United States House Committee on Natural Resources Wikipedia

Table Of Content

• Feds say he masterminded an epic California water heist. Some farmers say he’s their Robin Hood
• Building Climate Resilience
• Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee April 30, 2024
• Editorial: Hydrogen isn’t clean if it adds to climate pollution. Biden’s rules are a good start
• Newhouse Statement on the Biden Administration’s Plan for the Four Lower Snake River Dams

But, the absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide is changing the ocean’s chemistry, causing it to acidify at an alarming rate. Ocean acidification threatens the growth and reproduction of many marine species. The long-running debate over the gray wolf’s Endangered Species Act status will also take center stage this week — both on the House floor and in a subcommittee field hearing in Minnesota. 2925, the “Mining Regulatory Clarity Act of 2023,” which would allow companies to do things like store waste, construct buildings or process mined materials on lands that don’t contain economically valuable minerals. They could make drilling on those lands more difficult, with stiffer rules to mitigate any impacts that industry has on the tundra ecosystem and wildlife. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), would remove the recovered gray wolf from the endangered species list.

Feds say he masterminded an epic California water heist. Some farmers say he’s their Robin Hood

Bipartisan Recreation Package Expands Outdoor Access and Opportunities on Public Lands and Waters - Hearing Committee Activity The House Committee on Natural Resources

Bipartisan Recreation Package Expands Outdoor Access and Opportunities on Public Lands and Waters.

Posted: Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

But environmental groups and Democrats warn the bill’s language would allow mining companies to dump waste on public lands without proving they contain valuable deposits. The climate crisis disproportionately harms Black people, Latinos and Native Americans. Sempra’s Vista Pacifico project is one of several gas export projects now seeking approval from the Biden administration. But even if gas is less damaging than coal, it’s a fast-growing source of planet-warming emissions — and critics say investments in gas infrastructure projects designed to operate for decades are incompatible with a stable climate. Climate change-induced drought imperils our nation’s ecosystems and threatens to dramatically reduce drinking, industrial, and agricultural water supplies. The resulting impacts to water reliability disproportionately affect rural and tribal communities.

Westerman Returns From Historic CODEL Demonstrating U.S. Strength in the Indo-Pacific and Countering CCP Influence - Hearing Committee Activity The House Committee on Natural Resources

Westerman Returns From Historic CODEL Demonstrating U.S. Strength in the Indo-Pacific and Countering CCP Influence.

Posted: Tue, 05 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Building Climate Resilience

Under Chair Grijalva’s leadership last Congress, Committee Democrats helped enact new tribal water settlements and deliver significant investments for tribal water projects, including  $2.5 Billion for tribal water rights ssettlements  in the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act. To improve clean water access and address the federal government’s legal obligations, Congress has historically approved and funded Indian water rights settlements, which are negotiated legal agreements that secure tribal water rights and provide the water infrastructure needed to treat and deliver water. The MSA ensures long-term sustainability for American fisheries, giving consumers a growing supply of domestic seafood. However, long-term fisheries management must now consider the impacts of climate change. Subcommittee Democrats secured historic funding for Climate Ready Fisheries in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee April 30, 2024

Department of Agriculture from prohibiting or regulating the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal land or water that is under their jurisdiction and made available for hunting or fishing without the necessary science to support such action. The U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources considers legislation and conducts congressional oversight on all issues within the Committee’s jurisdiction (see below). The Committee's responsibilities include promoting environmental stewardship, sustainable resource management, and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage.

Congress must continue to work towards protecting wildlife at home and abroad to preserve biodiversity for future generations. Democrats have sought to strengthen protections for endangered and threatened species by requiring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to certify that any international trophy hunting of those species can be proven to enhance the conservation of the species before permitting the import of a trophy. Climate change is also warming  the world’s oceans, which have already absorbed over 90% of the heat trapped by the greenhouse gases humans emit into the atmosphere. Warmer ocean temperatures cause sea level rise, increase the frequency and severity of storms, and harm marine ecosystems, threatening coastal communities across the U.S. and its territories. While the Fish and Wildlife Service continues to study the idea of removing the iconic animal from the ESA list of threatened and endangered species, with a belated decision possibly coming at any time, lawmakers led by Western Republicans want action now.

Settlements quantify and secure legal recognition of these rights, protecting the water supply for tribes and providing certainty to all water users in a basin. Indian water rights settlements help ensure water security for entire communities, a matter of paramount importance for regions combating severe drought exacerbated by climate change. Republicans on the Subcommittee support an all-of-the-above energy approach that includes alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, hydropower, biomass and nuclear, geothermal, along with American-made oil, clean coal, and natural gas. After this kick-off webinar, we hosted virtual workshops organized around California’s eight natural and working landscapes. Our goal was to gather input on how the strategy can best drive climate smart land management to deliver on California’s climate goals – achieving carbon neutrality and building resilience to climate impacts.

Exterior pavers highlight some of California’s threatened species and serve as a reminder to the importance of our work. Get Boiling Point, our new newsletter exploring climate change and the environment, and become part of the conversation — and the solution. But Sempra executives see gas exports as a potential growth opportunity under Biden, especially if they can make the case that the fossil fuel would help reduce emissions at home and abroad. Pembina Pipeline Corp. has gotten closer than any company thus far to building an export terminal on the U.S. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved Pembina’s planned Jordan Cove project in Oregon last year but more recently upheld a decision by Oregon officials to block the facility over its potential harm to water quality. It’s up to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, to approve or reject the construction of gas export terminals within U.S. borders.

Newhouse Statement on the Biden Administration’s Plan for the Four Lower Snake River Dams

In conjunction with these efforts, Democrats support improving access for recreation on federal lands, including increasing opportunities for hunters and anglers who engage in ethical practices such as using non-toxic materials. The House will vote on legislation that would restore canceled oil and gas leases in Alaska, remove the gray wolf from federal protection, and allow hunters and anglers to continue using lead ammunition and tackle on public lands. As part of his ambitious climate agenda, Biden has supported policies that would drive down demand for natural gas, at least domestically.

News

Sempra is a Fortune 500 company best known for its ownership of two major utilities, Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric. But it has also made big investments in liquefied natural gas, including the $10-billion Cameron export terminal in Louisiana, which opened in 2019 with a launch event featuring lengthy remarks from President Trump. A few days after Joe Biden claimed victory in the presidential election, a San Diego company quietly asked federal officials for permission to send 5 million tons of natural gas each year across the U.S.-Mexico border to an export terminal the company hopes to build along the Gulf of California. Committee Democrats support responsible approaches to hydropower production that adhere to environmental laws. Most hydropower dams—whether owned by the Bureau of Reclamation, other governmental agencies, or private entities—were built several decades ago, before a recognized need to consider climate change and fish passage in construction.

By conducting oversight, writing legislation, and engaging in bipartisan collaboration, the House Committee on Natural Resources aims to ensure the responsible and equitable use of the United States' natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations. This Natural and Working Lands Expert Advisory Committee will support the implementation of AB 1757. But Sempra LNG executive Jim Diemer acknowledged the company is trying to help Mexico resolve its gas oversupply, with Vista Pacifico as one option. The company is looking to determine “how can we support a very important stakeholder to our West Coast [liquefied natural gas] projects,” Diemer told the Utah Petroleum Assn. on Tuesday.

In the century since his presidency, conservationists and sportsmen have worked together to implement sound environmental policies that enhance habitat protection and increase public lands access. Promoting outdoor activities, including ethical hunting and fishing, is key to encouraging Americans to spend time outdoors. Democrats prioritize improving and developing land, water, and wildlife conservation efforts through public programs and private partnerships.

The U.S. gas export market is centered around the Gulf Coast, a longtime hub for offshore drilling, petrochemical plants and other oil and gas infrastructure. But as fracking has boomed and Asian energy demand has soared, companies have increasingly looked to ship U.S.-produced gas from the West Coast, in part to avoid paying tolls at the Panama Canal. Federal law tasks the Energy Department with determining whether gas exports are in the public interest, although it requires the agency to approve exports to countries with which the United States has a free trade agreement. Sempra is seeking approval to send natural gas from Mexico to countries with and without free trade agreements.

For added measure, the bill would exempt this action from further judicial review. Currently, the species is listed as threatened in Minnesota and endangered in the other lower 48 states except for the northern Rocky Mountains population. It would force the issue by requiring the service to reissue a 2020 rule that delisted the gray wolf in the lower 48 states. The House already had an energy week and planned a separate push this month focused on attacking Department of Energy efficiency rules. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), which would revoke a withdrawal banning mineral extraction in an extensive portion of Northern Minnesota, reinstate mineral leases and permits in the Superior National Forest and ensure timely review of Mine Plans of Operations.

Other natural solutions include supporting living shorelines, a shoreline stabilization technique which provides wildlife habitat and natural resilience to communities threatened by rising sea levels, intensified storms, and coastal erosion. NRDC’s work in the Rockies focuses on preserving the region’s wild character while promoting sustainable development. In Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming, NRDC marshals local support to create breakthroughs in wildlife protection and agricultural practices, as well as clean energy and transportation policies. Our attorneys regularly head to court to stop the reckless extraction of oil, coal, and natural gas from public lands and to protect the health of vulnerable communities. Indian water rights settlements have been the preferred alternative to litigation for tribes, states, and the federal government, including every Republican and Democratic administration, for decades.