Jennifer writes about public lands issues, including access, development and the state land transfer movement. She previously covered campaigns and elections at E&E. Before joining E&E News in 2011, she spent 10 years at the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call where she worked as an investigative reporter writing about ethics, campaign finance and congressional wealth. Her work has also appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Detroit News and on National Public Radio. She has appeared as an expert guest on outlets including C-SPAN, NPR and local television. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on multiple public lands bills this week, several of which are making repeat appearances from previous Congresses and some of which could continue to divide lawmakers across party lines.
President Biden is expected to soon restore protections to more than 2 million acres of public lands his predecessor excised from a pair of national monuments, but quarrels over the acreage are far from over.
House Natural Resources Committee lawmakers yesterday signaled bipartisan support for a quartet of bills aimed at expanding access to public lands while easing permits for outfitters and tour guides.
In the wake of President Biden's cancellation of border wall construction contracts last month, environmentalists are now pressing Congress to quickly fund mitigation along the nation's southern boundary.
The Interior Department has expanded its communications team, adding former journalist and military spokeswoman Elizabeth Peace as a senior public affairs specialist.