News List

  • BUDGET WATCH: President's Budget Increases Spending for Government Land Acquisition
    Tax Dollar Tracker
    Feb 15, 2012 -     President Obama’s FY2013 budget proposal released Monday includes $450 million to buy more federal land through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Despite the Federal government’s ballooning $15 trillion debt, the President is proposing a $160 million spending increase (58 percent) for government land acquisition co... More
  • Chairman Hastings’ Statement on Interior Department’s List of Proposed Conservation Lands and Wilderness Designations
    Press Release
    Nov 10, 2011 -     House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings released the following statement regarding the Department of the Interior’s list of proposed Conservation Lands and Wilderness designations: “To date, Congress has designated over one hundred million acres of our public lands as Wilderness – an area larger than th... More
  • Associated Press: Lawmakers say environmental laws should be waived for Border Patrol operations
    In Case You Missed It
    Oct 27, 2011 -     Lawmakers say environmental laws should be waived for Border Patrol operations October 27, 2011 Associated Press Kevin Freking Federal agents trying to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border say they’re hampered by laws that keep them from driving vehicles on huge swaths of land because it falls under U.S. environmental protect... More
  • Subcommittee Reviews Slate of Wilderness and Public Land Bills
    Press Release
    Oct 25, 2011 -     Today, the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a legislative hearing on eight bills related to Wilderness and public lands. The bills included measures to modify the boundaries of current federal land holdings, establish new Wilderness areas, and allow for the disposal of surplus federal... More
  • House Committee on Natural Resources Final Recommendations to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction Co-Chairs Hensarling and Murray
    Letters
    Oct 14, 2011 -     Dear Co-Chairs Hensarling and Murray: The Natural Resources Committee is committed to addressing our Nation's record debt and deficit levels and doing its part to contribute to the Joint Select Committee's efforts to cut at least $1.5 trillion in federal govemment spending from Fiscal Year 2012 to Fiscal Year 2021. Our... More
  • Committee Passes Bill to Increase Border Security on Federal Lands
    Press Release
    Oct 5, 2011 -     Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources passed H.R. 1505, the National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act, by a vote of 26 to 17. The bill prohibits the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) from using environmental regulations to hinder U.S. Border Patro... More
  • Interior Sec. Salazar to Visit Central WA at Chairman Hastings’ Invitation
    Press Release
    Sep 14, 2011 -     On Sunday, September 18th, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings will host Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in a visit to Central Washington’s Fourth Congressional District for a discussion on Yakima River Basin water and a tour of Hanford’s historic B Reactor. “Secretary Salazar and I... More
  • 39 House Republicans Send Letter to Senators Over Nominee for Fish, Wildlife and Parks Assistant Secretary
    Letters
    Jul 20, 2011 -     Dear Senators Boxer, Bingaman, Inhofe, and Murkowski: As you consider President Obama's nomination of Ms. Rebecca Wodder as Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks at the Department of the Interior, we respectfully write to let you know of our serious concerns with her record as the head of American Rivers, a ... More
  • End the Lockout of Border Patrol to Federal Lands - Vote "Aye" on the Lummis Amendment
    Dear Colleagues
    Jun 2, 2011 -     Dear Colleague, The Lummis Amendment to the 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations bill is focused on the serious problem of our Nation’s border security taking a back seat to environmental laws and the regulatory whims of Department of the Interior land managers. An October 2010 GAO report revealed that critical access... More
  • Hastings Statement on Interior Department’s new Wilderness Policy
    Press Release
    Dec 23, 2010 -     House Natural Resources Committee Chairman-elect Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s Secretarial Order to allow the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to designate areas as “Wild Lands” – essentially giving the Administration the ability establish de fact... More
  • National Park Service Turns 94
    Blog
    Aug 25, 2010 -     On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill creating the National Park Service, a new federal bureau of the Department of the Interior responsible for protecting the 35 national parks and monuments then managed by the Department. Today, the National Park System comprises 392 national parks and 2,461 nati... More
  • Bill Allows Interior Dept. to Divert Money Away from Border Patrol to Buy Up Private Land
    Press Release
    Jul 1, 2010 -     Today, the House of Representatives will vote on the FY 2010 Supplemental Appropriations bill that contains a provision allowing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to transfer an unlimited amount of funds to the Department of the Interior (DOI) in the form of environmental mitigation payments demanded in return ... More
  • FOX News: U.S. Closes Park Land Along Mexico Border to Americans
    In Case You Missed It
    Jun 15, 2010 -     U.S. Closes Park Land Along Mexico Border to Americans FOX News June 15, 2010 Click here to watch Note: To help address violence on federal lands along the border, House Republicans, led by National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Rob Bishop (UT-01), have introduced legislation (H.R. 5016) to ensure that t... More
  • Vote Check: Republican Amendments Defeated to Prevent Interest Groups from Targeting Wind, Solar and Coal Plants Near National Parks
    Press Release
    May 6, 2010 -     Yesterday, during a Full Committee markup, Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee voted against two amendments offered by National Parks, Forest and Public Lands Subcommittee Ranking Member Rob Bishop (UT-01) to ensure that National Park designations are not used to block or oppose the construction of wind,... More
  • FOX News: Tracking Your Taxes: Park Pork?
    In Case You Missed It
    Feb 9, 2010 -     Tracking Your Taxes: Park Pork? February 9, 2010, 12:05 PM ET FOX News Live Shots Blog William La Jeunesse Click here to watch the video If you are hoping to visit the newest crown jewel in America's park system chosen by Congress, throw away the car keys and open up your wallet. The 2,900 pristine acres of beachfront ... More
  • Hastings Floor Statement on Bill to Create New $50 Million Park in the Virgin Islands
    Floor Statements
    Jan 27, 2010 -     House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered the following floor statement on H.R. 3726, the Castle Nugent Historic Site Act , which creates a new $50 million park in St. Croix in the Virgin Islands: Click here to watch the video “Madame Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may cons... More
  • While Administration Talks Spending Freeze, Congress Prepares to Create New $50 Million Park in the Caribbean
    Tax Dollar Tracker
    Jan 26, 2010 -     On Wednesday, President Obama is expected to propose a three-year spending freeze during his State of the Union Address. As one senior administration official explained: "You can't afford to do everything that you might have always wanted to do…you have to take steps to control spending." Unfortunately, the Democrat Ma... More
  • Washington Times: Virgin Islands land eyed for historic site
    In Case You Missed It
    Jan 25, 2010 -     Virgin Islands land eyed for historic site January 25, 2010 Washington Times Stephen Dinan The National Park Service hasn't yet decided whether it wants beachfront land in the U.S. Virgin Islands for a new national historic site, but House Democrats for the second time in two weeks will try to push the Park Service to... More
  • National Park Service Authorities and Corrections Act of 2009 (H.R. 3804)
    Committee Votes
    Nov 18, 2009 -     National Park Service Authorities and Corrections Act of 2009 (H.R. 3804) November 18, 2009 Full Committee Markup Reporting H.R. 3804 out of Committee (Voted favorably by voice vote) The National Park Service Authorities and Corrections Act of 2009 would authorize a ten year extension to the National Park System Adviso... More
  • Saguaro National Park Boundary Expansion and Study Act of 2009 (H.R. 715)
    Committee Votes
    Jul 9, 2009 -     Saguaro National Park Boundary Expansion and Study Act of 2009 (H.R. 715) July 9, 2009 Full Committee Markup Reporting H.R. 715 out of Committee: Favorably reported to the House of Representatives, as amended, by voice vote. Rep. Bishop of Utah Amendment #1 – Protecting Private Property Rights (View Roll Call Vote) Sin... More
  • New York Times: Advocates of gun rights are poised for a victory
    In Case You Missed It
    May 20, 2009 -     Advocates of gun rights are poised for a victory By Carl Hulse New York Times May 20, 2009 WASHINGTON — Advocates of gun rights are poised to win a Congressional victory that eluded them under a Republican president. To the frustration and discouragement of many Democrats, House and Senate lawmakers and aides say it n... More
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