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November 2008 |
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Remarks of U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall, II
on being named
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources
November 21, 2008
CONTACT: Allyson Groff or Blake Androff, 202-226-9019
I would like to thank the House Democratic Caucus for electing me to chair the Committee on Natural Resources during the 111th Congress. Today, I am releasing an agenda to guide the Committee during the next two years entitled: "America the Beautiful - Our People, Our Natural Resources - Fulfilling Stewardship and Trust Responsibilities."
America faces a crisis of grave proportions. Many of the basic institutions we used to rely upon stand today on unsteady foundations. Americans in our daily lives are feeling the pinch of economic downturn and are having to make tough decisions. It is at times like this that we must work to retain the lasting value of our greatest assets and rise to the occasion to invoke the change that is so necessary to restore the vitality of our Nation.
This is why I believe it so important that the Natural Resources Committee continue its work in fulfilling our stewardship and trust responsibilities.
We can, and we will, enhance America's energy security by drilling for oil and natural gas on federal lands and waters. But we must demand that this be done in an environmentally and fiscally responsible manner. The hemorrhaging of money owed to the American people by the oil industry for the privilege of drilling on these lands and in these waters must stop. Working with the new Administration, I look forward to tackling the gross mismanagement and malfeasance which today permeates through the federal oil and gas royalty system.
Similarly, it is almost inconceivable that, in this day and age, valuable minerals such as gold and silver from our public lands are mined for free, with no royalty paid to the American people. This corporate welfare deserves no place in modern society and must end through reform of the Mining Law of 1872.
In these troubled times, as Americans curtail long-distance travel, many continue to find solace in our National Parks, wilderness areas, and wildlife refuges. This is no time to shirk our responsibility to be good stewards of our Nation's rich and diverse natural resource heritage. I intend to continue to work toward building a stronger National Park Service as we draw closer to the 100th Anniversary of this American innovation, to make further progress in achieving the goals of the Wilderness Act and to nurture hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreational activities on our federal lands.
Certainly, a central feature of good stewardship is that of making a meaningful commitment to combating catastrophic wildfires. Fighting these fires is consuming the resources of the Forest Service, leaving ever-shrinking funds for investment in the health of our forests and, importantly, forest communities. It is my intention to, once again, move forward with innovative legislation to address this most pressing issue.
As we move toward securing America's energy future, we must also secure our natural environment by addressing the effects of climate change on land and water resources. To do this will require departing from traditional ecological management prescriptions, and is a challenge I intend to work to address. Of equal importance is the reduction of carbon emissions, and our federal lands offer us a potentially vast repository for the sequestration of captured carbon in depleted oil and gas reservoirs and other geological formations. Conducting the safe and efficient sequestration of carbon is a challenge that we must tackle to help ensure our economic vitality and our energy security.
There are many other stewardship responsibilities the Natural Resources Committee must consider that are laid out in our new Agenda. Equally important are our trust responsibilities.
It is imperative that we honor our trust responsibilities to Indian Country. We must respect Tribal sovereignty and rectify the lack of consultation that was the hallmark of the Bush Administration's Indian policy. We must provide decent health care for Indian Country, respect their sacred places and fix the flawed recognition process.
We must also further empower the Insular Areas of the United States. Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands are U.S. territorial possessions comprising over 4 million U.S. citizens. As a Nation, we have a responsibility to foster sustainable development, energy security, and improved infrastructure in these areas. I am pleased that, for the first time ever, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands will have a delegate in the House of Representatives. I also look forward to working with the new Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico as we continue to engage in a process of political self-determination for that commonwealth.
Again, I thank the House Democratic Caucus for electing me to chair the Natural Resources Committee during the 111th Congress.
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