It is time for some updating.

H.R. 2842 is important legislation that will restore commonsense to Federal regulations, and ultimately lead to the expansion of clean hydropower production.

Chairman McClintock should be commended for his commitment to bringing legislation before this Committee to address this failure of Federal policy.

These types of nonsensical regulations create man-made shortages, which in turn lead to higher unemployment, and increased water, energy, and food prices.

A fundamental aspect of good government is the rule of law. The rule of law includes due process.

Currently, under the existing law, a President can unilaterally--without any public input, without one congressional hearing, and without any hallmarks of transparency--remove millions of acres of public land from public access and public…

Due to the prevalence of this public land, the way these lands are administered by the federal government has a direct impact on almost every person residing in my district.

the people should be a part of land designation decisions.

This law needs to be changed, but until it is, the western states at highest risk for federal abuse need exemptions.

In a district like mine dominated by Federally administrated lands, these burdens disproportionately stifle economic productivity, leading to some of the highest unemployment rates in the country.

These concerns range from the ability to develop domestic sources of energy, timber salvage and harvesting, grazing, hunting, fishing, and family recreation.