House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) sent a letter today to U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, urging the agency to withdraw its Proposed Directive on Groundwater Resource Management.  The letter was also signed by Committee Vice-Chairman Cynthia Lummis (WY-At large), Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans Chairman John Fleming (LA-4) and Vice-Chair… Read more »

TO: Mr. Tom Tidwell FROM: Rob Bishop, Chairman Dear Chief Tidwell As you know, bipartisan concern exists over the U.S. Forest Service's (Forest Service) Proposed Directive on Groundwater Resource Management (Groundwater Directive). To date, there are many unanswered questions and growing issues on this far-reaching proposal that would impact 155 National Forests and… Read more »

Politico: “Bishop has already moved to increase the panel’s oversight, opening the door for probes on the Endangered Species Act and federal reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act. ‘[NEPA] is a law that has an impact on every aspect of American life,’ Bishop said. And ESA ‘is a perfect example of an act that is not working,’ he said. ‘If it’s for control, then ESA is… Read more »

House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) submitted his opening statement for today’s oversight hearing for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s fiscal year 2016 budget proposal. “With our national debt currently exceeding $18 trillion, the Administration’s overall federal budget, including the Interior Department’s $13 billion budget proposal, continues a… Read more »

In response to Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee Chairman Doug Lamborn’s (CO-5) questioning about the Administration’s Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas five-year plan, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said she could not guarantee that the Atlantic lease sale would be in the finalized proposal. “So you guarantee that the Atlantic will be part of final version?” Lamborn… Read more »

House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) today sent a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Dan Ashe, requesting information supporting any final listing determination for the northern long-eared bat (NLEB) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  A final listing decision for the species is expected to be made by April 2, 2015. The letter,… Read more »

In Lieu of the Cane, a Reflection on Conservation Policy | Commentary By Rep. Rob Bishop More than 200 years ago, Rep. Roger Griswold of Connecticut used his wooden cane to bludgeon Rep. Matthew Lyon of Vermont on the House floor. Had Griswold any respect for Lyon, he would have challenged him to a duel. I raise the Griswold-Lyon affair of 1798 not to commend this conduct, but to… 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 »

On March 2, 2015, Chairman Rob Bishop joined Morning in America radio host Bill Bennett to discuss fracking, OPEC, and federal lands.  “The United States is a leader now in energy production, we’ve caught up to the Russians and Saudi Arabians, but we’ve done that all on state and private lands,” stated Bishop. “If the nation is to go… Read more »