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Committee to Hold Pennsylvania Field Hearing on the Impacts of the Northern Long Eared Bat’s Federal Endangered Species Act Listing

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The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a Full Committee field hearing in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on September 8, 2014 on “The Northern Long Eared Bat: The Federal Endangered Species Act and the Impacts of a Listing on Pennsylvania and 37 Other States.” This hearing will examine questions regarding bat data and non-human-caused disease, as well as the likely negative impacts that…

Hastings Demands Army Corps Explain Its Settlement to Expand EPA’s Regulatory Authority over Columbia & Snake River Dams

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Today, Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers voicing strong concerns over the Corps’ settlement this week with Columbia Riverkeeper, a group that for years has sued the federal government and favors removal of Northwest dams. The settlement, which involves payment of over $140,000 in taxpayer-funded attorneys’ fees to…

Hastings: First Helium Auction is Realization of Bipartisan, Bicameral Helium Stewardship Act

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House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding the first helium auction at the Federal Helium Reserve near Amarillo, TX. “Today’s helium auction is the realization of the promise of the Helium Stewardship Act which for the first time establishes a public, transparent, and open process for the sale of helium from the Federal…

House Approves Legislation to Improve and Update the Endangered Species Act

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Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4315, the Endangered Species Transparency and Reasonableness Act with a bipartisan vote of 233-190. This common sense legislation focuses on sensible and specific updates to the Endangered Species Act in the areas of data transparency and species recovery. “It’s been over 40 years since the Endangered Species Act was enacted and over 25…

Legislation Introduced to Improve and Update the Federal Lands Recreation Fees Enhancement Act

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House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) introduced H.R. 5204, the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Modernization Act of 2014.  The bill will help expand and improve opportunities for public recreation on federal lands by updating how the Federal agencies collect and spend Federal recreation fees authorized by…

REPORT: Worthy Memorial for President and General Eisenhower Needed; Chronic Mismanagement Plagues Process

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The House Natural Resources Committee’s Majority oversight staff released a report today entitled “A Five-Star Folly: An Investigation into the Cost Increases, Construction Delays, and Design Problems That Have Been a Disservice to the Effort to Memorialize Dwight D. Eisenhower.” The current proposal for the Memorial, created by Frank Gehry’s architecture firm, has faced intense scrutiny…

Federal Land Managers Intimidation, Bullying Threaten Citizens Rights, Create a Hostile Environment

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Today, the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulations held an oversight hearing on “Threats, Intimidation and Bullying by Federal Land Managing Agencies.” This hearing continued Committee oversight into bullying by federal land management agencies and federal law enforcement agencies on private, state, and federal lands.  State and local governments, ranchers,…

Witnesses Stress the Importance of Domestic Critical Minerals And Metals Production

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Today, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on “American Metals and Mineral Security: An Examination of the Domestic Critical Minerals Supply and Demand Chain.” This hearing examined the vital role that critical minerals and metals play in American manufacturing and why it’s important to ensure the continued this domestic…

Members Request Ag Department Report on Cost & Feasibility of Lesser Prairie Chicken Conservation Measures

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House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04), House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (OK-03), and 11 Members of Congress recently sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack asking for a copy of a report, as required by law, on the cost and effectiveness of the Department’s conservation measures for the lesser prairie chicken. The Agricultural Act…

Hastings: Must Ensure Seismic Exploration in the Atlantic is Not Further Delayed

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House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding the Record of Decision (ROD) issued today by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for seismic exploration in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS): “After nearly five years of delays, I’m pleased to finally see the…