House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today sent letters to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell regarding the Obama Administration’s actions to unnecessarily and arbitrarily restrict public access to wildlife refuges and Forest Service lands during the government shutdown. Last week, Chairman Hastings… Read more »
Dear Director Ashe:
The Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") requests that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ("Service") take steps as necessary to keep and not destroy records related to the decision to order the National Wildlife Refuge System closed. Hunters, fishermen, and other visitors are now being blocked from these sites, many of which are unfenced and not regularly… Read more »
Dear Chief Tidwell:
The Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") requests that the U.S. Forest Service take steps as necessary to keep and not destroy documents related to the recent decisions to order certain activities located on National Forest System lands to cease operations, including grazing, concessionaires, and other privately-funded businesses, while allowing others to… Read more »
Today, the Obama Administration announced they are reversing their stance and will consider allowing states to fund the opening of National Parks. Up until now, the Obama Administration has actively denied this request from states.
For example, last week the State of Arizona wrote a letter to the Obama Administration asking to use state money to keep the Grand Canyon open. This request… Read more »
Today, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power held a legislative hearing on H.R. 3189, the Water Rights Protection Act, sponsored by Congressman Scott Tipton (CO-03), which protects privately held water rights, prohibits federal water grabs and upholds state water laws. This bipartisan legislation will end further attempts by the Obama Administration to take privately… Read more »
Today, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing entitled “EPA vs. American Mining Jobs: The Obama Administration’s Regulatory Assault on the Economy.” This hearing examined the onerous federal regulations and abusive actions by the Obama Administration, particularly by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that have cost… Read more »
The House Natural Resources Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a joint oversight hearing on Wednesday, October 16th entitled “As Difficult As Possible: The National Park Service’s Implementation of the Government Shutdown.” Among the issues to be examined at the hearing include the Obama Administration’s arbitrary and unnecessary actions to erect… Read more »
This week the Obama Administration began erecting metal barricades to keep families, veterans, school groups and visitors out of popular open-air monuments in Washington D.C. such as the Lincoln Memorial, which did not happen during the last government shutdown, and the World War II Memorial. The U.S. Park Service has also closed small businesses and non-profit operations that happen to… Read more »
This week the Obama Administration began erecting steel barricades to keep veterans, families and visitors out of popular open-air monuments such as the Lincoln Memorial and World War II Memorial. Despite the fact that these are open-air sites that are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and are only staffed by Park Rangers during certain hours of the day, the Obama… Read more »
