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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

Meet Our Members: Rep. Steve Daines (MT) Discusses the 'Treasure State'
Blog
Mar 18, 2013 - The Committee continues its "Meet our Members" series with Congressman Steve Daines, representing Montana At-Large. In this segment, Rep. Daines describes growing up as a fifth generation Montanan in the 'Treasure State,' and how its variety of natural resources and national parks really comprise the state's treasures... More

Wall Street Journal Editorial: Fishing for Wildlife Lawsuits
Blog
Mar 11, 2013 - "The Interior Department's Fish and Wildlife Service has resurrected a Clinton-era tactic known as 'sue and settle.' With this strategy, outside green groups friendly to the Administration sue the government, demanding a particular regulatory action. The agency happily forswears court and sits down with the plaintiffs ... More

Hastings, Lucas, Peterson Praise Federal Court Ruling on NOAA’s Salmon Opinion
Press Release
Feb 22, 2013 - In a major victory for American agriculture, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a landmark ruling Thursday in the case Dow AgroSciences LLC v. National Marine Fisheries Service reaffirming that government decision-making must be based on science and not the misguided agenda of activist groups. House Natural Resour... More

Hastings Selected as Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee
Press Release
Nov 28, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after the Republican Conference selected him to serve as Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee in the 113th Congress: “I’m honored to have been selected by my Republican Colleagues to continue to serve as Chairman of ... More

Center for Biological Diversity Disregards 2011 Settlement Agreement, Files Major Endangered Species Act Petition
Blog
Aug 8, 2012 - “We're disappointed that they filed another large, multi-species petition. Fifty-three species is a large number, and the species are spread across the country.” – Gary Frazer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Assistant Director for Endangered Species The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) recently petitioned the U.S.... 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

DOJ Documents Confirm Center for Biological Diversity Received Millions in Taxpayer Funds from ESA-Related Lawsuits
Press Release
Jun 27, 2012 - The Center for Biological Diversity today sent a letter to House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings claiming their organization had only received $553,000 in taxpayer funds resulting from Endangered Species Act (ESA) related attorney fees and court cases. This claim conflicts with data obtained from the ... More

Litigation Drives Endangered Species Act to the Detriment of Species and People
Press Release
Jun 19, 2012 - Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources continued its series of full committee oversight hearings on how to improve and update the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Today’s hearing focused on ESA litigation and how attorneys’ fees are being used by certain organizations to continue endless lawsuits. Witnesses at th... More

Millions of Taxpayer Dollars Spent on Endangered Species Act Litigation and Attorney Fees
Resourceful Information
Jun 19, 2012 - According to data recently obtained from the Department of Justice (DOJ) in response to document requests, the federal government has defended more than 570 Endangered Species Act (ESA)-related lawsuits costing U.S. taxpayers more than $15 million in attorney fees – in just the past four years. This data provides furth... More

Further Details Sought on Costs of Hundreds of Endangered Species Act Lawsuits and Settlements
Press Release
May 31, 2012 - Today, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) sent a series of letters to the Obama Administration requesting further information on how much the federal government spends on Endangered Species Act (ESA)-related litigation and settlement costs. The ESA has become increasingly driven by litigati... More

Chairman Hastings Letters to Obama Administration Officials Requesting Further Information on Endangered Species Act Lawsuits and Settlements
Letters
May 31, 2012 - Dear Secretary Salazar and Director Ashe: The Committee on Natural Resources (“Committee”) has jurisdiction over matters involving fisheries and wildlife, including the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (“ESA”), 16 U.S.C. §§ 1531-1599. The goal of the ESA was to preserve, protect and recover key domestic species. However,... 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

Chairman Hastings' Op-Ed in The Washington Times: Time to improve the Endangered Species Act
Op-Eds and Speeches
May 21, 2012 - HASTINGS: Time to improve the Endangered Species Act By House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings Washington Times May 18, 2012 When the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was signed into law in 1973 by President Nixon, he spoke about the importance of preserving “the rich array of animal life with which our c... 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

Witnesses Testify National Park Service Management Plans Severely Limit Access, Harm Local Economy, Endanger Jobs
Press Release
Apr 27, 2012 - Today, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a joint legislative and oversight hearing on H.R. 4094, the “Preserving Access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area Act,” and, “Access Denied: Turning Away Visitors to National Parks.” “Although today we focused on two examples, Bi... More

Hastings Statement on Judge Redden's Admitted Bias to Destroy Snake River Dams
Press Release
Apr 26, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement on Judge Redden’s admitted bias to destroy Snake River Dams: “This interview candidly reveals the activist bias of Judge Redden that I and many in the Pacific Northwest have suspected for years. Due to his personal views, t... More

Examining the Financial Impacts of Endangered Species Act Lawsuits and Settlements
Resourceful Information
Mar 6, 2012 - Today, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing on the FY 2013 budget requests for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As part of Chairman Doc Hastings’ ongoing efforts to review the Endangered Species Act ... More

Obama Administration Comprehensive Conservation Plan Threatens Chincoteague Jobs, Economy
Press Release
Feb 17, 2012 - Today, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs held an oversight hearing on, “Fish and Wildlife Service’s Proposed Comprehensive Conservation Plan and its Potential Devastating Impact on the Economy of the Town of Chincoteague, Virginia.” The Town of Chincoteague attracts approximately 1.4 m... More

Platts Energy Week Interview with Chairman Doc Hastings
Blog
Jan 30, 2012 - Chairman Doc Hastings sat down with Platts Energy Week to discuss the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act, legislation that would link expanded American energy production with high priority infrastructure projects. Chairman Hastings told Platts, "The revenues from this [legislation] will build and maintain our in... More

Bipartisan Group of Northwest Congressional Members Send Letter to Energy Secretary Chu Raising Concern Over FERC's Bonneville Environmental Redispatch Order
Press Release
Jan 24, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) and a group of 18 bipartisan Members of Congress and Senators from Washington, Idaho, and Oregon sent the following letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu raising concerns with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) December 7... More

19 Members of Pacific Northwest Delegation Bipartisan Letter to Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu Concerning FERC's Bonneville Environmental Redispatch Order
Letters
Jan 24, 2012 - Dear Secretary Chu, We write today regarding the December 7, 2011 order issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the matter of the Bonneville Power Administration's environmental redispatch policy. As you know, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is a Power Marketing Administration (PMA), one ... More

Chairman Hastings' Op-Ed in EnergyGuardian: Ocean policy reaches far beyond the sea
Op-Eds and Speeches
Jan 20, 2012 - Guest Opinion: Ocean policy reaches far beyond the sea By House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings Energy Guardian January 20, 2012 If there’s one accomplishment President Obama can take credit for during his first term in office, it’s expanding the size and reach of the federal government. While this m... More

Excessive Endangered Species Act Litigation Threatens Species Recovery, Job Creation and Economic Growth
Press Release
Dec 6, 2011 - Today, the Committee on Natural Resources held a full committee oversight hearing to examine how excessive Endangered Species Act (ESA) related litigation impacts species recovery, job creation and the economy. This was the first hearing in series that will be held by the Committee to take a fair look at the ways in wh... More

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