U.S. SENATE — Chairman of the Senate Western Caucus, U.S. Senator Steve Daines (Mont.), and Caucus Members Cory Gardner (Colo.) and John Hoeven (N.D.), issued the following statements on the confirmation of James Hubbard to serve as United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment.
“As chair of the Senate Western Caucus, I led my colleagues in urging swift consideration of this nomination, and it’s great to see it happen,” Daines said. “Hubbard will play a critical role in advancing forest management reform and promoting better stewardship of our forest lands. I look forward to working together and bringing him to Big Sky Country.”
“It is essential that federal lands be properly managed, whether it’s to prevent wildfires or mitigate the impact of wildlife,” Hoeven said. “Further, the presence of federal lands has a real impact on local economies, which is why we stressed the importance of multiple use and ranchers’ access to the national grasslands to Under Secretary Hubbard in our meeting last month. We appreciate his commitment to ensure the Forest Service is a good neighbor, and we look forward to working with him in this new role.”
“I applaud the confirmation of Jim Hubbard to the post of Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment at the Department of Agriculture,” Gardner said. “As a fellow Coloradan with a wealth of experience – 35 years at the Colorado Forest Service followed by his service at the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service – Jim understands better than most the importance of healthy and well managed forests. I look forward to working with him on behalf of all Coloradans in his new role.”
On July 18, 2018, several members of the Caucus, including Senators Daines, Risch, Hoeven, Lee, McCain, Gardner, Enzi, Crapo, Inhofe and Rounds sent a letter to Senate Leadership urging prompt approval of Hubbard.
At a July 2018 hearing, Daines pushed Hubbard to commit to addressing barriers to proper forest management.
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