Yesterday the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing to discuss the role of orestry in climate change legislation. Scheduled to appear at the hearing are Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and White House Office of Science and Technology Director John Holdren.This hearing comes as senators consider their options for a massive capandtrade bill, which is spearheaded by Senate Environment and Public Works EPW Chairwoman Barbara Boxer DCalif.. According to Boxer, the bill will be largely based on H.R. 2454, which was passed by the House last month.Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin DIowa and other Senate chairmen with a stake in the bill have been brought in for their contributions.To me, the more ommittees that are involved, the happier I am, because you get more and more olleagues that get to understand it, that get to be a part of it,” EPW Chairwoman Boxer told porters last week. “The more colleagues that play a role, the better Boxer plans to introduce her bill the week of Sept. 8, after lawmakers return from the monthlong summer recess. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid DNevada has set a Sept. 28 deadline for all mmittees to finish their work on the measure. Senator Harkin has said he is not sure if he will have a separate markup on the committee’s contributions to the overall bill.NPGA will continue to follow and report on the progress of this latest climate change legislation. Our top priority is to ensure that the point of regulation does not fall on propane rketers. With our encouragement, the House bill placed responsibility for obtaining emissions allowances at the point of NGL fractionation. We are also working to align the ompliance date for propane with that of natural gas. This would be a very important change to ensure that rural gas users are not subject to additional costs that their urban counterparts avoid for four additional years.

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