Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For (UPDATED)

This week, the House Budget Committee (on Wednesday) and Senate Budget Committee (on Wednesday and Thursday) are each poised to mark up their respective budget resolutions, which will effectively be a Republican response to the President’s proposed budget.  The full House and Senate would then be expected to debate their respective bills during the week of March 23.

Best indications are that the House and Senate resolutions will be significantly different relating to a variety of spending items, including agricultural-related matters.  To resolve the differences, Congressional leaders may choose to follow a legislative, cost-cutting path known as budget reconciliation, which would change the routine way that the budget resolution is agreed upon (see footnote [1], below, for more on the reconciliation process). Assuming the Senate and House eventually agree on and pass a common Budget Resolution, it will be used, in part, to set spending ceilings for bills developed by House and Senate appropriators to fund the government during the 2016 fiscal year.

Following approval of the Budget Resolution (assuming it is, in fact, approved), Appropriations Committees in both the Senate and House would develop legislation to allocate funds.  An informative, November 2014, Congressional Research Service introduction to the Congressional budget and appropriations process can be read online or downloaded here (PDF file).  Once appropriations activities start, the latest news on appropriations efforts in Congress can be tracked in this blog and on the respective House and Senate Appropriations Committee’s web pages, as well as on this Congress.gov web page.

The House has scheduled votes during the week on two contentious GOP bills designed to change the way the Environmental Protection Agency conducts its rulemaking: H.R. 1029 - the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015, and H.R. 1030, the Secret Science Reform Act of 2015.  Both will likely pass, as did similar measures in 2014.

Below are the House and Senate activities currently scheduled for this week that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources. Links are provided to committee hearing web pages, and to any associated pieces of legislation.  All times are Eastern.  This page will be updated as needed throughout the week.

Tuesday -

• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies budget hearing - United States Fish and Wildlife Service; 9:00 AM, room B-308 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Committee on Natural Resources oversight hearing on "Examining the Spending Priorities and Missions of the National Park Service in the President's FY 2016 Budget Proposal;" 9:30 AM, room 1334 Longworth House Office Building.
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration hearing to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2016 for the Department of Agriculture; 10:00 AM, room SD-192 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife hearing to examine S.659, a bill "to protect and enhance opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing, and shooting;" 10:00 AM, room SD-406 Dirksen Senate Office Building (no link to hearing yet).
• House Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies budget hearing - National Science Foundation; 10:30 AM, room H-309 Capitol Building.
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies budget hearing - National Park Service; 1:00 PM, room B-308 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry hearing "to review the definition of “waters of the United States” proposed rule and its impact on rural America;" 2:00 PM, room 1300 Longworth House Office Building.

Wednesday

• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Public and Outside Witness Hearing; 9:00 AM, room B-308 Rayburn House Office Building.
• NEW - House Transportation and Infrastructure Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee roundtable on the rising toll of disasters in the United States; 9:30 AM, room 2253 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy hearing on: "H.R.__ the Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015," which would give states the enforcement authority to implement the EPA’s coal ash standards; 10:00 AM, room 2322 Rayburn House Office Building.
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies hearing to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2016 for the Forest Service; 10:00 AM, room SD-124 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• House Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies budget hearing - Department of Agriculture Rural Development; 10:00 AM, room 2362-A Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies budget hearing - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; 10:30 AM, room H-309 Capitol Building.
• House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment hearing on the President's Fiscal Year 2016 Budget: Administration Priorities for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 10:30 AM, room 2167 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Hearing: Public and Outside Witness Hearing; 1:00 PM, room B-308 Rayburn House Office Building.

Thursday

• NEW - House Agriculture Committee business meeting to consider H.R. 897, "Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2015" (regarding the regulation of the use of pesticides in or near navigable waters); 9:30 AM, room 1300 Longworth House Office Building.
• House Natural Resources Committee Joint Oversight Hearing on "Examining the Spending Priorities and Missions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the President's FY 2016 Budget Proposal;" 9:30 AM, room 1334 Longworth House Office Building.
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies budget hearing - Bureau of Land Management; 9:30 AM, room B-308 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies budget hearing - Department of Agriculture Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services (including RMA and FSA); 10:00 AM, room 2362-A Rayburn House Office Building.

[1]   An overview of the reconciliation process:  Should Congressional leaders decide to invoke the reconciliation process, language known as a "reconciliation directive" or "instructions" are included in the budget resolution. The reconciliation directive instructs the authorizing committees (for example, the Committee on Agriculture) to produce legislation by a specific date that meets certain spending or tax targets, oftentimes involving prescribed program cuts. Should the authorizing committees fail to produce this legislation, the Budget Committee chair typically has the authority to offer floor amendments to meet the reconciliation targets, a threat that is designed to produce compliance with the reconciliation directive.  The Budget Committee then packages all of the spending bills into one package that goes to the House and Senate floors for an up-or-down, simple majority, vote, with limited opportunity for amendment. After the House and Senate resolve any differences between competing bills, a final conference report is considered on the floor of each chamber, and is to the President for approval or veto.

Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative Mayors Promote 2015 Policy Priorities in Washington

2014 Initiative-Interagency Meeting

Over two and one-half days this week, a contingent of 18 mayors representing the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative are meeting with Federal agency representatives, business and environmental leaders, and members of Congress to discuss and promote the Initiative's 2015 Federal policy agenda. Formed in 2012, the Initiative's intent is to create a new and influential voice for the Mississippi River and increase demand for effective river protection, restoration and management in Washington, DC.  Each year since 2013, the Initiative has presented lawmakers and Administration representatives its annual policy platform.  The 2015 four-point policy platform seeks to advance the following priorities:

1. Provide ample support for trails, byways and bridges in a new, comprehensive surface transportation bill by passing a bill that adequately supports Federal Highway Administration programs funding the construction and maintenance of trails, byways and bridges, and by developing a national strategic plan to address the maintenance and restoration of the nation's structurally deficient and aging bridges while concurrently increasing annual investment levels for bridge repair, reconstruction and renovation.
2. Fund a flexible USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Watershed and Flood Prevention "Landscape Resiliency" initiative by providing funds within the NRCS Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations account for the "landscape resiliency" effort at the President's Fiscal Year 2016 request level of $200 million, and by specifying criteria to help determine how the landscape resiliency funding will be utilized and by whom (in doing so, assuring local municipal access to those funds for their intended purposes).
3. Effectively prohibit coal ash from being deposited within flood plains by rejecting passage of legislation that overturns, blocks, or otherwise restricts the implementation of the new coal combustion residuals disposal regulations; by working with states and encouraging them to integrate the coal combustion residuals disposal regulations into their waste management plans; and (should coal ash disposal facilities be permitted within floodplains) by assuring that the risks associated with regulated coal ash disposal within floodplains are significantly reduced.
4. Support economic development funding priorities for a sustainable River economy, including assuring funding for: America's Marine Highway Program grant account at $10 million; the Army Corps of Engineers' Civil Works programs at $5.5 billion; U.S. EPA Section 106 Water Pollution Control Grants Program at $249.2 million; U.S. EPA Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds at $2.35 billion; and the FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program at $200 million.

(Here are links to the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative 2013 and 2014 policy agendas.)

The Initiative is a local government-driven effort of mayors along the main-stem Mississippi River from its headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico. It consists of mayors from more than 60 River cities and towns from New Orleans, Louisiana in the south to St. Cloud, Minnesota in the north. The Initiative is run by a steering committee consisting of one mayoral representative from each of the ten main-stem Mississippi River states, and is co-chaired by A.C. Wharton, Mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, and Roy Buol, Mayor of Dubuque, Iowa. The entire roster of the Initiative's cities and towns can be seen here.  

Persons with questions regarding the Initiative or its 2015 policy priorities can contact the organization's Director, Colin Wellenkamp, at cwellenkamp@nemw.org or 314-657-3863.

What We Learned This Week - "Clear and Present Danger"

It's official: the Des Moines Water Works will proceed with a water quality lawsuit against three Iowa counties.   The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission is thinking about easing its rules concerning mercury and other bioaccumulating pollutants.  Both Democrats and Republicans are pushing back against several newly-proposed Minnesota state water quality regulations, while other critics say that the state's year-old agriculture-water quality initiative isn't working.  An Illinois oil train derailment, fire and spill posed an "imminent and substantial danger" to the Mississippi River.  Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in streams reduces their ability to support aquatic life.   An abandoned Kentucky tobacco factory is being transformed into a massive local food hub.  While Dubuque, Iowa looks to transform a riverside brownfield area into an attractive, multi-purpose place. It's unusually dry in Minnesota, but there's no need to worry yet.  The deep Oklahoma drought continues, and the state Senate is worried; passing a bill to create a committee to analyze possible drought relief projects, including interbasin transfer.  Asian carp "swarm" south of Chicago in the Des Plaines River.  PNC Financial will no longer finance coal-mining companies that pursue mountaintop removal.  And last but not least, most U.S. adults trust their state and local governments more than they do the federal government.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

This Week and Next

This week saw the Des Moines Water Works officially proceed with its lawsuit against three rural Iowa counties over excessive nitrates in its water supply sources, another oil tank train derailment and spill, another oil well drilling brine waste spill, another Congressional hearing on "Impacts of the Proposed Waters of the United States Rule" (this one a field hearing), and controversy in Minnesota over the Governor-backed stream buffer strip legislation.  There was much more (highlighted below), in what ended up being a fairly busy week in the River region from a water resource standpoint.

Next week, the House Budget Committee (on Wednesday) and Senate Budget Committee (on Thursday) are each poised to mark up their respective budget resolutions, which will effectively be a Republican response to the President’s proposed budget, and set the broad fiscal parameters within which the respective House and Senate appropriations committees will be crafting their spending bills.  In anticipation of drafting those bills, the House Appropriations Committee will hold several hearings on the proposed budgets of Administration agencies relating to some aspect of the Mississippi River Basin's water resources.   There is also another hearing scheduled regarding the Administration's Clean Water Act jurisdiction proposed rule, and one on proposed legislation controlling the management of coal combustion residuals.  You can see the entire list of those hearings, along with more discussion of the budget resolution process, here.

And while all of that activity is happening on Capitol Hill, members of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative will be visiting the Halls of Congress and meeting with several agencies regarding the Initiative's 2016 River priorities (more on that next week).  Finally, back in the River Basin, on Monday, March 16, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy is scheduled to speak at the National Farmers Union Convention in Wichita, Kansas, about the need to protect the nation's waters (a talk that will undoubtedly highlight the Administration's proposed clean water rule).

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• Des Moines Water Works votes to sue three Iowa counties over nitrates http://ow.ly/KbOCo  (see other articles below)
• Des Moines Water Works Board votes to sue 10 rural drainage districts in and around the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers over elevated nitrate levels http://ow.ly/KeFfT
• Des Moines Water Works' lawsuit - aimed at forcing regulation of forms of agricultural water pollution - may move forward this week http://ow.ly/KahEY (published just before the vote)
• Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission considers easing rules concerning mercury, other bioaccumulating pollutants http://ow.ly/KfhrB
• Critics say that Minnesota's farm-water cleanup project falls short of water quality and farmer participation goals http://ow.ly/K654i
• Illinois settles six-year-old Rock River ethanol spill-fish kill case http://ow.ly/K5GHn
• Oil tanker train derails in Illinois near where the Galena River meets the Mississippi River; steps taken to protect rivers http://ow.ly/K0ZrD (video: http://ow.ly/K0ZyU)
• Ohio EPA probing rash of farm manure spills into waterways http://ow.ly/KhFX0
• EPA: Illinois oil train derailment spill poses an "imminent and substantial danger" to Mississippi River http://ow.ly/K67hz
• Pipeline breach spills 19,000 gallons of salt water in North Dakota http://ow.ly/K5Qv1
• CSX Agrees to EPA Order for Clean-up of Areas Impacted by West Virginia Train Derailment http://ow.ly/K5SPh
• EPA awards $300,000 to the Arkansas Natural Resource Commission to reduce sediment and phosphorus in West Fork White River watershed http://ow.ly/K90zR
• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a field hearing on "Impacts of the Proposed Waters of the United States Rule on State and Local Governments and Stakeholders;" Lincoln, Nebraska, Saturday, March 14, 10:00 AM CDT http://ow.ly/KbTu5
• National Science Foundation: Nutrient pollution from nitrogen and phosphorus in streams reducing their ability to support aquatic life http://ow.ly/KdfIL

Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Wetlands, Flooding, Supplies, etc.) -

• Citizens group challenges Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ decision to allow railroad to build second set of tracks through La Crosse River wetland http://ow.ly/K9bKZ
• EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy pushes for more clean and drinking water infrastructure money at cities conference http://ow.ly/Kakru
• EPA Designates Mahomet Aquifer as "sole source" of drinking water in East-Central Illinois http://ow.ly/KeGOl and http://ow.ly/KeGS2
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommends replacing perilous Buckeye Lake dam or draining the lake (Muskingum River Basin) http://ow.ly/KhCAp

Agriculture -

• FarmPolicy.com: “Budget Issues Move to the Front Burner- Potential Farm Bill Implications” http://ow.ly/KhzfV
• Efficiency and better environmental outcomes being seen more as an integral part of farming http://ow.ly/KhAPC
• Study describes outcomes of one of the few concerted efforts to manage an agricultural region for nitrogen (Central Platte River Valley of Nebraska) http://ow.ly/KdfZU
• Landowners in Iowa develop model for land conservation through newly-formed nonprofit, Sustainable Iowa Land Trust http://ow.ly/K971h
• Proponents of changes to North Dakota's anti-corporate farming law argue benefits of large-scale farming operations http://ow.ly/K5TfP
• Standoff over a huge dairy opens a new chapter in Minnesota's battle over big feedlots http://ow.ly/K64hj
• Abandoned Kentucky tobacco factory is transforming into massive local food hub http://ow.ly/K64zq
• Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) asks USDA to clarify how it is making offsite wetland determinations on farmers’ land http://ow.ly/K8X7x (also see: http://ow.ly/K8Y6l)
• Soil-conservation farming is gaining converts http://ow.ly/K8XUs
• GAO: Farmers in drought-prone Plains region, other high-risk regions often aren’t charged enough for crop insurance http://ow.ly/KeEId (also see this related article: http://ow.ly/KeESZ)
• Ducks Unlimited farm bill conservation program work in Prairie Pothole Region raises concerns with Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) http://ow.ly/Kflot

Climate and Weather -

Click to enlarge

• US drought update: ongoing dryness continued across northwest Arkansas, eastern Kansas, and northeast Oklahoma; abnormal dryness was expanded across northeastern Iowa and most of Wisconsin, Minnesota http://ow.ly/wmTdv
• Just when everyone had pretty much written it off, El Niño finally emerges http://ow.ly/K10Qk
• Climatologists: No need to worry about drought yet in Minnesota http://ow.ly/Kc1ud

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Iowa DNR and Agriculture Department form monarch butterfly consortium

  

  Brandon Road Lock and Dam on Des Plaines River south of Chicago

  http://ow.ly/K0zMM
• Fish and Wildlife Service reopening of public comment period on listing black pinesnake as a threatened species  (in Mississippi Basin found in Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee) http://ow.ly/KbQxx
• A new hypothesis on why the bees are vanishing: synchronicity http://ow.ly/KhGLC
• Greater sage grouse experts warn Obama administration to take stronger, more scientifically sound steps to protect bird http://ow.ly/KhBGX
• USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to extend partial gypsy moth quarantines in areas of Virginia, West Virginia, Minnesota, and Wisconsin http://ow.ly/KeFXW
• Asian carp "swarm" south of Chicago as consensus on permanent solution eludes nation http://ow.ly/KfA0X

In the States-

• Minnesota buffer strip bill has support from sports groups, opposition from farmers

  

  States in the news this week

  http://ow.ly/Kdh9h
• Minnesota farmers criticize Governor Dayton's stream buffer conservation plan http://ow.ly/KeOZ8
• Bipartisan coalition of Minnesota state lawmakers pushes back against new state water quality regulations http://ow.ly/KhDcZ
• Critics say Wisconsin DNR rule change will allow it to ignore public concerns, skip environmental impact statements http://ow.ly/K66Gq
• State revenue shortfalls worry Kansas Farm Bureau President http://ow.ly/KePrL
• West Virginia state Senate approves new Kanawha River drinking water protections, declining to repeal year-old standards http://ow.ly/KhECS
• Oklahoma state Senate approves legislation creating committee to analyze drought relief projects, including interbasin transfer http://ow.ly/KhF4r
• Under new Colorado rule, operators will have stricter guidelines for how they extract oil and gas in floodplains http://ow.ly/K5Pz9
• Indiana http://ow.ly/K5QLJ, Colorado http://ow.ly/K5QP3 lawmakers move toward banning microbead plastic particles in cosmetics

(link to open related report:
http://ow.ly/K9efT)

In the Cities -

• Dubuque to use EPA brownfields grant to develop area-wide plan, implementation strategy for 33-acre South Port area along Mississippi River http://ow.ly/K8ZWZ

Gulf Coastal Region-

• GOP senators criticize President's proposal to divert over $3 billion in future offshore oil and gas revenues destined to Gulf Coast states to fund national priorities http://ow.ly/K5Ggm

Forestry -

• House Natural Resources Committee leaders urge U.S. Forest Service to abandon controversial groundwater proposal http://ow.ly/KhNdV

Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

Resource Development -

• PNC Financial joins growing list of banks no longer financing coal-mining companies that pursue mountaintop removal http://ow.ly/K9aV0

Federal Budget -

• Republican leaders are expected to unveil House and Senate budget resolutions next week, with sequester caps in place http://ow.ly/Kc1Xs
• Congressional Budget Office (CBO) releases its updated baseline Budget Projections for 2015 to 2025 http://ow.ly/K8XnT

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here each week can be viewed in the on-line calendar, located above and to the right (and here as a stand-alone calendar)

• Webinar: Watershed Approach Handbook: Improving Benefits Associated with Wetland and Stream Restoration and Protection Projects; March 18, 1 PM ET http://ow.ly/K5NyG
• March 19 Shale Symposium: What Communities Need to Know, available streaming live at 10 AM ET http://ow.ly/KhIpV
• Jon Brandt Policy Forum: Strategies for Investing in Rural America; April 14, 2:30 PM EDT, U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC http://ow.ly/Kamyc
• Save the dates: Green Lands Blue Waters 2015 Conference to be held on November 3 and 4 in Minneapolis, Minnesota http://ow.ly/Kajum

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• EPA’s Nonpoint Source News-Notes, Issue #97 (March 2015) http://ow.ly/K5Mrm
• Lower Mississippi River Dispatch No. 279, March 10 http://ow.ly/K9XmJ
• Gulf Restoration Network March 10 "GulfWaves" - Dispersants, Pythons and Oysters http://ow.ly/K9XS4
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy, March 10 TUWaterWays e-newsletter http://ow.ly/KbSri
• March 11 issue of the Resource newsletter from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources http://ow.ly/KhyWF

Other news-

• Green groups: Congress should work to reauthorize and fully fund Land and Water Conservation Fund http://ow.ly/Kc0L6
• U.S. Supreme Court ruling means federal regulators will be able to change rules at a faster pace http://bit.ly/1BjDWEc
• Ohio River Trail to accommodate walkers, bicyclists, canoeists, kayakers; link river towns, create transportation alternative http://ow.ly/K5PWT
• Why fresh water shortages will cause the next great global crisis http://ow.ly/K5IDZ
• Journal - American Water Works Association: Buried No Longer: Confronting America's Water Infrastructure Challenge http://ow.ly/K5KPE
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3 Vacancy Announcement - Chief, Endangered Species (Bloomington, MN) http://ow.ly/K8ZCA
• U.S. EPA receives poor grades for its handling of the Freedom of Information Act from Center for Effective Government http://ow.ly/KaiVD
• Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service critique some provisions of popular "Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act" http://ow.ly/KhMMP
• Brookings Institution: Spending on U.S. crumbling infrastructure = zero http://ow.ly/KhRGm

Politics and People-

• Kentucky Presidential primary change allows Rand Paul (R-KY) to run for President while keeping Senate seat http://ow.ly/KbS7P
• Majority of U.S. adults place more trust in state and local governments than they do the federal government http://ow.ly/KbRUx

Your Moment of Zen -

Photograph: Frank Rumpenhorst/AFP/Getty Images

UPDATED: Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

The U.S. House is not in session this week, and below are the Senate hearings currently scheduled for the week that relates to Mississippi River Basin water resources. Links are provided to the committee hearing web pages, and to any associated pieces of legislation. This page will be updated as needed throughout the week.

Thursday -

• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on S. 556, the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2015; 10:00 AM, room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Saturday -

• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee field hearing on "Impacts of the Proposed Waters of the United States Rule on State and Local Governments and Stakeholders;" Lincoln, Nebraska, March 14, 2015, 10:00 AM CDT.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Most of the Water News - None of the Spin~

This Week and Next

Photo: AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

It was a relatively quiet week in the Mississippi Basin and Washington, DC from a water perspective; except for the snow, sleet and ice in the region and in Washington that slowed things down a bit.  There were more veto threats from the White House; this time over GOP bills aimed at the EPA rulemaking process, while the Senate failed to override the President's recent XL pipeline veto.  And there was the usual spate of lawsuits, introduced bills and funding announcements.  On the legislative front, it appears that more is happening on the state level than the national.

Next week may not be much busier, at least on Capitol Hill.  The House is recessed for the week, and while the Senate is in session from Tuesday onward, no hearings or floor activities of River-relevance have been scheduled thus far.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• Supreme Court considers review of Army Corps' wetland, Clean Water Act jurisdiction decisions http://ow.ly/JZ1xf
• EPA orders CSX to clean up areas impacted by West Virginia train derailment http://ow.ly/JOy3R (story: http://ow.ly/JOy8L)

Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Wetlands, Flooding, Supplies, etc.) -

• March 2015 Congressional Budget Office report: Public spending on transportation and water projects since 1956 http://1.usa.gov/1FP0Anl
• Op-ed: U.S. has a huge deficit of infrastructure investment, and it shows (including water infrastructure) http://ow.ly/JOyKn
• Army Corps of Engineers upgrades Arkansas River navigation from a moderate-use to a high-use system http://ow.ly/JRLJh

Agriculture -

• USDA statistics confirm Illinois had 'historic' corn and soybean yields in 2014 http://ow.ly/JOIdX
• Bipartisan Senate "Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act" introduced Monday seeks to curb animal antibiotics use http://ow.ly/JRO08 (link to bill: http://ow.ly/JRO6H)
• Some warn new federal tank car rules risk disrupting the movement of grain and other agricultural products http://ow.ly/JRPC7
• Why Midwestern farmers want to break the Cuba embargo http://ow.ly/JUO72
• After five years of increases, average farmland values in Nebraska dropped three percent over the past year http://ow.ly/JXD07

Click to enlarge

Climate and Weather -

• US drought update: dryness improvements in Kentucky; extreme drought expands in north-central Oklahoma http://ow.ly/wmTdv
• NOAA Climate Prediction Center drought outlook for March; drought persistence anticipated for Oklahoma, Kansas http://ow.ly/q3yAx

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Natural Resources Defense Council sues U.S. EPA over "Roundup" herbicide threat to monarch butterflies http://ow.ly/JOCgB (story http://ow.ly/JOCwp)
• Fish and Wildlife Service announces nearly $46 million in grants for wildlife agencies in all 50 states http://ow.ly/K0nFi

In the States-

• Minnesota Gov. Dayton's proposal calling for vegetative buffer strips along the state's

  

  States in the news this week

   waterbodies to be discussed at Farm Forum http://ow.ly/JUNQC
• Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's (R) budget proposal would cut renewable, bio-energy research http://ow.ly/JPRqB
• Wisconsin DNR considers selling state parks naming rights http://ow.ly/JYh7F
• Illinois State General Assembly bill would establish Home and Business Flood Protection and Loan Program Fund; bill: http://ow.ly/K0mil (story: http://ow.ly/K0mNi)
• Missouri state bill would modify "waters of the state" definition, removing currently-included "waters of the United States" http://ow.ly/JSJBZ
• Colorado state bill would promote water conservation in the land use planning process http://ow.ly/JSHWV (Senate version of bill)
• Colorado adopts rule designed to prevent spills from new, existing oil, natural gas drilling operations in floodplains http://ow.ly/JSTKQ
• DEP-DCNR: Pennsylvania Governor's proposed budget invests in energy development, conservation, recreational resources http://ow.ly/JXEUe

In the Cities -

• Municipal "Green Streets" pilot project in West Union, Iowa wins best development award
  
  http://ow.ly/JODuL
• Op-ed: St. Louis city leaders have a persistent lack of vision about what the riverfront could be http://ow.ly/JRGXc
• Memphis Riverfront Development Corporation officials hope to soon see Mississippi River water taxis http://ow.ly/JRMa7
• Minneapolis downtown ranked as second best in US in part due to location on the Mississippi River, near many lakes http://ow.ly/JRMra (also see: http://ow.ly/JRMXC)
• Maps: The nation’s fastest-growing big cities are in the South and the West http://ow.ly/JYhBj

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Louisiana Gov. Jindal's proposed $20.6 million Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority budget cut won't affect ongoing projects http://ow.ly/JPQSD
• Louisiana levee authority votes to continue appeal of decision to throw out a lawsuit against oil, gas and pipeline companies over coastal wetland damage http://ow.ly/JSUdv

Resource Development -

• Senate fails to override President Obama’s veto of legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline http://ow.ly/JXzCl

Federal Budget -

• Republicans in the House and Senate plan to release separate budget blueprints this month http://ow.ly/JXVHx
• House votes to fund the Department of Homeland Security through September, providing $25 million for FEMA predisaster mitigation fund http://ow.ly/JUHrK story here: http://ow.ly/JUIjW
• House Agriculture Committee leaders ask Budget Committee Chairman to leave reauthorized farm bill programs alone http://ow.ly/JRHMt

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here each week can be viewed in the on-line calendar, located above and to the right (and here as a stand-alone calendar)

• "Iowa Ag Summit" - elected officials publicly discuss agricultural issues; March 7, 8:30 a.m. Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines, IA http://ow.ly/JOuTZ
• Mississippi River Forum: “How Futures Research Might Lead Us to a More Resilient Mississippi River” March 13, 8 AM, Minneapolis http://ow.ly/JV6NA
• National Ground Water Association Groundwater Summit; March 16-18, San Antonio, Texas http://ow.ly/JSt49
• National Water Quality Monitoring Council Webinar Series: Ohio River Nutrient Trading Program; March 17, 3 PM ET http://ow.ly/JSojk (registration required)
• USEPA Webinar: Water Quality Modeling: Basics and Beyond; the role of modeling in water quality investigations; March 26, 1 PM EDT http://ow.ly/JUMFk (registration required)
• National Ground Water Association Upper Great Plains Groundwater Conference; September 22-23, Cheyenne, Wyoming http://ow.ly/JSsGy

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency February 27, Watershed Network News ow.ly/JJ5oJ
• Missouri Coalition for the Environment February 26 e-newsletter ow.ly/JJ4sG
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's March 3, TUWaterWays e-newsletter http://ow.ly/JZ4MV
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Industrial Stormwater Program, March 2015 Newsletter http://ow.ly/JPeS7
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Waterfront Bulletin for March 2015 http://ow.ly/JV60O
• The Horinko Group's "Sustainabulletin" quarterly newsletter looks at water and wastewater public–private partnerships http://ow.ly/JUNhr
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Feedlot Update - March 4 http://ow.ly/JVoNO
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council March 5 Watershed News http://ow.ly/K0mZb

Other news-

• White House threatens to veto two House bills aimed at changing how EPA uses science in rulemaking http://ow.ly/JUJTJ
• Center for American Progress: "States of Change" - 10 big demographic trends that are transforming America http://ow.ly/JOwYu
• Watershed Conservation Resource Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas, seeks to fill Watershed Specialist position; deadline March 9 http://ow.ly/JPkUr
• Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana seeks to fill Science/Technical Director position (March 31 deadline) http://ow.ly/JUYtS
• U.S. EPA's staff workforce shrinks to its lowest level since the late1980s http://ow.ly/JRJim

Politics and People-

• Curtis Taylor, head of West Virginia Division of Natural Resources wildlife section, retires suddenly http://ow.ly/JVYhW
• President Obama resubmits his nomination of Suzette Kimball to lead the U.S. Geological Survey http://ow.ly/JJICK

Your Moment of Zen -

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Andres Kudacki

Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For - UPDATED

Below are the U.S. House and Senate activities currently scheduled for the week that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources. Links are provided to the relevant committee web pages, and, where appropriate, to pieces of legislation.

The House Rules Committee is set to meet on Tuesday to determine the amendment process for floor consideration of H.R. 1030, the Secret Science Reform Act. and H.R. 1029, the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act, both of which aim to change the role science plays in EPA rule-making.  The Rule Committee meeting would pave the way for subsequent consideration of the bills by the full House as early as Wednesday. The House passed similar bills in 2014, but not the Senate.

Many Congressional proceedings are webcast live, and these should be, as well (follow the appropriate link). All times are Eastern. This page will be updated as warranted.

Tuesday

• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies budget hearing - United States Forest Service; 1:00 PM, room B-308 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies budget hearing - Department of Agriculture Marketing and Regulatory Programs; 2:00 PM, room 2362-A Rayburn House Office Building.

Wednesday

• House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, "Rebuilding the Chemical Safety Board: Finding a Solution to the CSB's Governance and Management Challenges;" 9:00 AM, room 2154 Rayburn House Office Building (the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents, including those that impact waterways).
• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing "examining the President’s budget request for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;" 9:30 AM, room 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• Senate Appropriations Interior Subcommittee hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2016 funding request and budget justification for the U.S. Department of the Interior; 10:00 AM, Room 124 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Thursday

• House Natural Resources Committee oversight hearing on "Examining the Department of the Interior's Spending Priorities and the President's Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Proposal;" 9:00 AM, room 1324 Longworth House Office Building.
• POSTPONED House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies budget hearing - National Park Service; 9:00 AM, room B-308 Rayburn House Office Building.
• POSTPONED House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry hearing "to 
review the definition of 'waters of the United States' proposed rule and its impact on rural America;" 9:15 AM, room 1300 Longworth House Office Building.
• POSTPONED House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies budget hearing - Department of Agriculture Research Agencies; 10:00 AM, room 2362-A Rayburn House Office Building.