Ranking Member Pingree Statement at the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Hearing

2023-03-29 13:14
Statement

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Ranking Member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee's hearing on the fiscal year 2024 budget request for the Department of the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Director Stone-Manning, Director Williams, and Director Sams, thank you for being with us this afternoon. We are pleased to talk with you today about the fiscal year 2024 budget requests for your Bureaus and to hear your thoughts as managers of our country’s national parks, national wildlife refuges, and public lands.

I am pleased to see that your budget requests build on the historic investments made in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to improve the resilience of landscapes, reduce wildfire risks, support clean energy development on Federal lands, and restore ecosystems.

We know your Bureaus have been challenged with staffing shortages as you work to deliver core programs and Services to the American public and carry out your mission. I am pleased your budget requests include significant funding increases to strengthen your workforce and support these historic infrastructure investments.

As we confront the challenges of species extinction, I am also pleased your requests include investments for species conservation and preserving biodiversity. These are essential if we are to protect our cultural and natural resources for present and future generations.

I am looking forward to our discussion today on how we continue to advance your missions and ensure that American families, communities, and economies can benefit from all our public lands have to offer.

Thank you again for being with us today. I yield back

118th Congress