Hi, all. Today's report features:
- Watch the President's livestream address on Libya at 7:30 p.m. EDT.
Watch live at 7:30 p.m. EDT at WhiteHouse.gov/live.
- Interior Update: The Obama Administration's commitment to developing a broad range of energy sources, including domestic oil and gas production; DOI and USDA launch plan to improve wildland fire management; Secretary Salazar announces competitive coal lease sales; acquisition of land for Gettysburg National Military Park.
- Commerce Update: The largest education and services trade mission in the history of the Department sets out on April 2 for Indonesia and Vietnam; 2010 Census population totals and demographic characteristics have been released for communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico; Secretary Locke's remarks at the dedication of Ron Brown Way, honoring the late Commerce Secretary.
White House, March 28, 2011:
Tonight: President Obama Speaks on Libya
Tonight at 7:30 p.m. EDT, President Obama will deliver an address at the National Defense University in Washington, DC to update the American people on the situation in Libya, including the actions we've taken with allies and partners to protect the Libyan people from the brutality of Moammar Qaddafi, the transition to NATO command and control, and our policy going forward.
Watch live at 7:30 p.m. EDT at WhiteHouse.gov/live.
INTERIOR UPDATE
White House, March 27, 2011:
The Facts on Domestic Oil and Gas Production
Posted by Heather Zichal, Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change
Some recent comments in the press have attempted to paint a picture that an agreement on energy issues signed during the President’s trip to Brazil shows a lack of commitment to domestic oil and gas production. Let’s be clear – this administration is committed to developing a broad range of energy sources, and we know that high prices at the pump are forcing Americans to make tough choices. That is why we continue to take steps that, over the long run, will save Americans money at the pump and lessen our reliance on foreign oil. We stand by our desire to be a strategic partner of Brazil on energy issues, but when it comes to domestic production our record speaks for itself, and regardless what some would like to claim, that record makes clear that we are fully committed to developing domestic resources safely, responsibly, and efficiently.
It has been less than a year since the largest oil spill in U.S. history. In that time, this Administration has worked aggressively to implement unprecedented new safety and environmental standards that build on the lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Contrary to misleading claims, production has continued. Following the development of important new standards, the Department of the Interior (DOI) has worked with industry to ensure they meet the standards, and as a result has to date issued 39 permits for new shallow water wells. In February, oil companies were finally able to develop the first deepwater containment systems – designed to contain spills if the worst happens, as it did in the case of the Deepwater Horizon. Based on that ability – evaluated on a case-by-case, permit-by-permit basis –since February 28th, DOI has issued six deepwater drilling permits. Each permit needed to comply with all of the new standards, including demonstrating that they could contain an underwater oil spill like the one that released 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico just last year.
DOI is also taking a range of other steps to encourage domestic offshore production, immediately and over the longer term. In fact, just last Monday, the agency approved the first deepwater exploration plan since new standards were put into place – a step that was applauded by industry and not only shows the industry’s ability to meet important standards, but will result in the opportunity for additional deepwater drilling permits.
These efforts also are bolstered by the responsible production that DOI is overseeing on onshore public lands as well. In 2010, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) held 33 oil and gas lease sales covering 3.2 million acres, and processed more than 5,000 applications for permits to drill (APD) on Federal and Indian lands. In 2011, BLM is scheduled to hold an additional 33 lease sales, and the bureau expects to process more than 7,200 APDs.
Of course production is not just about federal action, industry needs to do their part, not only taking the necessary steps to develop and produce responsibly, but ensure they use the leases they have. Currently, just 45 percent of all onshore leases are actively producing, and less than 30 percent of the millions of acres under offshore leases are producing. That is why the administration is also taking steps to provide additional incentives for industry to develop oil and gas supplies from the leases that already are in their hands.
This Administration will continue to take concrete and immediate steps to support responsible domestic production, as well as expand our energy portfolio to increase clean energy sources and invest in efficiency across the board. As the President said on March 11, “any notion that my administration has shut down oil production might make for a good political sound bite, but it doesn’t match up with reality.”
Department of the Interior, March 28, 2011:
Departments of Interior and Agriculture Improve Wildland Fire Management
WASHINGTON – Today the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) released two documents to address the wildland fire management challenges across America -- A National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (Cohesive Strategy) and The Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act of 2009 – Report to Congress. Together, these documents provide the framework for a three-phase, strategic effort to restore and maintain resilient landscapes, create fire-adapted communities, and respond to wildfires. The effort has been overseen by the Wildland Fire Leadership Council, an intergovernmental body of federal, state, tribal and municipal stakeholders.
The documents’ creation and implementation is considered phase one and will serve as the foundation for the entire effort. Regional strategies will be developed in the next phase, and a national trade-off analysis will be conducted in the final phase. This phased approach will enhance the ability to plan for, respond to, and recover from wildland fire incidents.
The two documents address the wildfire challenges faced by fire and natural resource managers and the fire community at all levels, ranging from cost-effectiveness and risk to climate change.
“Wildland fire management is complex and involves a wide range of federal, state, local, tribal and non-governmental stakeholders,” said Rhea Suh, DOI Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget. “A key to success for this effort is its inclusiveness. This cohesive strategy effort has applicability and relevance across all wildland fire management agencies and jurisdictions -- from rural fire departments to state forestry agencies and federal land management agencies.”
Jay Jensen, USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Natural Resources and the Environment, also emphasized the importance of collaboration. “This effort is groundbreaking and involves full partnership among federal, state, local, tribal and non-governmental partners,” said Jensen. “These partnerships will be invaluable and will enable us to stay ahead of wildland issues in a truly collaborative, all-lands approach to wildland fire management.”
Implementation of the effort will require close coordination between the multiple partners, including the state, tribal and local groups. “State Foresters are engaged and ready to move forward to address wildland fire with a national, all-lands approach,” said Jeff Jahnke, President of the National Association of State Foresters. “This effort will allow us to build upon the success of the recently completed statewide forest resource assessments.”
The reports, The Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act of 2009 – Report to Congress, and A National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, along with continued updates on the cohesive strategy effort are publicly available at www.forestsandrangelands.gov.
Department of the Interior, March 28, 2011:
Salazar Announces Coal Lease Sales in Wyoming
Leases Could Generate up to $21 Billion in Bids, Royalty Revenue
CHEYENNE, Wyoming -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold four competitive coal lease sales in coming months, offering Powder River Basin tracts in Wyoming that contain an estimated 758 million tons of low sulfur coal. In addition, Records of Decision are expected soon on four other tracts in the Basin, containing an estimated 1.6 billion tons. The total bonus bids and royalty payments over the life of the four lease sales, as well as from possible future lease sales under the Records of Decision, are estimated at $13.4 to $21.3 billion, 49 percent of which would go to the State of Wyoming.
"Coal is a critical component of America’s comprehensive energy portfolio as well as Wyoming’s economy,” Secretary Salazar said in making his announcement with Wyoming Governor Matt Mead. “As the number one coal producer from public lands, Wyoming provided nearly 40 percent of the domestic coal used to generate electricity last year and it’s important that we continue to encourage safe production of this important resource.”
“I applaud Secretary Salazar and his agency for moving forward with these leases,” Governor Mead said. “The electricity our country needs to thrive has to come from somewhere and right now coal powers many of our cities and industries. This coal also keeps Wyoming men and women working.”
The four sales, responding to Lease by Application (LBA) filings from companies to continue efficient operations and production from existing Powder River Basin coal mines, will be held in Cheyenne in a sealed bid process.
In total, the four tracts cover 7,441.25 acres containing an estimated 758 million tons of mineable coal. The federal share of bonus bids and royalty payments from these leases, 51 percent, would go to the U.S. Treasury. These LBA sales are the first of more than a dozen that BLM expects to hold for Powder River Basin coal tracts over the next three years.
In the coming months, BLM expects to announce the availability of Records of Decision for the Porcupine, North Porcupine, North Hilight and West Hilight coal sale tracts in the Wyoming portion of the South Powder River Basin. Combined, these tracts cover 13,965.75 acres containing an estimated 1.6 billion tons of mineable coal.
The estimated total tonnage for the eight coal tracts is 2.3 billion tons of coal. The revenue estimates are based on the future price of mined coal between 2015 and 2030. The calculations include projected bonus bids and royalties and the State of Wyoming’s severance and ad valorum taxes.
The Powder River Basin is the largest regional producer of coal in the United States. In the Wyoming portion of the Basin, there are 13 active coal mines that produced about 428 million tons in 2010, while production from all coal mines in the state totaled 442.5 million tons last year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration. Total coal production in the United States in 2009 was about 1.1 billion tons.
The Basin’s coal contains 15 times less sulfur that eastern coal, so it burns relatively cleaner, releasing fewer greenhouse emissions. That has made it a top choice to use in coal-burning power plants, which generate about half of the Nation’s electricity. Wyoming's cleaner-burning, low-sulfur coal provides nearly 40 percent of the coal used in these plants.
Last fiscal year, federal coal royalties in the Basin generated $598 million, which was shared with the State of Wyoming. The state’s coal industry employs about 7,000 workers, each of which supports three related jobs in the private sector.
The anticipated sale dates of the four tracts announced today are:
May 11 -- West Antelope II North Coal Tract, a 2,837.63 acre area containing an estimated 350 million tons of mineable coal; offered in response to a LBA filed by Antelope Coal LLC.
June 15 -- West Antelope II South Coal Tract, a 1,908.6 acre area containing an estimated 56 million tons; offered in response to an LBA filed by Antelope Coal LLC.
July 13 -- Belle Ayr North Coal Tract, a 1,671.03 acre area containing an estimated 222 million tons; offered in response to an LBA filed by Alpha Coal West.
August 17 -- Caballo West Coal Tract, a 1,023.99 acre area containing an estimated 130million tons; offered in response to an LBA filed by Caballo Coal Company.
Original release of March 22, 2011 revised to add the following clarification:
CLARIFICATION
On March 22, the Bureau of Land Management announced four lease sales and four future records of decision for coal tracts in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. The revenue estimates, which ranged from $13.4 billion to $21.3 billion, referred to revenue from the four lease sales, as well as from possible future lease sales under the records of decision.
The estimated total tonnage for the eight coal tracts is 2.3 billion tons of coal. The revenue estimates are based on the future price of mined coal between 2015 and 2030. The calculations include projected bonus bids and royalties and the State of Wyoming’s severance and ad valorum taxes.
Department of the Interior, March 28, 2011:
Photos: AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS: Salazar Announces Important Land Acquisition in Gettysburg National Military Park
GETTYSBURG, Pa -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the National Park Service has acquired 95 acres of the former Gettysburg Country Club property to preserve as part of the Gettysburg National Military Park. The former country club land - now known by its historic name, the Emanuel Harman Farm - is where major fighting occurred on the first day of battle on July 1, 1863.
View slideshow at link.
Background here.
National Park Service:
The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War, the Union victory that ended General Robert E. Lee's second and most ambitious invasion of the North in 1863. Often referred to as the "High Water Mark of the Rebellion", it was the war's bloodiest battle with 51,000 casualties and the setting for President Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address."
COMMERCE UPDATE
Department of Commerce, March 28, 2011:
Winning the Future Through Education and Commerce
Posted by Francisco J. Sánchez, Under Secretary for International Trade in the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration
When we think about the vast work the Commerce Department does with exports, what do we picture? Food, perhaps. Textiles. Cutting-edge technologies. But what many don’t consider are the legions of international students who attend American colleges and universities. It might sound odd, but they are considered “exports.” Indeed, education plays a critical role in the work we do every day in the International Trade Administration.
That’s why I’m so pleased to announce that starting April 2, 2011, I will lead the largest education and services trade mission in the history of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Accompanied by 56 U.S. colleges and universities, we will travel to Indonesia and Vietnam to expand U.S. educational opportunities for international students.
America is home to the best opportunities for higher education in the world. More students come to the U.S. to study than any other country on the planet. International students’ tuition and living expenses alone brought almost $20 billion to the U.S. economy in the 2009-2010 academic year.
Our goals for this trip are extensive. Expanding U.S. educational opportunities for international students will have some direct benefits to our national economy. By increasing domestic jobs and aiding innovation and research while strengthening our relations and ties abroad, the fact is that sharing our colleges with foreign-born students will make America that much more rich and robust.
We chose Indonesia and Vietnam because both markets are expected to offer increases in export opportunities for U.S. companies over the next five years. But we already share strong ties as the two countries currently have more than 20,000 students attending college here now.
Indonesia’s ranking as the fourth-largest nation in the world and one of the G-20’s strongest economies gives it tremendous potential as a market for U.S. universities. And Vietnam’s growing population, coupled with a steadily increasing per capita income, makes it an equally top-notch partner. Our friends in Vietnam place a high value on education which will yield a high return to the educational systems in the U.S. and will help develop strong consumers of U.S. products when they return to their country of origin.
The mission in April will explore opportunities for international student recruitment and partnerships with higher education institutions. I expect the student fairs, to be held at each stop, to be highlights of the trip, in addition to the matchmaking and networking sessions with local schools and faculty.
The colleges and universities we’ve partnered with are excited to be a part of this historic mission, and I know they can’t wait to get started. I’m thrilled to be leading this mission and look forward to the positive impact I know it will have on our economy.
Department of Commerce, March 25, 2011:
U.S. Census Bureau Completes Delivery of State 2010 Census Population Totals for Legislative Redistricting
The U.S. Census Bureau announced this week that 2010 Census population totals and demographic characteristics have been released for communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico – ahead of the April 1 deadline. The data have provided the first look at population counts for small areas and race, Hispanic origin, voting age and housing unit data released from the 2010 Census. With the release of data for all states, national-level counts of these characteristics are now available.
In April, the Census Bureau will release the National Summary File of Redistricting Data, providing the same population, housing unit counts and demographic characteristics for the United States and other cross-state geographies, such as regions, divisions, metropolitan areas and American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian areas.
Census data are now being used by state officials to realign congressional and state legislative districts in their states, taking into account population shifts over the last decade.
Find more information about the redistricting data program or to find news releases and data for your state.
CommerceNews, March 25, 2011:
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke's Remarks During the Ron Brown Way Dedication Ceremony
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke's remark during a ceremony on March 25, 2011 dedicating a stretch of 14th Street in front of the U.S. Commerce Department building as Ron Brown Way.
Department of Commerce, March 25, 2011:
Secretary Locke and the Department of Commerce Celebrate the Accomplishments and Legacy of the Late U.S. Commerce Secretary Ron Brown
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke participated in a ceremony (3/25) dedicating a stretch of 14th Street in front of the U.S. Commerce Department building as Ron Brown Way.
With Secretary Brown’s wife, Alma, his children Michael and Tracy and their families as honored guests, Locke joined in paying tribute to the late Secretary who, with 34 others, lost his life while on a trade mission to Croatia 15 years ago.
“This is a fitting tribute to a man who was born in Washington, D.C. and spent his life working to deliver economic and social justice for people in this city, across America and, indeed, around the world,” Locke said. “The dedication of Ron Brown Way will help ensure that what Ron Brown did and what he stood for won’t ever be forgotten.”
Speakers at the celebration of Brown’s legacy included Ron’s son Michael, who is D.C. Councilmember at Large, and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray.
Following the dedication ceremony, the Brown family joined Locke at the Commerce Department for a presentation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) flag that was flown aboard the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown, and a ceremonial wreath laying. Locke spoke of Brown’s trailblazing efforts to extend economic opportunity to all, and of his fierce advocacy for the Department and the great people who work here.
Locke said that Brown’s work endures through the hundreds of dedicated Commerce employees who still believe in his mission for the department and work hard each day to continue his legacy of service.
Secretary Locke's remarks at the Ron Brown Way dedication ceremony.
Secretary Locke's remarks at the Ron Brown recognition ceremony and reception.