what i want i just think this Chamber Needs to say loud and leer to the e. P. A. Focus on the job that the gentlelady described, focus on the real issues and the mission of the e. P. A. And keep your hands off our grills and out of our back yards. I yield back. The chair the gentleman yields. The gentlelady is recognized. Ms. Pingree thank you mr. Chairman. Happy to have an exchange, North Carolina barbecue, maine lobster, probably a fair exchange. And i want to clarify, its 15,000, not 15 million the e. P. A. Spent working on this innovation. I understand your concerns and appreciate the points that you brought up, i continue to oppose the amendment and i yield back the balance of my time. The chair the gentlelady yields. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from North Carolina. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The amendment is agreed to. For what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition . I have an amendment at the desk. The chair the clerk will report the amendment. The clerk amendment offered by mr. Fitzpatrick of pennsylvania. At the end of the bill before the short title insert the follow, Forest Legacy Program, section, for department of Agriculture Forest Service state and private forestry, for the Forest Legacy Program as authorized by section 1217 of title 12 of the food agriculture conservation and trade act of 1990. 16 United States code 2103c, there is hereby appropriated in the amount otherwise provided for department of interior bureau of Land Management management of lands and resources, is reduced by 5,9 5,000. 5,985,000. The chair pursuant to House Resolution 333, the gentleman from pennsylvania and a member opposed each will control five minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. Mr. Fitzpatrick i intend to offer and then withdraw this amendment which will make it easier for efforts under the Forest Program. During my time as a bucks county mission commissioner, i was proud to lead low lowe call efforts to advance Forest Conservation through commonsense conservation efforts. Along with a fasktors task force for that purpose, our community was able to expend approximately 1 million for preservation of farmland, parkland and Critical National areas, close to 15,000 acres in our one county preserved. Now as a strang the gentlewoman is recognized va cat for Land Preservation in congress, i continue to be a supporter of vital preservation programs, including the national Forest Service program. My amendment would reallocate 5. 9 million from bureau of Land Management management of lands and resources to the Forest Program for the purpose of funding two additional preservation projects. It encourages state and private efforts to protect environmentally sensitive forest lands. The Program Helps the states develop and carry out their Forest Conservation plans while encouraging and supporting acquisition of conservation hesments. Without removing the property from easements without removing the property. The additional funding my amendment provides will allow for the protection of 4,000 acres of pennsylvania forests in the northeast connection. Mr. Chairman, the northeast connection is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania Department of conservation and Natural Resources and three groups of over 150 families to conserve more than 4,000 forest acres which serve as a Natural Bridge between the 84,000acre delaware state forest, which is managed by the commonwealth of pennsylvania, and the 77,000acre Delaware Water GapNational Recreation area managed by the National Park service. I believe this project is a crucial objective to preserving pennsylvanias and our nations Natural Resources and beauty. Again, i want to thank the chairman for his hard work on the underlying bill. I look forward to working with the chairman and robust funding for this program on robust funding for this program. Mr. Calvert i serve of certainly appreciate i certainly appreciate the gentlemans willingness to work with us. We support the Forest Legacy Program and i pledge to you well continue to work with you and other supporters of the program as we move this process along. Mr. Fitzpatrick i thank the chairman for his desire to provide Additional Resources if possible to the Forest Legacy Program. Its a Great Program for our nation. Well utilized by states and local communities and private landowners. I look forward to working with the chairman. With that i withdraw the amendment. The chair without objection, the amendment is withdrawn. For what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition . Mr. Thompson i have amendment number 17 at the desk. The clerk the clerk will report the amendment. The clerk will report the amendment. The clerk amendment offered by mr. Thompson of pennsylvania. At the end of the bill, before the short title, insert the following, limitation on use of funds to treat northern long eared bat as endangered species. Section, none of the funds made available by this act may be used by the United States fish and Wildlife Service or any other agency of the department of the interior to treat the northern long eared bat as an endangered species under the endangered species act of 1973. 16 United States code, 1531. The chair pursuant to House Resolution 333, the gentleman from pennsylvania and a member opposed will each control five minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. Mr. Thompson thank you, mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman the u. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a final role listing the northern long eared bat as thretsened under the endangered species act. While certain colonies of the species of bat have seen dramatic population losses in recent years, fish and wildlife has repeat lid asserted that the underlying repeatedly asserted that the underlying fundamental cause is a fungle disease, known as the whitenose syndrome. It does not directly kill or harm these bats, rather it wakes them out