House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings released the following statement regarding the Department of the Interior’s list of proposed Conservation Lands and Wilderness designations:
“To date, Congress has designated over one hundred million acres of our public lands as Wilderness – an area larger than the state of California – and last month the Natural Resources Committee… Read more »
Lawmakers say environmental laws should be waived for Border Patrol operations
October 27, 2011
Associated Press
Kevin Freking
Federal agents trying to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border say they’re hampered by laws that keep them from driving vehicles on huge swaths of land because it falls under U.S. environmental protection, leaving it to wildlife — and illegal immigrants and smugglers… Read more »
Today, the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a legislative hearing on eight bills related to Wilderness and public lands. The bills included measures to modify the boundaries of current federal land holdings, establish new Wilderness areas, and allow for the disposal of surplus federal lands.
“Monuments, Wilderness and other land-use designations have… Read more »
The House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands today held an oversight hearing on “Payments in Lieu of Taxes” (PILT). Witnesses at the hearing underscored the importance of the program to rural communities with federally owned land, especially in the West, and the impact federal land management decisions have on surrounding communities.
With PILT slated to expire at… Read more »
Dear Co-Chairs Hensarling and Murray:
The Natural Resources Committee is committed to addressing our Nation's record debt and deficit levels and doing its part to contribute to the Joint Select Committee's efforts to cut at least $1.5 trillion in federal govemment spending from Fiscal Year 2012 to Fiscal Year 2021. Our growing debt stands in the way of long-term job creation and our… Read more »
Today, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) and Parks, Forest and Public Lands Subcommittee Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) met privately with Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey and Department of the Interior Deputy Secretary David Hayes to discuss the Wild Lands Secretarial Order. The meeting was intended to clarify the intentions of Secretary Salazar’s… Read more »
House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement in response to Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Ken Salazar’s letter to Congress concerning wilderness area designations:
“Based on the Obama Administration’s track record in this area, I’m taking a ‘trust but verify’ approach to their actions. The Administration only set aside its… Read more »
Today, the Obama Administration announced the formation of the White House Rural Council. The Council, to be chaired by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, aims to “strengthen rural communities and promote economic growth.” However, the goals of the Council are at direct odds with the Obama Administration’s previous actions and job-killing agenda. Below is a breakdown of just a few of… Read more »
House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Ken Salazar issued a memorandum to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Directory Bob Abbey on his decision to not implement DOI’s Wild Lands policy:
“It’s welcome news that the Interior Department will follow the law. After this positive initial… Read more »
Today, the House Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs held a hearing titled “Buying More Land When We Can’t Maintain What We Already Own: The National Wildlife Refuge System’s Operations and Maintenance Backlog Story.” Members heard from the Administration and associated parties on the current state of the System, the affects of the maintenance and operations… Read more »
