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The purpose of this hearing was to review the implementation of Titles I through III of Public Law 106-393, "The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000." Statements were presented by: Honorable Jeff Bingaman, U.S. Senator from New Mexico; Honorable Maria Cantwell, U.S. Senator from Washington; Honorable Larry E. Craig, U.S. Senator from Idaho; Dr. Timothy Creal, Superintendent, Custer School District, Custer, South Dakota; James B. French, Trinity County Superintendent of Schools, Weaverville, California; Reta Griffith, Commissioner, Pocahontas County, West Virginia; Honorable Tim Johnson, U.S. Senator from South Dakota; Sherry Krulitz, Commissioner, Shoshone County, Idaho on Behalf of the National Association of Counties and the Idaho Association of Counties; Tim Lillebo, Conservation Policy Advocate, Oregon Natural Resources Council, Bend, Oregon; Mark Rey, Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture; Honorable Ken Salazar, U.S. Senator from Colorado; Ed Shepard, Assistant Director, Renewable Resources and Planning, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior; Ed Wehrheim, Chairman, Catron County Commission, Catron County, New Mexico; Honorable Ron Wyden, U.S. Senator from Oregon.

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was referred the bill (S. 136) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide supplemental funding and other services that are necessary to assist certain local school districts in the State of California in providing educational services for students attending schools located within Yosemite National Park, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to adjust the boundaries of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with amendments and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.

When the National Forest System was established in 1907, Congress required that 25 percent of revenues derived from National Forests be shared with the counties where they are situated. These proceeds partially refund the tax revenues lost by local governments and help fund rural schools, roads, and other services. In recent years, reduced timber sales have decreased these payments dramatically, seriously impacting educational programs, road maintenance, and other services in the affected counties. This report from the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources presents and recommends passage of S. 1608, which would establish secure payments for states and counties containing federal lands and apply available forest revenues to meet these payments, with general treasury funds making up the difference. Of the payments made, 80-85 percent would go to the traditional schools and roads program; 15-20 percent would be given to the counties for federal-land management projects developed locally. The bill aims to provide secure funding for rural schools while improving cooperative relationships among the people that use and care for federal lands and federal management agencies. This report contains the text of the legislation; its purpose, background, and history; and explanations of each legislative section. A statement by James R. Lyons, Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, explains why the Clinton Administration opposed this bill, citing the need to sever completely the link between timber sales and educational funding. (SV)

When the national forests were withdrawn from the public domain a century ago, they were established with the assurances that proceeds from the sustainable management of their natural resources would be shared with local governments. These proceeds partially refund the tax revenues lost by local governments and go toward funding rural schools, roads, and other services. Since 1990, controversies over federal forest management policies and reduced timber sales have decreased these payments dramatically, leaving many rural schools in difficult circumstances. A Senate subcommittee held hearings on proposed legislation that would establish a set amount to be paid to affected local governments and apply available receipts to meet these payments, with general treasury funds making up the difference. Only 75 percent of the payments would go to the traditional schools and roads program; 25 percent would be given to the counties for federal-land management projects developed locally. The bill aims to provide secure funding for rural schools while giving people a new incentive to work together at the local level. Testimony from U.S. Senators; county commissioners; and representatives of organizations advocating school, environmental, community, and timber industry interests discussed details of funding mechanisms, the balance between economic and ecological concerns, the composition and duties of local advisory committees, the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and issues related to community survival. (SV)

A Senate hearing considered five bills related to the national parks. Of interest to the education community is S. 2232, which would establish Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas as a unit of the National Park Service. In 1957 the school became a center of controversy over school desegregation when nine African American students attempted to enroll at Central High. Senator Dale Bumpers from Arkansas spoke of the importance of recognizing the site, already on the National Register of Historic Places as the location of the first real test of desegregation in the wake of the "Brown v. Board of Education" decision. Everett Tucker, III, President of the Central High Museum spoke in support of the measure, as did Ernest Green, one of the nine students who integrated the school with federal support. Both speakers noted that the nine students were an inspiration to America because of their poise in a crisis. Although the school would be designated as a National Parks site, it would continue to be a functioning school, administered by the Little Rock school district. The hearing report also contains testimony by witnesses related to the other bills and the prepared statements of all witnesses. (SLD)

This document contains the text of the "Albert Einstein Distinguished Educators Fellowship Act of 1994" (S. 2104) along with related analysis. The bill establishes a Department of Energy (DOE) fellowship program for math and science teachers that provides them opportunities to work at DOE labs in order to enhance coordination and communication among the educational community, the Congress, and the Executive Agencies responsible for developing and administering federal education programs. Following the text of the bill is a discussion of background and need and a description of DOE mathematics and science programs. A report on the bill's legislative history is included along with committee recommendations and a tabulation of committee votes. A Committee amendment expands the program to authorize fellowships in other parts of the Federal government, directs the Secretary of Energy to administer the program, broadens the qualification criteria for recipients, and authorizes a partnership with the Waste Management Education & Research Consortium. The document includes a section-by-section analysis, a statement of cost and budgetary considerations, regulatory impact evaluation, recounting of relevant executive communications, and a letter from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (JB)

These hearings addressed proposed Bill S. 2104 to create a Department of Energy (DOE) fellowship program for math and science teachers that would provide them opportunities to work at DOE labs in order to enhance coordination and communication among the educational community, the Congress, and the Executive Agencies responsible for developing and administering federal education programs. Following opening statements by Senators Wendell H. Ford and Mark O. Hatfield, Terry Cornwell Rumsey of the Department of Education testified on the Department's philosophy and strategies to address national education goals and in particular how S. 2104 would fit in with these and with existing programs. James A. Tegnelia of Sandia National Laboratories testified that S. 2104 would be helpful, would result in tangible improvement in DOE educational outreach programs, and should encourage participation of rural and minority school teachers. John M. Fowler of the Coalition for Science and Technology Education testified on the beginnings of the program that led to S. 2104. (It brought teachers on fellowships to work in Congressional offices and to contribute their insights into educational legislation and policymaking.) Senator Pete V. Domenici offered remarks on the importance of the proposed program. A brief discussion followed concerning similar programs at DOE, the best length for fellowships, program costs, and requirements for participants. The document contains a list and descriptions of DOE minority education programs and appendixes with response to additional questions, and additional material submitted for the record. (JB)

This report of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources recommends that appropriations be authorized for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Historic Building Restoration and Preservation Act (H.R. 2921), as amended. The bill provides the authorization necessary to appropriate funds for structures located on the campuses of HBCUs that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places or that are designated a National Historic Landmark. The bill provides authorization for the use of $10 million for grants to 11 projects identified as the most historically significant and critically threatened structures and $5 million to Fisk University, to be funded through the Historic Preservation Fund. The report outlines the bill's legislative history, Committee recommendations and tabulation of votes, Committee amendments, a section-by-section analysis, cost and budgetary considerations, regulatory impact evaluation, and communications from the Department of the Interior. (JDD)

This report provides background information on Senate Bill 184, the Utah Schools and Lands Improvement Act of 1993, under which the federal government would acquire over 200,000 acres of land and mineral rights from the state of Utah in exchange for federal land, certain mineral resources, or a portion of federal mineral receipts in that state. At the time of statehood in 1896, the federal government granted Utah "sections" in every township, totaling about 7.5 million acres, to be used for the support of public schools. These lands are not contiguous. Ongoing land management problems for both the state and federal governments would be remedied by the proposed exchange. The land acquired from the state would be incorporated into two Indian reservations, as well as into various national parks and forests around Utah. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the cost of this measure; the Committee made a regulatory impact evaluation statement; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture supported enactment with some suggested amendments. The U.S. Department of the Interior supported the bill, but pointed out potential "pay as you go" costs from reduced royalties to the federal treasury. The report contains proposed amendments, as well as a section-by-section analysis of the bill. (KS)

The purpose of the bill (S. 343), as reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, is to establish a federal commitment to the advancement of high-performance computing, improve interagency planning and coordination of federal high-performance computing and networking activities, authorize a national high-speed computer network, and authorize high-performance computing activities at the Department of Energy. This report presents an amendment to the bill adopted by the committeee and its recommendation that the bill be passed as amended. The amendment establishes the short title of the bill as the "National High-Performance Computing and Networking Act"; reports the findings of Congress concerning supercomputers and computer networks and their importance to national security, international competitiveness, and technological advancement; presents the purposes of the bill, including interagency planning, coordination, and interaction of federal high-performance computing and networking activities; establishes a National High-Performance Computing and Communications Program (NHPCC); directs the President to establish a high-speed computing network to be known as the National Research and Education Network (NREN); directs the Secretary of Energy to evaluate high-performance computing systems and support computational research and development; allows the heads of federal agencies to exempt programs or activities that involve classified information; and authorizes such funds as may be necessary to carry out the activities authorized by the Act for fiscal years 1992-1996. The report provides background information on high-performance computing, the legislative history of the bill, and discussions of the provisions of the amendment. (DB)

This report of a hearing begins with an opening statement by Senator J. Bennett Johnston, Chairman of the Committee, and prepared statements from Committee members Larry E. Craig and Pete V. Domenici. The text of the bill, which provides for continued U.S. leadership in high-performance computing, is then presented, followed by additional statements from Senators Wendell H. Ford, Albert Gore, Jr., Jeff Bingaman, and Malcolm Wallop Testimony is also included from Siegfried S. Hecker, Director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory; Kenneth M. King, president of EDUCOM; David B. Nelson, Executive Director of the Office of Energy Research, Department of Energy; Glenn Ricart, president of FARNET; Lloyd M. Thorndyke, chief executive officer of DataMax, Inc.; and Eugene Wong, Associate Director of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Office of Science and Technology, Executive Office of the President. Responses to additional questions and additional materials submitted for the record are also provided. (DB)

This report from the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources recommends the passage of Senate bill S. 917, as amended by the committee, to provide for the conveyance of certain lands adjacent to the Gund Ranch, Grass Valley, Nevada to the University of Nevada. Information provided includes: a summary of the provisions and committee amendment, legislative history of the bill, committee recommendation, cost and budgetary considerations, regulatory impact of evaluation, and the report of the Department of Interior pertaining to S. 917. (SPG)