    [Senate Hearing 117-124]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                            S. Hrg. 117-124

                              BEAUDREAU NOMINATION

    =======================================================================

                                    HEARING

                                   BEFORE THE

                                  COMMITTEE ON
                          ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                        ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                       to

    CONSIDER THE NOMINATION OF TOMMY P. BEAUDREAU TO BE DEPUTY SECRETARY OF
                                  THE INTERIOR

                                   __________

                                 APRIL 29, 2021

                                   __________

                     [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                           Printed for the use of the
                   Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

            Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov

                                     ______

                     U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

    44-472 PDF                WASHINGTON : 2022

                   COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

                    JOE MANCHIN III, West Virginia, Chairman

    RON WYDEN, Oregon                    JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming
    MARIA CANTWELL, Washington           JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho
    BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont             MIKE LEE, Utah
    MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico          STEVE DAINES, Montana
    MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii              LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska
    ANGUS S. KING, JR., Maine            JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota
    CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada       JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
    MARK KELLY, Arizona                  BILL CASSIDY, Louisiana
    JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER, Colorado       CINDY HYDE-SMITH, Mississippi
                                         ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas

                          Renae Black, Staff Director
                          Sam E. Fowler, Chief Counsel
                 Richard M. Russell, Republican Staff Director
                  Matthew H. Leggett, Republican Chief Counsel
                         Darla Ripchensky, Chief Clerk

                                C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------

                               OPENING STATEMENTS

                                                                       Page
    Manchin III, Hon. Joe, Chairman and a U.S. Senator from West
      Virginia.......................................................     1
    Barrasso, Hon. John, Ranking Member and a U.S. Senator from
      Wyoming........................................................    15

                                    WITNESS

    Beaudreau, Tommy P., to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior......    16

              ALPHABETICAL LISTING AND APPENDIX MATERIAL SUBMITTED

    American Woodcock Society, et al.:
        Letter for the Record........................................     7
    Barrasso, Hon. John:
        Opening Statement............................................    15
    Barrasso, Hon. John, et al.:
        Letter for the Record addressed to the Hon. Debra Haaland,
          dated
          4/22/2021..................................................    94
    Beaudreau, Tommy P.:
        Opening Statement............................................    16
        Written Testimony............................................    19
        Responses to Questions for the Record........................    47
    Brightline Defense, et al.:
        Letter for the Record........................................     9
    Center for Biological Diversity, et al.:
        Letter for the Record........................................    95
    Jewell, Hon. Sally:
        Letter for the Record........................................     4
    Manchin III, Hon. Joe:
        Opening Statement............................................     1
    National Wildlife Refuge Association:
        Letter for the Record........................................    12
    Outdoor Alliance:
        Letter for the Record........................................    13

                              BEAUDREAU NOMINATION

                                  ----------

                            THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2021

                                           U.S. Senate,
                     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:07 a.m. in
    Room SD-366, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Joe Manchin
    III, Chairman of the Committee, presiding.

     OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOE MANCHIN III, U.S. SENATOR FROM
                             WEST VIRGINIA

        The Chairman. The Committee will come to order. Before we
    turn to our hearing today, I want to take a moment, a
    privilege, for my Chief Counsel on the Committee, Sam Fowler.
    This year Sam reached 30 years of service on this Committee,
    providing sage counsel to me, six of my predecessors, and all
    Committee members, I think, on both sides of the aisle on a
    broad range of issues, including Senate and Committee history.
    If you need to know anything about this Senate and how it
    operates and works, Sam is your man.
        He is only the second person to have served as Chief
    Counsel for the Democratic side since the Committee on Energy
    and Natural Resources was established in 1977. In fact, only
    four Senators have been in the Senate longer than Sam. So I
    would like to now present him his 30-year service pin and
    certificate along with a plaque to commemorate our appreciation
    for his years of dedicated service to our country. I cannot
    thank him enough.
        Sam?
        I will put the pin on you, but I get to pin you. This is a
    good pin, Sam.
        [Laughter.]
        I think this is an official pin.
        [Applause.]
        The Chairman. Sam, say something. A person, after 30 years,
    has a right--what do you think, Senators? Okay?
        [Laughter.]
        Mr. Fowler. Well, certainly the number of years I have
    worked here is one measure of my career, I suppose, but one of
    the other measures that I take a special pride in is the number
    you mentioned earlier, that out of the eight democrats who have
    served as either the Chair or Ranking Member, I have managed to
    be Chief Counsel for seven of them, and it has been a great
    honor with each and every one and especially with Senator
    Manchin.
        The Chairman. We are not going to have him rate them
    either, okay.
        [Laughter.]
        The Chairman. Thank you, Sam.
        [Applause.]
        The Chairman. Turning back to our hearing.
        We meet today to consider the nomination of Tommy Beaudreau
    to be the Deputy Secretary of the Interior (DOI). Welcome to
    the Committee, Mr. Beaudreau. It is so good to have you and
    your family with us. I want to thank you for being here this
    morning and for your willingness to serve in this important
    position, and thank you to your family for joining you here
    today.
        If you want to, Tommy, why don't you introduce your family
    with you right now, and then I will go ahead and finish up on
    my----
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, thank you so much, Chairman.
        So I'm joined this morning with my wife, Carrie Beaudreau,
    and my boys, August Beaudreau and Alex Beaudreau.
        The Chairman. Welcome to all of you. Thank you so much for
    your service.
        The Department of the Interior has a bipolar mission in a
    highly polarized, political environment. On the one hand, the
    Department is charged with preserving and protecting our
    national parks and public lands. It is the guardian of our
    iconic landscapes and our most sacred historical sites. It is
    the steward of our natural resources and must take into account
    not only our present needs but the needs of generations to
    come. On the other hand, the Department of the Interior is
    called upon to provide a large part of the energy and mineral
    resources that we need to power the nation. The lands and
    waters managed by the Department produce nearly 20 percent of
    the nation's energy, including 43 percent of our coal, 24
    percent of our oil, 2 percent of our natural gas, half of our
    geothermal energy, and much of our wind, solar, and hydropower.
        The lands and waters managed by the Department generate $12
    billion a year for the Federal Treasury, support 1.8 million
    jobs, and contribute an estimated $315 billion to our economy.
    The Department does not have the luxury to choose one mission
    over the other. It must fulfill both and find the right balance
    between the two. As the Secretary's top lieutenant, the Deputy
    Secretary of the Interior plays a major role in striking that
    balance and keeping the Department on course. I am not telling
    Mr. Beaudreau anything he does not already know. He learned the
    importance of responsible resource development at an early age
    from his father, who worked in the Prudhoe Bay oil fields in
    the North Slope of Alaska. At the same time, he learned the
    value of the great American outdoors growing up hunting,
    fishing, hiking, and skiing in the Alaskan wilderness. He
    brought those experiences and values with him to the Department
    of the Interior in 2010 when our former colleague, Ken Salazar,
    called on him to help reform the offshore drilling program
    after the tragic Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of
    Mexico.
        As the first Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy
    Management, he learned firsthand the importance of not only
    developing energy resources, but developing them wisely,
    safely, and with careful regard for the environment. He saw
    what happened when the Department cut corners, and he played a
    major role in reforming the Department's regulatory program so
    that energy production could resume in the Gulf more safely
    than ever before. Perhaps one measure of the outstanding job
    Mr. Beaudreau did as head of the offshore oil program is the
    fact that Secretary Salazar soon put him in charge of onshore
    leasing as well, as Acting Assistant Secretary of Land and
    Minerals Management, and Secretary Jewell ultimately made him
    her Chief of Staff with oversight over the Department's broad
    portfolio.
        On that note, without objection, I will enter into the
    record former Secretary Jewell's letter to the Committee
    endorsing Mr. Beaudreau.
        Objections? No objections. It will be entered in.
        [Letter of endorsement from former Secretary Jewell
    follows:]

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        The Chairman. Her letter endorses Mr. Beaudreau ``for his
    intellect, capacity to listen to multiple points of view, deep
    understanding of the law, respect for elected officials and
    constitutional processes, and a pragmatic knowledge of how to
    get things done.'' Like former Secretary Jewell, I am very
    pleased that the President has nominated Mr. Beaudreau to be
    the Deputy Secretary of the Interior. I think he is extremely
    well qualified for this important position, and I strongly
    support his nomination.
        Before I turn it over to Senator Barrasso for his opening
    statement, I ask unanimous consent to enter another additional
    five letters for Mr. Beaudreau's nomination in the record.
        Without objection.

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        The Chairman. Now I want to recognize my dear friend and
    colleague, Senator Barrasso, for his opening statement.

               OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN BARRASSO,
                       U.S. SENATOR FROM WYOMING

        Senator Barrasso. Well thank you very much, Mr. Chairman,
    and I also would like to welcome Tommy Beaudreau to the Senate
    Energy and Natural Resources Committee as well as to your
    family. Thank you all for joining us and for your service to
    the country.
        The Deputy Secretary of the Interior is a critically
    important job to my home State of Wyoming and to the entire
    West. If confirmed, you are going to work alongside the
    Secretary to lead an agency with more than 70,000 employees.
    Department of Interior employees manage 20 percent of the
    nation's lands, including all of our national parks, our
    national monuments, our wildlife refuges, our multiple-use
    lands, and the Outer Continental Shelf. They also manage the
    largest water supply in the West, our nation's trust
    responsibilities to American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives,
    and our nation's responsibilities to U.S. territories and
    freely associated states. One of the most vital functions is
    overseeing the development of traditional and renewable energy
    supplies on public lands and waters.
        In Wyoming, we are proud to be America's leading producer
    of coal, uranium, trona, and bentonite. Almost 50 percent of
    Wyoming's surface area and 69 percent of Wyoming's minerals are
    owned by the Federal Government. Energy production on public
    lands is the engine of Wyoming's economy. It creates good-
    paying jobs. It provides tremendous revenue for our state. In
    Wyoming, energy and mineral activity on Department of Interior
    land had a $17.3 billion economic impact in 2019 and supported
    over 57,000 jobs. For years, the State of Wyoming has collected
    over $1 billion annually in royalties and taxes from energy
    production on federal lands. Wyoming is not the only state that
    benefits from energy production on public lands. Mr.
    Beaudreau's home State of Alaska and Secretary Haaland's home
    State of New Mexico, as well as many others, rely on the
    production of oil and natural gas on public lands.
        Mr. Beaudreau, you know from personal experience the
    critical importance of energy production to the livelihoods of
    Americans all across the United States. In 2013, you came
    before this Committee as President Obama's nominee to be
    Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management and
    Budget. You testified that your family moved to Alaska so your
    father could ``get a good job working in the Prudhoe Bay oil
    field on the North Slope,'' as Senator Manchin has mentioned.
    You stated, ``Because of my upbringing I have a firsthand
    understanding of the importance of responsible resource
    development to the economic well-being of communities and
    families.'' Your appreciation of the benefits that energy
    production on public lands affords to millions of Americans is
    very welcome news. If you are confirmed it is imperative that
    you keep those Americans who have jobs in energy production on
    public lands at the forefront of your mind. The Biden
    Administration seems intent on destroying the livelihoods of
    oil, natural gas, and coal workers in the West, seems to want
    to rip away all the advantages in the traditional energy
    production that those sources bring to our states, our local
    communities, and our families. Mr. Beaudreau, the Biden
    Administration has given every indication that it wants to
    throw oil and gas workers, who have jobs like your father's,
    out of work. So I hope that if you are confirmed you can serve
    as a voice of reason in an Administration that is waging an
    economic war on energy workers in my state and across the
    country.
        I want to thank the Chair and look forward to your
    testimony. Thank you, Mr. Beaudreau.
        The Chairman. Thank you, Senator.
        The rules of the Committee, which apply to all nominees,
    require they be sworn in connection with their testimony. So
    Mr. Beaudreau, if you would please stand and raise your right
    hand?
        Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to
    give to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
    shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,
    so help you God?
        Mr. Beaudreau. I do.
        The Chairman. Please be seated.
        Before you begin your statement, Mr. Beaudreau, I will ask
    you three questions addressed to each nominee before the
    Committee.
        Will you be available to appear before the Committee and
    other Congressional committees to represent the Department's
    position and respond to issues of concern to the Congress?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes.
        The Chairman. Are you aware of any personal holdings,
    investments, or interests that could constitute a conflict of
    interest or create the appearance of such a conflict should you
    be confirmed and assume the office to which you have been
    nominated by the President?
        Mr. Beaudreau. No.
        The Chairman. Are you involved or do you have any assets
    held in a blind trust?
        Mr. Beaudreau. No.
        The Chairman. You are now recognized, Mr. Beaudreau, to
    give your statement. Please proceed.

        STATEMENT OF TOMMY P. BEAUDREAU, NOMINATED TO BE DEPUTY
                       SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR

        Mr. Beaudreau. Thank you so much, Chairman Manchin, Ranking
    Member Barrasso, and the members of the Senate Energy and
    Natural Resources Committee. I'm honored to be with you today
    as President Joe Biden's nominee to be the Deputy Secretary of
    the Department of the Interior. I'm very happy to be appearing
    before this Committee again.
        I am joined this morning by my wife, Carrie, and my two
    sons, Alex and Auggie. I thank their school for allowing them
    to be with me today for this hearing. Alex graduates next
    month, so I'm pretty sure he doesn't mind missing class at all.
    If I may, I will begin with a brief personal introduction which
    will help explain why I'm here today seeking your consent to
    return to the Interior Department as Secretary Haaland's Deputy
    and the Department's Chief Operating Officer.
        I am and always will be a Westerner. I was born in
    Colorado, and my first home was in a small town called Brush in
    Morgan County. My father was a Marine who served in Vietnam,
    and, as Senator Barrasso pointed out, in the late 1970s he got
    a job working in the Prudhoe Bay field on the North Slope and
    moved my family to Alaska where I was raised and graduated from
    high school. I'll always be grateful for my upbringing in
    Alaska. Alaska is where I learned to hunt, fish, ski, backpack,
    and appreciate the beauty, adventure, and the power of
    America's vast landscapes and wild places. I am proud to say
    that my children are developing their own connections with the
    outdoors. Alex takes frequent weekend camping trips and hiking
    trips to national and state parks in Virginia and Maryland, and
    I joined Auggie for his first wilderness backpacking adventure
    in Olympic National Park two summers ago.
        Secretary Salazar brought me into the Interior Department
    in 2010 to help the Department respond to the Deepwater Horizon
    crisis and implement sweeping reforms to the federal offshore
    oil and gas oversight, including the successful reorganization
    of the offshore regulator. These reforms withstood a change in
    administration because the case for the reorganization was
    compelling. We enlisted the career staff to help define the
    responsibilities and design the functions of the new agencies,
    and we worked with Congress and this Committee to stand up the
    agencies and ensure that they were properly resourced. My
    perspective on leadership as well as my understanding of how to
    be effective in government also is shaped by my unique career
    path at Interior. I started at DOI as a Senior Advisor in an
    agency that no longer exists. Secretary Salazar appointed me to
    be the first Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
    where, among other things, I conducted the first offshore wind
    lease sales in the United States. I also served as the Acting
    Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management overseeing
    several agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management.
    Finally, I spent three years as the Department's Chief of Staff
    under Secretary Sally Jewell. All of these roles and
    experiences have given me a profound respect for the work of
    the 70,000 career staff at the Interior Department.
        When I first joined government, then-Deputy Secretary David
    Hayes told me I could expect to meet two kinds of folks in
    government, show horses and work horses. I love the Interior
    Department because it is truly a team of work horses, which
    brings us to today. If confirmed, I would be honored and
    humbled to rejoin the Interior Department and to work with
    Secretary Haaland. Secretary Haaland has inspired millions of
    Americans with her historic vision for the Department, and I
    will be deeply invested in supporting her in achieving that
    vision, promoting equity and confronting injustice; bringing
    America's lands, water, and people to bear in tackling the
    great climate and conservation crises facing us today; and
    ensuring that the nation's public lands and wildlife are
    conserved for future generations. Interior is front and center
    in meeting the Biden Administration's targets for reducing
    greenhouse gas emissions. This effort includes bringing public
    lands and waters to bear in building a clean energy economy
    that supports good-paying union jobs as well as strengthening
    working communities. Interior brings to the table the premier
    science agency in the Federal Government, the USGS, and is on
    the front lines addressing drought and partnering across the
    Federal Government and with Western states to combat wildfire.
        As stated by the Supreme Court, the Federal Government has
    charged itself with moral obligations of the highest
    responsibilities and trust toward Native Americans.
    Fundamentally, this responsibility means honoring the
    government-to-government relationship with tribes, including
    through genuine and meaningful consultation, respecting tribal
    sovereignty, and recognizing that self-determination is the
    path to strengthening communities and living up to the United
    States trust and treaty obligations.
        Interior, as steward of the national parks, public lands,
    and largest wildlife refuge system in the world, has the
    awesome responsibility to conserve these lands, nature, and
    wildlife for the benefit of all Americans and for future
    generations. I'm grateful to this Committee and to Congress for
    its investments in protecting our shared heritage and legacy to
    the Great American Outdoors Act and funding the Land and Water
    Conservation Fund. If confirmed, I will have an open door and
    an open mind to the important challenges that are before all of
    us. I hope this hearing will be the first of many conversations
    I have with each of you, and thank you, and I'm ready to answer
    your questions.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Beaudreau follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Beaudreau.
        I will start with the questioning. The United States became
    a net total energy exporter in 2019 for the first time in 67
    years, in large part due to the surge of domestic oil and gas
    production. Do you believe that it is in our best interest to
    maintain our energy independence?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, I believe it is extremely important on
    the national stage that America maintain its energy security.
        The Chairman. Do you believe that we can strike the right
    balance between environmental protection and responsible energy
    development so that we can maintain our energy security and
    independence without sacrificing our environmental quality?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes.
        The Chairman. Each year, the Office of Surface Mining
    transfers up to $750 million to the United Mine Workers of
    America (UMWA) Health and Retirement Fund. This is because in
    1946 the Federal Government made a promise to the UMWA, the
    only one that we have ever had between labor and government. In
    1940, the Federal Government made that promise. It was called
    the Krug-Lewis Agreement that ensured hard-earned health care
    and retirement benefits would be secured for the lifetimes of
    back-breaking work in the coal mines. These programs are very
    important to coal miners, their widows, and their dependents.
    So will you commit to ensure the timely and uneventful transfer
    of funds from the Office of Surface Mining to the necessary
    UMWA funds as directed by Congress?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Senator, the AML program is a tremendous
    success story. In my previous service at the Interior
    Department, it was always an important moment to be able to
    oversee the transfer of those funds. Obviously, I haven't been
    at the Department for some time now, but with your consent when
    I return, I absolutely will look into the program.
        The Chairman. I believe more needs to be done to reduce
    methane venting and flaring, and we have been told that
    methane, the venting of methane, is 84 times more detrimental
    to our environment than just CO2. So we know it is
    very lethal. The other thing is, it has a value to it. So do
    you believe that there is an opportunity from the federal
    lands, both to mitigate an environmental impact of this
    extremely potent greenhouse gas and to ensure taxpayers receive
    a fair return for the resources? We already have technologies
    to reduce methane emissions, and we will continue that
    innovation, but one of the missing pieces seems to be the
    gathering lines. The gathering lines that it takes to take the
    methane from the well head to the main pipeline and ultimately
    to market, instead of venting or flaring it. What role does the
    Bureau of Land Management play in approving the construction of
    gathering lines?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thank you for the question, Senator. There
    is no doubt that--and President Biden has spoken about this,
    and Secretary Haaland has spoken about it--we absolutely need
    to address greenhouse gas emissions emanating from public
    lands, and that includes methane. It's an important part of the
    challenge facing us with respect to climate, and, as you
    pointed out, that resource belongs to the American people, and
    to have it vented or flared or wasted is not only not in the
    American people's interest but is contrary to law. If I return
    to the Interior Department, I'll work across the board to
    develop solutions to prevent the waste of that resource, both
    for the benefit of the taxpayer and the benefit of our fight
    against climate change.
        The Chairman. There are steps that will need to be taken,
    basically, to make sure that we can get the product to market,
    and the lack of gathering lines is what is impeding it right
    now, and they are flaring it because flaring is better than
    just venting it. So it is going to be all-hands-on-deck on that
    one.
        The 1872 Mining Laws for hard rock mining, do you have any
    comments on that and the need to upgrade that?
        Mr. Beaudreau. So----
        The Chairman. It has been quite a while since we have
    approached this. The last time was 1872.
        Mr. Beaudreau. I will say, I consider myself extremely
    fortunate to be present today for your honoring of Sam Fowler's
    long career here at the Senate.
        The Chairman. Well, he does not go back to 1872.
        Mr. Beaudreau. No, but he----
        The Chairman. But he understands----
        Mr. Beaudreau. He and I have joked and made observations
    about this, and so our view is it would be great to bring that
    law into the 21st century and if we can't, at least the 20th
    century.
        The Chairman. If you can give me just a quick, because my
    time is running out, a little bit. I know you were very much
    involved in offshore wind along the Atlantic Coast. Can you
    explain to me what we can do and why you think it is such a
    valuable resource that we should be developing?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Offshore wind, so President Biden, Secretary
    Haaland have talked about building a clean energy economy. The
    potential that offshore wind has is three-fold. One, producing
    30,000 megawatts of clean energy by 2030. Two, it aligns with
    the state goals to bring that energy in that's really created
    the market that's unlocked offshore wind potential. And it
    means jobs. And so, part of the President's entire program
    around clean energy is not only to fight climate change but to
    bring high-paying, union, domestic jobs through the clean
    energy sector, and offshore wind will be a big part of that.
        The Chairman. Thank you.
        Senator Barrasso.
        Senator Barrasso. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. Beaudreau, I have a couple of questions along the lines
    of how Senator Manchin started his questioning. Just as a
    general matter, should the Federal Government continue to
    permit oil and gas wells in this country?
        Mr. Beaudreau. I think the Administration has been clear
    that permitting of oil and gas will continue even during the
    penancy of the Interior Department's review of the BLM's oil
    and gas programs.
        Senator Barrasso. As a general matter, should the Federal
    Government continue to permit coal mines in this country?
        Mr. Beaudreau. I think, again, the Administration has been
    clear that we need to answer the bell in terms of reducing
    carbon emissions emanating from public lands, and while we step
    up to do that the programs will continue.
        Senator Barrasso. As a general matter, should the Federal
    Government continue to process actions related to coal mines
    already authorized and permitted in this country?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes.
        Senator Barrasso. As a general matter, should the Federal
    Government continue to permit copper, lithium, and other hard
    rock mines in this country?
        Mr. Beaudreau. There's no question that critical minerals
    play a role in advanced technology development as well as
    renewable energy. Responsible mining is something that I look
    forward to, if I'm confirmed and joining the Department,
    helping to oversee. But we do, as everyone on this Committee
    appreciates, we must be extremely attuned not only to the
    potential environmental effects, but potential effects on
    historic and cultural resources.
        Senator Barrasso. General matter, should the Federal
    Government continue to permit natural gas pipelines in this
    country?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Again, as I discussed with Senator Manchin,
    we need to look at ways of preventing waste of that resource as
    well as preventing it from being released into the atmosphere,
    and if I return to the Interior Department, I will have an open
    mind about all potential solutions to accomplish those goals.
        Senator Barrasso. As a general matter, should the Federal
    Government continue to permit oil pipelines in the country?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Similar answer, sir.
        Senator Barrasso. General matter, should the Federal
    Government continue to permit electric transmission lines in
    the country?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes. Transmission and modernization of the
    grid are critical to achieving President Biden's goals for a
    clean energy economy.
        Senator Barrasso. General matter, should the Federal
    Government continue to permit natural gas and nuclear power
    plants in the country?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Again, the overall climate picture requires
    bold action. I believe the President has articulated that
    vision. If I'm confirmed, it'll be first and foremost among my
    responsibilities to achieve that. And again, I will be open to
    solutions to get us there.
        Senator Barrasso. I want to visit about grazing. You know,
    throughout the West there are hundreds of vacant allotments
    that could be permitted for grazing activities, and this would
    help ranchers and rural economies to be more resilient when
    disasters or drought strikes. That is why last week I
    introduced a bill called the RANCH Act, stands for Resiliency
    for Ranching and Natural Conservation Health Act. The bill will
    allow temporary use of vacant grazing allotments during extreme
    weather events and disasters. Currently the vacant allotments
    need updated environmental reviews under NEPA. So, if
    confirmed, would you commit to prioritizing vacant allotments
    in NEPA evaluations for future livestock grazing?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thank you for describing your bill. If I'm
    confirmed, I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and looking
    into that. I also believe strongly that conservation includes
    partnerships, especially in the American West, and working with
    ranching and farming communities are extremely important to
    helping step up to meet the conservation crisis. And so, yes, I
    will work with you on those issues.
        Senator Barrasso. Thank you.
        I want to ask about the 30 by 30 initiative. You know,
    President Biden issued an Executive Order establishing a
    directive to conserve at least 30 percent of America's land and
    waters by 2030. This does not define what constitutes
    conservation, and it is really unclear what percentage of
    America's lands would be impacted. According to the U.S.
    Geological Survey, about 12 percent of America's lands are
    currently permanently protected. So to raise that number from
    12 to 30 you would need to keep land off limits to multiple use
    equal to seven times the size of the State of Wyoming. You are
    talking about vast amounts of the United States. I am wondering
    how the 30 by 30 initiative is consistent with multiple-use,
    private landownership in the country, voluntary conservation
    efforts. I do not know if you have any thoughts on that?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, and again, I look forward to joining
    the Administration to advance the 30 by 30 initiative, if I'm
    confirmed. I think Secretary Haaland has said it best.
    Conservation, in order to meet the 30 by 30 goals, is about
    partnerships. It's about inclusivity. It's about working with
    folks on the ground. And your mention about grazing and
    ranching and agricultural communities absolutely should be a
    part of that effort. And so, I think there are real
    opportunities across the board to achieve those goals by
    working together.
        Senator Barrasso. Finally, in his first few weeks in office
    President Biden issued orders banning new oil and natural gas
    leasing on federal lands and waters. It is estimated that a
    long-term leasing ban will cost my home State of Wyoming about
    33,000 jobs, over $1 billion in royalties and in taxes which
    are collected annually on oil, gas, and coal production on
    federal lands within our borders. This money is a principal
    source of funding for public education, for roads, for water
    projects, other essential services. So we need lease sales to
    resume, and it is not just Wyoming, it is the Rocky Mountain
    West. How quickly can we get back to the legally required lease
    sale process?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yeah, thank you for that question. There is
    no doubt in my mind that the BLM and the federal oil and gas
    leasing program needs modernization and needs reform in order
    to address, among other things, the climate crisis and to
    achieve fair value for taxpayers. I appreciate your points
    about the uncertainty that pausing leasing may cause, and I
    look forward when I join the Interior Department, with your
    consent, to participating in the review of the program and
    charting the path forward for the program.
        The Chairman. Thank you, Senator.
        Now we have Senator King by WebEx.
        Senator King. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        First, I want to join your congratulations of Sam for his
    extraordinary service to the Committee over 30 years. That is
    an amazing record, and I just want to thank him for all that he
    has done for us.
        Mr. Beaudreau, first, there has been some criticism of your
    nomination because of your associations in your private sector
    experience in recent years with fossil fuel companies and other
    commercial entities that may have an interest in the work that
    comes before the Department of the Interior. Can you answer
    those questions and address any allegations of conflict of
    interest or tainting of your views in terms of the issues that
    will come before the Department?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yeah, thank you for very much for that
    question, Senator King.
        I have been in government service for a long period of time
    during the Obama Administration. I am accepting of the scrutiny
    and criticism that comes with holding these roles. I'll admit
    that I'm a little bewildered by some of the criticism given
    what I believe was a very strong track record during the Obama
    Administration on conservation, including things we worked
    together on in Maine and, for example, the designation of
    Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and my reputation
    as a regulator, both tough but, I think, fair minded.
        In terms of the ethics rules, I've already begun working
    with the career ethics staff at the Interior Department to
    ensure that procedures are in place to ensure and obviously I
    will be mindful at all times about complying with my ethical
    obligations as I have in the past.
        Senator King. I want to be clear that I do not necessarily
    hold those concerns, but I wanted to give you an opportunity to
    address them simply because they will be part of our Committee
    consideration of your nomination.
        One comment, and perhaps you could respond. The National
    Park Service has been leaderless for four or five years, four
    years anyway. What kind of priority do you place upon helping
    the President and the Secretary to find a Director of the
    National Park Service and making sure that we have consistent
    and strong leadership in charge of that critically important
    part of our federal responsibility?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, thank you, Senator. I couldn't agree
    more with that sentiment. The National Park Service is
    essential to connecting the American people with our shared
    natural resources and encouraging a next generation of
    Americans to be involved in conservation. In order to carry
    those values forward, I agree with you. I think it's extremely
    important that the National Park Service have a Director.
        Senator King. I am going to go out on a limb and predict
    that this summer is going to be the biggest summer ever for the
    national parks, and we better be ready. As you and I have
    discussed in our meeting prior to this hearing, we really need
    to talk about the national parks in terms of the pressure on
    them. That brings me to the Great American Outdoors Act. The
    implementation of the Great American Outdoors Act, which
    involves both the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the
    Restore our Parks Act, maintenance in the parks, is critically
    important. Here in Congress, we can provide the vision, but
    your agency has to provide the implementation.
        Is this going to be a priority for you when you go into
    office, and will you commit now to being clear and transparent
    with this Committee in terms of the steps taken by the
    Administration to implement the Great American Outdoors Act?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, thank you for that. As I said in my
    opening statement, I am profoundly appreciative of the work of
    this Committee and Congress to pass the Great American Outdoors
    Act and to bring much needed resources into the Park Service
    and our public lands. We've talked for many, many years about
    the maintenance backlog and infrastructure crisis facing the
    national parks and to have Congress step up in such a
    significant way to address that problem is really amazing. I
    know everyone has frustrations sometimes about getting stuff
    done, Congress really got some important work done and, yes, I
    look forward to working with the Interior Department and this
    Committee on making sure that we bring maximum value out of
    each one of those dollars.
        Senator King. And will you commit to remaining in close
    contact with this Committee on the implementation in a fully
    transparent way?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes.
        Senator King. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        The Chairman. Thank you, Senator.
        Next, we have Senator Hyde-Smith.
        Senator Hyde-Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you
    Mr. Beaudreau for being here and your willingness to serve.
    Congratulations on your nomination, and I certainly hope that
    today's hearing will have the answers that we are seeking of
    how you would assist the Secretary.
        One of the things that I am concerned about from my home
    State of Mississippi is forestry is just such an important part
    of Mississippi economy. It is 46,000 jobs and nearly $2 billion
    in payroll and contributing more than $8 billion to the state's
    sales and manufacturing economy. So we are a wood basket in
    Mississippi, and we have plenty of that, and it is just very
    important. But multiple countries and intergovernmental
    organizations have declared that forest management and biomass
    play an essential role in an all-in approach to reduce
    dependence on fossil fuels.
        Mr. Beaudreau, what role can sustainable biomass play in
    our nation's overall energy strategy, and what is your
    understanding of how strong forest products markets benefit
    rural communities such as the ones that we have in Mississippi
    that really depend on this?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thank you very much for that question.
        I recall during the previous Administration listening very
    closely to Secretary Vilsack on exactly these issues and his
    belief in the role that the Forest Service has on that type of
    resource. And I can tell you, if I'm confirmed and join the
    Interior Department, that I will be committed to one, an open
    mind on all of those potential resources, again, to meet, among
    other things, the climate crisis, and two, be absolutely
    committed to making the best use of science to inform those
    decisions.
        Senator Hyde-Smith. Thank you for that answer. I want to
    focus on your experiences as former Director of the Bureau of
    Ocean Energy Management to expand upon the issue of offshore
    oil and gas leasing in the Gulf of Mexico. I know you have been
    asked about this, but not everybody has had the chance to ask
    you the same question. In an interview you gave in 2013 you
    stated that the Gulf has tremendous resource potential, but it
    is also one of the most mature fields in the entire world and
    has a very sophisticated, widespread infrastructure. Given the
    detrimental impact that pausing offshore oil and gas leasing
    has for the Gulf Coast and the Gulf States, how do you view the
    Gulf in terms of American oil and gas production now and in the
    future?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, thanks very much for that question. I
    do have, you know, based on my previous roles, a very good
    understanding of the Gulf of Mexico and the offshore oil and
    gas industry like the entire federal management of oil and gas
    in those programs, it is appropriate and as Secretary Haaland
    has articulated, necessary to undertake a review of those
    programs, how they're implemented, including through the lens
    of fair return to the taxpayer and climate. I believe that the
    offshore industry should be at the table for all those
    discussions as reflected during the roundtable hosted by
    Secretary Haaland to discuss the review of the oil and gas
    program. It's important that that industry be at the table
    because I believe they can offer a lot of solutions to move the
    ball forward on achieving these goals.
        Senator Hyde-Smith. And when do you think the
    Administration should lift its freezes on new offshore leases?
        Mr. Beaudreau. So I'm not in the Administration yet. I
    haven't been part of the discussions with respect to the
    review. If I'm confirmed, I'd look forward to joining those
    discussions and working with the Department and the full range
    of stakeholders necessary to plot out the appropriate path for
    the offshore oil and gas programs. And so, I don't have that
    direct answer to that question of how long the review should
    be. It should be a thorough review. It should achieve the
    goals, as articulated by the President as well as the
    Secretary, and it should be mindful of, you know, uncertainty
    that is inherent to conducting those reviews. But at the end of
    the day, the program needs to be modernized, and I look forward
    to being part of that effort.
        Senator Hyde-Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield.
        The Chairman. Thank you, Senator.
        Now we have Senator Cortez Masto.
        Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and to Mr.
    Beaudreau, congratulations on your nomination.
        First of all, like everyone else, let me just recognize Sam
    as well for 30 years of service to the Committee. We are so
    fortunate to have your experience and your knowledge, and I
    look forward to continuing to work with you on the Committee.
    Thank you for your commitment.
        Mr. Beaudreau, we have talked. Thank you for taking the
    time to talk with me. As you well know, in Nevada, 85 percent
    of the land is owned by the Federal Government, and 60 percent
    of that is managed by the BLM. So our relationship with the
    Federal Government, particularly the Department of the
    Interior, is crucial to how we manage and develop our land in
    our state and make sure that everybody has an opportunity to
    thrive in the State of Nevada.
        So the first question I have for you--as you well know, we
    talked about this--the Las Vegas Valley in Clark County is home
    to nearly two million people, and it is growing. The valley is
    essentially land locked by Interior Department-managed lands,
    and the BLM is the manager of hundreds of small parcels
    throughout the metropolitan area there. In order for mundane
    city management actions to occur, it often requires
    collaboration with federal land managers. In order to ensure
    local land management needs are being met and to support our
    local government facilitating a growing population and economic
    diversification efforts, the Interior Department must be
    focused and be a present partner. It will require BLM to
    prioritize permitting and realty applications. It will require
    greater alignment between BLM and state and local governments
    on renewable energy and transmission siting. It will require
    prioritizing the distribution of funds from the Southern Nevada
    Public Land Management Act's special account for regional
    conservation and environmental enhancement projects, among
    other priorities. Mr. Beaudreau, can I have your commitment
    that you will prioritize efficient land management and greater
    collaboration in Southern Nevada with all of the key
    stakeholders and leaders there?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, thank you very much. And again, thank
    you for taking some time to visit with me in advance of the
    hearing.
        I look forward to, with your consent, rejoining the
    Interior Department. In my previous roles in the Department, I
    worked very hard and very closely with the BLM on the full
    range of issues facing Nevada that you describe and,
    absolutely, I'm committed to continuing that work and would
    look forward to doing so.
        Senator Cortez Masto. Wonderful.
        The other area or component that is important for us in
    Nevada involves critical mineral development. Outside of a few
    domestic mines, including our nation's only lithium mine exists
    in the State of Nevada, critical minerals are produced outside
    of the country. Our country has a very small critical mineral
    supply chain industry, and we rely heavily on foreign countries
    for procurement, processing, and manufacturing of these
    materials. What do you see as the Interior Department's role in
    fostering the development of a domestic critical mineral supply
    chain?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, thanks very much.
        Critical minerals are, I mean, they're well named, right?
    It's essential to not only unlocking the renewable energy
    potential and the future clean energy economy that President
    Biden and Secretary Haaland seek to build, it is also essential
    to driving technological innovation where the United States is
    a leader and needs to continue to be. So I look forward, if I'm
    confirmed, to continuing to work on the Interior Department's
    role in overseeing hard rock mining, including with respect to
    critical minerals to ensure that those resources would be
    responsibly developed, but also, especially in an
    environmentally sensitive way and in a way that is considerate
    of and avoids impacts to cultural and historic resources.
        Senator Cortez Masto. Great, thank you.
        And then, let me touch on one other area: wildfire
    prevention, suppression, and restoration. We have seen the
    devastating impact of wildfires in our state. Most of that is
    rangeland and wildland urban interface areas where the fires
    have occurred. And key to that prevention, suppression, and
    restoration is collaboration amongst the federal agencies, not
    just with our state and local government leaders but with
    private ranchers and individuals that can really be good, great
    partners in not only helping to prevent and suppress but
    restoring the land after a fire. So if confirmed, would you
    commit to a greater amount of prevention, suppression, and
    restoration resources to the rangeland and wildland urban
    interface areas?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thank you.
        Wildfire, especially in the American West, I mean, we used
    to talk about wildfire seasons, and even that concept is
    becoming a difficult one given the expanded and, you know,
    greater intensity of wildfire across the American West. And so
    yes, I couldn't agree more that all-hands-on deck, all
    partnerships need to be brought to bear on meeting that
    challenge.
        Senator Cortez Masto. Mr. Beaudreau, thank you.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        The Chairman. Thank you, Senator.
        Now we have Senator Lankford.
        Senator Lankford. Chairman, thank you very much.
        Mr. Beaudreau, good to see you again. Thanks for our
    conversation before to be able to go through some issues here.
    I need to just provide a little bit of clarity here for the
    public record. Do you believe that on federal lands we should
    be able to use federal lands to explore for critical minerals,
    rare earth minerals, and any other mineral that may be there
    for the public good?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thank you for that question.
        The answer is yes, subject to the environmental and
    cultural, historic safeguards that we've talked about.
        Senator Lankford. Right, are those anything different than
    what has existed in the past? Do you feel like those have not
    been honored in the recent days?
        Mr. Beaudreau. So, again, not being in the Department yet,
    if I'm confirmed, I do think it is essential, as I mentioned in
    my opening statement, that with respect to, you know, the full
    range of responsibilities that the Federal Government has and
    the Interior Department has, I do think we need to do better
    relative to Indian Country around issues of consultation and
    respect for tribal sovereignty and self-determination, and that
    will have a role, again, across all of the Interior
    Department's responsibilities, including with respect to hard
    rock mining.
        Senator Lankford. I would agree on that as well. Several of
    the tribes have asked, very point blank, is this new
    Administration going to step in and going to prevent us on
    tribal lands from being able to explore for energy? You and I
    have spoken before about the Osage Nation and their Minerals
    Council and the challenges they have had with DOI since 2014,
    that the rules were changed, they cannot get access to land
    records without doing a FOIA request and is dramatically slowed
    the process for energy development there based on that demand
    for a FOIA request which was unusual, to say the least, and
    unique to them. Is that something you would be willing to be
    able to explore when you get there, why that is happening and
    how that could be expedited?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yeah, and thank you for raising that issue,
    and we talked a little bit about it earlier this week in our
    meeting. I'm not familiar with it, but, absolutely, I will look
    into that if I'm confirmed and join the Department.
        Senator Lankford. That would be great. Thank you.
        The McGirt decision in the Supreme Court, obviously, is
    significant for all tribes, but especially for Five Tribes in
    Oklahoma, in particular. That particular decision was a
    criminal decision, is that correct, based on your
    interpretation of the reading of that law, of the, actually it
    was passed by the Supreme Court?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, the specific controversy at issue in
    the McGirt decision had to do with criminal jurisdiction.
        Senator Lankford. Do you have a sense that McGirt decision
    from the Supreme Court changed the authorities that the
    Department of the Interior has in that area based on the
    decision that the court came down with?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, thank you. So, as you know, the McGirt
    decision was heralded across the country and especially in
    Indian Country for representing a powerful acknowledgement by
    the Supreme Court of the Federal Government's trust and treaty
    responsibilities. I have not undertaken a, you know, a review
    of that decision in the context of the Interior Department's
    authorities but, if confirmed, I look forward to doing so.
        Senator Lankford. Yes, I look forward to that conversation.
    Obviously, the Department of the Interior has already reached
    out and started the process of changing their authorities based
    on the McGirt decision, and we are trying to explore what does
    that mean, and where is that coming from, and where is the
    consultation with the tribes and with the state, and is that
    still occurring? Tribes will need engagement from the
    Department of the Interior in this transition. Is this
    something the Department of the Interior would continue to be
    able to engage with tribes as they ask questions, as they try
    to be able to deal with the decisions on the McGirt decision as
    well?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Absolutely, that is, as Secretary Haaland
    has said very clearly, that is one of this Administration's top
    priorities.
        Senator Lankford. Mr. Beaudreau, we have 2.6 million miles
    of pipeline in the ground right now across the country, and
    some people think pipelines are new or rare. We have 2.6
    million miles of pipeline across the country. Do you think
    existing pipeline owners should be able to have access to the
    right of way to be able to inspect, to be able to repair, to be
    able to do what they need to on that existing pipeline in the
    ground?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thank you.
        As a general matter, pipeline operations have
    responsibilities for the maintenance and oversight of pipelines
    in order to ensure they're safely operated and, among other
    things, controlling potential fugitive emissions. Each
    circumstance, obviously, is unique; it needs to be considered
    on its own merits, but, yes, the maintenance of pipelines for
    safety and environmental purposes is important.
        Senator Lankford. Thank you.
        Mr. Chairman, I will submit one more question for the
    record dealing with the Endangered Species that will be
    important to all of us as well, but thank you for your
    testimony.
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thank you.
        The Chairman. Thank you.
        Senator Murkowski.
        Senator Murkowski. Mr. Chairman, thank you. Mr. Beaudreau,
    welcome, it is good to see you before the Committee again. I,
    too, want to acknowledge Sam Fowler a little. There he is back
    there. Sam, 30 years, you have not only been advising me, but
    you have been advising other Murkowskis, and I think Mr.
    Beaudreau probably has had the benefit of your guidance and
    wisdom as well. So thank you for your years of dedication.
        So a couple of things, and I do appreciate our conversation
    on the phone. It is important that we get updated here.
        We have used the expression in Alaska that the Department
    of the Interior is our landlord. Under the Trump
    Administration, I really felt like the Federal Government went
    from landlord status to more of a partner status. Right now, I
    am not feeling that same partner status. I am starting to feel
    more like a tenant to the Department of the Interior's
    landlord. And so, I want to get back to that partnership, and I
    think that you can be one that can help us do that. You have
    had experience in Alaska. You know and understand the value of
    development of our public lands recognizing the very special
    nature of them, but also the great contribution that these
    resources can provide to us all.
        So I am hoping that as you move forward, I am assuming you
    will make it through this process and become confirmed, but my
    hope is that you will see that some of the very directed
    initiatives that have, kind of, come out of the Administration
    in the very early days, these Executive orders, seven of them,
    were directly targeted toward Alaska, called us out. Folks back
    home are looking at this as a significant threat to our
    responsible resource development in the state.
        I guess I would just like for you to state on the record
    what will your approach be to responsible oil, gas, and mineral
    resource development on public lands, particularly in Alaska
    and then, more specific, if you could detail for me your
    understanding as to the impact on a state like Alaska when you
    have a pause or a halt for two years on permitting, drilling,
    or development of existing leases and here the code to you is
    Willow, recognizing and understanding what that means to delay
    a project like Willow that has been decades in the process
    through multiple Administrations beginning with the Obama
    Administration, but again, allowing for a couple thousand
    construction jobs, considerable resources, not only to the
    State of Alaska but to the Federal Treasury and to those
    contributions. So it is a wide-ranging question, but I would
    like your response here.
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thank you very much, Senator Murkowski, and
    thank you for welcoming me back to the Committee.
        We've worked together a lot over the years, including
    during the Obama Administration, and fundamental to that
    working relationship between the Department, the State of
    Alaska and the Department, and the Alaskan delegation has been,
    in my view, transparency, honesty, and good communication. I
    will say some of the most harrowing experiences of my career
    have been sitting in your office and talking about issues that
    I know we had a difference of opinion on. I managed to come out
    of each of those meetings with all of my limbs which I was
    thankful for, but I'm also thankful for a number of times,
    including in the Obama Administration, when we were able to
    work together and come up with solutions that were good for the
    state, good for the United States, and good for the Interior
    Department, and it was one of my proudest moments to come to
    your office and let you know that the President and Secretary
    Jewell were restoring the name of Denali in advance of
    President Obama's trip to the state.
        So that's a long way of saying I have a deep appreciation
    for how important energy development is for the state, and I
    also have a deep appreciation for how important close work with
    the state, state officials, local communities, Alaska Natives,
    and this delegation represented on the Committee is. I'm
    pleased to say that I've started having these conversations
    again with a host of folks, including the Alaska Federation of
    Natives, and I look forward to taking those relationships and
    conversations forward.
        Senator Murkowski. As you point out, we have a lot to do.
    We are certainly still trying to provide for a level of
    environmental justice, if you will, to the good people of King
    Cove after these many years trying to get a simple road to be
    able to access a lifesaving runway over in Cold Bay. We need
    you to be working with us on these PLOs, the withdrawal that,
    again, I think, was not only extraordinarily unfortunate and
    short-sighted when that decision was made just a couple months
    ago. But again, the impact to our Alaska Native veterans who
    have been waiting decades now to be able to select their Native
    allotments and who are now facing yet even more delay due to
    the actions of the Administration with regards to these
    withdrawals. So we have a lot of work to do to help a lot of
    people, and I am looking forward to moving quickly to resolve
    some of these long-standing issues.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        The Chairman. Thank you, Senator.
        And now, Senator Daines.
        Senator Daines. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Beaudreau,
    welcome.
        As you know, Montana is home to hundreds of wildlife
    species, several of which are either endangered or threatened.
    Unfortunately, the Endangered Species program is broken. If you
    look at the data, less than four percent of species listed have
    ever recovered. Due to litigation, in fact, like the 2015
    Cottonwood case and the recent Grizzly Bear lawsuit, our
    limited resources are not always going to species that need it
    most. And more often than not, landowners view ESA decisions as
    punitive, heavy-handed which can actually hinder conservation
    efforts. One sage Montanan said the Endangered Species Act
    (ESA) is like a 40-year-old ranch pickup. It once served a
    useful purpose, but it is in bad need of repair. The Endangered
    Species program is broken, and what areas would you prioritize
    for improving, if you are confirmed?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thanks very much.
        The Endangered Species Act has been a really powerful tool
    for wildlife and habitat conservation. And so, I believe,
    overall, the Endangered Species Act has been a tremendous
    success story. It has recovered, as you know, species like the
    Bald Eagle and has been very effective in protecting habitat.
    In terms of implementation of the Endangered Species Act going
    forward, if I'm confirmed, I bring the same principles to bear
    that I always have while at the Interior Department, and that
    is to be grounded in the science first and foremost and to work
    closely with the Fish and Wildlife Service as well as state
    wildlife agencies to ensure that species recover, are
    resilient, and can be success stories under the ESA.
        Senator Daines. Mr. Beaudreau, you brought up a good point
    around working with the states, and I think about Montanans,
    and nobody cares more about protecting Montana wildlife than
    Montanans, and we have seen that in the unprecedented
    investment in sage grouse conservation throughout the State of
    Montana. However, I am worried that if we do not adequately
    consider the state efforts in listing decisions and allow time
    to determine effectiveness, we might discourage future
    conservation and have an unintended consequence. Do you believe
    that states should be afforded time to play out, and should
    these efforts and plans be considered in listing decisions?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thanks very much.
        As, you know, during the Obama Administration we worked
    under Secretary Jewell's leadership, extremely hard with the
    Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, the
    Forest Service, and, especially, the states to develop plans
    for sage grouse and sage grouse habitat conservation. The
    states are critical to continuing with the conservation efforts
    for the benefit of the sage grouse, and so, to answer your
    question, absolutely, the states and state wildlife plans are
    essential to sage grouse conservation. It's an unlisted
    species.
        Senator Daines. Thank you, Mr. Beaudreau.
        Last month, the Fish and Wildlife Service determined that
    two, two grizzly bear populations in Montana had biologically
    recovered. Tragically, just a few weeks ago, we lost another
    Montanan to a grizzly bear mauling, just north of West
    Yellowstone. If confirmed, when wildlife populations or the
    population segments do meet the recovery criteria, would you
    support delisting the species and returning it to state
    management?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thanks very much.
        I have to return to those fundamental principles about
    being guided by the science, working closely with the Service,
    and understanding what the outlook is, both in terms of
    recovery and management and resiliency for the species. And so,
    I can commit to you that if confirmed and I join the
    Department, I will do all of that, you know, including with
    respect to the grizzly.
        Senator Daines. Thank you, Mr. Beaudreau.
        Another topic I want to talk about is the net zero carbon
    emissions the Biden Administration has set by 2050, that goal.
    Healthy forests, we believe out in Montana, are a fantastic way
    to store carbon, but Montana is one of seven states with
    forests that actually emit more carbon than they are storing.
    This is largely due to dying tree stands and massive reduction
    in wood products coming out of Montana. When I was a kid
    growing up there, we had 30 active sawmills. Today we are down
    to seven. The biggest issue has been not being able to get
    access to timber on public lands. Our carbon sequestration was
    actually the highest in the 1990s when timber harvests were
    much higher.
        My question, Mr. Beaudreau, is do you believe that
    increasing the scale of forest management should be a component
    of reducing our carbon emissions?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yeah, thank you very much.
        It is my view that there are forest management practices
    grounded in science that can be very effective in not only
    providing for sustained yield from timber on public lands but
    also improving the quality of forests as carbon sinks. This
    will be a major priority. It already is for the Interior
    Department, and, if confirmed, I look forward to becoming
    involved in those issues again.
        Senator Daines. Last, before I comment, I'll be done, Mr.
    Chairman.
        I am working to reintroduce a very bipartisan forestry bill
    with Senator Feinstein like we talked about on the call earlier
    this week. It would seek to really take that issue head on as
    California has faced catastrophic wildfires, as many of us
    across the West have, including my colleague to my left from
    Alaska, Senator Murkowski. Would you commit to work with us to
    help get a critical bill like that across the finish line?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, if confirmed, I would look forward to
    reviewing that legislation and as the Interior Department is
    very good at doing, providing any input and our thoughts on
    that legislation.
        Senator Daines. Thank you, Mr. Beaudreau.
        The Chairman. Thank you, Senator.
        Senator Cassidy.
        Senator Cassidy. Yes, sir. Thank you.
        I thank you, sir and thank you for your answers. Sometimes
    these nominees come in so coached you end up with nothing to
    think about except that they do not know how to answer a
    question. So I thank you for your, kind of, thoughtful
    responses. And I also thank you because it is clear that you
    are using science to, kind of, guide your decisions. I cannot
    help but note that when the President revoked the cross-border
    permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, an Obama Administration
    State Department report said, revoking such a permit would
    actually increase global greenhouse gas emissions. And I just
    say that, to, kind of, in context.
        We spoke, you have spoken already of the halt to the new
    lease scene on the Outer Continental Shelf. I am from
    Louisiana. Despite the EIA science saying that in 2019 methane
    emissions in federal waters accounted for roughly 2.5 percent
    of nationwide emissions while the Gulf accounted for 17 percent
    of nationwide production, and I am not quite sure the rationale
    of why they shut down the new leasing. Any thoughts about that?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thanks very much.
        You know, obviously, I'm not at the Interior Department yet
    and haven't been part of the review or internal discussions
    about how the review is proceeding. As I've spoken about before
    though, I think, the federal oil and gas programs, as
    administered by the Interior Department, ought to undergo a
    periodic review in order to understand----
        Senator Cassidy. Now, let me ask, let me ask, sir, because,
    again, you have been very straightforward, and I understand you
    are not in a position, and, by the way, I appreciate your dad
    worked on that pipeline. A lot of people from Louisiana did as
    well, and it just provides great jobs. You know that. My
    concern is the fact that they ignore the science on the
    Keystone XL pipeline that suggests that it is a politically
    motivated halt and that it is not just a temporary halt, but it
    evolves into something which will be permanent despite the
    science now saying that the ratio of emissions to the amount of
    production is the lowest in the world, if not the lowest, one
    of the lowest in the world.
        I ask you, are you aware, and I know you are, but this is
    for the record, that when you inject uncertainty into a leasing
    process that not just those who lease, but all the oil fields
    service industries, it stills investment, and those jobs that
    would normally be created begin to be shed because of the
    uncertainty. Is there any way that those involved in
    development of the Outer Continental Shelf should not receive
    this pause as creating uncertainty?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thank you.
        Again, not being at the Department I haven't been part of
    these conversations, but I have seen what Secretary Haaland,
    for example, has said about the review, and, during the
    roundtable that the Secretary convened, I think, what's very
    clear about the purpose of the review and the desire to have
    everybody at the table as part of it, including the offshore
    industry. And so, I appreciate very much your question. I
    appreciate very much the points about uncertainty, but I also
    have faith in the Secretary's statements about the purpose of
    the review, the intent of the review, and the desire to have it
    take into account all perspectives, including the regulated
    communities.
        Senator Cassidy. Let me ask you, again, just for the
    record. We have had testimony from others on this Committee
    before that developing, that producing oil and gas in the
    United States for domestic consumption has a lower greenhouse
    gas profile than if we import from elsewhere, if only because
    of the cost, the emissions profile of the transportation
    vessels which bring it here that is ignoring the ecologic
    impact of some countries having poor regulatory standards than
    we. Would you agree with that assessment?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thanks very much.
        I agree that as part of the review and, again, I'm not part
    of the review yet, but with the Committee's consent, and, if
    I'm confirmed and become part of it, I agree that the entire
    set of information, including what you've described needs to be
    considered in plotting the path forward for the Interior
    Department's oil and gas programs, including with respect to
    offshore.
        Senator Cassidy. And so, one more question, but I am out of
    time. I yield, sir, and I thank you for your commitment to
    serve our country.
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thank you, Senator.
        The Chairman. Thank you, Senator.
        Senator Hirono.
        Senator Hirono. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. Beaudreau, I ask every nominee on all of the committees
    I sit on the following two preliminary questions.
        The first question, since you became a legal adult, have
    you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors or committed
    any verbal or physical harassment or assault of a sexual
    nature?
        Mr. Beaudreau. No.
        Senator Hirono. Second question, have you ever faced
    discipline or entered into a settlement related to this kind of
    conduct?
        Mr. Beaudreau. No.
        Senator Hirono. When I spoke with Secretary Haaland ahead
    of her confirmation hearing, we discussed the unique importance
    of Hawaii's indigenous Native Hawaiian community, and I look
    forward to working with you and the rest of the Department as
    you work to support this community. So of course I would invite
    you to come to Hawaii so that you can meet with some of our
    Native Hawaiian leaders and come to an understanding of the
    uniqueness of the indigenous people of Hawaii.
        The other thing----
        Mr. Beaudreau. I absolutely accept that invitation.
        Senator Hirono. Great.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Hirono. What is not to like about coming to Hawaii?
        The United States enjoys unique and mutually beneficial
    relationships with the independent nations of the Republic of
    the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and
    the Republic of Palau. These nations are governed by compacts
    of, the relations as you say, are governed by compacts of free
    association, which promote U.S. national security interests
    while bolstering our alliances and aid and the development of
    these nations. Economic assistance provisions of the compacts,
    which are administered by the Department of the Interior, are
    set to expire in 2023 and 2024. Clearly these compacts are
    vital to our national interest, and I would like our country to
    do more to support these nations.
        So, if confirmed, will the Department provide my office and
    the Committee with regular updates on compact negotiations,
    especially with the view of what more we can be doing to
    support these nations?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, thank you very much for that question.
        Among the most important responsibilities that the Interior
    Department and the Secretary have are with respect to the U.S.
    territories and the freely associated states subject to those
    compacts. And so, absolutely, I believe it is extremely
    important to make sure that those relationships are supported,
    healthy, and that the compacts are fully well negotiated and
    work for the communities who, among other things, and we'll
    have these conversations as well, are, you know, on the front
    lines of issues like climate change and the potential for
    inundation. And so, we have, Senator, a lot of work to do, and
    I look forward to that.
        Senator Hirono. Thank you, because they do face some unique
    challenges, and it took me years to enable the COFA citizens to
    become eligible for Medicaid coverage--and that is not within
    your ``ko'ehana,'' as we say in Hawaiian--but these are the
    kinds of ways that we can be helpful to our COFA citizen
    friends.
        I think I have more time. So another issue that I would
    like to highlight is the importance of protecting Hawaii's
    native species. As this month is national Native Plant Month,
    it is important to note how Hawaii's native species, like the
    Ohi'a, are under continual threat. As the Department works to
    implement President Biden's conservation initiatives, like
    protecting 30 percent of land and water by 2030, outreach to
    local communities is crucial to ensure that efforts can be
    successfully implemented on the ground. I would like to be able
    to count on your Department to work with me and the
    stakeholders in Hawaii on advancing efforts to protect our
    native and endangered species, because we have more endangered
    species than any other state. We also have, well, let us just
    say that we want to have your assistance in protecting our
    native and endangered species.
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yeah, thank you, Senator.
        If confirmed, absolutely and I do have an appreciation for
    the vulnerability of Hawaii's native species to a host of
    threats including invasive species. And so, yes, and we also
    have a lot of work to do together on those issues.
        Senator Hirono. Thank you for understanding the nature of
    our fauna, because we are also the invasive species capital of
    our country.
        I think I have a little bit of time left. The U.S.
    Geological Survey's monitoring of volcanoes is very important
    to Hawaii. The Lava Lake at Kilauea has been filling up over
    the past couple of months, and scientists are closely watching
    Mauna Loa. USGS is also in the process of building a new
    volcano observatory in Hawaii, as the old one was destroyed by
    the 2018 Kilauea eruption. I appreciate that the Department has
    been providing me with regular updates on the rebuilding of the
    observatory in Hawaii and ask that USGS continue to provide
    these updates.
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, thank you. I'd look forward to working
    with USGS on exactly that. Their seismology and volcanology
    programs are, among other things, just really cool.
        Senator Barrasso [presiding]. Thank you, Senator Hirono.
        Senator Hirono. Thank you.
        Senator Barrasso. Thank you, Senator Hirono.
        Senator Lee.
        Senator Lee. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. Beaudreau, the Antiquities Act states regarding
    national monuments that, ``the limits of the parcel should be
    confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care
    and management of the objects to be protected.'' Do you believe
    that the national monuments designated by President Obama,
    including the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, adhered to
    that limitation?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes.
        Senator Lee. Now, to be clear, every time the Antiquities
    Act is used to designate a monument, every acre of that
    monument becomes restricted, significantly restricted in its
    use. That means constituents in my state are restricted from
    certain types of use on every acre. So when designating the
    Bears Ears National Monument, were the objects to be protected
    identified on each and every one of the 1.35 million acres, an
    area nearly as large as the State of Delaware?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thank you very much.
        As reflected in the proclamation by President Obama, there
    is very, sort of, thorough description of the basis for the
    designation and the objects that were covered by the
    designation. Obviously, as with all monuments, part of the
    implementation of the management of the monument is the
    development of the management plan and participation in the
    governance and, you know, as I think you're aware, Senator,
    part of the innovations around the Bears Ears Monument were to
    provide for a very inclusive mechanism for participation in the
    management of the monument for exactly those reasons.
        Senator Lee. But just to be clear, there was no inventory
    doing what I just described, identifying the objects to be
    protected in every one of the 1.35 million acres.
        Mr. Beaudreau. So, respectfully, there is a huge body of
    evidence supporting the monument designation, including the
    resources within the monument to be protected.
        Senator Lee. Right. I would note here that there is a
    significant difference between conclusory assertions and
    specifications, specifications of the sort required by the
    Antiquities Act were required or Presidents are required to
    make sure that monuments designated under that Act are confined
    to the smallest area compatible.
        For the record, do you acknowledge that you will uphold the
    fact that it is, in fact, the policy of the United States that
    public lands be managed in a manner that recognizes the
    nation's need for domestic resources for domestic sources of
    minerals, food and timber, and fiber from the public lands,
    including the implementation of the Mining and Minerals Policy
    Act of 1970, as it pertains to public lands?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, thank you for that question, and, yes,
    if I'm confirmed and once again, you know, work with public
    land managers, including those at the Bureau of Land
    Management, we will work consistent with the law on multiple-
    use and sustained yield.
        Senator Lee. Okay, thank you.
        Do you believe that public lands, federal public lands
    should be managed according to the multiple-use principles that
    allow for activities like grazing, mining, and energy
    extraction?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, consistent with the broad mandate under
    FLPMA, you know, the Bureau of Land Management, in my view and
    if I'm confirmed, will continue operating under the principles
    of multiple-use and sustained yield.
        Senator Lee. Do you believe President Biden's directive to
    halt oil and gas leasing is compatible with that statute?
        Mr. Beaudreau. And again, I'm not in the Administration
    yet, but my understanding from the Executive Order is to pause
    oil and gas new leasing in order to allow for a broad review of
    the federal oil and gas leasing program which Secretary Haaland
    has initiated and made clear is intended to be an inclusive,
    comprehensive process for the review of that program and if
    confirmed, I'd----
        Senator Lee.--As it is written in federal regulations,
    implementing them do, in fact, require regular leases to be
    done. I am not aware of anything in the applicable legislation
    and regulatory framework that allows those simply to be
    suspended.
        But in the brief time I have left, I want to point out,
    livestock producers in the West are fighting for space on the
    range every day. In my state we are talking about approximately
    5,700 wild horses and burros, while the appropriate management
    level calls for there to be only 1,900. It is about three times
    the acceptable limit, the acceptable amount. So tell me how
    will you work to preserve the ability of producers to be able
    to operate and reduce horse and burro populations on the range?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, thanks very much for that question.
        I'm looking forward to becoming involved in a host of
    issues, again, if I return to the Interior Department. I can't
    say wild horse and burros is my favorite issue. I appreciate
    how challenging it is and, yes, absolutely, Senator, I look
    forward to continuing to work with everybody, including you, on
    figuring out solutions because it is a massive challenge for
    the Department and BLM.
        Senator Lee. I appreciate that commitment, sir, and I would
    point out here, I understand regardless whether it is your
    favorite issue or regardless of whether it is an issue that
    gets a lot of attention from a lot of people. In many of the
    communities I represent, this is everything to them, and this
    could mean the difference between their survival or their non-
    survival. This can mean the difference between whether they are
    able to make a living or not. So we are at the mercy,
    especially in federal public land states like mine, where the
    Federal Government owns 67 percent of the land, we are at your
    mercy. So I appreciate your commitment to this and hope you
    will make it a priority. Thank you.
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yeah, thank you, Senator.
        And please, I, by no means, meant to minimize the issue. I
    just was remarking on how difficult it is. And so, and so thank
    you for the question.
        Senator Lee. Thank you. I appreciate that.
        The Chairman [presiding]. Thank you, Senator.
        Senator Hickenlooper.
        Senator Hickenlooper, are you there? It is that little
    button, John, over on the left that says, unmute. He must not,
    we must have lost him.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Hickenlooper. I am here.
        The Chairman. Oh, there. I knew it. I knew it. Thanks.
        Senator Hickenlooper.
        Senator Hickenlooper. My phone is going off.
        The Chairman. He is the only scientist we have in the whole
    Senate. Sometimes it gets challenging.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Hickenlooper. Thank you for the opportunity to ask
    Mr. Beaudreau a question. I can really just ask one question. I
    was so impressed the last couple years when Sally Jewell was
    the Secretary of the Interior, during the Obama Administration.
    I was the Governor of Colorado. But you were able to bring all
    the Republican and Democratic Governors together. You were able
    to help find ways to bring together ranchers and the oil and
    gas industry and the environmental community and the outdoor
    recreationists. I mean, things like the sage grouse plan were
    monumental efforts of collaborative results where things got
    done.
        What is the magic? How do you do that? And do you think you
    can do that now?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thank you very much, Senator.
        I think, in part, it's, and we've talked about this a
    little bit, and it's part of what I appreciate about this
    Committee, in particular. I think when you go out West there's,
    obviously, you know, there's politics and there's, you know,
    noise, but at the end of the day, especially among the Western
    Governors, because of the commonality of the challenges and
    issues, there's actually a lot more collaboration and work that
    gets done. And your leadership when you were Governor of
    Colorado was key to all of that. And while, you know, like any
    family we have our differences and quarrels along the way,
    again, part of what I've always appreciated about this
    Committee is there is that, sort of, Western spirit of working
    together, and at the end of the day I think that's the key.
        Senator Hickenlooper. Great. And that is--I have more time,
    and I realize everybody else has more questions, so I will
    yield my time back, but I think that is one of the key
    questions in looking at this position. Thank you.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        The Chairman. Thank you, Senator.
        And now we have Senator Risch.
        Senator Risch. Well, thank you very much. First of all, Mr.
    Beaudreau, thank you for taking the time to speak with me, and
    we had a really good discussion. As I pointed out, I am one of
    the Western states where the Federal Government owns two-thirds
    of us, and it is a struggle, as always. And so, I appreciate
    your view of the importance of collaborating with the
    Governors, with the constituents in the state, as you manage
    the state.
        I supported you in your nomination for Assistant Secretary
    in 2014. I was not disappointed, and I will be supporting your
    nomination again. I think you are the right guy for the job.
    And what I really appreciate is the collaboration and the
    willingness to listen to us when it comes to decision time
    before you actually make the decision. So thank you for your
    willingness to serve. Look forward to working with you.
        I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
        The Chairman. Thank you, Senator.
        Now we have Senator Hoeven.
        Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate it.
        Mr. Beaudreau, thanks for visiting the other day, I
    appreciate your time and, of course, for being here today. I am
    concerned about the Administration's moratorium on oil and gas
    leasing on federal lands. Isn't there a value in resuming
    scheduled lease sales while Interior conducts its review so
    that we can fully realize the resulting job creation and
    revenue benefits? And as you know, you know, we are talking
    many, many, many millions of dollars in revenue, to the Federal
    Government, to the states, to the counties.
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thanks for that question.
        Obviously, I'm not part of the Department yet and haven't
    been involved in those conversations. If I join the Department,
    with your consent, I do look forward to participating in the
    review. I think, you know, part of the idea is to ensure that
    leasing has the benefit of input into that review. You know,
    I've heard the Secretary talk about, you know, oil and gas
    remaining part of the United States energy mix for the
    foreseeable future, and I think part of the idea with the
    review, as I understand it, is to make sure that one, we're
    doing our best on a host of issues, including fair return to
    the taxpayer and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but two,
    ensuring that the program benefits from all of the input that's
    coming through the review.
        Senator Hoeven. Will you come out to our state and see the
    kind of energy development we are doing on federal lands so we
    can show you that we can do it well and with good environmental
    stewardship?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, I'd commit to that, sir.
        Senator Hoeven. Will you commit, in regard to the Dakota
    Access Pipeline, if confirmed, will you commit to ensuring the
    Department reviews the EIS objectively and in a prompt manner?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Thanks very much for the question.
    Obviously, you know, the permitting decision rests with the
    Army Corps in that case, but because of the Interior
    Department's, sort of, unique position and role relative to
    Indian Country, I know they'll be a lot of communication with
    the Department, and I look forward to ensuring that all of
    those views are fairly communicated into the permitting process
    before the Army Corps.
        Senator Hoeven. In our Theodore Roosevelt National Park we
    are doing substantial maintenance including to the scenic loop
    which we have had great cooperation from both the Departments
    of Transportation and Interior, and that work is now in
    process. Will you commit to work with us to get that done
    expeditiously?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yeah, I think--and we spoke a little bit
    about this in our conversation this week. I think part of what
    is really exciting about the American Great Outdoor Act is, you
    know, these opportunities to invest in the National Park
    system, and I do look forward to working with you and talking
    about the needs of Teddy Roosevelt.
        Senator Hoeven. The Eastern North Dakota Alternate Water
    Supply Project is one that we have worked very hard to get
    approved and so forth and vitally important for water in the
    eastern part of the state, River Valley--Grand Forks, that
    area, which is growing rapidly. Will you work with my office
    and our state to ensure that these projects are adequately
    funded by the Bureau of Reclamation, consistent with federal
    responsibilities under the Dakota Water Resource Act?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yeah, thanks very much for the question. If
    confirmed, absolutely look forward to ensuring that vital water
    infrastructure is, you know, provided for.
        Senator Hoeven. In regard to Indian affairs, five tribes
    are located either fully or partially within North Dakota, and,
    you know, I served as Chairman of the Indian Affairs
    Commission, and I guess, just, I would say, want to make sure
    that you are willing to work with us on issues that the tribes
    face and making sure that we uphold our trust and treaty
    responsibilities to the tribes, and I'd just like you to
    address that and your commitment to doing that.
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, and I'm quite sure Secretary Haaland
    will have the highest expectations of all of us to do exactly
    that.
        Senator Hoeven. Again, I want to thank you for visiting the
    other day, taking significant time to do that and for being
    here today. I appreciate it.
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yeah, thank you, sir.
        The Chairman. Senator Marshall.
        Senator Marshall. Thank you, Chairman, and welcome, Mr.
    Beaudreau.
        I think I want to start by talking about 30/30, and of
    course, I wish I had more details, but I just want to make sure
    that we are on the same page. Do you recognize that private
    property is protected by the Constitution and is really a
    foundation of every right we have, and as we put that into
    context here, I am just very concerned about private property
    being seized or being taken out of production. I wish you could
    tell me what 30/30 means and the direction that you would take
    the Department if given the opportunity, but I think the real
    question, that I think you could answer, is the economic impact
    of taking productive farm or grazing land out of production. So
    Kansas is only about 3 percent of the land is in parks, so to
    speak, the other 97 percent is in private hands and production.
    What do you think the economic impact would be of taking 30
    percent of the farmland out of production to rural America and
    to this nation?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, thank you very much.
        Obviously, I'm not part of the Administration yet but, if
    confirmed, look forward to becoming involved in the 30 by 30
    conservation initiative. My understanding, and I think
    Secretary Haaland has been very clear, that 30 by 30 is meant
    to be an inclusive approach to comprehensive conservation which
    includes where, you know, you have willing private parties'
    participation from private landowners in conservation. We've
    seen great examples of that, you know, earlier, you know,
    speaking with Senator King about the Katahdin Woods and Waters
    National Monument. That was a donation by the Quimby family to
    the Federal Government to establish a national monument for the
    purpose of conservation. That was voluntary. That is, you know,
    private landowner thinking through what she thought was best
    for that land.
        And so, I fully respect private property and the rights of
    landowners over their private property, and where a landowner
    wants to be, use that land for conservation, I think there
    should be avenues by which to do that.
        Senator Marshall. Certainly I am in favor of voluntary
    conservation, too, but I just want you to hopefully acknowledge
    the economic impact of even of what you described. I am not
    sure what that land was in, but even permanent easements of
    land that was being used for cattle grazing or was being used
    for agriculture, turning it into a voluntary easement certainly
    hurts the local economy, and the idea of taking 30 percent of
    Kansas farmland and pasture land out of production would
    literally ruin the Kansas economy.
        Let us move on to invasive species and endangered species.
    I think we can talk about them in the same context and just,
    kind of, get your philosophy. I think of these challenges
    together and former member of the Wildlife and Parks Board
    there in Kansas. I have seen these two interact constantly, and
    I think the lesser prairie chicken is a great example that the
    successes of bringing that species back, including burning
    pasture which would get rid of invasive species, maybe cattle
    grazing, helping to manage the invasive species, but the
    greatest success I have seen is private landowners working in
    conjunction with the government as opposed to all the
    government grant projects have been miserable failures.
        How do you feel the interaction should be between the
    private property owners and the government in managing invasive
    species and endangered species?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, thank you so much for that question. I
    am a big believer in incentivizing conservation on private
    lands for the benefit of species and their habitat. And I think
    there are a number of examples of that, and especially in
    states like Kansas where you don't have a lot of public lands,
    it's absolutely essential to wildlife conservation and agree
    wholeheartedly with your sentiments on that point.
        Senator Marshall. Thank you so much. I yield back,
    Chairman.
        The Chairman. Thank you. I have one final question, and
    then I know Senator Barrasso has a couple he wants to go over
    very quickly.
        In a letter to the Committee endorsing your nomination,
    former Secretary Jewell credits you with standing up wind
    development along the Atlantic seaboard, working to harness the
    nation's renewable energy. I think increasing deployment of
    renewables on fairly managed lands and waters really makes all
    the sense in the world to me. Renewables have come a long way,
    but much work needs to be done. The permitting process is still
    so extremely slow.
        So my question would be, what actions do you think are
    needed to increase deployment of renewables on federal lands
    and waters and, my second follow-up would be, what role can
    geothermal energy play in our energy future, and what more can
    be done on public lands to expand that?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yes, I think those are tremendous questions
    and just taking offshore wind for example. I know from my
    previous work the permitting process, federal permitting
    process, is a complex one. There are a host of agencies with
    relevant authorities and permitting authority in order to get,
    you know, a project like that developed, and then you also
    include, you know, the near shore and onshore components with
    states. And so, my philosophy on that is there has to be strong
    leadership to really drive coordination through the permitting
    process and ensure that all the regulatory requirements and
    legal requirements are strictly adhered to in the interest of
    the defensibility of those permits. But it takes an enormous
    amount of leadership, effort, and coordination to make sure
    that those projects are permitted in a timely way and properly.
        The Chairman. We are going to need your help. We are diving
    into that pretty rapidly to find out why, for many, it takes so
    long, and looking at all the leases we have and how we can
    accelerate that, especially if we are going to maintain our
    energy independence, but also be able to reduce the methane and
    do so much with the pipelines and everything else we can do,
    but a lot of this is very instrumental.
        But I appreciate it. We will get into it further. We have
    to get you confirmed first, and we will get that done as
    quickly as possible.
        With that, I turn to Senator Barrasso.
        Senator Barrasso. Well, thanks so much, Mr. Chair. Just one
    final question, just like you had a final question.
        Last year, the Great American Outdoors Act was signed into
    law. The law directs the Secretary of the Interior to address
    the maintenance backlogs at our national parks, at our wildlife
    refuges, our national forests, and at the Bureau of Indian
    Education. Well, these maintenance backlog projects are, you
    know, funded by federal energy revenues. So if the Department
    ends or restricts leasing and production on oil and gas and
    coal on federal lands, I think it is going to greatly impact
    these revenues, and I wondered how you propose to alternatively
    fund these many important and necessary projects?
        Mr. Beaudreau. Yeah, thank you for the question. I think,
    you know, again, in the context of the review and I'm not there
    yet. I look forward to becoming involved in the review. I've
    not heard an indication from the Administration or Department
    to, you know, end leasing, but rather to conduct a review of
    the federal program. And so, I'm excited about, as we've talked
    about, I'm excited about Congress' investment in public lands
    and addressing the maintenance backlog for the National Park
    Service, and I look forward to working, with your consent,
    working with the Department to implement that.
        Senator Barrasso. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        The Chairman. Let me just say, Mr. Beaudreau, it was great
    having you today. I think it was a great hearing that we had, a
    lot of activity, a lot of questions. You did very well. And I
    want to thank your family for attending and welcome them back
    anytime. We appreciate all the responsiveness to our questions,
    and I think that we had a very good meeting.
        Members are going to have until 6:00 p.m. this evening to
    submit additional questions for the record.
        The Committee stands adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 11:48 a.m. the committee adjourned.]

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