Dear Chief Tidwell: The Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") is conducting oversight of how the U.S. Forest Service exercised its discretion in preparing for and responding to the lapse in appropriations that occurred beginning on October 1, 2013. On October 11 ,2013, a letter was sent directing Forest Service to preserve documents potentials responsive to the Committee's… Read more »

Dear Director Ashe: The Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") is conducting oversight of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's ("FWS") preparation for and activities during the recent lapse in appropriations and shutdown of the federal government, including the process used for determining which employees were exempt from furlough; the decision to restrict… Read more »

Today, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power held an oversight hearing on “A Roadmap for Increasing our Water and Hydropower Supplies: The Need for New or Expanded Multi-Purpose Surface Storage Facilities.” This hearing examined the growing need for and the multiple-use benefits of increased water storage and ways to expedite the construction of such… Read more »

Today, Chairman Hastings addressed coal miners from across the country at the “Rally for American Energy Jobs” in Washington D.C. to send a message to the Obama Administration to STOP the war on coal, coal jobs, and reliable and affordable electricity. Since taking office, President Obama has made his contempt for coal clear with a regulatory assault on this abundant natural energy… Read more »

Today, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation held an oversight hearing entitled “Threats, Intimidation and Bullying by Federal Land Managing Agencies.” The hearing examined the ongoing and abusive conduct by federal land management agencies taken against private property rights. “Pioneers viewed the West as the land of opportunity. They saw… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today sent letters to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz regarding unfulfilled oversight requests from the House Natural Resources Committee on the National Blueways program and former Secretary Chu’s Memorandum to the Power Market Administrations. In addition to reiterating requests… Read more »

Dear Secretary Jewell: This letter follows up on prior communications, including June 28, 2013 and July 29, 2013 letters requesting 15 categories of documents and information, about the Department of the Interior's ("Department") Secretarial Order 3321 ("Order"). This Order established the "National Blueways System," a "headwaters to mouth approach to river management." This information… Read more »

Dear Secretary Moniz: The Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") has been conducting oversight and investigatory activities regarding your predecessor's March 16, 2012 "Memorandum for the Federal Power Marketing Administrators." For nearly a year, the Committee has repeatedly sought communications and documents from the Department in order to shed light on the decision-making… Read more »

Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding the memorandum issued today by the Department of Energy on the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA): “The Bonneville Power Administration provides millions of American families and small businesses in the Pacific Northwest with clean, affordable energy. As such, it is important that… Read more »

Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement today in response to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) endorsement of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Lesser Prairie-Chicken Range-Wide Conservation Plan. “It’s encouraging that after a year of review the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is finally endorsing a… Read more »