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Water, Wildlife and Fisheries

Monarch Listing Highlights Need for ESA Reforms

| Posted in Press Release

This week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced a proposal to list the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: "Over the course of its 50-year run, the ESA has failed to achieve its basic goals of species recovery.…

Westerman Applauds Bipartisan Passage of ACE Act

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

This week, the America's Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act of 2024 passed the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support. "The ACE Act is a perfect example of how the federal government can responsibly and safely manage our natural resources while balancing the needs of working communities. Congressman Wittman is an expert on…

Committee Considers Western Water Solutions, Funding Junior Duck Stamp Program

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on four bills focused on western water infrastructure and the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design program. Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) issued the following statement in response: "Today, the Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee considered four important bills three that…

Westerman Applauds Downlisting of Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, Highlights Need for Continued Action

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced a decision to downlist the red-cockaded woodpecker from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: "The decision to downlist the red-cockaded woodpecker is a direct result of active forest…

Oregon Field Hearing Highlights Solutions to Local Water Issues

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a field hearing in Redmond, Ore., to hear from local and tribal witnesses on the importance of using locally driven solutions to solve Oregon's longstanding water challenges. "Water is essential. Drought and federal regulations are combining to create winners and losers in the allocation of water. Nowhere is this more evident…

Long-Overdue Reforms Will Modernize the Broken ESA

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark) and Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) introduced the Endangered Species Act Amendments Act of 2024. "We can all agree that America’s rich biodiversity needs to be conserved for generations to come. However, while initially well-intentioned, radical environmentalists have weaponized the Endangered…

Committee Considers Legislation Supporting Wildlife and Coastal Restoration

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on five bills that support wildlife conservation, provide local control to certain federal recreational concession areas and promote coastal restoration. Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) issued the following statement in response: “The five bills that the Water, Wildlife and Fisheries…

Field Hearing Highlights California Water Issues and Solutions for Long-Term Change

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a field hearing in Santa Nella, Calif., to hear from local witnesses about the water management challenges facing California's Central Valley.  “California’s Central Valley is one of the largest agriculture producing regions in the country, producing one-quarter of the food consumed in the United States. Despite this area’s…

Members Continue Voicing Concerns Over Devastating NOAA Speed Restriction

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) led a letter with 54 other members to Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Shalanda Young and Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) Administrator Richard Revesz, expressing concerns with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) pending North Atlantic Right…

Conserving America's Wildlife and Reforming Outdated ESA Regulations

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on four bills which will modernize the Endangered Species Act, limit federal overreach in state water rights and reauthorize important programs for healthy wildlife and ecosystems. Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) issued the following statement in response: "The legislation the Water, Wildlife…