Congressional Research Service Reports - 436 Matching Results
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- Natural Resources: Assessing Nonmarket Values through Contingent Valuation
- No Description Available.
- Biosafety Protocol for Genetically Modified Organisms: Overview
- The Biosafety Protocol to the 1992 Convention on biological Diversity, adopted in early 2000, addresses the safe handling, transfer, and trade of biological organisms. The Protocol sets forth procedures and rules concerning trade in biological products, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that have engendered controversy, especially when they are used as agricultural crops. These rules are of key importance to U.S. economic interests in agriculture as well as those dealing in other genetically modified organisms. This report provides a brief summary of the key provisions of the Protocol and the major issues associated with them.
- Biosafety Protocol for Genetically Modified Organisms: Overview
- This report presents a background on Biosafety Protocol for genetically modified organisms and an overview of Biosafety Protocol negotiations, key provisions and related issues.
- The National Forest Roadless Area Initiative
- No Description Available.
- The National Forest System Roadless Areas Initiative
- No Description Available.
- The National Forest System Roadless Areas Initiative
- No Description Available.
- The National Forest System Roadless Areas Initiative
- No Description Available.
- The National Forest System Roadless Areas Initiative
- No Description Available.
- The National Forest System Roadless Areas Initiative
- No Description Available.
- Federal Land Management Agencies: Background on Land and Resource Management
- This report provides an overview of how federal lands and resources are managed, the agencies that manage the lands, the authorities under which these lands are managed, and some of the issues associated with federal land management.
- Oil and Gas Exploration and Development on Public Lands
- No Description Available.
- Federal Land Management Agencies: Background on Land and Resources Management
- This report provides an overview of how federal lands and resources are managed, the agencies that manage the lands,the authorities under which these lands are managed, and some of the issues associated with federal land management.
- Federal Land and Resource Management: A Primer
- Four federal agencies administer most of the U.S. government's land. The National Park Service administers the Park System for recreation use and preservation. The Fish and Wildlife Service manages wildlife refuges primarily for protecting and improving fish and wildlife habitats. The Bureau of Land Management manages the public lands for sustained yields of multiple uses - grazing, recreation, timber, and fish and wildlife. The Forest Service similarly manages the national forests. Most forests and public lands are also available for mineral exploration and development. Three special land systems are also administered by these agencies: the Wilderness System, for preserving pristine areas; the Trail System, for non-motorized recreation; and the Wild and Scenic Rivers System, for river recreation. Congress has also established many special designations for certain lands. This report summarizes the permitted and prohibited uses of lands managed by these four agencies, as well as of the many special designations. It will be updated at the beginning of the 107th Congress. For more detailed information see CRS Report 98-991, Federal Land Management Agencies: Background on Land and Resource Management.
- Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity
- This report provides an overview of Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity. Industrial hemp is a variety of Cannabis sativa and is of the same species of Marijuana. Farmers in more than 30 countries grow industrial hemp commercially for fiber etc.
- Roadless Areas: The Administration's Moratorium
- On February 12, 1999, the Forest service announced a moratorium on new road construction in many roadless areas within the national Forest System. This measure is temporary (up to 18 moths) while national Forest transportation policy revision is being debated. areas protected by the moratorium include roadless areas of at least 5,000 acres, of at least 1,000 acres if contiguous to other roadless areas. However, the moratorium exempts 9 national forests with recently revised management plans and the 16 national forests encompassed by President Clinton's Northwest Forests Plan. Proponents of roadless area protection objected to exempting 25 national forests and roadless areas of less than 5,000 acres. Proponents of roadless area development object to the potential economic impact of halting planned and possible developing and to limiting public access. Congress may be asked to reverse the moratorium or to protect these areas permanently. This report will not be updated.
- The Natural Resources and Environment Function in the FY2000 Federal Budget: A Description of Programs and Funding
- No Description Available.
- Biosphere Reserves and the U.S. MAB Program
- Since 1972, the United States has participated in the Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB), coordinated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In addition to the American Land Sovereignty Protection Act this report also discusses the legislation that would affect U.S. participation in the World Heritage Convention, under which World Heritage sites are recognized, and which include some of the sites recognized as biosphere reserves
- The President's Forest/Roadless Area Initiative
- On October 13, 1999, President Clinton announced a new approach to the management of the roadless areas in the National Forest System that may prohibit new road construction and certain other activities in inventoried readless areas and extend some protections to non-inventoried roadless areas as well.
- The Administration's Lands Legacy Initiative in the FY2001 Budget Proposal - A Fact Sheet
- The fact sheet compares the FY2001 funding request for the Administration's Lands Legacy Initiative to the FY2000 request and the enacted FY2000 appropriation.
- The Natural Resources and Environment Function in the FY2001 Federal Budget: An Overview of Programs and Funding
- No Description Available.
- Forest Ecosystem Health: An Overview
- Legislative and administrative efforts have generally focused on the national forests, to create new forest health programs and management tools or to authorize alternative treatment approaches. This report will be updated as events warrant.
- The Natural Resources and Environment Function in the FY2003 Federal Budget: An Overview of Programs and Funding
- No Description Available.
- The Natural Resources and Environment Function in the FY2003 Federal Budget: An Overview of Programs and Funding
- No Description Available.
- The Natural Resources and Environment Function in the FY2003 Federal Budget: An Overview of Programs and Funding
- No Description Available.
- The Natural Resources and Environment Function in the FY2003 Federal Budget: An Overview of Programs and Funding
- No Description Available.
- The Natural Resources and Environment Function in the FY2003 Federal Budget: An Overview of Programs and Funding
- No Description Available.
- The Natural Resources and Environment Function in the FY2003 Federal Budget: An Overview of Programs and Funding
- No Description Available.
- Mining in National Parks and Wilderness Areas: Policy, Rules, Activity
- No Description Available.
- New World Gold Mine and Yellowstone National Park
- Crown Butte Mines, Inc. wants to develop its New World gold mine deposit located near Yellowstone National Park. The proposed mine is located almost entirely on private property about 3 miles east of the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park and next to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness area. The New World Mine Project would mine an estimated 1,800 tons of gold/silver/copper ore per day (500,000 tons annually), valued at an estimated $800 million over a 10-15 year period. The project would include an underground mine, an ore processing mill, a tailings pond, a waste rock storage site, access roads, a work camp and transmission lines. A draft environmental impact statement (EIS), required under both NEPA and the Montana Environmental Policy Act, is in the final months of a three-year preparation.
- Amtrak and Energy Conservation in Intercity Passenger Transportation
- A rationale for federal financial support to Amtrak has been that rail service conserves energy, compared to other forms of intercity passenger transportation. The numbers presented in this report suggest that the rationale might not be valid with regard to some alternative modes of transportation, and the report discusses some public policy implications that could follow from that conclusion.
- Amtrak and Energy Conservation: Background and Selected Public Policy Issues
- A rationale for federal financial support to Amtrak has been that rail service conserves energy, compared to other forms of intercity passenger transportation. The numbers discussed in this report suggest that the rationale might not be valid with regard to autos and buses. The report discusses some public policy implications that could follow from that conclusion.
- South Florida Ecosystem Restoration and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan
- No Description Available.
- South Florida Ecosystem Restoration and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan
- No Description Available.
- South Florida Ecosystem Restoration and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan
- No Description Available.
- Softwood Lumber Imports: The 1996 U.S.-Canada Agreement
- Many U.S. lumber producers have complained that subsidies to Canadian lumber producers give them an unfair advantage in supplying the U.S. market. The dispute has evolved through various forums over the past 15 years. Recent negotiations led to an agreement on May 28 to reduce Canadian lumber exports with a tariff rate quota (i.e., a tariff on imports above the quota) probably by about 9% from record 1995 levels, leading to expectations of trade harmony (at least on this issue) for the next 5 years.
- Agricultural Wetlands: Current Programs and Legislative Proposals
- Amending Federal laws to protect wetlands, especially agricultural wetlands, is a contentious issue for the 104th Congress. Critics contend that current programs are excessive in their reach and unfairly restrict private landowners. Supporters counter that these programs are critical if the Nation is to achieve the stated goal of no-net-loss of wetlands. The two major statutes under which agricultural wetlands are protected are swampbuster, enacted in the Agriculture, Food, Trade, and Conservation Act of 1985, and section 404, enacted in the 1972 Clean Water Act. This report describes both programs, emphasizing how they relate to each other. It explains how each program works, especially on agricultural wetlands, and the likely effect of proposed revisions to swampbuster. Also, it briefly considers other legislative proposals that would amend the section 404 program, which, if enacted, would further affect how agricultural wetlands are protected.
- Phosphorus Mitigation in the Everglades
- This report discusses the FY2004 appropriations provisions that condition federal funding for Everglades restoration on compliance with water quality standards, provides a side-by-side analysis of pending appropriations legislation, and provides background and a timeline of efforts to address Everglades phosphorus pollution (from Summary).
- Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity
- This report describes Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity. Industry Hemp is a variety of cannabis Sativa and is of the same plant marijuana. However, Hemp is genetically different and distinguished by its use and chemical makeup. Precise data are not available in the U.S market for Hemp based products.
- Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Restoration
- Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused widespread damage and destruction to wetlands along the central Gulf Coast. Prior to these hurricanes, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had been seeking approval from the 109th Congress for a $1.1 billion multiyear program to construct five projects that would help to restore portions of the coastal Louisiana ecosystem by slowing the rate of wetland loss and restoring some wetlands. This funding would also be used to continue planning several other related projects. The state of Louisiana and several federal agencies have participated in the development of this program. This report introduces this program, discusses whether it might have muted the impacts of a hurricane of the magnitude and paths of Katrina or Rita, and whether the devastation caused by both hurricanes might cause the Corps and other restoration supporters to propose either altering aspects of this proposed program, or expanding it.
- Wildfire Protection Funding
- The severe 2000 fire season prompted a significant rise in funding for wildfire protection that has been sustained; wildfire appropriations in FY2005 were more than $2.9 billion. Most of the funds ($2.8 billion in FY2005) are to protect federal lands, with funds for reducing fuel loads, for equipment and training, for fighting fires, and for restoring burned sites. Federal funding ($98 million in FY2005) also supports state efforts to protect nonfederal lands. Some wildfire funding ($74 million in FY2005) is used for fire research, fire facilities, and programs to improve forest health. Congress continues to debate wildfire funding levels, with a growing focus on the cost of wildfire suppression.
- The Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Biological Resources
- "This report discusses the reported and potential impacts of Hurricane Katrina on the biological resources in the affected region" (p. i).
- Upper Mississippi River System: Proposals to Restore an Inland Waterway’s Ecosystem
- No Description Available.
- Energy and Mineral Issues in the FY2006 Budget Reconciliation Bill
- Several resource issues that are designed to generate revenue for the federal Treasury have been proposed for the FY2006 budget reconciliation bill. The most controversial of these provisions recommended by the House Resources Committee and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee would open part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for oil and gas development. The House panel also approved a provision that would allow coastal states to “opt out” of the current offshore oil and gas development moratoria, increase fees for hardrock mining and patents, dispose of certain federal lands, and begin an oil shale and tar sands leasing program.
- Forestry in the Farm Bill
- No Description Available.
- Land Disposal Policies of the Principal Federal Land Management Agencies
- The days in which the Federal Government provided cheap land for the taking are gone. Nevertheless, interest in obtaining Federal lands remains high, and it is still possible to obtain parcels of public lands under certain circumstances. The land disposal practices of the principal Federal land management agencies are summarized in this report.
- Forest Fire/Wildfire Protection
- Congress continues to face questions about forestry practices, funding levels, and the federal role in wildland fire protection. The 2000 and 2002 fire seasons were, by most standards, among the worst in the past half-century. National attention began to focus on wildfires when a prescribed burn in May 2000 escaped control and burned 239 homes in Los Alamos, NM. President Clinton responded by requesting a doubling of wildfire management funds, and Congress enacted much of this proposal in the FY2001 Interior Appropriations Act (P.L. 106-291).
- Forest Fire/Wildfire Protection
- This report provides historical background on wildfires, and describes concerns about the wildland-urban interface and about forest and rangeland health. The report discusses fuel management, fire control, and fire effects. The report then examines federal, state, and landowner roles and responsibilities in protecting lands and resources from wildfires, and concludes by discussing current issues for federal wildfire management.
- Biotechnology, Indigenous Peoples, and Intellectual Property Rights
- This report examines intellectual property right in pharmaceuticals in a particular context, namely, medicinal products and processes derived from the biodiversity resources of areas inhabited by indigenous peoples. This report discusses the international law regarding intellectual property rights in traditional knowledge and the American laws regarding traditional knowledge.
- The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 109th Congress: Conflicting Values and Difficult Choices
- The 109th Congress is considering proposals to amend the Endangered Species Act (ESA; P.L. 93-205, 16 U.S.C. §§1531-1543). Major issues in recent years have included changing the role of science in decision-making, modifying critical habitat (CH) procedures, incorporating further protection and incentives for property owners, and increasing protection of listed species, among others. In addition, many have advocated enacting as law some ESA regulations promulgated during the Clinton Administration. This report identifies other bills that have been introduced in the 109th Congress to address specific concerns related to how the ESA is implemented and how endangered species are managed.
- Paleontological Resources Preservation Act: Proposal for the Management and Protection of Fossil Resources Located on Federal Lands
- Report on a preservation act designed to manage and preserve fossils on federal land, including background issues, reports from the secretary of the interior, case laws, pending legislation, and more.