Why it Matters

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has scheduled a business meeting for Wednesday, June 10 at 1:30 p.m. in 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building to vote on more than 30 pieces of legislation spanning forest management, wilderness designations, critical minerals, hydropower, and water infrastructure.The committee will meet in a business meeting format, with no witnesses scheduled to appear. As a result, there will be no outside testimony record to analyze and no additional opportunity for public input.

Committee Chair Mike Lee (R-UT) is packaging bills affecting federal lands in at least nine states into a single session. For government affairs professionals, the breadth of the agenda means clients across multiple sectors, timber, mining, oil and gas, hydropower, agriculture, and conservation, may have direct exposure to legislation advancing this week.

S.140 is positioned at the top of the agenda and is framed around what the bill’s title describes as a “forest health crisis” affecting the National Forest System and other public lands. Because of its focus on forest management, timber, logging, and forest products, stakeholders should consider this legislation a priority item for monitoring and engagement.

S.789, which addresses critical minerals, appears to have bipartisan momentum. The bill would require reports on global critical mineral and rare earth element resources and direct the development of a strategy for advancing mining, refining, and processing technologies. Given the continued emphasis on supply chain security and domestic resource development, the bill is likely to attract support from lawmakers on both sides.

A separate group of seven bills—S.764, S.888, S.945, S.1341, S.1349, S.1476, and S.1737—would permanently restrict certain extractive activities by designating new wilderness areas or withdrawing federal lands from mineral leasing and mining laws in Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, Washington, and New Mexico. Companies and stakeholders involved in oil and gas production, mining, or grazing operations in those regions should evaluate their potential exposure and operational impacts.

Several measures on the agenda also have companion legislation pending in the House of Representatives. These include S.365/H.R.1729, S.1088/H.R.2290, S.2437/H.R.3857, and S.3500/H.R.3657. The presence of companion bills suggests a coordinated bicameral strategy and may increase the likelihood that these measures receive floor consideration as the legislative process moves forward.

The Big Picture

Forest Management

S.140 is the headline item. The "forest health crisis" framing is a Republican majority priority signal, and Chair Lee's decision to lead with it reflects his broader pro-active-management posture. The specific provisions are not determinable from the bill title alone, but the political framing is clear. Conservation groups are likely to push back, making this one of the more contested votes on the agenda.

Critical Minerals

S.789 would mandate global critical mineral resource reports and a technology development strategy for advanced mining, refining, separation, and processing. This bill aligns with the 119th Congress priorities around supply chain security and is likely to move with bipartisan support. Clients in the mining, defense, and clean energy supply chain space should also note that S.789 carries cross-committee implications, touching the jurisdictions of Senate Armed Services and Commerce as well.

At the same time, S.888 (Oregon) and S.1349 (Nevada) would withdraw significant federal acreage from mineral leasing and mining laws, creating a direct tension on the same markup agenda between pro-development and pro-withdrawal priorities. S.888 specifically withdraws Curry County and Josephine County, Oregon land from mining laws, mineral leasing, and geothermal leasing. S.1349 targets the Ruby Mountains Subdistrict of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Elko and White Pine Counties, Nevada.

Hydropower & the Federal Power Act

S.3500 and its House companion H.R.3657 would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to annually report to Congress on the status of ongoing hydropower relicensing applications. This is a transparency measure, but it signals congressional frustration with FERC relicensing timelines — a long-standing concern for utilities. S.3518 also amends the Federal Power Act, addressing alterations and maintenance of hydropower facilities. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over FERC, making these provisions particularly significant for the hydropower sector.

Water Infrastructure

S.1413 would authorize additional funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act. S.2753 would authorize extraordinary operation and maintenance work for urban canals of concern. S.2437 and companion H.R.3857 amend the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Authorization Act. Specific authorization levels are not available from the bill titles alone, and clients in agricultural water and municipal water sectors should obtain the full bill texts from Congress.gov before the June 10 markup.

Worth Noting

Ranking Member Martin Heinrich's(D-NM) cooperation or opposition on the broader package will shape whether bills move by voice vote or require roll calls. S.1476, which would designate certain segments of the Gila River System in New Mexico as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, is directly relevant to his constituents.

Several other committee members have home-state bills on the agenda, which typically increases the likelihood of bipartisan cooperation on those specific measures. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) is the relevant committee member for Colorado bills S.365, S.764, and S.1341. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) is the key member for Oregon bills S.888 and S.945. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) is the member to watch on S.1349 in Nevada. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) is the relevant member for S.1737 affecting Olympic National Forest in Washington. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) is the member to watch for California bills S.1413 and S.1870.

Bills with the strongest bipartisan prospects include S.789 (critical minerals), S.332 (Holocaust education study), S.791 (Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site in Maryland), S.1088 (WWII Home Front Women's Memorial on the National Mall), S.1547 (National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund reauthorization), and S.3500/H.R.3657 (FERC hydropower relicensing reporting)

Funding & Appropriations Watch

Four bills on the agenda carry direct funding implications. S.1413 authorizes additional funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act. S.1547 reauthorizes the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund. S.2437/H.R.3857 amends the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Authorization Act, implying continued or expanded program funding. S.2753 authorizes extraordinary operation and maintenance work for urban canals of concern, implying new federal expenditure authority.

The Bottom Line:

Action Items Before June 10

  • Contact committee staff and member offices immediately for any bill directly affecting your client. The markup window closes June 10.
  • Obtain full bill texts for S.140, S.789, S.888, and S.1349 — these carry the highest stakes for extractive and forest industries.
  • Monitor for manager's amendments — business meetings frequently feature last-minute amendment packages. Committee staff are the best source for advance text.
  • Track the vote record after June 10 — the committee vote record will indicate which bills advanced and whether any were contested, providing intelligence on floor prospects.
  • Engage House Natural Resources Committee staff in parallel — the presence of multiple House companion bills suggests some measures have bicameral traction and could move toward a packaged floor vehicle.

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