Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Federal Lands
Chair Grijalva on Sage Grouse Policy Revisions: “This is a Smash-and-Grab Job, and Acting Secretary Bernhardt’s Clients Will Benefit Most”
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today released the following statement on the Trump administration's newly announced revision to sage grouse habitat policy. "As part of its ongoing campaign to hand over public lands to fossil fuel companies, this administration is rolling back sage grouse protections that many stakeholders created together through a long and deliberative process. It seems clear that Acting Secretary David Bernhardt's clients stand to gain more than an… Continue Reading
03.06.19
Chair Grijalva Releases “The Sporting Digest,” a New Series Devoted to News for Outdoor Enthusiasts and Conservation Policy Watchers
Washington, D.C. - Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released a new Medium series today titled The Sporting Digest. The first installment investigates how S.47, commonly known as the "public lands package," impacts sporting, outdoor recreation, and our economy. The bill, which the House recently passed in a historic vote, includes permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), among many other major conservation priorities, and will be… Continue Reading
03.05.19
In New Letter, Chair Grijalva Rejects Ranking Member Bishop Claim That Climate Change is Outside Committee Jurisdiction – And Promises More Hearings
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today comprehensively rejected Ranking Member Rob Bishop's (R-Utah) complaints that climate change is outside the Committee's jurisdiction, writing in a new letter that hearings on the issue will continue. Grijalva notes that while Bishop seems to believe the Committee cannot and should not examine climate change - holding no related hearings during his four-year chairmanship - Grijalva disagrees and will lead the Committee accordingly. … Continue Reading
02.28.19
Chair Grijalva, Rep. Kirkpatrick Signal Serious Concern That Army Corps of Engineers is About to Issue Widely Opposed Mining Permit in South Arizona
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) today released the following statement on the pending Army Corps of Engineers permit for the Rosemont Mine, which is awaiting federal clearance to operate in Kirkpatrick's district in Southern Arizona. Both lawmakers just concluded a briefing with the Army Corps, which is set to issue the last remaining permit for the mine. "We requested today's meeting to ask for additional information on why the Corp… Continue Reading
02.26.19
Chair Grijalva Cheers Passage of Historic Public Lands Package That Protects Our Environment, Boosts Our Economy and Conserves American History
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today cheered passage of the historic Natural Resources Management Act, a bipartisan conservation and public lands package that includes permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and designates approximately 1.3 million acres of wilderness, 693,000 acres of recreation and conservation areas, and two mineral withdrawal areas totaling 370,000 acres, protecting nearly 2.4 million acres of public lands in total… Continue Reading
02.26.19
Chair Grijalva Formally Introduces Bill to Protect Grand Canyon Area From New Mining Claims – Effort Enjoys Extraordinary Grassroots, Tribal Support
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today formally introduced the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act, which protects an area of approximately 1 million acres north and south of Grand Canyon National Park from new mineral extraction activities. Today's introduction falls on the hundredth anniversary of the establishment of Grand Canyon National Park and follows last Saturday's press conference at the Grand Canyon, which featured speakers from grassroots and Native Ameri… Continue Reading
02.19.19
Chair Grijalva Will Announce Push for Permanent Grand Canyon-Area Mining Moratorium at South Rim Press Conference This Saturday
Tucson, Ariz. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) will announce a legislative push for a permanent moratorium on new mining claims near the Grand Canyon at a press conference this Saturday at Mather Point Amphitheater, located just east of Mather Point at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Grijalva will unveil the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act, which he will formally introduce on Feb. 26, the one-hundred-year anniversary of the park's establishment. In 2012, then-Interi… Continue Reading
02.13.19
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: At Hearing Today, Natural Resources Committee Assesses Climate Change Risks to Public Lands and Treasured Sites
Washington D.C. - Today the Natural Resources Committee continued its historic series on climate change impacts across the country with a hearing in the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forest and Public lands - led by Chair Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) - on Climate Change and Public Lands: Examining Impacts and Considering Adaptation Opportunities. Expert witnesses suggested our public lands, national parks, and historic sites face a grim future without more aggressive action to combat climate change. … Continue Reading
02.07.19
Chair Grijalva Champions Bold Climate Action, Supports Green New Deal Resolution
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today announced his support for the Green New Deal resolution unveiled by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and other Congressional Democrats. Grijalva, who yesterday led the first in a monthlong series of hearings on climate change in the Natural Resources Committee, said he is excited to work with supporters of the plan throughout the 116th Congress to reduce U.S. emissions and build a more sustainable e… Continue Reading
02.06.19
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: House Natural Resources Committee Holds Historic Hearing on Climate Change Impacts
Washington D.C. - The House Natural Resources Committee, led by Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), held the first hearing today of a monthlong series on climate change impacts to communities and the need for strong new federal policies. The hearing, titled Climate Change: Impacts and the Need to Act, was the first on climate change in this Committee since June of 2009. Video highlights from today's hearing are available below. Witness testimony and Chair Grijalva's opening statement, amon… Continue Reading
02.05.19
Chair Grijalva: Trump’s Expected Failure to Meaningfully Address Climate Change Underscores Why We’re Holding Our Wednesday Morning Hearing
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said that President Trump's expected failure to meaningfully address climate change in tonight's State of the Union underscores the pressing need for congressional action and throws a spotlight on the Natural Resources Committee hearing at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time on how climate change has impacted communities across the country. That hearing - which will feature testimony from Gov. Roy Cooper (D-N.C.) and Gov. Charlie Baker (R-Mass.), am… Continue Reading
02.05.19
REMINDER: Natural Resources Committee Hearing This Wednesday Kicks Off Month of Climate Change Action
Washington, D.C. - The Natural Resources Committee is holding a hearing on climate change and impacted communities at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, Feb. 6, in Longworth 1324 on Capitol Hill. The hearing, led by Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and titled Climate Change: Impacts and the Need to Act, kicks off a month of climate change hearings in the Committee and its subcommittees. The Wednesday morning event can be viewed via livestream at http://bit.ly/2UD53Hp As with all Comm… Continue Reading
01.29.19
Chair Raúl M. Grijalva Announces Natural Resources Committee Democratic Leadership Team
Washington D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today announced the Democratic leadership team and subcommittee memberships of the Natural Resources Committee for the 116th Congress. Photo highlights of the recently concluded Democratic organizing meeting are available at http://bit.ly/2HLIPBE. "Protecting our environment, taking climate change seriously, and putting the public interest first are not optional on this Committee, and that's what Democrats are going to do every day for t… Continue Reading
01.15.19
Chairman Grijalva, Democratic Leaders Highlight Dramatic Shutdown Impacts on Indian Country, Natural Resources at Capitol Hill Hearing
The quote from Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) was added online after this press release was initially publicized. Washington, D.C. - Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and House Democratic leaders today highlighted the dramatic impacts of the government shutdown on Indian Country and on our natural resources and public lands at a recently concluded hearing of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. The event, which featured two panels of witnesses and a broad cross section of the House… Continue Reading
01.10.19
Chairman Grijalva Calls On Trump To End Shutdown, Asks American Public To Share Trump Shutdown Stories
Washington, D.C. - Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva today launched a new online tool for Americans to share personal stories of how ongoing government shutdown is impacting their lives. The online platform will enable people across the country to take action and share their experiences of being furloughed, forced to work without pay, turned away from visiting public lands, and how the shutdown has affected them and their communities. Grijalva called on President Trump to end the shutdown, now e… Continue Reading
01.09.19
Chairman Grijalva: Trump Withholding California Wildfire Money Shows the White House Now Only Governs by Threat
Washington, D.C. - Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva today said that President Trump's announcement on Twitter this morning that he will instruct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to withhold any wildfire recovery money from the state of California until it changes its "Forrest Management" (sic) policies is a sign that Trump knows how to govern only by threats and cannot be treated as a rational actor at this point. Trump said in the tweet, which was subsequently deleted, that Califo… Continue Reading
01.08.19
Chairman Grijalva Praises House Environmental Leaders For New Legislation to Protect Americans From the Harms of Offshore Drilling
Washington, D.C. - Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today praised a coalition of House Democrats on their newly introduced suite of bills to protect America's coastal communities from offshore drilling. The bills are being introduced on the same day that similar state-level legislative announcements took place at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time by the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. The efforts come as the Trump administration prepares to release the Bureau of Ocean Energy Manage… Continue Reading
01.03.19
Grijalva: Shutdown Has Damaged Public Lands, Indian Country, U.S. Economy – Dem Funding Plan to End Shutdown is Best Step Forward
Washington, D.C. - Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who is expected to chair the House Natural Resources Committee during the 116th Congress, said today that President Trump's ongoing government shutdown has significantly damaged the economy and our national parks and public lands, and that he will support the package of House Democratic bills to fund the government and end the shutdown. The House is expected to vote on that package this evening. "This is not self-inflicted damage, this … Continue Reading
11.26.18
Ranking Member Grijalva: President Trump Is Hurting Americans By Ignoring Climate Change Findings From His Own Administration
Washington, D.C. - Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement today following President Trump's attempt to bury the Fourth Annual Climate Assessment by releasing it the day after Thanksgiving, instead of next month as was expected. "The President's attempts to cover up the real and urgent findings of the most recent Climate Assessment shows that he will do anything to stop the American people from knowing the truth about our changing climate." Grijalva sai… Continue Reading
11.14.18
Committee Leaders Announce Series of Climate Hearings Over Two Day Period Early Next Year
Washington, D.C. - As Democrats prepare to take the House Majority in January, three Democratic Committee leaders, whose committees have jurisdiction over climate change, announced today that their committees will hold a series of hearings over a two-day period early next year to assess the effects of climate change and the need for action. The announcement was made by Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Natural Resources Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) … Continue Reading