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Natural Resources
Responsible Development of the Last Frontier
Due to the continued support of my fellow Alaskans and my Congressional colleagues, I have had the privilege of serving as Chairman, and now as a Senior Member, of the House Natural Resources Committee. In addition to wildlife, Native American, and Native Alaskan issues, the Committee has jurisdiction over all federal lands. The Federal Government owns more than half of Alaska, therefore, having a leadership position on the Natural Resources Committee affords me the opportunity to oversee and influence legislation that directly affects so much of our State. My ability to reach and maintain this powerful position is a direct result of the confidence you've had in me, and with your continued support I can continue to work on behalf of Alaska.
I believe in producing results instead of promises. Here are just a few of the things which I have been working on as your Representative in Congress.
Polar Bear
The polar bear has become the poster child for radical environmentalists and their campaign to address catastrophic global warming, and in response to a lawsuit filed by some of the Nation's largest and most extreme environmental organizations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Recent studies conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, which use carefully chosen computer models to prophecy advanced loss of sea ice and a dismal future for the world's polar bears, will undoubtedly influence the final decision.
I share Governor Parnell’s strong opposition to listing the species as threatened or endangered. The studies being used to support a listing are both selective and speculative, and they ignore a host of scientific data that contradict their findings. In short, listing the polar bear as threatened or endangered based on global warming predictions generated by questionable computer models is irresponsible and it will result in devastating social, cultural, and economic impacts not only for the people of Alaska, but for the Nation as a whole. I have personally expressed these concerns to the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, and I will continue to voice my strong opposition to this misguided proposal and exert my influence on behalf of the State of Alaska.
Cook Inlet Beluga Whale
In response to declining numbers in recent years, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has proposed listing the Cook Inlet Beluga as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The proposed listing is based on data that is both limited and questionable. Moreover, such a listing would have drastic economic impacts on our state as it would require NMFS to designate parts of the Cook Inlet - Alaska's economic hub - as critical habitat. As such, any activity in those areas would be subject to extensive permitting, as well as third-party litigation. This is a serious issue, and I believe we must have additional and extensive scientific data before proceeding with an endangered listing. NMFS must also take into consideration the fact that the most recent aerial survey shows that the Cook Inlet Beluga population is steady and has actually increased since 2006.
Predator Control
In yet another attempt by Outside interests to impose their will on Alaskans, California Congressman George Miller recently introduced H.R. 3663, the so-called "Protect America's Wildlife Act" to dictate how we in Alaska manage our wildlife. Written by radical environmentalists and sponsored by Representatives from the Lower 48 on their behalf, the bill would end Alaska's predator control program. Due to the fact that our great State is more than twice the size of Texas, but has fewer miles of paved roads than the District of Columbia, the State employs the use of aircraft in order to manage our large population of Arctic wolves and ensure healthy populations of the moose, caribou and other wildlife on which they prey. Wolves are extremely efficient predators and an unmanaged wolf population poses a dangerous threat to the food sources on which Native and rural Alaskans have depended for hundreds of years. Regardless of one's position on this issue, it is an Alaskan issue to be decided by Alaskans - not by Members of Congress from California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey - and I am actively working to ensure this drastic measure does not become law.
Bills Passed by the House and Voted For
H.R. 1404 - Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act
(FLAME Act)
This legislation creates a separate federal account for combating catastrophic wildfires. H.R. 1404 would transfer payment of the most costly fires from the Forest Service's regular budget and pay for them separately through the new fund. Money for the fund would be appropriated annually
Bills Sponsored
H.R. 843 - To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972
This bill would repeal the long-term goal for reducing to zero the incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals in commercial fishing operations, and to modify the goal of take reduction plans for reducing such takings.
Removes the zero mortality requirements on fisherman but maintains three levels of protection and would still require the fisheries to reduce their incidental take of marine mammals to levels below potential biological removal levels.
H.R. 844 - Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Amendments of 2009
The bill would authorize appropriations for John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, and expands the program from dealing with stranded mammals to also include those in entanglements. This bill passed the House on March 2, 2009.
H.R. 1054 - To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972
This bill would allow importation of polar bear trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada before the date the polar bear was determined to be a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
This bill would also authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue permits to 41 hunters who had legally taken polar bear trophies prior to their listing under the ESA.. There are two hunters from Alaska one from Delta Junction and one from Unalakleet that have trophies stuck in Canada.
H.R. 1055 - Restoration of the U.S.-Russia Polar Bear Conservation Fund Act of 2009
This bill would restores the ability of U.S. citizens to import polar bear trophies even thought they have been listed under the ESA.
H.R. 2864 - To amend the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998
This bill would authorize funds to acquire hydrographic data and provide hydrographic services specific to the Arctic for safe navigation, delineating the United States extended continental shelf, and the monitoring and description of coastal changes.
H.R. 3198 - Wildlife Without Borders Authorization Act
This legislation will codify the Wildlife Without Borders Program. This program was administratively created in 1983 and remains as a line item within the International Affairs Office within the Fish and Wildlife Service. The purpose of this program is to develop wildlife management and conservation efforts to maintain global species diversity. This is accomplished by three subset entities including the species program, the global program and the regional program
H.R. 4407 - Federal Land Avalanche Protection Act
This bill establishes an avalanche protection program and makes grants available for projects and activities that assist in the prevention, forecasting, detection, and mitigation of avalanches.
H.R. 4782 - Invasive Species Emergency Response Fund Act
This legislation would set up a revolving loan fund for invasive species mitigation in the Western U.S.
H.R. 4847 - National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System Act
This bill requires the USGS a National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System program to monitor volcanic activity and to warn and protect U.S. citizens from harm. It sets out requirements and responsibilities and modernizes America’s volcano warning system.
H.R. 5379 - Polar Bear Delisting Act
This bill would immediately remove the polar bear from the endangered species list.
H.R. 5451 - Connell Lake Watershed Protection and Recreation Act
This bill would convey the area around Connell Lake to the Ketchikan Gateway Borough from the U.S. Forest Service. Connell Lake is Ketchikan’s main supply of drinking water.
Bills Cosponsored
H.R. 1520 - Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform Act
This bill would initiate an inventory of all federally owned land. Also allows states to opt in to cost sharing agreements to inventory their lands as well.
H.R. 1684 - Preservation of the Second Amendment in National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges Act
This bill would allow guns in National Parks and Wildlife refuges
H.R. 3910 - Longline Catcher Processor Subsector Single Fishery Cooperative Act
This bill would allow NOAA to create a single fishery cooperative for the longline catcher processor subsector in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI).
H.RES. 1254 –
This legislation would direct the Secretary of the Interior to transmit to the House of Representatives certain information relating to the Secretary's Treasured Landscape Initiative, potential designation of National Monuments, and High Priority Land-Rationalization Efforts.
Also, this resolution would compel the Department of Interior to release any documents related to their Treasured Landscapes Initiative. Documents related to this Initiative were recently leaked to the Republicans on the Natural Resources. They advocated for the Administrative taking of land as national monuments through the use of the Antiquities Act.
H.RES. 1378 –
This legislation would condemn the theft from the Mojave National Preserve of the national Mojave Cross memorial honoring American soldiers who died in World War I.
H.RES. 1406 –
This legislation would direct the Secretary of the Interior to transmit to the House of Representatives certain information relating to the potential designation of National Monuments.
Also, this resolution would compel the Department of Interior to release certain documents related to their Treasured Landscapes Initiative. Documents related to this Initiative were recently leaked to the Republicans on the Natural Resources. They advocated for the Administrative taking of land as national monuments through the use of the Antiquities Act.
H.R. 2055 - Pacific Salmon Stronghold Conservation Act
This bill would establish the a cooperative, incentive-based, public-private partnership known as the Salmon Stronghold Partnership to identify and conserve salmon strongholds in Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington state
H.R. 3749 - Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act
With certain exceptions, this bill would require federal land managers to give public access to federal lands for the recreational shooting, hunting, and fishing.
H.R. 5016 –
This bill would prohibit the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture from taking action on public lands which impede border security on such lands, and for other purposes.
This bill would prohibit federal land management agencies from interfering with, or prohibiting border protection efforts of the Department of Homeland Security on federal lands.
H.R. 4488 - National Wildfire Infrastructure Improvement and Cost Containment Act
This bill would refine and modernize the federal lands firefighting. |
