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Forests

Bill Allows Interior Dept. to Divert Money Away from Border Patrol to Buy Up Private Land

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House of Representatives will vote on the FY 2010 Supplemental Appropriations bill that contains a provision allowing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to transfer an unlimited amount of funds to the Department of the Interior (DOI) in the form of environmental mitigation payments demanded in return for allowing the U.S. Border Patrol to simply do its job to secure the…

Witnesses At the Hastings’ Cabin Fee Act Hearing Highlight Need to Pass Legislation to Establish Fair, Sustainable Fee System

| Posted in Press Release

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…

Republicans Write Letter Opposing de Facto Wilderness Area Designations by U.S Forest Service

| Posted in Press Release

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…

Hastings Introduces Bipartisan Cabin Fee Fairness Legislation

| Posted in Press Release

Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) introduced H.R. 4888, the Cabin Fee Act of 2010 to address volatile yearly fees for families who own cabins in our National Forests. He was joined by Representatives Jim Costa (CA-20), Rob Bishop (UT-01), Tom McClintock (CA-04), George Radanovich (CA-19), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Cynthia Lummis (WY-at…

Hastings to Introduce Cabin Fee Fairness Legislation

| Posted in Press Release

Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) announced that he will introduce legislation to address volatile yearly fees for families who own cabins in our National Forests. The bill would establish a fair fee-setting system that would institute a tiered yearly fee structure based on current appraisals and tied to increases in inflation. The new…

Hastings’ Statement on Molalla River Wild and Scenic Bill

| Posted in Floor Statements

Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered the following floor speech on H.R. 2781, a bill to designate segments of the Molalla River in Oregon as components of the Wild and Scenic River Systems. As with all wild and scenic rivers, this designation could prevent full recreation use and economic development on this land, as well as potentially…

H.R. 2781 Blocks Timber Production, Costing Jobs

| Posted in Resourceful Information

This week, the House will consider H.R. 2781, a bill to designate segments of the Molalla River in Oregon as components of the Wild and Scenic River Systems. As with all wild and scenic rivers, this designation could prevent full recreation use and economic development on this land, as well as potentially impact neighboring private property. Such designations preclude the ability to make…

E&E Daily: Interior, Congress wage turf battle over timber contracts

| Posted in In Case You Missed It

Interior, Congress wage turf battle over timber contracts November 6, 2009 E&E Daily Patrick Reis Three Western congressmen are pushing legislation that would extend federal contracts for timber companies trying to ride out the tough homebuilding market, but administration officials want more say in the process. H.R. 3759 would require the Interior Department to grant three-year…

Hastings Responds to Vilsack Letter Regarding “Stimulus” Spending

| Posted in Press Release

Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) responded to a letter from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack regarding the Forest Service’s use of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding. In his response, Hastings requests specific information to his unanswered questions regarding the use of taxpayer dollars, the effectiveness of the ARRA and…