Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs

Retailers and Entertainers Lacey Implementation and Enforcement Fairness Act "RELIEF Act" (H.R. 3210)
Committee Votes
Jun 7, 2012 - Reporting H.R. 3210 Out of Committee (Passed 25-19. View Roll Call Vote) This bill would strengthen the Lacey Act by addressing certain unintended consequences of the 2008 Amendments Fleming Amendment #001 – Increases Transparency on Lacey Act Provisions (Agreed to by Voice Vote.) This amendment would establish an effe... More

House Approves Bishop Amendment to End DHS Extortion Payments, Redirect Funds to Border Protection
Press Release
Jun 7, 2012 - The House of Representatives last night passed, in a bipartisan vote of 230-186, National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Chairman Rob Bishop’s (UT-01) Border Patrol Operations Enhancement Amendment to the FY 2013 Homeland Security Appropriations Act. The amendment eliminates mitigation payments from the D... 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

Committee Report on S. 363, A bill to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to convey property of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to the City of Pascagoula, Mississippi, and for other purposes
Committee Reports
May 30, 2012 - H. Rept. 112-502 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

Military Readiness and Southern Sea Otter Conservation Act (H.R. 4043)
Committee Votes
May 16, 2012 - Reporting H.R. 4043 Out of Committee (Passed 24-13. View Roll Call Vote) This bill would create Southern Sea Otter Military Readiness Areas in three specific areas off the southern California coast. Sea otter range expansion would go forward as determined by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). However, military activi... More

House Votes to Halt Funding for Obama Administration's Mandatory Ocean Zoning
Press Release
May 9, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) and Representative Bill Flores (TX-17) released the following statements after the House passed, in a bipartisan vote of 246 to 174, an amendment offered by Rep. Flores to the FY 2013 Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appro... More

Farm Bureau Supports Flores Amendment to CJS; Says Ocean Policy Could Reach Every Farm and Ranch in the United States
Dear Colleagues
May 9, 2012 - Dear Colleague, Today, the House continues consideration of H.R. 5326, making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes. As part of House Republicans’ effort to combat unnecessary spending and burdensom... More

Over 80 Groups Support Passage of Flores Amendment
Dear Colleagues
May 9, 2012 - Dear Colleague, Over 80 groups across a spectrum of sectors including agriculture, fishing, construction, manufacturing, mining, oil and natural gas, and renewable energy, have come together to support Representative Flores' (TX-17) amendment to prohibit funding for the implementation of President Obama’s National Ocea... 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

H.R. 5326 CJS Approps: Support the Flores Amendment to Prevent New Layers of Federal Bureaucracy
Dear Colleagues
May 8, 2012 - Dear Colleague, This week the House will vote on H.R. 5326, making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes. As part of House Republicans effort to combat unnecessary spending and burdensome federal re... More

Members Send Letter To House Appropriators Asking for a "Time Out" on Funding for President Obama's Plan to Zone the Oceans
Press Release
Apr 25, 2012 - Led by Natural Resources Committee Member Bill Flores (TX-17), 23 Members today sent a letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (KY-05) asking that all FY 2013 appropriations bills include language to prohibit the use of funds for the implementation of President Obama’s ocean zoning and National Oce... More

23 House Republicans Letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers Requesting a Prohibition on Funding for the Implementation of President Obama's Ocean Zoning Policy
Letters
Apr 25, 2012 - Dear Chairman Rogers: Our oceans support more than 28 million American jobs. This activity, along with Coastal and Great Lake States maritime activities contribute to more than 80% of our domestic economy. Proper stewardship of this vital resource will always remain a National interest. Concerns have been raised, howev... More

Witnesses: President's Ocean Zoning Threatens Alaska's Economy
Press Release
Apr 3, 2012 - Today, the Natural Resources Committee held an oversight field hearing in Anchorage, Alaska on, “Alaska’s Sovereignty In Peril: The National Ocean Policy’s Goal to Federalize Alaska.” The hearing focused on how President Obama’s plan to mandate ocean zoning through implementation of the National Ocean Policy threatens ... More

Chairman Hastings Asks House Appropriators to Halt Funding and Hit "Pause" on President's Ocean Zoning Policy
Press Release
Apr 3, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) sent a letter yesterday to Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (KY-05) asking that each appropriations bill include language to prohibit the use of funds for the implementation of President Obama’s ocean zoning and National Ocean Policy. “The Natu... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers Requesting a Prohibition on Funding for the Implementation of President Obama's Ocean Zoning Policy
Letters
Apr 2, 2012 - Dear Chairman Rogers: The Obama Administration continues to move forward with zoning the oceans through implementation of the President's National Ocean Policy (Policy) without requesting funding specifically for this broad initiative and without answering basic questions about how funds are currently being diverted fr... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator Jane Lubchenco Regarding the Mismanagement of the Asset Forfeiture Fund
Letters
Apr 2, 2012 - Dear Administrator Lubchenco: As you may know, the Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") has been monitoring the Office of Inspector General's ("OIG") investigations into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's ("NOAA") mismanagement of the Asset Forfeiture Fund. Under section 311 (e)(l) of the Mag... More

Obama Administration Refuses to Allow Public More Time to Weigh-in on President Obama's Plan to Zone the Oceans
Press Release
Mar 28, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today received notice from the Obama Administration that they will not agree to his request for a 90-day extension of the public comment period on the draft National Ocean Policy Implementation plan. “President Obama issued an Executive Order imposing a ne... More

Recreational, Commercial Fishermen Fear President's Ocean Zoning Plans Will Block Access, Create Conflict in Fishery Management
Press Release
Mar 22, 2012 - Today, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs held an oversight hearing on “Empty Hooks: The National Ocean Policy is the Latest Threat to Access for Recreational and Commercial Fishermen.” Representatives from the charter, commercial and recreational fishing industries testified on the imp... More

Chairman Hastings Follow-up Letter to Council on Environmental Quality Chairwoman Nancy Sutley and Office of Science and Technology Policy Director John Holdren on the National Ocean Council Draft Implementation Plan
Letters
Mar 20, 2012 - Dear Chairwoman Sutley and Director Holdren: On February 23, 2012, I wrote requesting that the public comment period on the draft National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan be extended for an additional 90 days beyond the original February 27,2012 deadline. It was disappointing to leam that, despite the National Ocean P... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to Assistant Attorney General Moreno on Endangered Species Act Litigation and Settlement Costs
Letters
Mar 19, 2012 - Dear Assistant Attorney General Moreno: 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, t... More

Governors Express Ocean Policy Concerns with President Obama
Blog
Mar 14, 2012 - This week, Governors from 7 states penned a letter to President Obama addressing multiple offshore energy issues. In particular, they expressed concern with proposed coastal and marine spatial planning, one facet of the President’s National Ocean Policy. The Governors urged the President to carefully consider the burea... More

Members Question Obama Admin on FY13 Budget Priorities, Raise Concern Over Endangered Species Act Litigation, Settlements
Press Release
Mar 6, 2012 - Today, the House Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs held an oversight hearing on the FY 2013 budget requests for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The hearing f... More

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NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs