Winter 2017-18

28 West Virginia Forestry Association Mountain State Forestry  | Winter 2017 www.wvfa.org GOV. JIM JUSTICE ISSUED A STATEMENT after West Virginia voters overwhelmingly voted to approve the Roads to Prosperity Bond Referendum on Saturday, “This is a GREAT NIGHT FOR WEST VIRGINIA! I am grateful to the people of West Virginia for sharing my vision to jump start our economic engine. While this will start the process of fixing our state road system, the most important mission I have is to help find and create jobs for the working men and women of our state… We will start the process Monday to put in motion the Bonding process, the bidding process and the plan to make better roads and bridges a reality in West Virginia. One important part of the bidding process will be to take every step possible so that our contractors hire West Virginians FIRST. We are also going to work with all of our educational institutions to start training programs for this work force. I am also going to appoint an oversight committee to make certain we eliminate waste and any other shenanigans during the contracting, bidding and construction process.” The turnout for the vote was less that 12% of registered voters. However, it was reported, elsewhere that this was a larger turnout than for the last WV road bond vote.  H.R. 717 (Rep. Pete Olson), To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require review of the economic cost of adding a species to the list of endangered species or threatened species, and for other purposes. “Listing Reform Act.” H.R. 1274 (Rep. Dan Newhouse), To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require making available to States affected by determinations that species are endangered species or threatened species all data that is the basis of such determinations, and for other purposes. “State, Tribal, and Local Species Transparency and Recovery Act.” H.R. 2603 (Rep. Louie Gohmert), To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide that nonnative species in the United States shall not be treated as endangered species or threatened species for purposes of that Act. “Saving America's Endangered Species Act” or “SAVES Act.” H.R. 3131 (Rep. Bill Huizenga), To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to conform citizen suits under that Act with other existing law, and for other purposes. “Endangered Species Litigation Reasonableness Act.”  Federal Endangered Species Act Reform Bills WV Road Bond Passes – 73% Approval