Washington, D.C. – Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands of the House Natural Resources Committee announced a field hearing in Southern California.

The hearing, “The Impact of Climate Change on America’s National Parks,” will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. The hearing will begin at 10:00 AM at the City Council chambers, 6136 Adobe Road in Twentynine Palms, California.

Climate change is the greatest challenge the land management agencies will face in our lifetimes. Of great concern to Joshua Tree National Park is the threat posed to its namesake species, the Joshua tree, by a warming climate. Other high profile park units have also been affected; damages include melting glaciers at Glacier National Park, dying forests at Rocky Mountain National Park, and flooding at Mount Rainier National Park.

The Subcommittee is conducting a series of hearings to explore the role of federal lands in combating and adapting to climate change; this field hearing is the second in the series and the first to focus on National Park Service lands and resources.

What: House Natural Resources Committee
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
Oversight Field Hearing on “The Impact of Climate Change on America’s National Parks”

When: Tuesday, April 7, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. PST

Where: City Council chambers
6136 Adobe Road
Twentynine Palms, California
*Hearing site is adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park*

Witnesses: TBA