it is really quite a burden, and of course we recognize the great advantage that these lands have as well

I am opposed to large land grabs, as I call this because it is huge.

It is my experience in the west that the greatest threat to western open lands, it is not oil and gas... it is houses.

Do you see the sweeping wilderness designations included in this bill raising or depressing revenue for the State of Utah and its local communities?

Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Metcalf, one of the areas recommended in this bill is only 390 acres in size, far below what the Wilderness Act requires.

Less than 3 weeks ago, the BLM announced it was rescinding over 23,000 acres of oil and gas leases in the Bridger Teton National Forest in Wyoming.

I hope that these answers are helpful to the Committee as it moves this bill forward.

In Wyoming, the revenue largely goes to the county, and as you know Sublette County is the wealthiest county in the State of Wyoming by virtue of the production of oil and gas in the county.

What incentives do you think the bill provides for uranium exploration in Wyoming and the United States?

does your cost analysis include the negative impacts to jobs and local economies that would hit Wyoming, which is the number one state for uranium production and uranium reserves in the U.S.?

our nation currently is more than 90 percent dependent on imported uranium for nuclear power plants within our own borders.

just to comment, Mr. Chairman.

we cannot afford to be dependent; otherwise all we are doing is trading our dependence on oil for dependence on uranium or other minerals, and that is not in the best national interests, and especially not in the national security…

From a carbon aspect, however, the only zero emission alternative to traditional fossil fuels that could meet our nation's baseload is nuclear.

Isn't the purpose of NEPA analysis to determine the environmental impacts on Federal lands of proposed projects just like these?

So you are telling me it is exponentially more cost, more expensive than storage?

I think you were asked today to go throw yourself under the bus in front of a congressional committee that is frustrated with the approach that the new administration is taking with regard to addressing nuclear waste issues.

And don't the advantages of fuel recycling warrant further study, including ways to make it more cost effective and proliferation resistant?

Do settlements have set formulas for determining new damages for the same claimant? Or could additional damages be incurred?

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Welcome, Dr. Romer.

Eight months ago Wyoming had three large operating sawmills in our state. Since then, two of them have closed.

What specific and immediate steps can the Forest Service take to step up--and I want to emphasize that word--step up the reduction of this growing hazardous fuel load in the west?

When Congressman Polis said we are focused now on triage, that is all we can do.

Good stewardship of the land is a Wyoming value I hold very personally dear.

Wyoming and her people are proud of the way our state has helped manage and protect our public lands and resources.