Dear Secretary Jewell,
As you know, for months many members of Congress have expressed concern regarding the lack of transparency and accountability in the implementation of Secretarial Order 3321 ("Order"). This Order establishes the "National Blueways System," which the Order describes as a headwaters to mouth approach to river management, and asserts that the Secretary may designate… Read more »
Dear Colleague,
Today, the House will consider H.R. 1947, the “Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013.”
As part of House Republicans’ effort to combat unnecessary spending and burdensome federal regulations, Representative Flores (TX-17) has sponsored an amendment that would require the USDA Inspector General (IG) to prepare and submit a report detailing all… Read more »
Dear Secretary Jewell,
We are concerned by the continuing lack of transparency and public process in your Department's implementation of Secretarial Order 3321 (Order), which claims the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to designate entire river watersheds as "National Blueways."
We believe this Order is fundamentally flawed, runs counter to local conservation efforts, and… Read more »
Dear Secretary Jewell:
The Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") has been conducting oversight of and investigating since 2011 several Department of the Interior policies, decisions, and activities, including the Department's decision to impose a 6-month moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, edits to a report that incorrectly suggested the moratorium had… Read more »
Last week, the Department of the Interior released the most recent iteration of a rule to regulate hydraulic fracturing on federal and tribal lands. As part of the rulemaking, the Department of the Interior has proposed to provide 30 days for public comment on this revised draft rule.
We jointly believe that this timeframe is unacceptable and not nearly long… Read more »
Dear Director Matthews Burwell:
In March 2013, the Forest Service ("Service") began demanding states return $17.9 million they had received - and in many cases already spent - under the Secure Rural Schools Program ("SRS"). Congress has authorized this money to help pay for schools and services in areas where environmental lawsuits and federal government mismanagement… Read more »
Dear Chief Tidwell:
In March 2013, the Forest Service ("Service") began demanding states return $17.9 million they had received - and in many cases already spent - under the Secure Rural Schools Program ("SRS"). Congress has authorized this money to help pay for schools and government services in areas where environmental lawsuits and Service mismanagement have… Read more »
Dear Mr. Tangherlini:
The Eisenhower Memorial Commission ("Commission") was created in 1999 and charged with "memorializing Dwight D. Eisenhower as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe in World War II and as the 34th President of the United States."
While there is significant cost associated with the design and construction of a presidential memorial,… Read more »
Dear Mr. Siciliano and Brig. Gen. Reddel:
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission's ("Commission") Fiscal Year 2014 budget request seeks a total of $51 million to pay for the construction of the planned Eisenhower Memorial and the salaries and expenses of the Commission itself. This would be in addition to the $63 million total that has already been appropriated for… Read more »
Dear Mr. Jarvis and Mr. Whitesell:
In addition to the lens of millions of dollars already spent to design the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, millions more would be needed to pay for the construction and upkeep of the Memorial as currently designed. The National Park Service is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of memorials on the National Mall and would be… Read more »
