NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

The House Natural Resources Committee’s Majority oversight staff released a report today entitled “A Five-Star Folly: An Investigation into the Cost Increases, Construction Delays, and Design Problems That Have Been a Disservice to the Effort to Memorialize Dwight D. Eisenhower.” The current proposal for the Memorial, created by Frank Gehry’s architecture firm, has faced intense scrutiny from the Eisenhower family and the public for both a poor and flawed design, rising design costs, and difficu...... read more

Today, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on “American Metals and Mineral Security: An Examination of the Domestic Critical Minerals Supply and Demand Chain.” This hearing examined the vital role that critical minerals and metals play in American manufacturing and why it’s important to ensure the continued this domestic production. “America’s dependence on foreign nations for minerals is a choice. Our solution to our dependence isn’...... read more

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04), House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (OK-03), and 11 Members of Congress recently sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack asking for a copy of a report, as required by law, on the cost and effectiveness of the Department’s conservation measures for the lesser prairie chicken. The Agricultural Act Conference Report, passed by the House in January and signed by the President in February (P.L. 113-79), requir...... read more

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding the Record of Decision (ROD) issued today by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for seismic exploration in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS): “After nearly five years of delays, I’m pleased to finally see the Administration moving forward to allow seismic exploration in the Atlantic OCS. Seismic exploration is the first s...... read more

House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) introduced H.R. 5204, the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Modernization Act of 2014. The bill will help expand and improve opportunities for public recreation on federal lands by updating how the Federal agencies collect and spend Federal recreation fees authorized by the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA). This bill will be considered by the full Natural Resources Com...... read more

House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) introduced H.R. 5204, the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Modernization Act of 2014. The bill will help expand and improve opportunities for public recreation on federal lands by updating how the Federal agencies collect and spend Federal recreation fees authorized by the Federal Land...... read more

The House Natural Resources Committee’s Majority oversight staff released a report today entitled “A Five-Star Folly: An Investigation into the Cost Increases, Construction Delays, and Design Problems That Have Been a Disservice to the Effort to Memorialize Dwight D. Eisenhower.” The current proposal for the Memorial, created by Frank Gehry’s architecture firm, has faced intense scrutiny from the ...... read more

Today, the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulations held an oversight hearing on “Threats, Intimidation and Bullying by Federal Land Managing Agencies.” This hearing continued Committee oversight into bullying by federal land management agencies and federal law enforcement agencies on private, state, and federal lands. State and local governments, ranchers, business owners, and p...... read more

Today, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on “American Metals and Mineral Security: An Examination of the Domestic Critical Minerals Supply and Demand Chain.” This hearing examined the vital role that critical minerals and metals play in American manufacturing and why it’s important to ensure the continued this domestic production. “A...... read more

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04), House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (OK-03), and 11 Members of Congress recently sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack asking for a copy of a report, as required by law, on the cost and effectiveness of the Department’s conservation measures for the lesser prairie chicken. The Agricultural Act Conference ...... read more

Click on the 'Comment' link and post your question to the Secretary here. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Post by House Committee on Natural Resources. ... read more

Wednesday, March 19th the Committee on Natural Resources held an oversight field hearing in Fresno, CA on "California Water Crisis and Its Impacts: The Need for Immediate and Long-Term Solutions." This field hearing is designed to focus on the need to resolve differences in order to bring immediate and long-term water supplies to the San Joaquin Valley and other parts of California. The lack of ra...... read more

Examiner Editorial: Fighting waste and fraud requires junkyard dogs, not pawns Washington Examiner March 13, 2014 When Congress and President Carter approved creation of the present inspector general program in 1978, the new officials were intended to be the front line of attack against waste and fraud in the federal government. Federal spending was just over $400 billion that year. Washington wi...... read more

This week the House will consider H.R. 3964, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Emergency Water Delivery Act, introduced by the Republican California delegation, addresses the emergency drought in California by restoring some water supplies San Joaquin Valley Farmers. The lack of rainfall has exacerbated the man-made drought caused by federal regulations and environmental lawsuits. On January 17, 2...... read more

America can count on reliable and affordable electricity from coal for the foreseeable future. This will only happen if the Obama Administration stops its constant attacks on this abundant resource. In 2013, coal provided America with 40% of America’s electricity while providing countless direct and indirect jobs. Many communities around the country rely upon coal for their livelihoods. Needless t...... read more

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) addressed the House floor in support of H.R. 4899, the Lowering Gas Prices to Fuel an America that Works Act.

April 29, 2014,the House Committee on Natural Resources held an oversight hearing on "American Energy Jobs: Opportunities for Skilled Trades Workers." The hearing examined the well-paying jobs opportunities for technical and skilled workers that have been created by the recent American energy boom. Mike Rowe, former host of Discovery's "Dirty Jobs" and CEO of mikeroweWorks testified at this hearing.

Mike Rowe, former host of Dirty Jobs, and CEO of mikeroweWorks testified before the House Natural Resources Committee on skilled trades workers and the growing energy sector. To watch the full hearing: http://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=376638

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered this statement on the House floor today in support of S. 404, the Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Protection Act. This important bipartisan legislation is similar to H.R. 908 that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on February 20, 2014 as part of the Public Access and Lands Improvement Act.

Full Committee Markup on:

• H.J.Res. 120 (Butterfield), Approving the location of a memorial to commemorate the more than 5,000 slaves and free Black persons who fought for independence in the American Revolution.
• H.R. 361, (Reichert), To expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the State of Washington, to designate the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River and Pratt River as wild and scenic rivers, and for other purposes (Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act).
• H.R. 3006 (Calvert), To authorize a land exchange involving the acquisition of private land adjacent to the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona for inclusion in the refuge in exchange for certain Bureau of Land Management lands in Riverside County, California, and for other purposes.  
• H.R. 3109 (Young of Alaska),  To amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to exempt certain Alaskan Native articles from prohibitions against sale of items containing nonedible migratory bird parts, and for other purposes.
• H.R. 4119 (Johnson of Georgia), To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the West Hunter Street Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and for other purposes (West Hunter Street Baptist Church Study Act).
• H.R. 4182 (Smith of Missouri), To provide that the Ozark National Scenic Riverways shall be administered in accordance with the general management plan for that unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.
• H.R. 4867 (Ruiz), To provide for certain land to be taken into trust for the benefit of Morongo Band of Mission Indians, and for other purposes (Economic Development Through Tribal Land Exchange Act).
• H.R. 5026 (Gosar), To prohibit closing or repurposing any propagation fish hatchery or aquatic species propagation program of the Department of the Interior unless such action is expressly authorized by an Act of Congress, and for other purposes (Fish Hatchery Protection Act).
• H.R. 5069 (Fleming), To amend the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act to increase in the price of Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps to fund the acquisition of conservation easements for migratory birds, and for other purposes (Federal Duck Stamp Act of 2014).
• H.R. 5203 (Bishop of Utah), To enhance the operation of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission (Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission Reform Act). 
• H.R. 5204 (Bishop of Utah), To amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to improve recreation opportunities and increase consistency and accountability in the collection and expenditure of recreation fees collected on public lands and forests, and for other purposes (Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Modernization Act of 2014).
• H.R. 5205 (Amodei), To authorize certain land conveyances involving public lands in northern Nevada to promote economic development and conservation, and for other purposes (Northern Nevada Land Conservation and Economic Development Act).
• S. 311 (Landrieu), A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating sites in the Lower Mississippi River Area in the State of Louisiana as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes (Lower Mississippi River Area Study Act).  
• S. 354 (Wyden), A bill to modify the boundary of the Oregon Caves National Monument, and for other purposes (Oregon Caves Revitalization Act of 2013).
• S. 476 (Cardin), A bill to amend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Development Act to extend to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission.
• S. 1603 (Stabenow), A bill to reaffirm that certain land has been taken into trust for the benefit of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatami Indians, and for other purposes (Gun Lake Trust Land Reaffirmation Act).

Member Statements:

The Honorable Doc Hastings
Chairman

Committee Action Summary

Full Summary will be posted following the Markup.

Related Documents:

• Full Committee Markup Notice - July 25, 2014

... read more

Legislative Hearing on:

 

• H.R. 3608 (Nolan), To amend the Act of October 19, 1973, concerning taxable income to members of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. “Grand Portage Band Per Capita Adjustment Act”,
• H.R. 4534 (Cramer), To amend the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act to require background checks before foster care placements are ordered in tribal court proceedings, and for other purposes. “Native American Children's Safety Act”,
• H.R. 5020 (Daines), To amend the Indian Land Consolidation Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to contract with eligible Indian tribes to manage land buy-back programs, to authorize that certain amounts be deposited into interest bearing accounts, and for other purposes.  “Indian Tribal Self-Determination in Land Consolidation Act of 2014”,
• H.R. 5049 (Simpson), To exchange trust and fee land to resolve land disputes created by the realignment of the Blackfoot River along the boundary of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, and for other purposes.  “Blackfoot River Land Exchange Act of 2014”; and
• H.R. 5050 (Simpson), To repeal the Act of May 31, 1918, and for other purposes.  “May 31, 1918 Act Repeal Act”

 

Member Statements:

The Honorable Don Young
Subcommittee Chairman

Witnesses and Testimony:

PANEL I

The Honorable Larry Roberts (All bills)
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs
U.S. Department of the Interior

PANEL II

Chairman Tex "Red Tipped Arrow" Hall (H.R. 4534 and H.R. 5020)
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation Tribal Council

Chairman Nathan Small (H.R. 5049 and H.R. 5050)
Fort Hall Business Council for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

Chairman Norman Deschampe (H.R. 3608)
Grand Portage Band of Chippewa

Councilman Grant Stafne (H.R. 5020)
Tribal Executive Board
Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes

Related Documents:

• Subcommittee Hearing Notice - July 22, 2014
• Subcommittee Witness List - July 29, 2014

... read more

Legislative Hearing on:

• ​H.R. 596 (Gosar), To promote the development of renewable energy on public lands, and for other purposes. ​"Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act of 2013"
• H.R. 1363 (Labrador), To promote timely exploration for geothermal resources under existing geothermal leases, and for other purposes. ​"Exploring for Geothermal Energy on Federal Lands Act"​, and
• H.R. 2004 (Simpson), To expand geothermal production, and for other purposes. ​"Geothermal Production Expansion Act of 2013"

Member Statements:

The Honorable Doug Lamborn
Subcommittee Chairman

Witnesses and Testimony:

PANEL I

Mr. Michael Nedd (All bills)
Assistant Director, Minerals and Realty Management
Bureau of Land Management
U.S. Department of the Interior

Mr. D.L. Wilson (HR 596)
Chairman, La Paz County Board of Supervisors
National Association of Counties

Mr. Scott Nichols (HR 1363 and HR 2004)
Manager, Permitting & Lands
U.S. Geothermal Inc.

Mr. Arthur L. Haubenstock (HR 596)
Chairman, SEIA Utility-Scale Solar Power Division
Solar Energy Industries Association
Senior Counsel, Perkins Coie 

Mr. Chris Wood (HR 596)
President and CEO
Trout Unlimited

Mr. Eric Fitzer (HR 596)
Senior Energy Programs Manager
Arizona Governor's Office of Energy Policy

Mr. Chase Huntley (HR 596 and HR 1363)
Senior Director, Energy
The Wilderness Society

Related Documents:

• Subcommittee Hearing Notice - July 16, 2014
• Subcommittee Witness List - July 29, 2014

... read more

Legislative Hearing on:

• H.R. 445 (Dent), To authorize a National Heritage Area Program, and for other purposes.  “National Heritage Area Act of 2013”
• H.R. 1785 (Reichert), To establish the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area in the State of Washington, and for other purposes. “Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area Act”
• H.R. 4119 (Johnson of GA), To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the West Hunter Street Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and for other purposes. “West Hunter Street Baptist Church Study Act”
• H.R. 4901 (Bishop), To maximize land management efficiencies, promote land conservation, generate education funding, and for other purposes. “Advancing Conservation and Education Act of 2014”
• H.R. 4979 (Thornberry), To provide legal certainty to property owners along the Red River in Texas, and for other purposes. “Red River Private Property Protection Act”
• H.R. 5086 (Fortenberry), To amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Chief Standing Bear National Historic Trail, and for other purposes.
• S. 311 (Landrieu), A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating sites in the Lower Mississippi River Area in the State of Louisiana as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes. “Lower Mississippi River Area Study Act”
• S. 476 (Cardin), A bill to amend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Development Act to extend to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission.
• S. 609 (Udall), A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain Federal land in San Juan County, New Mexico, and for other purposes. “San Juan County Federal Land Conveyance Act”

 

Member Statements:

The Honorable Rob Bishop
Subcommittee Chairman

Witnesses and Testimony:

PANEL I

​(10 a.m.)

Mr. Steve Ellis (H.R. 4901)
Deputy Director
Bureau of Land Management 
U.S. Department of the Interior

Ms. Vanessa P. Hickman (H.R. 4901)
Land Commissioner
Arizona State Land Department
State of Arizona

Mr. Paul Spitler (H.R. 4901)
The Wilderness Society

Mr. Jim Ogsbury (H.R. 4901)
Executive Director
Western Governors' Association

Ms. Mary Abrams (H.R. 4901)
Director
Department of State Lands
State of Oregon

PANEL II

(11:00 a.m.)

The Honorable Mac Thornberry
Member of Congress

Mr. Steve Ellis (H.R. 4979 and S. 609)
Deputy Director
Bureau of Land Management
U.S. Department of the Interior

Mr. Pat Canan (H.R. 4979)
Captain Game Warden
Wichita Falls, TX

PANEL III

(11:30 a.m.)

The Honorable David G. Reichert
Member of Congress

The Honorable Hank Johnson, Jr.
Member of Congress

The Honorable Jeff Fortenberry
Member of Congress

The Honorable Steny H. Hoyer
Member of Congress

Dr. Stephanie Toothman (H.R. 445, H.R. 1785, H.R. 4119, H.R. 5086, S. 311 and S. 476)
Associate Director, Cultural Resources, Partnerships and Science
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior

The Honorable Slade Gorton (H.R. 1785)
Bellevue, WA

Reverend Ralph David Abernathy (H.R. 4119)
Atlanta, GA

​PANEL IV

(12:00 p.m.)

The Honorable Charles W. Dent
Member of Congress

(Other Members of Congress may testify on H.R. 445)

Mr. Allen C. Sachse (H.R. 445)
Alliance of National Heritage Areas

 

Related Documents:

• Subcommittee Hearing Notice - July 21, 2014
• Subcommittee Witness List - July 29, 2014

... read more

• Watch the Archived Hearing Webcast

Oversight Hearing on:

• "Threats, Intimidation and Bullying by Federal Land Managing Agencies, Part II"

Witnesses and Testimony:

PANEL I

Mr. James D. Perkins
Sheriff
Garfield County , UT

Mr. Leland Pollock
Commissioner 
Garfield County, UT

Mr. Grant A. Gerber, Esq.
Commissioner 
Elko County, NV

PANEL II

Mr. Ronny Rardin
Commissioner
Otero County, NM
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Mr. Garrett O. VeneKlasen
Executive Director
New Mexico Wildlife Federation
Santa Fe, NM
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Mr. Jose Varela Lopez
New Mexico Cattlegrowers' Association
Santa Fe, NM
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Mr. Blair Dunn, Esq.
Attorney
Albuquerque, NM
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Mr. Mike Lucero
Rancher
Jemez Pueble, NM
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Background:

This hearing continues Committee oversight into bullying by federal land management agencies and will feature testimony from local law enforcement and elected representatives, ranchers, shareholders, professional and business owners across the country who will discuss personal experiences of abusive conduct by federal land management agencies. 

Related Documents:

• Subcommittee Hearing Notice - July 17, 2014
• Subcommittee Hearing Witness List - July 24, 2014

... read more

This week, the House will consider HR 4315, the Endangered Species Transparency and Reasonableness Act. Did you know the ESA was drafted and signed into law before the World Wide Web, cell phones and mobile internet? This bill will help increase data and cost transparency. Tell us what you think. Do you think ESA science should be published online? For More: http://naturalresources.house.gov/legis...... read more

REPORT: Worthy Memorial for President and General Eisenhower Needed; Chronic Mismanagement Plagues Process Committee Releases Staff Report Highlighting Ongoing Mismanagement, Cost Overruns, Fundraising Problems and Approval Delays http://naturalresources.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=389227... read more

Must read for the AM: New York Times "Wired for Wind" The State of Texas is leading the way in taking renewable wind energy and turning it into electricity. The Texas panhandle is blessed with an abundant wind resource and a recent "if you build it they will come" project to create over 3,600 miles of high capacity, high voltage power lines are creating viable electricity from this renewable sourc...... read more

Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings and Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Chairman Congressman Doug Lamborn introduced draft legislation to help solve the need for a more secure and reliable domestic supply of helium to fulfill our Nation’s future needs. Read more about the legislation and tell us what you think, http://naturalresources.house.gov/news/docum...... read more

Today at 10AM, House Committee on Natural Resources will hold a hearing on the "Implementation and Administration of the 2013 Helium Stewardship Act." This law is a common sense plan to sell helium from the Federal Helium Reserve in a responsible manner to prevent a global shortage, protect jobs and the economy, and ensure a fairer return for taxpayers. This fall is the first scheduled Helium sale...... read more