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Oversight and Investigations

House Republican Warnings Ignored as Arizona Sheriff Deputy Shot by Drug Smugglers on Federal Wilderness Lands

| Posted in Press Release

Only weeks after Republican Committee Ranking Members introduced legislation to ensure Border Patrol agents’ operational control of the border isn’t compromised by Department of Interior environmental policies, a shooting occurred on public lands near the border. On Friday, April 30, Pinal County Sheriff Deputy Louie Puroll was ambushed and shot by five drug smugglers in the Table Top…

Dept. of Interior More Interested in Working with Mexico and Canada than U.S. Border Patrol to Secure Our Borders?

| Posted in Press Release

As the Obama Administration and the Congressional Democrats scramble to cobble together a response to growing concerns on the U.S.-Mexico border - particularly on federal lands, where Border Patrol is unable to effectively monitor and patrol - a recent comment from Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary Ken Salazar has shed some light on DOI’s inability to address the…

Witnesses At the Hastings’ Cabin Fee Act Hearing Highlight Need to Pass Legislation to Establish Fair, Sustainable Fee System

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Forests, Parks and Public Lands held a legislative hearing on the bipartisan Cabin Fee Act of 2010 (H.R. 4888). The Subcommittee heard from multiple cabin owner witnesses who expressed real need for the legislation, which will correct volatile and skyrocketing cabin fees by establishing a fair, sustainable fee system. “Many of…

Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Hastings’ Cabin Fee Fairness Bill

| Posted in Resourceful Information

On Thursday, April 22nd the National Parks, Forest and Public Lands Subcommittee will hold a legislative hearing on the bipartisan Cabin Fee Act of 2010 (H.R. 4888) to establish a fair, predictable fee-setting system for families who own cabins in our National Forests. The bill was introduced by House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) and has 13 co-sponsors,…

Republicans Write Letter Opposing de Facto Wilderness Area Designations by U.S Forest Service

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04), National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Ranking Member Rob Bishop (UT-01) and 16 additional Republican Members of Congress today sent a letter to the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service opposing the views expressed in a letter from House Democrats requesting that the Forest Service manage Recommended…

Washington Examiner Editorial: Securing the border is the first priority

| Posted in In Case You Missed It

Securing the border is the first priority Washington Examiner Editorial April 19, 2010 A feud between the Departments of the Interior and Homeland Security over federal wilderness areas that constitute 40 percent of the nation's southern border has been undermining the mission of both agencies for nearly a decade. This adolescent refusal to cooperate threatens the security of all…

Hastings Hopes ‘White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors’ Will Yield Responsible Approach to Public’s Lands

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement in advance of the White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors, scheduled to take place on Friday, April 16, 2010: “Caring for America’s public and private lands is our responsibility and we must ensure they are available for future generations.  America’s great outdoors must be…

House Republicans: Stop squabbling and secure the border

| Posted in Blog

House Republicans introduced legislation Wednesday that would prohibit the Department of the Interior from using environmental regulations to interfere with the Department of Homeland Security’s attempts to secure the nation’s southern border. As The Examiner reported in February, an ongoing feud between the two federal departments has left 4.3 million acres of federal wilderness…