U.S. Secretary of the Interior (DOI) Sally Jewell is developing controversial plans to cordon off approximately 10 million acres of federal lands located in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming from mineral development. The withdrawals are one plank of the Obama administration's broader regulatory scheme to create a de-facto Endangered Species Act listing for the sage grouse.… Read more »

Washington, D.C. – White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shaun Donovan and U.S. Forest Service (FS) leadership today hosted a national media call on wildfire activity in California and nationally. House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement in response to the Administration’s flawed and lackluster… Read more »

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held an oversight hearing titled, “Tribal Prosperity and Self-Determination through Energy Development.”  Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) and Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) joined a panel of expert witnesses to discuss obstacles and potential for energy and natural resource development on tribal lands. Indian energy resources hold… Read more »

After correspondence and two staff briefings with the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Park Service (NPS) on the decades of systemic mismanagement of natural and cultural resources at Effigy Mounds National Monument (EFMO), the House Committee on Natural Resources is conducting further oversight. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement: “The… Read more »

Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced final revisions to regulations governing the petition process under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement: “This announcement is a call for help from the administration and an acknowledgement that ESA is broken. These revisions give… Read more »

Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued the final rule to create a Native Hawaiian government. The rule, which is highly disputed and raises difficult constitutional issues, includes new administrative procedures and criteria for establishing such relationships. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement: “What the President wants, the President gets. This rule… Read more »

Today, the U.S. Departments of the Army, the Interior and Justice invited tribal leaders to participate in government-to-government consultations on infrastructure permitting. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement: "This administration has never cared about consulting local communities or Native tribes. Over the past eight years, tribes and Alaska Natives have… Read more »

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a markup on five bills including H.R. 5780 (Rep. Rob Bishop), the “Utah Public Lands Initiative Act.” This bill designates millions of acres of federal land for conservation and recreation; exchanges and consolidates certain federal and non-federal land; and provides for economic development within the State of Utah. H.R. 5780 passed by… Read more »

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a markup on five bills including H.R. 2387 (Rep. Don Young), the "Alaska Native Veterans Land Allotment Equity Act." The bill, which passed by voice vote, provides equitable treatment of Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans under the Native Allotment Act of 1906, allowing veterans to be eligible for land benefits from the federal… Read more »

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a markup on 5 bills including H.R. 564 the “Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act” (Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler), which passed committee. H.R. 564 authorizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to issue one-year permits to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and several tribal groups to lethally take… Read more »