Congressional Research Service Reports - 238 Matching Results

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Forest Fire/Wildfire Protection

Description: This report provides historical background on wildfires, and describes concerns about the wildland-urban interface and about forest and rangeland health. It discusses fuel management, fire control, and fire effects and also examines federal, state, and landowner roles and responsibilities in protecting lands and resources from wildfires. The report concludes by discussing current issues for federal wildfire management.
Date: August 14, 2003
Creator: Gorte, Ross W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Soil and Water Conservation: An Overview

Description: This report discusses soil and water conservation topics, which are prominent in discussions of policy options for the next farm bill. Two omnibus conservation proposals have been introduced (H.R. 1551 and H.R. 1600), and many interest groups continue to offer policy recommendations ranging from general concepts to specific legislative language.
Date: April 10, 2007
Creator: Zinn, Jeffrey A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Restoration After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Description: This report introduces a $1.1 billion programthat would help restore specified sites in the coastal wetland ecosystem in Louisiana and more extensive restoration options that are being discussed in the wake of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. It also discusses whether this program, if completed, might have muted the impacts of the hurricanes.
Date: January 24, 2007
Creator: Zinn, Jeffrey A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Conservation Reserve Program: Status and Current Issues

Description: This report discusses the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enacted in 1985, which provides payments to farmers to take highly erodible or environmentally-sensitive cropland out of production for ten years or more to conserve soil and water resources.
Date: August 16, 2007
Creator: Cowan, Tadlock
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Conservation Reserve Program: Status and Current Issues

Description: This report discusses the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enacted in 1985, which provides payments to farmers to take highly erodible or environmentally-sensitive cropland out of production for ten years or more to conserve soil and water resources.
Date: September 11, 2008
Creator: Cowan, Tadlock
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 109th Congress: Conflicting Values and Difficult Choices

Description: This report discusses various proposals to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; P.L. 93-205, 16 U.S.C. §§1531-1543). Major issues include changing the role of science in decision-making, modifying critical habitat (CH) procedures, reducing conflicts with Department of Defense activities, incorporating further protection and incentives for property owners, and increasing protection of listed species, among others.
Date: April 12, 2006
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.; Corn, M. Lynne; Sheikh, Pervaze A.; Baldwin, Pamela & Meltz, Robert
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Conservation and the 2007 Farm Bill

Description: Conservation is playing a prominent role in the development of a farm bill by the 110th Congress. This report introduces some of the issues that are influencing the development of a conservation title. It then reviews the contents of the House-passed bill, H.R. 2419.
Date: August 27, 2007
Creator: Zinn, Jeffrey A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lands and National Forests

Description: This brief focuses on several issues affecting Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service (FS) lands that are of interest to the 109th Congress, and does not comprehensively cover issues primarily affecting other federal lands.
Date: March 20, 2006
Creator: Gorte, Ross W. & Vincent, Carol H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Renewable Energy Policy in the 2007 Farm Bill

Description: This report provides a summary of major legislative proposals for change in the farm bill energy title (Title IX) and compares current law with energy provisions from the recently approved House 2007 farm bill.
Date: October 1, 2007
Creator: Schnepf, Randy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Mountaintop Mining: Background on Current Controversies

Description: This report provides background on regulatory requirements, controversies, and legal challenges to Clean Water Act regulation of mountaintop mining. Congressional attention to these issues also is discussed.
Date: January 24, 2007
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Stewardship Contracting for the National Forests

Description: This report discusses the advantages and limitations of proposed approaches to stewardship contracting to reduce threats to national forests exacerbated by unnaturally high amounts of biomass.
Date: August 10, 2001
Creator: Gorte, Ross W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Endangered Species: Difficult Choices

Description: This report discusses various measures being considered by Congress that propose to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Major issues in recent years have focused on whether to incorporate further protection for property owners and reduce regulatory impacts, whether to increase the protection afforded listed species, or whether to modify various aspects of the ESA, such as the role of science in decision-making.
Date: June 14, 2004
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.; Corn, M. L. & Baldwin, Pamela
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Diamonds and Conflict: Background, Policy, and Legislation

Description: This report discusses issues surrounding "conflict diamonds" -- i.e., diamonds that have been mined and sold to support armed conflict -- as well as resulting U.S. policy responses. Policy makers' attention has also increasingly focused on the possible role that diamonds may play in the financing of terrorist operations.
Date: July 16, 2003
Creator: Cook, Nicolas
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Endangered Species: Difficult Choices

Description: This report discusses various measures being considered by Congress that propose to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Major issues in recent years have focused on whether to incorporate further protection for property owners and reduce regulatory impacts, whether to increase the protection afforded listed species, or whether to modify various aspects of the ESA, such as the role of science in decision-making.
Date: December 9, 2003
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.; Corn, M. L. & Baldwin, Pamela
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Heritage Areas: Background, Proposals, and Current Issues

Description: This report focuses on heritage areas designated by Congress, and related issues and legislation.
Date: November 23, 2005
Creator: Vincent, Carol Hardy & Whiteman, David
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Heritage Areas: Background, Proposals, and Current Issues

Description: Over the past 20 years, Congress has established 24 National Heritage Areas (NHAs) to commemorate, conserve, and promote important areas that include natural, scenic, historic, cultural, and recreational resources. This report focuses on heritage areas designated by Congress, and related issues and legislation.
Date: October 1, 2004
Creator: Vincent, Carol Hardy & Whiteman, David
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Lands Managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service (FS): Issues for the 110th Congress

Description: This report discusses actions the 110th Congress is considering that affect the various uses and management of federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. These actions include legislation, administrative or regulatory proposals, and litigation and judicial decisions. Issues areas include access to energy resources on federal lands, especially implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 2005; development of hardrock minerals; roadless area management and p… more
Date: October 26, 2007
Creator: Gorte, Ross W.; Vincent, Carol H.; Humphries, Marc & Alexander, Kristina
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lands and National Forests

Description: The 109th Congress is considering issues related to the public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the national forests managed by the Forest Service (FS). The Administration is addressing issues through budgetary, regulatory, and other actions. This report discusses several key issues of congressional and administrative interest.
Date: October 26, 2005
Creator: Gorte, Ross W. & Vincent, Carol H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Lands Managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service (FS): Issues for the 110th Congress

Description: The missions of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service (FS) are similar, and many issues, programs, and policies affect both agencies. This report focuses on several issues affecting both agencies’ lands that are likely to be of interest to the 110th Congress, including energy resources, hardrock mining, FS roadless areas, wild horses and burros, wilderness, wildfire protection, and others.
Date: May 9, 2008
Creator: Gorte, Ross W.; Vincent, Carol H.; Humphries, Marc & Alexander, Kristina
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Softwood Lumber Imports from Canada: Issues and Events

Description: This report provides a concise historical account of the dispute over softwood lumber imports from Canada, summarizes the subsidy and injury evidence, and discusses current issues and events.
Date: June 6, 2005
Creator: Gorte, Ross W. & Grimmett, Jeanne
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Forest Service Accountability in Administering Its Trust Funds

Description: The USDA Forest Service has numerous permanently appropriated trust funds and special funds that provide substantial funding independent of the annual appropriations process. Critics have alleged abuse of the funds and have sought greater congressional oversight, and the General Accounting Office has testified on the agency’s management of some of these accounts. While the Administration has offered few responses to the criticisms of these funds, it has, in its FY2001 budget request, proposed c… more
Date: March 8, 2000
Creator: Gorte, Ross W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Conservation and the 2007 Farm Bill

Description: This report introduces some of the issues that are influencing the development of a conservation title. It then reviews the contents of the House-passed bill, H.R. 2419. Some alternative proposals that the House considered are summarized in an appendix. The House-passed bill includes some elements of the alternative proposals (usually in modified form). This report is limited to the conservation title. However, conservation topics in recent farm bills have been increasingly addressed in other t… more
Date: August 27, 2007
Creator: Zinn, Jeffrey A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea: Living Resources Provisions

Description: This report describes provisions of the LOS Convention relating to living marine resources and discusses how these provisions comport with current U.S. marine policy.
Date: June 11, 2008
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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