Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in honor of Earth Day 2022:

"Today and every day, we have a sacred responsibility to act in a manner that leaves this world and our resources in even better condition than we inherited them. Practicing true conservation, by utilizing our abundant resources in sustainable ways that allow them to thrive for generations to come, is the path to a bright future. Republicans will continue working to expand access to public lands and waters, promote wildlife conservation, support recreation and listen to local communities each step of the way. There is no limit to what America can accomplish when we apply sound science and innovation to stewarding our rich natural resources. I'm proud to commemorate Earth Day."

Background

House Republicans have introduced and championed a plethora of legislation to improve public lands access and conservation this Congress, including:

The Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks (VIP) Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), will allow veterans, active duty servicemembers and Gold Star Families to visit all national parks and public lands free of charge.

Signed into law on Dec. 26, 2021

The Trillion Trees Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), would solidify the United States as a global leader of the One Trillion Trees Initiative to conserve, restore and grow 1 trillion trees worldwide.

The RENEW WIIN Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), would reauthorize water storage, desalination, recycling, and conservation programs to help provide more water for people and species in times of historic drought.

The Resilient Federal Forests Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), would provide comprehensive solutions to address the rapidly declining health of American forests and prevent catastrophic wildfires by expediting environmental analyses, reducing frivolous lawsuits, and increasing the pace and scale of critical forest restoration projects.

The Building U.S. Infrastructure through Limited Delays and Efficient Reviews (BUILDER) Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), would modernize the outdated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to make infrastructure project reviews more efficient, reduce project costs, spur economic recovery, and rebuild America.

The MAPLand Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah), will require the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works to digitize and make publicly available geographic information system mapping data relating to public access to federal land and waters for outdoor recreation.

Passed the Senate on April 7, 2022, and awaits being signed into law

The No Timber From Tyrants Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), would prohibit imports of forest products from Russia and Belarus while ramping up responsible harvesting of American timber to create new jobs, produce more sustainable wood products and make U.S. federal lands more resilient to catastrophic wildfires.