SPOKANE — A U.S. House task force charged with studying one of the nation's key environmental laws got an earful yesterday from people who don't want Congress to tinker with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Freshman U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris, R-Spokane, the task-force chairwoman, and three colleagues listened to a dozen speakers with diverse viewpoints, but the crowd of more than 100 broke out into sustained applause each time the 35-year-old law was defended.

The biggest applause came when John Roskelley, a well-known mountaineer and former Spokane County commissioner, called himself an unabashed supporter of NEPA and added that explorers Lewis and Clark would "embrace and strengthen NEPA" if they were alive today.

"No other law protects this nation's greatest assets: its water, air and natural resources, and yet allows reasonable use of these resources," Roskelley said.

Rather than study NEPA, Roskelley suggested that Congress take a critical look at the 133-year-old National Mining Act, which critics contend amounts to a giveaway of public minerals to the mining industry.

Representatives of farming, mining and fishing industries discussed how NEPA slows down decision-making in their work.

U.S. Reps. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, and Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, also attended the three-hour meeting. The lone Democratic congressman there was Jay Inslee of Bainbridge Island, who represents the 1st District.

The task force will spend the next six months gathering information about NEPA and deciding whether the law needs to be changed, and how.

Republican leaders of the House Resources Committee formed the task force, saying they hope to find ways to streamline the law — which serves as the basis for federal management of public lands — to reduce litigation and delays. Five other public meetings are planned.

The task force of 11 Republicans and nine Democrats will prepare a report this fall. Legislation, if any, is not likely to be introduced until next year.