As the Obama Administration and the Congressional Democrats scramble to cobble together a response to growing concerns on the U.S.-Mexico border - particularly on federal lands, where Border Patrol is unable to effectively monitor and patrol - a recent comment from Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary Ken Salazar has shed some light on DOI’s inability to address the… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after today’s announcement that the Administration will allow the private investment and development of the Cape Wind Energy Project in the Federal waters off the Massachusetts coast: “For an Administration that has constantly dragged its feet on American energy development, today’s… Read more »

The House Natural Resources Committee’s Republican website has been recognized by the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) for having one of the best websites in Congress.  CMF analyzed all 620 congressional websites, including those of all Senate and House Members, committees (both majority and minority sites), and official leadership sites.  The Republican’s House… Read more »

Today, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Forests, Parks and Public Lands held a legislative hearing on the bipartisan Cabin Fee Act of 2010 (H.R. 4888). The Subcommittee heard from multiple cabin owner witnesses who expressed real need for the legislation, which will correct volatile and skyrocketing cabin fees by establishing a fair, sustainable fee system. “Many of… Read more »

Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings and Committee Republicans released the following statements after Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN) announced legislation to dramatically increase the scope of the Clean Water Act, bringing nearly every body of water - from irrigation canals, small ponds to seasonal mud-puddles - under the unlimited… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04), National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Ranking Member Rob Bishop (UT-01) and 16 additional Republican Members of Congress today sent a letter to the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service opposing the views expressed in a letter from House Democrats requesting that the Forest Service manage Recommended… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement in advance of the White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors, scheduled to take place on Friday, April 16, 2010: “Caring for America’s public and private lands is our responsibility and we must ensure they are available for future generations.  America’s great outdoors must be… Read more »

Today, House National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Ranking Member Rob Bishop (R-UT) announced that Republican Committee staff have confirmed with both Border Patrol and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that the criminal who killed Arizona Rancher Robert Krentz both entered and exited the U.S. through federal land on the San Bernardino Wildlife Refuge. The San Bernardino… Read more »

Today, House National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Ranking Member Rob Bishop (R-UT), House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (R-WA), Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Peter King (R-NY) and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-TX) introduced legislation (H.R. 5016) to prohibit the Department of the Interior (DOI) from using… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) today released the followings statement regarding today’s cancelation of 91,000 acres of oil and natural gas leases in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.  These and future lease sales were recently suspended by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) at the behest of environmental groups until the agency can study… Read more »