Washington, D.C. (March 28, 2013) – This week, the Obama administration announced a new nationwide initiative. Its goal? To help wildlife adapt to the threats of climate change. The National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy, which falls under the jurisdiction of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, plans to “reduce the negative impacts of climate change on fish, wildlife, plants, and the natural systems upon which they depend.” The plan lists off seven goals, ranging from increasing awareness to safeguard wildlife from climate change and “enhancing capacity for effective management in a changing climate” to “reducing non-climate stressors to help fish, wildlife, plants, and ecosystems adapt to a changing climate.” Read more »
Washington, D.C. (March 27, 2013) – The Obama Administration notified states Monday that there would be significant deductions in federal mineral royalties paid to states due to the effects of the sequester. The decision to cut these payments come at a great cost to Western Caucus member states, who will bear 99.3% of the burden of these cuts, totaling $109 million. This money is used by states to finance K-12 education, highways funds, community colleges, and flood protection projects, among other things. Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Steve Pearce, and Western Caucus member and Republican Study Committee Chairman Steve Scalise released the following statements in response: Read more »
Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem announced today that she plans to introduce legislation to help fight the pine beetle infestation. This legislation will prioritize rehabilitation and restoration of federal land that has been impacted by large-scale beetle infestations and move resources from land acquisition to land management for five years. Senator John Thune (R-SD) has introduced companion legislation (S. 661) in the Senate. Read more »
WASHINGTON – Texas Congressmen Bill Flores, John Carter, K. Michael Conaway and Mac Thornberry along with New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce introduced legislation that stops lawsuit abuse from the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Read more »
WASHINGTON– Congressman Rob Bishop (UT-01), Chairman of the Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Subcommittee, today decried President Obama’s use of the century-old Antiquities Act to create five new national monuments. The Antiquities Act, established in 1906, gives the executive branch the authority to restrict access to federally owned land by circumventing the open, public, process typically taken by Congress to establish new land designations, including national monuments. Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 25, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04), Senator Orin Hatch (UT), Senator John Barrasso and Rep. Cynthia Lummis (WY) today, along with 68 other Members of Congress, sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Director Dan Ashe urging support for the delisting of the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in all lower 48 states. Read more »
Washington, DC – Today, the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an Oversight Hearing and a Legislative Hearing on a number of bills, including Congressman Kevin Cramer’s bill H.R. 767 that modifies the Pilot Project offices of the Federal Permit Streamlining Pilot Project in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Read more »
Washington, DC – Congressman Kevin Cramer met with representatives of Statoil, a Norwegian Energy Company with worldwide oil and gas operations. Statoil is a recent investor in the Bakken and Three Forks tight oil plays, operating multiple rigs in the Williston Basin. Statoil also has operations in the Marcellus and Eagle Ford plays. Meeting with the Congressman were Executive Vice President for North America Bill Maloney, Vice President of U.S. Government Affairs Jan Karlsen and Senior Director of Government Affairs Michael Olsen. Read more »
Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem announced today that she has joined a bipartisan group of House members in cosponsoring legislation to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline by taking the approval out of President Obama’s hands. Read more »
Washington, D.C. – March 12th 2013 – Today, Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) introduced H.R. 1097 Preserving Jobs in the Oilfield Act of 2013. Read more »
