News List

Wildfires Breakout In Colorado
Blog
Jun 13, 2013 - This week, Colorado is tragically experiencing the most destructive wildfires in state history. Three major wildfires in Colorado are scorching thousands of acres, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate, and have destroyed hundreds of homes. In addition to the fires in Colorado, wildfires are currently burning in New Me... More

Witnesses Agree that Healthy Forest Management Will Create Jobs, Support Rural Schools, & Prevent Catastrophic Wildfires
Press Release
Apr 11, 2013 - Today, the House Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation held a legislative hearing on several pieces of legislation to restore active and healthy management of our national forests in order to provide a stable revenue stream for rural schools and counties and prevent devastating wildfires. The Subcom... More

State vs. Federal Forest Land Management
Resourceful Information
Apr 10, 2013 - Tomorrow, the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation will hold a legislative hearing on the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act. This bill would renew the federal government’s commitment to manage forest resources for the benefit of rural schools and counties by requiring active for... More

Chairman Hastings Unveils Draft Proposal to Restore Active Forest Management and Help Rural Schools & Counties
Press Release
Apr 3, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today unveiled a draft proposal to address the expiration of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program. The draft proposal, Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act, renews the federal government’s commitment to manage forest resources for the be... More

31 Bipartisan Members Send Letter Questioning Obama Admin’s Retroactive Sequestration Cuts to SRS Payments used for Rural Schools and Emergency Services
Press Release
Mar 28, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) and a bipartisan group of 30 Members of Congress sent a letter today to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Office of Management and Budget Director Jeffrey Zients questioning why the Obama Administration is retroactively subjecting Se... More

Letter from 31 Members of Congress to Secretary Vilsack and Director Zients Regarding Secure Rural Schools Funding
Letters
Mar 28, 2013 - Dear Secretary Vilsack and Director Zients, We have been informed that the Forest Service has recently proclaimed that funds already distributed under the most recent extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS) or payments based on revenue generated in fiscal year 2012 are subject t... More

Meet our Members: Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01)
Blog
Mar 25, 2013 - Representing California's 1st District, located in the Northeast corner of the state, Congressman LaMalfa discusses his background in Agriculture and the variety of natural resources in his district. This year, in fact, Rep. LaMalfa's family celebrates 82 years in the rice farming business. See what Rep. LaMalfa has to... More

Obama Administration to Retroactively Subject Secure Rural School Payments to Sequestration Cuts
Press Release
Mar 20, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after the U.S. Forest Service announced that Secure Rural School (SRS) payments, which went out to counties in January, will be subjected to sequestration cuts: “Several months before President Obama’s sequester was schedul... More

Letter from Five House Committee Chairmen to Comptroller General Dodaro Regarding NEPA
Letters
Feb 5, 2013 - We are writing regarding the National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA") of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the federal costs associated with agencies' compliance, including those reimbursed to federal agencies by third-parties. Specifically, the NEPA process includes the required evaluation of the environmental effec... More

Wildfire prevention is 1st priority in new Congress
Blog
Jan 14, 2013 - Wildfire prevention is 1st priority in new Congress Glenwood Springs Post Independent Rep. Scott Tipton January 14, 2013 As we begin the 113th Congress, I'm incredibly honored to have earned the trust of the people of the 3rd Congressional District and to serve as their representative for a second term. During my firs... More

Forest Service Failing to Create Jobs, Stimulate Economy in Forest Management Practices
Blog
Dec 20, 2012 - During the height of this year’s record-breaking fire season, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a legislative hearing on bills to address forest health and reduce the risk of catastrophic forest fire. Following a Forest Service report on the need for restoration on 65-82 million acres of... More

The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree: A Holiday Tradition Since 1964
Blog
Dec 5, 2012 - Last night, in perfect 66 degree weather, Speaker of the House John Boehner joined Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers and other dignitaries to light the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. This year's tree — a 65-foot Engelmann spruce — hails from Committee Member Scott Tipton's Colorado district, in the Blanco Ranger Dis... More

National Forest Products Week Calls Attention to Need for Active Management of Our Public Lands
Blog
Oct 22, 2012 - President Obama has declared October 21st through October 27th National Forest Products week in appreciation of the sustainable uses of our public lands. The federal government owns over 190 million acres of resource abundant forest lands that provide opportunities for economic development, timber and energy production... More

House Passes Bipartisan Cabin Fee Fairness Legislation
Press Release
Sep 10, 2012 - Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3397, the Cabin Fee Act of 2011, by voice vote. Sponsored by Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04), the bill modifies the current cabin fee formula to make it more predictable and affordable for families who own cabins in our National Forests. Recently, cabin owners have been fac... More

Committee Approves Bill to Help Prevent Catastrophic Wildfires, Improve Forest Health, Protect Local Communities
Press Release
Aug 1, 2012 - Today, the House Natural Resources Committee passed H.R. 6089, the Healthy Forest Management and Wildfire Prevention Act of 2012, with a bipartisan vote of 28-19. Introduced by Colorado Members Scott Tipton, Doug Lamborn, Mike Coffman, and Cory Gardner, the bill would reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, address ... More

All Witnesses Agree: Litigation, Red Tape Fuel Megafires that Damage Forests, Communities, and Species
Press Release
Jul 24, 2012 - Today, the House Natural Resources Committee held an oversight hearing on, “The Impact of Catastrophic Forest Fires and Litigation on People and Endangered Species: Time for Rational Management of our Nation's Forests.” The hearing focused on the devastating impacts of catastrophic wildfires on people and species and h... More

Witnesses Emphasize Need for Bills to Reduce Risk of Megafires to Aid Forest Health, Protect Local Communities, Create Jobs
Press Release
Jul 20, 2012 - Today, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a hearing on legislation intended to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, restore forest health, and address factors that contribute to insect infestation and wildfire. Decades of severe mismanagement of our public lands have contributed to ... More

Chairman Hastings Statement on Transportation Bill Conference Report
Press Release
Jun 29, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding the Conference Report on H.R. 4348 – the Surface Transportation Extension: “This agreement includes several important, common sense measures to help create new American jobs, cut government red tape and provide th... More

Witnesses Support Bipartisan Bill to Establish Manhattan Project National Historical Park
Press Release
Jun 28, 2012 - Today, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a legislative hearing on H.R. 5987, a bipartisan bill introduced by Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04), Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03) and Congressman Ben Lujan (NM-03) to establish a Manhattan Project National Historical Park ... More

Northwest Federal Forest Regulations Have Devastated Forest Health, Local Economies With Little Benefit to Northern Spotted Owl
Press Release
May 21, 2012 - Today, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held an oversight field hearing in Longview, Washington on, “Failed Federal Forest Policies: Endangering Jobs, Forests and Species.” The hearing examined how federal implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan and Endangered Species Act has affected lo... More

Field Hearing Stresses Need for Active Forest Management to Suppress Bark Beetle Epidemic, Protect Water and Power Supplies
Press Release
May 14, 2012 - Today, the House Subcommittees on Water and Power and National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held a joint oversight field hearing in Montrose, Colorado entitled, “Logs in the Road: Eliminating Federal Red Tape and Excessive Litigation to Create Healthy Forests, Jobs and Abundant Water and Power Supplies.” At the hea... More

Witnesses: Bills to Amend Lacey Act Would Correct Unintended Consequences of Law, Protect from Over-Criminalization
Press Release
May 8, 2012 - Today, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs held a legislative hearing on two bills that would amend the Lacey Act, H.R. 3210, the “Retailers and Entertainers Lacey Implementation and Enforcement Fairness Act,” and H.R. 4171, the “Freedom from Over-Criminalization and Unjust Seizures Act ... More

Chairman Hastings' Statement at Conference Committee Meeting on Highway Bill
Op-Eds and Speeches
May 8, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered the following opening statement today at the Conference Committee meeting on the Highway bill: “The federal government’s slow, cumbersome bureaucracy is consistently getting in the way of job creation and economic growth. Nowhere is this more ev... More

Sportsmen, Conservation and Second Amendment Advocates Support Natural Resources Committee Legislation to Protect Hunting
Blog
Apr 13, 2012 - Multiple sportsmen, conservation and second amendment advocate organizations are calling for passage of H.R. 4089. Specifically, the Sportsmen's Heritage Act of 2012 reaffirms that fishing, hunting, and shooting are important and traditional activities that should continue on Forest Service (FS) and Bureau of Land Mana... More

Witnesses Call for Increased Public Participation, Transparency in Federal Land Management Decision-Making Process
Press Release
Mar 12, 2012 - Today, the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held an oversight field hearing in Elko, Nevada entitled, “Explosion of Federal Regulations Threatening Jobs and Economic Survival in the West.” At the hearing, Subcommittee Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) and Representative Mark Amodei (NV-02) heard... More

NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

News List