mr. tipton: i thank the chairman for yielding me time. mr. chairman, the challenge that we face in the west is very obvious. overgrown forests, bark beetle devastation, threat to our watersheds, threat to habitat, threat to private property that sensible people have long called for a solution to be able to have rendered. i'd like to be able to applaud the hard work of chairman bishop, the committee and particularly the gentleman from arkansas, mr. westerman in putting commonsense pieces of legislation forward in this act. the concept of being proactive rather than being reactive, putting the health of our forests, protection of our watersheds, habitat for wildlife and saving private property while bringing some control back to our states and our communities, is long overdue. forward looking innovative legislation like the resilient federal forest act speaks to the heart of forest management. this is a piece of legislation which is long overdue. we've seen the impact and pilot projects of healthy forests. the opportunity to be able to get the

mr. tipton. >> thank you mr. chairman thank you chair yellen for taking the time to be able to be here today. we've heard comments from our colleagues across the aisle of the impact we're seeing for minority communities. i'd like to expand on what it seems to be that through dodd frank, it's a matter of shoot then aim. and now we're trying to be reactive. but at home our people are feeling the pain of bad policy that's come out of dodd frank. and what we're feeling -- what are you going to be doing to be able to alleviate this? >> we are very focused on community banks. we want to -- >> that's what they're worried about, by the way. >> we formed a council called cdac. they come to see us twice a year, the entire board meets with them. there are also in each of the 12 federal reserve districts versions of -- on a regional scale of a council to advise the reserve banks on factors affecting community banks. we are listening. we are taking seriously the complaints that we hear and the specifics about our separation a

mr. tipton. >> thank you for taking the time to be here today. and we are staying in a failed economy from minority communities and i would like to be able to expand that to what we are seeing in rural america as well, where the economy is moving and this is obviously access. it's been a difficult time for regulatory burdens that have been part of it. >> we have the gentleman is well that we have in overzealous burden that is impacting some of the community banks. what insurance he has talked about, and it is a matter of this and it looks like they are out of dodd-frank. what were we going to be doing. >> we are very focused on community banks. >> that is what they are worried about, by the way. >> they come to see us twice a year, the entire board is meeting with them and they are also in each of the 12 federal reserve districts on a regional scale on the council to advise the reserve banks on factors affecting community banks and so we aren't listening. and we are trying to be responsive. >> i appreciate that. putting a little explanation point

mr. tipton. >> we've heard comments from our colleagues across the aisle in terms of the impact we're seeing in a failed aspect. the economy isn't moving. one key component is obviously access to capital through our community banks. you just cited it's been a difficult period for community banks. regulatory burdens have been high. and i guess what my question is, this follows up on comments you made earlier in the year then supplemented by sheila bair as well. it's um pactimpacting some of the community banks. what policies are you going to be putting forward? it seems through dodd/frank it's a matter of shoot, then aim. now we're trying to be reactive but at home our people are feeling the pain of bad policy that's come out of dodd franck. what are you going to be doing at the fed to alleviate this? >> we are very focused on community banks. >> that's what they're worried about, by the way. >> we formed a council that consists of community bankers and they come to see us twice a year. the board meets with them. they are also in each of the 12 federal reserve districts versions of on a regio

mr. tipton, for five minutes. mr. tipton: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, minds in colorado's third congressional district provide not only critical jobs, they also provide reliable affordable electricity on which countless americans rely. the future of one such mind operated by one is now in jeopardy after is federal judge sided with a group notorious for filing lawsuits at the expense of taxpayers who often foot the litigation bill. emerging the -- i'm merging the department of the interior to stop the pending closure of the mine. and i want to thank cory gardner for his partner in this effort. the federal district court for the district of colorado issued in determining the office of surface mining failed to comply with the national environmental policy act of 2007 when it initiated a mine plan for approval of the coal mine. the court gave o.s.c. 120 days to prepare a new analysis and issue a new decision. if o.s.m. does not complete the process in 120 days the court stated it would vacate the mine plan, effectively shutting the mine down on sep

mr. tipton. the chair: the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. tipton: i thank the gentlelady for yielding. i rise in support of the western water and american food security act of 2015. this would uphold state water law and priority based systems and provide water use wers a line of defense from increasingly brazen federal attempts to take water rights without compensation. these federal water grabs undermine state water law, priority-based systems and/or private property rights. by restoring rights, the federal government is overreaching violating private property rights and the u.s. constitution. federal land management agency atempts to control private water rights and circumvent state law put the community grazers and others at risk. private property rights are vital to colorado and the western u.s. when it pertains to water. many businesses depend on them as collateral to get loans to expand and create jobs. water is our lifeblood. water users need certainty that they're prevented from future attempts to take privately held water rights. thi

mr. tipton, mr. cramer and mr. zen key. we appreciate their presence here. the gentlelady raises a significant question whether or not revenues would increase or decrease. we have a couple of charts showing what is happening. first of all, the average number of leases that the b.l.m. issued. we can see the highest level, decreases down to you see the opposition of the obama administration. if the administration were interested in revenues, it seems like they would be producing the permits at a little faster rate. and this chart shows the increase in oil production in blue is shown here on private lands while the decrease in oil production on public lands is being shown in the red. if the administration were interested, it seems like they would modernize not the royalty rate but the way they approve these wells. they aren't being permitted where states can offer 0-day processing of the permits. the same is happening with natural gas. we see the blue on private lands where the natural gas production is -- dramatic production is decreasing and if the agency wer