Natural Resources
As an attorney, I fought to return control of natural resources to local entities, not far-away federal bureaucrats. I am honored to serve on the Natural Resources committee to continue this work from the halls of Congress. I also have the privilege of chairing the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs, working with tribal and territorial leaders on issues important to their communities.
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Congressional panels about our nations resources typically fall into two camps: hard working Americans who provide the fundamental building blocks that create a flourishing society, and academics and government bureaucrats who seek to prevent the use of valuable resources and land that could make peoples lives better.
The House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs met last week to discuss and debate two pieces of legislation that could change the way land leases are handled in Indian Country.
Healthcare centers on tribal lands have traditionally been underfunded and understaffed; often the buildings are severely rundown and equipment is unable to address the needs of those seeking medical services.
Members of Congress must work together to equip the Indian Healthcare Service with much needed equipment and staff to provide much-needed care to those in need of it.
I have fought for Wyoming's water rights and represented irrigation districts and farmers for decades. Nearly every major water reclamation act has been met with negativity and criticism by naysayers and academics, yet history has shown the value and economic impact of these projects across the board.
The Constitution states that the purpose of government is to promote the welfare of its citizens, yet centuries of government regulations and laws related to Native American tribes often hamper their success and threaten to put them at a disadvantage.
The Indian Non-Intercourse Act and Long-Term Leasing Act, in their current forms, are regularly amended. This creates a piecemeal approach to governing and provides no certainty for Tribes to plan their futures. Tribal governments already seek to make the best decisions for their members, for their social, cultural, and economic security.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs held a legislative hearing on two bills to increase tribal authority and control over their lands.
The delisting of grizzly bears in Wyoming and the surrounding Yellowstone region is grossly overdue, Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director Brian Nesvik told members of Congress.
In 2005, Wyoming grizzly bears reached the recovery threshold provided within the Endangered Species Act. Yet despite the backstops and tripwire mechanisms available to protect recovered species from declining into dangerous territory, they still remain on the endangered species list, even though there are now 500 more grizzly bears than originally required.
Recent years have seen rising encounters between people and "endangered" grizzly bears, and increasingly with deadly results.