TO: The Honorable Jeh Johnson FROM: Rob Bishop, Chairman Dear Secretary Johnson, The Department of the Interior ("DOI") manages millions of acres on our Southern border under a variety of restrictive law and regulations.  The Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") has continually expressed concerns that the resulting impediments to access available to the Department of… Read more »

TO: The Honorable Sally Jewell FROM: Rob Bishop, Chairman Dear Secretary Jewell, The Department of the Interior ("DOI") manages millions of acres on our Southern border under a variety of restrictive laws and regulations.  The Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") has continually expressed concerns that the resulting impediments to access available to the Department of… Read more »

Below is an exchange between exchange between Chairman Bishop and Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. MOUs? Chairman Bishop: “Have the states…screwed up? Are the state [water] engineers incompetent? Is that what the Forest Service is trying to say?” Bishop asked Chief Tidwell:  “No...” Lawsuits? Chief Tidwell: “We can maybe… Read more »

TO: The Honorable Dan Ashe FROM: Rob Bishop, Chairman Dear Director Ashe, In order to facilitate a more productive discussion at the March 19th joint budget hearing before the Subcommittees on Federal Lands and Water, Power, and Oceans, it is requested that you be prepared to answer the following questions:  Read the Chairman's entire letter HERE. Read more »

TO: The Honorable Dan Ashe FROM: Rob Bishop, Chairman Dear Director Ashe: Earlier this month, numerous members of the U,S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives wrote to you regarding the upcoming listing determination for the northern long-eared bat (NLEB), the related 4(d) proposal, and broader efforts to address white nose syndrome (WNS). These members asked for your… Read more »

TO: Rob Bishop, Chairman FROM: Dan Ashe, Director Dear Representative Bishop, Thank you for your letter of March 4, 2015, also co-signed by several of your colleagues, regarding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (Service) proposed 4(d) rule, which will accompany our final listing decision if we decide to list the northern long-eared bat as "threatened" under the Endangered Species… Read more »

TO: The Honorable Dan Ashe FROM: Rob Bishop, Chairman Dear Director Ashe: We write to express our concerns regarding the potential listing of the northern long-eared bat (NLEB), as well as the proposed 4(d) rule that would accompany such a listing.  We also write to ensure that any efforts to protect the NLEB do not cause undue harm to, or impose unnecessary regulatory burdens on… Read more »

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources announced its hearing schedule for the month of March 2015.  Hearing Details:  Tuesday, March 17, 2015 10:00AM 1324 Longworth HOB Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources “Examining the Spending Priorities and Missions of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement… Read more »

TO: The Honorable Rob Bishop FROM: Betsy Hildebrandt, Director Dear Mr. Chairman, This letter transmits additional information responsive to your February 6, 2015, letter to Secretary Sally Jewell, requesting information about International travel by Department of the Interior (Department) employees related to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna… Read more »

TO: The Honorable Rob Bishop, Chairman FROM: Dan Ashe, Director Dear Mr. Chairman, Thank you for your letter dated February 6, 2015, to Secretary Jewell, requesting information about international travel by Department of the Interior (Department) employees and officials related to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).  Your… Read more »