Skip to Content

Federal Lands

DOJ Documents Confirm Center for Biological Diversity Received Millions in Taxpayer Funds from ESA-Related Lawsuits

| Posted in Press Release

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…

Chairman Hastings' Op-Ed on FOX News: Obama's national ocean policy threatens jobs and economic activities onshore and off

| Posted in Op-Eds and Speeches

Obama's national ocean policy threatens jobs and economic activities onshore and off By House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings Foxnews.com June 19, 2012 In the famous poem “Paul Revere’s Ride,” Revere instructs his fellow patriots to use lanterns to signal whether there’s an attack coming by land or sea. While we may no longer have to fear the British, Americans…

Litigation Drives Endangered Species Act to the Detriment of Species and People

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources continued its series of full committee oversight hearings on how to improve and update the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Today’s hearing focused on ESA litigation and how attorneys’ fees are being used by certain organizations to continue endless lawsuits. Witnesses at the hearing detailed specific cases throughout the country where ESA…

Millions of Taxpayer Dollars Spent on Endangered Species Act Litigation and Attorney Fees

| Posted in Resourceful Information

According to data recently obtained from the Department of Justice (DOJ) in response to document requests, the federal government has defended more than 570 Endangered Species Act (ESA)-related lawsuits costing U.S. taxpayers more than $15 million in attorney fees – in just the past four years. This data provides further evidence that the ESA has become litigation driven, where money and…

Retailers and Entertainers Lacey Implementation and Enforcement Fairness Act "RELIEF Act" (H.R. 3210)

| Posted in Committee Votes

Reporting H.R. 3210 Out of Committee (Passed 25-19. View Roll Call Vote) This bill would strengthen the Lacey Act by addressing certain unintended consequences of the 2008 Amendments Fleming Amendment #001 – Increases Transparency on Lacey Act Provisions (Agreed to by Voice Vote.) This amendment would establish an effective date; create a database on foreign laws; stipulate that the…

House Approves Bishop Amendment to End DHS Extortion Payments, Redirect Funds to Border Protection

| Posted in Press Release

The House of Representatives last night passed, in a bipartisan vote of 230-186, National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Chairman Rob Bishop’s (UT-01) Border Patrol Operations Enhancement Amendment to the FY 2013 Homeland Security Appropriations Act. The amendment eliminates mitigation payments from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for purported “environmental…

Further Details Sought on Costs of Hundreds of Endangered Species Act Lawsuits and Settlements

| Posted in Press Release

Today, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) sent a series of letters to the Obama Administration requesting further information on how much the federal government spends on Endangered Species Act (ESA)-related litigation and settlement costs. The ESA has become increasingly driven by litigation and is used by special interest groups as a way to bring hundreds…

Chairman Hastings Letters to Obama Administration Officials Requesting Further Information on Endangered Species Act Lawsuits and Settlements

| Posted in Letters

Dear Secretary Salazar and Director Ashe: The Committee on Natural Resources (“Committee”) has jurisdiction over matters involving fisheries and wildlife, including the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (“ESA”), 16 U.S.C. §§ 1531-1599. The goal of the ESA was to preserve, protect and recover key domestic species. However, today the law is failing to achieve its primary purpose of species…