Letters

Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member Markey Letter to Secretary Jewell
Letters
May 21, 2013 - Last week, the Department of the Interior released the most recent iteration of a rule to regulate hydraulic fracturing on federal and tribal lands. As part of the rulemaking, the Department of the Interior has proposed to provide 30 days for public comment on this revised draft rule. We jointly believe that this timef... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Burwell
Letters
May 20, 2013 - Dear Director Matthews Burwell: In March 20 13, the Forest Service ("Service") began demanding states return $17.9 million they had received - and in many cases already spent - under the Secure Rural Schools Program ("SRS"). Congress has authorized this money to help pay for schools and services in areas where environm... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to GSA Acting Administrator Tangherlini
Letters
May 17, 2013 - Dear Mr. Tangherlini: The Eisenhower Memorial Commission ("Commission") was created in 1999 and charged with "memorializing Dwight D. Eisenhower as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe in World War II and as the 34th President of the United States.,,1 While there is significant cost associated with the ... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to Chairman Siciliano and Brig. Gen Reddel
Letters
May 17, 2013 - Dear Mr. Siciliano and Brig. Gen. Reddel: The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission's ("Commission") Fiscal Year 2014 budget request seeks a total of $51 million to pay for the construction of the planned Eisenhower Memorial and the salaries and expenses of the Commission itself. This would be in addition to the $63... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to NPS Director Jarvis and Regional Director Whitesell
Letters
May 17, 2013 - Dear Mr. Jarvis and Mr. Whitesell: In addition to the lens of millions of dollars already spent to design the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, millions more would be needed to pay for the construction and upkeep of the Memorial as currently designed. The National Park Service is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to Chief of Staff for the Secretary of the Interior Laura Davis
Letters
May 17, 2013 - Dear Ms. Davis: In August 2012, the Office of the Inspector General ("OIG") for the U.S. Department of the Interior ("Department") issued a Report of lnvestigation ("Report") entitled "Jeanette Hanna et al." The Report outlines several concerns and allegations against fonner Bureau of Indian Affairs ("BIA") Regional Di... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to Assistant Secretary Washburn
Letters
May 17, 2013 - Dear Assistant Secretary Washburn: On August 10, 2012, the Office of the Inspector General ("010") for the U.S. Department of the Interior ("Department") issued a Report of Investigation ("Report") entitled "Jeanette Hanna et al." The Report outlined a series of concerns and allegations against former Bureau of Indian ... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to Assistant Attorney General Moreno
Letters
May 16, 2013 - Dear Assistant Attorney General Moreno: The Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") has broad jurisdiction over matters involving energy development on federal lands, wildlife, and migratory birds, including enforcement of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act ("MBT A") and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act ("BGEP ... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to FWS Director Ashe
Letters
May 16, 2013 - Dear Director Ashe: The Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") has broad jurisdiction over matters involving the Department of the Interior, energy development on federal lands, wildlife, and migratory birds. In order to better understand the Obama Administration's enforcement of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act ("M... 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

Chairman Hastings Letter to Secretary Salazar Regarding Stream Buffer Zone Rule Rewrite
Letters
Mar 27, 2013 - Dear Secretary Salazar: As you know, for more than two years the Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") has been conducting oversight on issues regarding the Department of the Interior's and the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement's ("OSM") handling of the decision to toss aside and ultimately r... More

Letter from 72 Members of Congress to FWS Director Dan Ashe Supporting Grey Wolf Delisting
Letters
Mar 22, 2013 - Dear Director Ashe: We understand the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is in the process of reviewing the Endangered Species Act (ESA) recovery status of the gray wolf in the lower 48 States and is preparing to announce the delisting of the species. We support the nationwide delisting of wolves and urge you to mo... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to Secretary Salazar Requesting Additional Documents Regarding the Interior Department's Ethics Office Investigations
Letters
Mar 14, 2013 - Dear Secretary Salazar: It is paramount that the American people have confidence that the Department of the Interior (“Department”) officials who manage federal lands and resources on their behalf are acting with the highest of ethical standards. Since last year, the Committee on Natural Resources (“Committee”) has bee... More

Chairman Hastings Questions Interior Department on Potentially Economically Devastating Sage-Grouse Endangered Species Listing
Letters
Mar 7, 2013 - At the beginning of this Administration, President Obama placed significant emphasis on the importance of scientific integrity in his Administration's policies and practices. In the President's March 9, 2009 Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, he stated that "[t]he public must be able to tru... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar Regarding the Investigations and Review Unit
Letters
Mar 4, 2013 - Dear Secretary Salazar: The Department of the Interior ("Department") established the Investigations and Review Unit ("IRU") in 2010, reportedly to respond to allegations of wrongdoing and unethical behavior by the offshore oil and gas industry and the Department officials who regulate those activities and to help coor... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar Regarding the Administration's Policies and Practices of Scientific Integrity
Letters
Mar 1, 2013 - Dear Mr. Secretary: At the beginning of this Administration, President Obama placed significant emphasis on the importance of scientific integrity in his Administration's policies and practices. In the President's March 9, 2009 Memorandum tor the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, he stated that "[t]he public... More

Letter from Chairman Hastings to Secretary Chu Regarding the Memorandum to the Power Marketing Administration
Letters
Feb 28, 2013 - As you know, the House Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") is conducting oversight on issues surrounding your March 16, 2012 Memorandum ("Memorandum") to the Power Marketing Administrations. In an October 11, 2012 letter the Department of Energy ("Department") was asked to produce several categories of docume... More

Chairman Hastings' Letter to Secretary Salazar Regarding the Stream Buffer Zone Rule Rewrite
Letters
Feb 22, 2013 - Two years ago you received the first in a series of letters asking for information and documents that would explain the deeply concerning decisions made by the Department and the Office of Surface Mining ("OSM") over the last few years related to the decision to discard nearly 5 years of rulemaking and begin a rewrite ... More

Hastings Letter to Secretary Salazar Requesting Permanent Inspector General for the Interior Department
Letters
Feb 21, 2013 - I write to request that you act without further delay to nominate a permanent Inspector General for the Department of the Interior ("Department"). The operations and management of the Department's Office of Inspector General ("IG") are in serious need of independent leadership. Nearly four years ago to the day, you app... More

Letter from Nine Members of Congress to FWS Director Ashe Requesting Extended Comment Period for Lesser Prairie-Chicken Listing Deadline
Letters
Feb 7, 2013 - We are writing to request at least a 60-day extension of the comment period and at least a 90-day extension of the final listing deadline for the proposed rule to list the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (LPC) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. We also request that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), in coord... 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

Chairman Hastings Letter to Director Ashe and Administrator Lubchenco Requesting Extension of Comment Period of USFWS and NOAA Fisheries Proposed Revisions to Critical Habitat Economic Impact Analyses
Letters
Oct 19, 2012 - Dear Director Ashe and Administrator Lubchenco: I write regarding your agencies’ recent proposed rule that would make sweeping changes to regulations for analyzing the economic impacts of critical habitat designations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). I understand that the comment period for this proposed rule is... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew Requesting Documents on the Imposition of an Offshore Drilling Moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico
Letters
Oct 17, 2012 - Dear Mr. Lew: Upon taking office, President Obama issued a memorandum to Department and Agency heads entitled “Scientific Integrity” that stated: “The public must be able to trust the science and scientific process informing public policy decisions. Political officials should not suppress or alter scientific or technol... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to Secretary Chu Requesting Additional Information on the March 16, 2012 Memorandum to the Power Marketing Administrations
Letters
Oct 11, 2012 - Dear Secretary Chu: The Committee on Natural Resources (“Committee”) is conducting oversight on issues surrounding your March 16, 2012 Memorandum to the Power Marketing Administrations (“PMAs”). After two full Committee hearings and a number of congressional letters of concern, it is abundantly clear that there are man... More

Chairmen Hastings and Bishop Follow-up Letter to Secretary Salazar on Proposed Withdrawal of Energy Development in Northern Arizona
Letters
Sep 17, 2012 - Dear Secretary Salazar: On May 23, 2012, a letter was sent requesting documents concerning the Department of the Interior’s (“Department”) decision to withdraw 1 million acres in northern Arizona from new uranium mining claims and copies of 399 pages concerning communications between the Superintendent of the Grand Can... More

NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

Letters