United States House Committee on Natural Resources

Logo of the United States House Committee on Natural Resources.

The U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, or Natural Resources Committee (often referred to as simply "Resources") is a Congressional committee of the United States House of Representatives. Originally called the "Committee on Interior & Insular Affairs," the name was changed to the Natural Resources Committee in 1993. The name was shortened to the Resources Committee in 1995 by the new Chairman, Don Young (at the same time, the committee took over the duties of the now-defunct Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee). Following the Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives in 2006, the name of the committee was changed back to its title used between 1993 and 1995.[1]

Jurisdiction

  1. Fisheries and wildlife, including research, restoration, refuges, and conservation.
  2. Forfeiture of land grants and alien ownership, including alien ownership of mineral lands.
  3. United States Geological Survey.
  4. International fishing agreements.
  5. Interstate compacts relating to apportionment of waters for irrigation purposes.
  6. Irrigation and reclamation, including water supply for reclamation projects and easements of public lands for irrigation projects; and acquisition of private lands when necessary to complete irrigation projects.
  7. Native Americans generally, including the care and allotment of Native American lands and general and special measures relating to claims that are paid out of Native American funds.
  8. Insular possessions of the United States generally (except those affecting the revenue and appropriations).
  9. Military parks and battlefields, national cemeteries administered by the Secretary of the Interior, parks within the District of Columbia, and the erection of monuments to the memory of individuals.
  10. Mineral land laws and claims and entries thereunder.
  11. Mineral resources of public lands, including the Outer Continental Shelf.
  12. Mining interests generally.
  13. Mining schools and experimental stations.
  14. Marine affairs, including coastal zone management (except for measures relating to oil and other pollution of navigable waters).
  15. Oceanography.
  16. Petroleum conservation on public lands and conservation of the radium supply in the United States.
  17. Preservation of prehistoric ruins and objects of interest on the public domain.
  18. Public lands generally, including entry, easements, and grazing thereon.
  19. Relations of the United States with Native Americans and Native American tribes.
  20. Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline (except ratemaking).

Source: Rules of the House of Representatives One Hundred Ninth Congress

Members, 114th Congress

Majority[2] Minority[3]

Subcommittees

Representative Kevin McCarthy (R) at an oversight hearing of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power.

In the 111th Congress, the number of subcommittees was reduced from 5 to 4. The Subcommittees on Insular Affairs and Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans were merged into the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife. In the 112th Congress, the number was again increased to 5, adding the Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs.

During the committee's official reorganization for the 113th Congress, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands was renamed the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation[7]

When former Chairman Doc Hastings of Washington retired from Congress, Rob Bishop of Utah took over as the committee's new chairman at the beginning of the 114th Congress. Congressman Bishop began the process of hiring new staff and reorganized the committee's structure as his predecessors had done.[8][9] The chairman eliminated the Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs subcommittee and split its duties between the renamed Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs and Water, Power and Oceans subcommittees. The chairman also created a new Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, keeping the total number of subcommittees at five[5]

The chairman also transferred jurisdiction over the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act from the former Public Lands and Environmental Regulation and established a renamed the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.[5]

Subcommittee Chair[10] Ranking Member
Energy and Mineral Resources Doug Lamborn (R-CO) Alan Lowenthal (D-CA)
Federal Lands Tom McClintock (R-CA) Niki Tsongas (D-MA)
Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs Don Young (R-AK) Raul Ruiz (D-CA)
Oversight and Investigations Louie Gohmert (R-TX) Debbie Dingell (D-MI)
Water, Power and Oceans John Fleming (R-LA) Jared Huffman (D-CA)

Chairmen

Chairman Party State Years
J. W. Robinson Democratic Utah 1939–1943
J. Hardin Peterson Democratic Florida 1943–1947
Richard J. Welch Republican California 1947–1949
J. Hardin Peterson Democratic Florida 1949–1951
John R. Murdock Democratic Arizona 1951–1953
Arthur L. Miller Republican Nebraska 1953–1955
Clair Engle Democratic California 1955–1959
Wayne N. Aspinall Democratic Colorado 1959–1973
James A. Haley Democratic Florida 1973–1977
Mo Udall Democratic Arizona 1977–1991
George Miller Democratic California 1991–1995
Don Young Republican Alaska 1995–2001
James V. Hansen Republican Utah 2001–2003
Richard Pombo Republican California 2003–2007
Nick Rahall Democratic West Virginia 2007–2011
Doc Hastings Republican Washington 2011–2015
Rob Bishop Republican Utah 2015–present

See also

References

  1. "Incoming chairman pledges new agenda for House environment panel". Associated Press/Lodi News Record. December 8, 2006. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  2. H.Res. 6, H.Res. 29, 114th Congress
  3. H.Res. 7, H.Res. 30, 114th Congress
  4. Previously served from 2011 to 2013
  5. 1 2 3 Subcommittee Changes
  6. Sablan is an Independent, but caucuses with the Democrats
  7. "Rules for the Committee on Natural Resources" (PDF). Committee on Natural Resources Committee (PDF). January 23, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  8. Bravender, Robin (January 7, 2015). "Staff shuffles abound across energy, enviro committees". Energy & Environment Daily. E&E Publishing, LLC. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  9. Taylor, Phil (January 6, 2015). "New chairman overhauls committee staff". Energy & Environment Daily. E&E Publishing, LLC. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  10. "Chairman Bishop Announces Natural Resources Committee Republican Leadership, Subcommittee Assignments for 114th Congress". Committee on Natural Resources. January 15, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2015.

External links

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