CDPA 2010: Senate Hearing Scheduled to Discuss Desert Conservation

Senator Feinstein's proposed legislation to protect hundreds of thousands of acres of desert wilderness, and streamline renewable energy mitigation procedures--the California Desert Protection Act of 2010--is scheduled to be examined by the U.S. Senate's Subcommittee on Energy and Natural Resources this month.  This is a crucial first step for the bill, which was introduced in December.  (You can read my previous post on the hurdles that the legislation faces).  The committee could report the bill "favorably" or "unfavorably" to the Senate, at which point the Senate leadership would have to decide if and when to put the legislation up for a full vote.  With such a busy legislative calendar this year, a full vote for CDPA 2010 is not assured.  Also, the committee could fail to report the bill, or debate could begin within the committee on how to alter the legislation before it is reported to the full Senate.

The Subcommittee on Energy and Natural Resources will consider CDPA 2010 on 20 May at 9:30 AM  Eastern Standard Time.

More later...

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