08.29.18

Hoeven: Senate Confirms James Hubbard as USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment

Senator Invited Hubbard to North Dakota, Working to Ensure Forest Service Is a Good Neighbor in Maintaining Ranchers’ Access, Managing Natural Resources

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed James Hubbard to serve as the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The senator recently met with Hubbard, where he outlined the importance of ensuring that the U.S. Forest Service works with farmers and ranchers in managing natural resources. During Hubbard’s confirmation hearing, Hoeven also invited the Under Secretary to North Dakota to meet with local agriculture producers and learn firsthand about the importance of grazing access and other land management needs.

“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.”

Through his work on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Hoeven included several natural resources provisions in the recently passed Senate farm bill. The senator has also been working with Forest Service Chief Victoria Christiansen to visit North Dakota, which she committed to Hoeven to do, and learn about local grazing and other natural resource issues.

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