TO: Rob Bishop, Chairman FROM: Dan Ashe, Director Dear Representative Bishop, Thank you for your letter of March 4, 2015, also co-signed by several of your colleagues, regarding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (Service) proposed 4(d) rule, which will accompany our final listing decision if we decide to list the northern long-eared bat as "threatened" under the Endangered Species… Read more »

TO: The Honorable Dan Ashe FROM: Rob Bishop, Chairman Dear Director Ashe: We write to express our concerns regarding the potential listing of the northern long-eared bat (NLEB), as well as the proposed 4(d) rule that would accompany such a listing.  We also write to ensure that any efforts to protect the NLEB do not cause undue harm to, or impose unnecessary regulatory burdens on… Read more »

TO: The Honorable Rob Bishop FROM: Betsy Hildebrandt, Director Dear Mr. Chairman, This letter transmits additional information responsive to your February 6, 2015, letter to Secretary Sally Jewell, requesting information about International travel by Department of the Interior (Department) employees related to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna… Read more »

TO: The Honorable Rob Bishop, Chairman FROM: Dan Ashe, Director Dear Mr. Chairman, Thank you for your letter dated February 6, 2015, to Secretary Jewell, requesting information about international travel by Department of the Interior (Department) employees and officials related to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).  Your… Read more »

TO: The Honorable Sally Jewell FROM: Rob Bishop, Chairman Dear Secretary Jewell, In March 2013, the United States sent a delegation to the Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ("CITES") in Bangkok, Thailand.  The delegation included a number of employees from the Department of the… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement today on the Obama Administration’s listing of the Gunnison Sage-Grouse as threatened under the Endangered Species Act: “Despite the considerable work and significant investments from the states of Colorado and Utah, the Obama Administration took a drastic step today by listing the Gunnison… Read more »

ICYMI: Lawmakers urge agencies to cut red tape on power-line maintenance Phil Taylor E&E Daily Published: Thursday, May 8, 2014 In a rare show of bipartisanship, Republicans and Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee yesterday urged federal agencies to make it easier for utilities to manage power lines crossing federal forests. The Forest Service and Bureau… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement today after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it would extend the public comment period an additional 60 days for the proposed critical habitat designation of the western yellow-billed cuckoo. The Service’s actions are in direct response to a letter sent to the Service’s… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) sent a letter today to Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell responding to her September 9th letter on the Committee’s oversight efforts.   In the letter, Chairman Hastings explains how the Department has still not fully complied with subpoenas and oversight requests for documents, how the Department is… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding President Obama’s announcement to unilaterally designate almost half of the Angeles National forest as the San Gabriel National Monument amid local opposition and without public input. “President Obama once again is using unilateral action to lock up hundreds of thousands of acres… Read more »