HYDE-SMITH DRAWS ATTENTION TO MISS. ISSUES WITH INTERIOR NOMINEE
National Parks, Flooded Refuge Habitat, and Agricultural Interests Cited at Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today cited the importance of several U.S. Department of the Interior activities in Mississippi as the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee considered the nominee for the second-highest position at the agency.
The confirmation hearing on the nomination of Katherine MacGregor to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior prompted Hyde-Smith to call attention to need for continued work by the department to support the eight national parks, 15 national wildlife refuges, and other agency activities in Mississippi.
“Mississippi is proud of its national parks and wildlife refuges, but we also recognize that there are areas that need immediate and long-term attention,” said Hyde-Smith, who also serves on the Senate appropriations subcommittee with funding jurisdiction over the Interior Department and its agencies.
Hyde-Smith focused on flood damage to more than 100,000 acres of habitat within national wildlife refuges in the Mississippi Delta.
“I want you to be aware of the significant damage that has occurred on these refuges as a result of almost annual flooding events over the past decade and the historic flood disaster we suffered this year,” Hyde-Smith told MacGregor. “I recognize flood reduction isn’t the Interior Department’s primary mission, but I hope you will recognize the impact of these damages, and the need for an environmentally sustainable flood reduction solution.”
Hyde-Smith also said she is interested in working with MacGregor on the following issues:
- Solutions to aquaculture and livestock losses due to avian predation involving birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Senate-passed FY2020 Agriculture Appropriations Bill includes Hyde-Smith report language directing the Farm Service Agency to modify its regulations to make farm-raised fish producers eligible for death losses under the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish. Program (ELAP), and to deem bird predation and disease be deemed eligible loss conditions.
- Reform within the Fish and Wildlife Service to allow agriculture producers to use all federal registered seed and crop protection products in farming operations on refuge lands.
- Continued support for the U.S. Geological Survey the Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility at the Stennis Space Center in Hancock County.
The MacGregor nomination requires committee approval before being referred to the Senate for consideration.
###