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Federal Land Management

Environmental Laws Threaten Safety in Borderland Communities

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on impediments imposed by federal land management regimes in securing the international borders of the United States. Federal land management regulations create obstacles for the United States Border Patrol in effectively securing the border. This leaves borderland communities both environmentally degraded and…

Federal Land Management Agency’s Duplicative Regulation Acts in Opposition to Its ‘Stated’ Purpose

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on a recent regulation issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regarding methane on federal lands. While the BLM has no authority under the Clean Air Act, the rule proposes to greatly expand BLM’s existing regulations to include duplicative measures that further regulate methane emissions under the…

Panel Reviews Rep. Thompson's Cooperative Management of Mineral Rights Act of 2015

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a legislative hearing on H.R. 3881 introduced by Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA), the “Cooperative Management of Mineral Rights Act of 2015.” The bill clarifies and codifies the repeatedly upheld decision by federal courts to protect the rights of private mineral owners in the Allegheny National Forest (ANF). While the federal…

Forest Service Budget Fails to Include New Tools to Prevent Increasingly Catastrophic Wildfires, Improve Management

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a hearing on the President’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget proposal for the U.S. Forest Service with U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell testifying.  A focal point of the hearing was the Forest Service’s inability to actively manage federal forests and prevent increasingly catastrophic wildfires. Subcommittee Chairman Tom McClintock (R-CA)…

Committee Advances Bipartisan Bill for the National Park Service Centennial

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a markup on 13 bills including one to commemorate the National Park Service’s (NPS) Centennial. H.R. 4680, “National Park Service Centennial Act,” introduced by Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT), passed with bipartisan support. The bill provides new funding and management authorities to the NPS as the agency prepares for its 100th…

Chairman Bishop Introduces Bill To Encourage Private Investment for National Park Service

| Posted in Press Release

To celebrate our National Park’s Centennial, today, Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) introduced H.R. 4680, the “National Park Service Centennial Act.” The bill will prepare National Parks for a second century by maximizing private donations and establishing a National Park Foundation endowment. Chairman Bishop issued the following statement:   “We want to unleash private…

Agencies Questioned on Impacts of Obama Administration’s New Environmental Mitigation Regulations

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held an oversight hearing to review the Presidential Memoranda on mitigation issued on November 3rd, 2015 to five federal agencies. The memoranda creates sweeping new statutory authority and new requirements that agencies must use when evaluating and approving projects on federal lands and waters. “This Administration hasn’t shown…

Bishop: FWS Mimics EPA Tactics in Expansive Critical Habitat Proposal

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service announced the finalization of a new policy for defining and designating critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act. Chairman Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement: “Just like we saw with WOTUS, this is another power grab. The new definition injects even more ambiguity and confusion into an…

Panel Echoes Frustrations with Federal Government’s Failure to Respect Local Input in the Development of Land Management Plans

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held an oversight hearing on issues surrounding the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Draft Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for the Beaver Dam Wash and Red Cliffs National Conservation Areas in Washington County, Utah.  The panel received testimony from the Mayor of St. George, the Chairman of the Washington County Commission, local…

Bishop: If the President Cared About the Will of the People He Would Reverse Course on WOTUS

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House passed S.J. Res. 22, Congressional Disapproval of the “Waters of the United States” Rule. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement: “When 27 states object to an action of the President we know something is wrong. Waters of the United States is the President’s latest unilateral act to extend the power of his Administration beyond constitutional limits.…