H. Rept. 112-132 Read more »

On Sunday, July 10, 2011 the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands will hold an Oversight Field Hearing in Hill City, South Dakota on the “Impacts of the Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic in the Black Hills.” Mountain Pine Beetles have spread throughout the West and reached epidemic levels in America’s forests. These beetles specifically infect and… 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 after Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a six month extension of a ban on uranium mining outside the borders of the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. “Today’s announcement by the Obama Administration plunges America even deeper into the depths of dependence on… 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 »

Dear Colleague, The Lummis Amendment to the 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations bill is focused on the serious problem of our Nation’s border security taking a back seat to environmental laws and the regulatory whims of Department of the Interior land managers. An October 2010 GAO report revealed that critical access by the Border Patrol to federal land is routinely blocked and… Read more »

House Republicans Press for Faster Action on Renewable Energy June 1, 2011 Bloomberg Jim Snyder U.S. House Republicans, who have sought to expedite offshore oil- and gas-drilling permits, pressed the Obama administration to act faster on renewable energy projects. Federal hurdles are slowing growth of solar and wind companies, industry executives said today at a House Natural… 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 »

Dear Secretary Vilsack: We write to express our concern over the Proposed National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule published in the Federal Register on February 14,2011 (proposed rule) that would affect the management plans of the nation's 155 national forests and 20 grasslands. With a keen interest in the active management of our nation's federal forest resources and the… Read more »