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Federal Lands

Panel Reviews Slate of Lands Bills to Benefit Local Communities Burdened by Federal Roadblocks

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on three targeted bills that facilitate locally supported transfers or exchanges of certain federals lands to improve public land access and benefit local communities, and a bill to authorize the establishment of the National Global War on Terrorism Memorial. “One of the overreaching objectives of this Committee is to…

Bishop Announces New Subcommittee Chairman and Assignments

| Posted in Press Release

Today, Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) announced updated assignments and subcommittee leadership appointments for the House Committee on Natural Resources during the 115th Congress. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) will serve as the new Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) will serve as the new Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.…

Committee Passes Bill to Improve the Health and Resiliency of Federal Forests

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources passed H.R. 2936, the “Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017.” Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) introduced the bipartisan bill to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and dramatically improve the health of federal forests and rangelands. “Our forest health crisis can no longer be neglected. Active management is needed to reduce the risk of…

Committee Advances Bill to Ease Impediments to Recreation on Public Lands

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources passed H.R. 289, the “Guides and Outfitters Act” or “Go Act.” Introduced by Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), the bill aims to increase public access to recreation activities on federal lands by streamlining the federal permitting process. “For too long, prohibitive costs have been the consequence of duplicative environmental reviews and…

Committee Passes Bill to Facilitate Alaska's King Cove Land Exchange

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources passed H.R. 218, the “King Cove Land Exchange Act.” Introduced by Rep. Don Young (R-AK), this bipartisan bill authorizes a land exchange to facilitate the construction of a road linking the City of King Cove to the City of Cold Bay to access a modern airport. “For too long access to healthcare for the tribes and residents of King Cove has…

Bishop Statement on Secretary Zinke's Bears Ears Announcement

| Posted in Press Release

Today, Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement in reaction to Interior Secretary Zinke's announcement related to the Trump Administration's ongoing review of national monument designations under the Antiquities Act: “This is positive news for the State of Utah and local communities affected by the Bears Ears monument designation. Anyone with honest intentions recognizes…

Subcommittee Releases Discussion Draft on "Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017"

| Posted in Press Release

On Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 10:00 AM in 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold a legislative hearing on a Discussion Draft of the “Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017” (Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-AR).  Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) and Rep. Westerman issued the following statements: “This draft builds upon the work of the prior Congress…

Panel Examines Negative Impacts of Excessive Litigation on Forest Health

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a hearing to examine how litigation and increasingly excessive environmental analysis facing the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has exacerbated the ongoing forest health crisis. “We are bankrupting the future,” witness Lyle Laverty, Certified Forester and President of the Laverty Group, said. “America’s green infrastructure is on life support,…

Op-Ed: "Time to Modernize the Antiquity Act"

| Posted in In Case You Missed It

NOTE: “Consider how far the Antiquities Act has strayed from its original intent: The act states that monument designations should be limited to “the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected.” In recent years, however, it has been used as a large-scale conservation policy, dictated by presidential decree. Many recent monuments have…