The goal is to increase membership by at least 10 percent, which would be 1,000 new members. The House passed the conference report to accompany H.R. 2160 on October 6. After first approving it by voice vote, a roll call vote was requested resulting in passage by a margin of 399-18. The Senate has yet to schedule consideration of the conference report. Permit holders would also be guaranteed renewal of their permits after 10 years of following the terms of their lease.
Opponents say the grazing fees are still below the amount charged on private lands.
The committee defeated amendments that would have removed Resource Advisory Councils and matched grazing fees on public lands with those on State lands. Witnesses included Terry D. Garcia of the Department of Commerce and a diverse panel of scientists. Garcia said the recent pfiesteria outbreaks should be viewed in the broader national context of other periodic algal blooms, which have resulted in so-called red tides off Florida and California. All agreed that a larger and more concerted effort should be made at the federal level to gather information about the microbe. Members of the Subcommittee stated that more should be done and promised to explore further funding for pfiesteria research.