The House Natural Resources Committee today passed H.R. 4019, the Federal Forest County Revenue, Schools and Jobs Act of 2012, by a vote of 26 to 17. The bill aims to restore economic stability in forested counties that lost valuable revenue used to support schools, infrastructure and emergency services when the timber industry sharply declined in the 1990s due to federal regulations and… Read more »

Today the Full House of Representatives passed H.R. 3408, with a bipartisan vote of 237-187. The legislation is a bipartisan plan to expand offshore energy production, open less than three percent of ANWR for oil and natural gas production, encourage the development of 1.5 trillion barrels of oil shale in the Rocky Mountain West, and approve the Keystone XL pipeline. The plan will create… Read more »

Today, the Committee will mark up H.R. 4019, the Federal Forest County Revenue, Schools and Jobs Act of 2012, a long-term solution that would provide rural counties with a stable revenue stream, create jobs and grow rural economies. Numerous national and local organizations, including local officials from 70 counties in 13 states, have contacted Congress to show their support for… Read more »

Today, the Subcommittee on Indians and Alaska Native Affairs held a legislative hearing on H.R. 3973, the Native American Energy Act that promotes and encourages increased energy production on tribal lands by reducing government barriers and streamlining burdensome procedures. The Native American Energy Act addresses specific concerns from various Indian County leaders about getting… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today questioned Secretary Ken Salazar on the Interior Department’s lack of compliance with legitimate oversight requests from the Committee on actions and policies that directly impact American jobs and the economy. The Committee is investigating the Department’s rewrite of coal regulations and the White House’s editing of… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings delivered the following statement on the House floor today in support of H.R. 3408, a bill that includes the energy provisions of the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act. The bill expands access to both onshore and offshore American energy resources - creating over a million new American jobs, lowering gasoline prices,… Read more »

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 compared to funding levels when he first took office. The Federal… Read more »

Today during a Full Committee hearing on the President’s FY 2013 budget, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar agreed that reforms to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are needed to make it less lawsuit driven and admitted that he doesn’t currently know how much the Department spends on ESA-related litigation costs. The Natural Resources Committee held a Full Committee hearing last year… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) yesterday introduced H.R. 4019, the Federal Forest County Revenue, Schools and Jobs Act of 2012. The bill is a long-term solution that would provide rural counties with a stable revenue stream, create jobs, grow rural economies, and restore active, healthy forest management. The bill also provides for a five year extension of… Read more »

Members of the Alaska House of Representatives recently visited Washington, D.C. to advocate for H.R. 7, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act. The House will consider the bill this week, which among other provisions, would open less than 3% of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in the North Slope to responsible energy production. This small portion of ANWR was… Read more »