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Chairman Hastings Supports Passage of Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Protection Act

| Posted in Floor Statements

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered the following statement on the House floor today in support of S. 404, the Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Protection Act. This important bipartisan legislation is similar to H.R. 908 that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on February 20, 2014 as part of the Public Access and Lands Improvement…

Hastings: Full SRS Funding is Victory for Rural Counties that Faced Uncertainty Due to Obama Administration Political Games

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) issued the following statement on the announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on its plans to distribute the FY 2013 Secure Rural School (SRS) payments in full. “Today’s announcement is a victory for rural counties that have been faced with uncertainty of whether they would have enough funds to pay for schools,…

Members, Witnesses Agree California’s Abundant Oil and Natural Gas Reserves Would Create Jobs and Increase Energy Security

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on “Energy Independence: Domestic Opportunities to Reverse California’s Growing Dependence on Foreign Oil.” Overall, the United States is importing less oil than any point in the past decade, yet California’s foreign oil imports have dramatically increased. Today’s hearing focused on the drastic increase in…

Witnesses Agree on the Need for Tribal Involvement in Cobell Settlement’s Land Buy-Back Program

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs held an oversight hearing entitled, “Implementing the Cobell Settlement: Missed Opportunities and Lessons Learned.” This hearing examined the delays and uncertainty in the land buyback program authorized as part of the Cobell Settlement. The Cobell Settlement provided for the resolution of individual…

California’s Growing Dependence on Foreign Oil

| Posted in Resourceful Information

Tomorrow, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold a hearing on California energy and the drastic increase in foreign oil imports. The state has significant opportunities for energy production, including California’s Monterey Shale that the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that contains over 15 billion barrels of oil. However, as the infographic below…

Natural Resources Committee Bills Passed by House Would Create Over a Million Jobs and Billions in Revenue

| Posted in Resourceful Information

Today at a Full Committee hearing, Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell testified that the Department’s programs and activities support millions of jobs and generate billions in revenue.  While this is true, the Secretary failed to acknowledge the millions of jobs and billions in revenue that could be created if the Administration didn’t impose burdensome red-tape and…

Chairman Hastings' Remarks at the Annual Meeting of the National Water Resources Association

| Posted in Op-Eds and Speeches

Today, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered the following prepared remarks at the National Water Resources Association Annual Meeting, highlighting hydropower as a clean, renewable energy resource; California water issues; and the need to update and improve the Endangered Species Act: “Thank you for that kind introduction, Jim. It’s a pleasure once…

Hastings: Court Misses the Mark on ESA Settlement Ruling

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) issued the following statement regarding the federal court ruling upholding the Obama Administration’s closed-door Endangered Species Act (ESA) settlement agreement with the Center for Biological Diversity and WildEarth Guardians: “I’m disappointed with today’s court ruling that upholds the Administration’s mega-settlement…

Hastings: Republican Budget Prioritizes American Energy to Create New Jobs and Increase Revenues

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement praising the Republican budget released today by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan: “The Republican budget is a responsible plan to cut spending, lower the debt, and ensure long-term job and economic growth. It prioritizes expanded American energy production and recognizes that new…

Members Introduce Four Common Sense Bills to Update the Endangered Species Act

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04), Rep. Cynthia Lummis (Wyoming-at large), Rep. Randy Neugebauer (TX-19), and Rep. Bill Huizenga (MI-02) today introduced four limited bills to improve and update the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The bills are supported by all of the Members of the ESA Congressional Working Group, representing districts across the nation, and…