Natural Resources
Committee Passes Bill to Improve Transparency, Management of Federal Land Ownership
The House Committee on Natural Resources passed H.R. 2199, the “Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform Act of 2017” or the “FLAIR Act.” Introduced by Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), the bipartisan bill requires the Department of the Interior to create a publicly available register of federal real property to increase transparency and improve management of the federal estate.
Panel: Expanding Offshore Access a Boon for Coastal Communities, Integral to Future Energy Security
The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on federal offshore oil and gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Panel members discussed the benefits of expanding access to the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific and Alaska for coastal communities, job creation nationally, and increased revenues for both states and the U.S. Treasury.
Panel: Regulatory Uncertainty, Red Tape Discourages Responsible Energy Development
The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on the status of onshore oil and gas leasing and drill permitting processes on federal lands. Members and witnesses discussed improvements to the duplicative and costly bureaucratic policies discouraging operators from leasing federal minerals.
Committee Passes Bill to Protect Water Rights
The House Committee on Natural Resources advanced H.R. 2939, the “Water Rights Protection Act of 2017.” Introduced by Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO), the bill protects privately held water rights from federal overreach.
Rep. LaHood Introduces “Community Reclaimers” Bill to Expedite Abandoned Mine Land Cleanup
Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) introduced H.R. 2937, the “Community Reclamation Partnerships Act.” This bill authorizes partnerships between states and non-governmental entities for the purposes of expanding abandoned mine reclamation projects.
House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Improve Electricity Reliability and Vegetation Management
The House passed H.R. 1873, the “Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act,” by a bipartisan vote of 300-118. Introduced by Reps. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR), the bipartisan bill provides streamlined processes for the removal of hazardous vegetative overgrowth within or adjacent to electricity infrastructure on federal lands.
House Passes “One Stop-Shop” Permitting Bill to Expand Water Storage Infrastructure
The House passed H.R. 1654, the “Water Supply Permitting Coordination Act,” by a bipartisan vote of 233-180. Introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), the bill creates a “one-stop-shop” permitting process through the Bureau of Reclamation for new or expanded surface storage facilities. It streamlines agency permit requirements that sometimes impose unnecessary costs and burdens on entities seeking to construct new water storage infrastructure.
Hearing Focuses on Bills to Protect Endangered Salmon, Empower Local Management on Federal Water...
The Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans held a legislative hearing on two bills to lessen the costs of federal water and power infrastructure to American ratepayers.
Murkowski Announces Support for Three Energy Nominees
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing for President Trump’s nominees for key positions at two federal agencies: Dan Brouillette to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), and Neil Chatterjee and Robert Powelson to be members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Murkowski Announces Promotions and Additions to Energy Committee Staff
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today announced several recent promotions and additions to her Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee staff.
Bishop Statement on EPA’s Pebble Mine Announcement
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an agreement to allow the Pebble Mine project in southwest Alaska to proceed to regular permitting under the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The proposed mineral development project was preemptively denied by the Obama administration outside of the traditional NEPA process
Panel: Hydropower Reforms Needed to Streamline Relicensing and Incentivize New Development
The Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans held an oversight hearing on the costly and lengthy process to relicense hydropower and to explore opportunities for new development.
Panel Outlines Devastating Social and Economic Consequences of Antiquities Designations
Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands heard testimony on the consequences of Executive Branch overreach of the Antiquities Act. The panel discussed national monuments designated without significant local input or support or that included excessively large or restricted areas of land
Bishop Announces Senior Committee Staff Changes
Kiel Weaver, staff director for the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans, is leaving the Committee to join the office of House Speaker Paul Ryan. Beginning May 1, Kiel will serve as the Speaker’s adviser on energy and environment issues. Bill Cooper, staff director for the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, and Rob Gordon, staff director for the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, are also departing the Committee.
Panel Calls for Congressional Action to Expand Hydropower Infrastructure
The Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans discussed two bills that would expand hydropower infrastructure and clean energy for communities in Alaska and across the West
Panel: Infrastructure Package Must Include Permitting Reforms to Access Raw Materials
The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources discussed the importance of domestically sourced raw materials for the upcoming infrastructure package.
Ballooning Federal Estate a Primary Barrier to Modernizing Infrastructure on Federal Lands
The Subcommittee on Federal Lands held an oversight hearing on ways to improve infrastructure and management at the National Park Service (NPS) and the Forest Service (USFS).
House Passes Bill to Increase Water Storage at the Fontenelle Reservoir in Wyoming
Today, the House passed H.R. 648 (Rep. Liz Cheney, WY-at large) by an unanimous bipartisan vote of 408-0. H.R. 648 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a cooperative agreement with the State of Wyoming to modify the Fontenelle Dam and Reservoir as a way to increase storage capacity and mitigate erosion at no cost to the federal government
Bishop Statement on Senate Passage of the CRA to Overturn BLM’s Planning 2.0 Rule
The Senate passed H.J. Res. 44 (Rep. Liz Cheney, WY-at large), a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to repeal the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Planning 2.0 rule.
Subcommittee Explores Water Infrastructure Barriers and Solutions
During questioning, Subcommittee Chairman Doug Lamborn (R-CO) asked witness Andrew J. Colosimo, Government and Corporate Affairs Manager of Colorado Springs Utilities, to explain what makes the construction process so difficult, based on lessons from an existing water pipeline.
