when we have a wild fires that burned for rangeland we can wipe out in the space of a day or two hundreds of thousands of acres hundreds of square miles just like that. we don't think about it as being old growth in the do when you have fires running through yosemite. but it is very important from habitat standpoint so we have 11 states working together to say how do we strike the right balance between conservation and development? in a state like wyoming development, oil and gas resources some coal resource development can be the biggest potential disruptive to the structural habitat. in the great basin, wild land the biggest threat. comprehensive strategies across the landscape, to understand critical areas for these species to protect those areas with a highest love of protection. we are using sound science, the best available science we have. i haven't read specifically the letter you referenced it is very complicated, there are states that have done a lot of science, independent work, the work we do scientifically is available and open to the public some of the private science that i

so when we have a wildfire that burns through rangeland, we can wipe out in the space of a day or two hundreds of thousands of acres, hundreds of square miles just like that. and we do not think about it as being old-growth in the way we do when you head crowning fires running up through yosemite. but it is very important from a habitat standpoint. so we have 11 states working together to say how do we strike the right balance between conservation and development? in a state like wyoming development of oil and gas resources, typically some coal resource development, can be the biggest potential disruptor to sagebrush habitat. in the great basin wireless fire, invasive species like certain grasses -- we are trying to come up with strategies across the landscape to understand the critical areas for these species and to protect those areas with the highest level of protection. we are using sound science, the best available science we have. i have not been specifically the letter that you referenced, but i will say it is very complicated, and there are states that have done a lot of scien

so when we have a wildfire that burns through rangeland, we can wipe out in the space of a day or twoundreds of thousands of acres, hundreds of square miles just like that. and we do not think about it as being old-growth in the way we do when you have crowning fires running up through yosemite. but it is very important from a habitat standpoint. so we have 11 states working together to say how do we strike the right balance between conservation and development? in a state like wyoming, development of oil and gas resources, typically some coal resource development, can be the biggest potential disruptor to sagebrush habitat. in the great basin wireless ld land fire, invasive species like certain grasses -- we are trying to come up with strategies across the landscape to understand the critical areas for these species and to protect those areas with the highest level of protection. we are using sound science, the best available science we have. i have not been specifically the letter that you referenced, but i will say it is very complicated, and there are states that have done a lot o

we see this all over the place and rangeland fire is critical to have protection. so there is no question we will put the money to good use which will ultimately reduce the cost of fighting. >> madam chair, can i get one last question in very quickly? on the question of coal and coal royalties. as you know, i've been concerned for some time that taxpayers aren't getting their fair share of coal royalties on public lands and we began when i was chair of this committee and senator murkowski and i co-authored a letter to you all that this information be researched and i'm encouraged by the rule you have put out to stop companies from using subsidiaries to dodge the royalty payments. i think we may need to go further. we're getting additional information, and i think it would be very helpful if you could review a recent report by headwaters economics on this. madam chair, if we can put that report on the record that would be good and i'll just wrap up with that request, madam secretary, if you and i could have further conversations. >> i would be delighted to. >> thank

and in the case of the sage-grouse, being able to proactively reduce the risk of rangeland fire is critical to habitat protection so there's no question we'll put the money to good use which would ultimately cost the amount of fighting wildfires. >> madam chair, can i get one last question in? on the question of coal and coal royalties -- as you know i've been concerned sometime that taxpayers aren't getting their share of royalties of coal mined on public lands. when i was chair of this committee, investigation into it, senator murkowski and i, co-authored a letter to you all that the issue be researched. i'm encouraged by the rule you have all put out to stop companies from using subsidiaries to dodge the royalty payments. i think we may need to go further. we're getting additional information, and i think it will be very helpful if you could review a recent report by headwaters economics on this. madam chair if we could put that in the -- madam chair if we could put that in the report. if you and i could have further conversations on that. >> i'd be delighted. >> thank you, madam chair.