"The Interior Department's Fish and Wildlife Service has resurrected a Clinton-era tactic known as 'sue and settle.' With this strategy, outside green groups friendly to the Administration sue the government, demanding a particular regulatory action. The agency happily forswears court and sits down with the plaintiffs to reach a settlement."
Fishing for Wildlife Lawsuits
March 10,… Read more »
As many media outlets have pointed out, the one issue most notably absent from President Obama’s inaugural address this week was jobs. With unemployment at 7.8 percent and the economy and jobs still topping the list of Americans’ greatest concerns, it’s baffling why the President chose not to mention this in his first speech of his second term.
Even more baffling, is why the Obama… Read more »
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) granted a request by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) to extend the comment period of the FWS and NOAA Fisheries Proposed Revisions to Critical Habitat Economic Impact Analyses for an additional 90 days. Chairman Hastings initially requested the 90… Read more »
Today, the House Natural Resources Committee held a Full Committee oversight field hearing in Panama City, Florida entitled, “Fishing = Jobs: How Strengthening America’s Fisheries Strengthens Our Economy.” Florida’s fishing industry contributes billions of dollars in fishing–related expenditures each year and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs. The hearing today focused on the… Read more »
“We're disappointed that they filed another large, multi-species petition. Fifty-three species is a large number, and the species are spread across the country.” – Gary Frazer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Assistant Director for Endangered Species
The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) recently petitioned the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) under the guise of protecting 53… Read more »
The Center for Biological Diversity today sent a letter to House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings claiming their organization had only received $553,000 in taxpayer funds resulting from Endangered Species Act (ESA) related attorney fees and court cases. This claim conflicts with data obtained from the Department of Justice (DOJ), which shows over $2 million in taxpayer… Read more »
Today, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a joint legislative and oversight hearing on H.R. 4094, the “Preserving Access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area Act,” and, “Access Denied: Turning Away Visitors to National Parks.”
“Although today we focused on two examples, Biscayne National Park in Florida and Cape Hatteras in North Carolina,… Read more »
House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement on Judge Redden’s admitted bias to destroy Snake River Dams: Read more »
Led by Natural Resources Committee Member Bill Flores (TX-17), 23 Members today sent a letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (KY-05) asking that all FY 2013 appropriations bills include language to prohibit the use of funds for the implementation of President Obama’s ocean zoning and National Ocean Policy for Fiscal Year 2013. The letter highlights concerns over… Read more »
Dear Chairman Rogers:
Our oceans support more than 28 million American jobs. This activity, along with Coastal and Great Lake States maritime activities contribute to more than 80% of our domestic economy. Proper stewardship of this vital resource will always remain a National interest. Concerns have been raised, however, that the National Ocean Policy, created by Executive Order 13547,… Read more »
