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 and Insular Affairs (1951), the name was changed to the Committee on Natural Resources in 1991. The name was shortened to the Committee on Resources 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 1991 and 1995.^[1]

House Natural Resources Committee

Standing committee
Active United States House of Representatives 118th Congress
History
Formed	1991
Succeeded	Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs
Formerly known as	Committee on Resources
Leadership
Chair	Bruce Westerman (R) Since January 3, 2023
Ranking member	Raúl Grijalva (D) Since January 4, 2023
Structure
Seats	45
Political parties	Majority (25)   Republican (25) Minority (20)   Democratic (20)
Jurisdiction
Policy areas	Energy development, mining, mineral rights, wildlife, fisheries, public lands, oceans, Native Americans
Oversight authority	Department of Energy
Senate counterpart	Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Subcommittees
Energy and Mineral Resources Indigenous Peoples of the United States National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Oversight and Investigations Water, Oceans and Wildlife
Meeting place
1324 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515
Website
naturalresources.house.gov democrats-naturalresources.house.gov
Rules
Rule X.1(m), Rules of the House of Representatives (118th Congress) Rules for the Committee on Natural Resources (118th Congress)

Jurisdiction

1. Fisheries and wildlife, including research, restoration, refuges, and conservation.
2. Forest reserves and national parks created from the public domain.
3. Forfeiture of land grants and alien ownership, including alien ownership of mineral lands.
4. Geological Survey.
5. International fishing agreements.
6. Interstate compacts relating to apportionment of waters for irrigation purposes.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Insular areas of the United States generally (except those affecting the revenue and appropriations).
10. 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.
11. Mineral land laws and claims and entries thereunder.
12. Mineral resources of public lands.
13. Mining interests generally.
14. Mining schools and experimental stations.
15. Marine affairs, including coastal zone management (except for measures relating to oil and other pollution of navigable waters).
16. Oceanography.
17. Petroleum conservation on public lands and conservation of the radium supply in the United States.
18. Preservation of prehistoric ruins and objects of interest on the public domain.
19. Public lands generally, including entry, easements, and grazing thereon.
20. Relations of the United States with Native Americans and Native American tribes.
21. Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline (except ratemaking).^[2][3]

Members, 118th Congress

Majority

Minority

Bruce Westerman, Arkansas, Chair Doug Lamborn, Colorado, Vice Chair Rob Wittman, Virginia Tom McClintock, California Paul Gosar, Arizona Garret Graves, Louisiana Amata Coleman Radewagen, American Samoa Daniel Webster, Florida Jenniffer González, Puerto Rico Russ Fulcher, Idaho Pete Stauber, Minnesota John Curtis, Utah Tom Tiffany, Wisconsin Jerry Carl, Alabama Matt Rosendale, Montana Lauren Boebert, Colorado Cliff Bentz, Oregon Jen Kiggans, Virginia James Moylan, Guam Wesley Hunt, Texas Mike Collins, Georgia Anna Paulina Luna, Florida John Duarte, California Harriet Hageman, Wyoming

Raúl Grijalva, Arizona, Ranking Member Grace Napolitano, California Jim Costa, California (until February 27, 2023) Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana Islands Jared Huffman, California Ruben Gallego, Arizona Joe Neguse, Colorado Mike Levin, California Katie Porter, California Teresa Leger Fernandez, New Mexico Melanie Stansbury, New Mexico Mary Peltola, Alaska Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Kevin Mullin, California Val Hoyle, Oregon Sydney Kamlager-Dove, California, Vice Ranking Member Seth Magaziner, Rhode Island Nydia Velázquez, New York Ed Case, Hawaii Debbie Dingell, Michigan Susie Lee, Nevada

Resolutions electing members: H.Res. 14 (Chair), H.Res. 15 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 79 (D), H.Res. 80 (R), H.Res. 164 (D)

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^[4]

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.^[5][6] 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^[7]

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.^[7]

Current subcommittees

Subcommittee	Chair[8]	Ranking Member[a]
Energy and Mineral Resources	Pete Stauber (R-MN)	Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
Federal Lands	Tom Tiffany (R-WI)	Joe Neguse (D-CO)
Indian and Insular Affairs	Harriet Hageman (R-WY)	Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM)
Oversight and Investigations	Paul Gosar (R-AZ)	Melanie Stansbury (D-NM)
Water, Wildlife and Fisheries	Cliff Bentz (R-OR)	Jared Huffman (D-CA)

Chairs

Chair	Party	State	Start of service	End of service
Committee on Public Lands
Andrew Gregg	Democratic-Republican	Pennsylvania	1805	1806
John Boyle	Democratic-Republican	Kentucky	1806	1807
Andrew Gregg	Democratic-Republican	Pennsylvania	1807
John Boyle	Democratic-Republican	Kentucky	1807	1808
Jeremiah Morrow	Democratic-Republican	Ohio	1808	1813
Samuel McKee	Democratic-Republican	Kentucky	1813	1815
Thomas B. Robertson	Democratic-Republican	Louisiana	1815	1818
George Poindexter	Democratic-Republican	Mississippi	1818	1819
Richard C. Anderson	Democratic-Republican	Kentucky	1819	1821
Christopher Rankin	Jacksonian	Mississippi	1821	1826
John Scott	Anti-Jacksonian	Missouri	1826	1827
Jacob C. Isacks	Jacksonian	Tennessee	1827	1830
Charles A. Wickliffe	Jacksonian	Kentucky	1830	1833
Clement C. Clay	Democratic	Alabama	1833	1835
Ratliff Boon	Democratic	Indiana	1835	1838
Zadok Casey	Democratic	Illinois	1838	1839
Thomas Corwin	Whig	Ohio	1839	1840
Samson Mason	Whig	Ohio	1840
Jeremiah Morrow	Whig	Ohio	1840	1841
William C. Johnson	Whig	Maryland	1841
Jeremiah Morrow	Whig	Ohio	1841	1842
Reuben Chapman	Democratic	Alabama	1842
Jeremiah Morrow	Whig	Ohio	1842	1843
John W. Davis	Democratic	Indiana	1843	1845
John A. McClernand	Democratic	Illinois	1845	1847
Jacob Collamer	Whig	Vermont	1847	1849
James B. Bowlin	Democratic	Missouri	1849	1851
Willard P. Hall	Democratic	Missouri	1851	1853
David T. Disney	Democratic	Ohio	1853	1855
Henry Bennett	Opposition	New York	1855	1857
Williamson R. W. Cobb	Democratic	Alabama	1857	1859
Eli Thayer	Republican	Massachusetts	1859	1861
John F. Potter	Republican	Wisconsin	1861	1863
George W. Julian	Republican	Indiana	1863	1871
John H. Ketcham	Republican	New York	1871	1873
Washington Townsend	Republican	Pennsylvania	1873	1875
Milton Sayler	Democratic	Ohio	1875	1877
William R. Morrison	Democratic	Illinois	1877	1879
George L. Converse	Democratic	Ohio	1879	1881
Thaddeus C. Pound	Republican	Wisconsin	1881	1883
Thomas R. Cobb	Democratic	Indiana	1883	1887
William S. Holman	Democratic	Indiana	1887	1889
Lewis E. Payson	Republican	Illinois	1889	1891
Thomas C. McRae	Democratic	Arkansas	1891	1895
John F. Lacey	Republican	Iowa	1895	1907
Franklin W. Mondell	Republican	Wyoming	1907	1911
Joseph T. Robinson	Democratic	Arkansas	1911	1912
Scott Ferris	Democratic	Oklahoma	1912	1919
Nicholas J. Sinnott	Republican	Oregon	1919	1928
Don B. Colton	Republican	Utah	1928	1931
John M. Evans	Democratic	Montana	1931	1933
René L. De Rouen	Democratic	Louisiana	1933	1940
James W. Robinson	Democratic	Utah	1940	1943
J. Hardin Peterson	Democratic	Florida	1943	1947
Richard J. Welch	Republican	California	1947	1949
Andrew L. Somers	Democratic	New York	1949
J. Hardin Peterson	Democratic	Florida	1949	1951
Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs
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
Committee on Natural Resources
George Miller	Democratic	California	1991	1995
Committee on Resources
Don Young	Republican	Alaska	1995	2001
James Hansen	Republican	Utah	2001	2003
Richard Pombo	Republican	California	2003	2007
Committee on Natural Resources
Nick Rahall	Democratic	West Virginia	2007	2011
Doc Hastings	Republican	Washington	2011	2015
Rob Bishop	Republican	Utah	2015	2019
Raúl Grijalva	Democratic	Arizona	2019	2023
Bruce Westerman	Republican	Arkansas	2023	present

Historical membership rosters

117th Congress

Majority

Minority

Raúl Grijalva, Arizona, Chair Grace Napolitano, California Jim Costa, California Gregorio Sablan, N. Mariana Islands, Vice Chair (Insular Affairs) Jared Huffman, California Alan Lowenthal, California Ruben Gallego, Arizona Joe Neguse, Colorado Mike Levin, California Katie Porter, California Teresa Leger Fernandez, New Mexico Melanie Stansbury, New Mexico (since June 15, 2021) Mary Peltola, Alaska (since September 14, 2022) Nydia Velázquez, New York Diana DeGette, Colorado Julia Brownley, California Debbie Dingell, Michigan Donald McEachin, Virginia Darren Soto, Florida Michael San Nicolas, Guam Chuy García, Illinois, Vice Chair Ed Case, Hawaii Betty McCollum, Minnesota Steven Cohen, Tennessee Paul Tonko, New York Rashida Tlaib, Michigan Doris Matsui, California Lori Trahan, Massachusetts (until September 14, 2022)[9]

Bruce Westerman, Arkansas, Ranking Member Don Young, Alaska (until March 18, 2022) Louie Gohmert, Texas, Vice Ranking Member Doug Lamborn, Colorado Rob Wittman, Virginia Tom McClintock, California Paul Gosar, Arizona (until November 17, 2021) Garret Graves, Louisiana Jody Hice, Georgia Amata Coleman Radewagen, Am. Samoa, Vice Ranking Member (Insular Affairs) Daniel Webster, Florida Jenniffer González, Puerto Rico Russ Fulcher, Idaho Pete Stauber, Minnesota Tom Tiffany, Wisconsin Jerry Carl, Alabama Matt Rosendale, Montana Blake Moore, Utah Yvette Herrell, New Mexico Lauren Boebert, Colorado Jay Obernolte, California Cliff Bentz, Oregon Connie Conway, California (since June 22, 2022)

Resolutions electing members: H.Res. 9 (Chair), H.Res. 10 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 62 (D), H.Res. 63 (R), H.Res. 92 (D), H.Res. 111 (D), H.Res. 475 (D), H.Res. 789 (Removing Gosar), H.Res. 1197 (R), H.Res. 1347 (D)

Subcommittees

Subcommittee	Chair[10]	Ranking Member[11]
Energy and Mineral Resources	Alan Lowenthal (D-CA)	Pete Stauber (R-MN)
Indigenous Peoples of the United States	Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM)	Don Young (R-AK)
National Parks, Forests and Public Lands	Joe Neguse (D-CO)	Russ Fulcher (R-ID)
Oversight and Investigations	Katie Porter (D-CA)	Blake Moore (R-UT)
Water, Oceans and Wildlife	Jared Huffman (D-CA)	Cliff Bentz (R-OR)

116th Congress

Majority

Minority

Raúl Grijalva, Arizona, Chair Grace Napolitano, California Jim Costa, California Gregorio Sablan, N. Mariana Islands, Vice Chair (Insular Affairs) Jared Huffman, California Alan Lowenthal, California Ruben Gallego, Arizona TJ Cox, California Joe Neguse, Colorado Mike Levin, California Deb Haaland, New Mexico, Vice Chair Joe Cunningham, South Carolina Nydia Velázquez, New York Diana DeGette, Colorado Lacy Clay, Missouri Debbie Dingell, Michigan Anthony Brown, Maryland Donald McEachin, Virginia Darren Soto, Florida Ed Case, Hawaii Steven Horsford, Nevada Michael San Nicolas, Guam Matt Cartwright, Pennsylvania Paul Tonko, New York Chuy García, Illinois (since January 14, 2020) Nanette Barragán, California (since September 22, 2020)

Rob Bishop, Utah, Ranking Member Don Young, Alaska Louie Gohmert, Texas Doug Lamborn, Colorado Rob Wittman, Virginia Tom McClintock, California Paul Gosar, Arizona Paul Cook, California Bruce Westerman, Arkansas Garret Graves, Louisiana Jody Hice, Georgia Amata Coleman Radewagen, American Samoa Daniel Webster, Florida, Vice Ranking Member Liz Cheney, Wyoming Mike Johnson, Louisiana Jenniffer González, Puerto Rico, Vice Ranking Member (Insular Affairs) John Curtis, Utah Kevin Hern, Oklahoma Russ Fulcher, Idaho Jeff Van Drew,[b] New Jersey Pete Stauber, Minnesota (since July 30, 2020)

Sources: H.Res. 24 (Chair), H.Res. 25 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 73 (D), H.Res. 74 (R), H.Res. 125 (D), H.Res. 148 (D), H.Res. 793 (D), H.Res. 1072 (R), H.Res. 1135 (D)

Subcommittees

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Energy and Mineral Resources	Alan Lowenthal (D-CA)	Paul Gosar (R-AZ)
Indigenous Peoples of the United States	Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)	Paul Cook (R-CA)
National Parks, Forests and Public Lands	Deb Haaland (D-NM)	Don Young (R-AK)
Oversight and Investigations	TJ Cox (D-CA)	Louie Gohmert (R-TX)
Water, Oceans and Wildlife	Jared Huffman (D-CA)	Tom McClintock (R-CA)

115th Congress

Majority[12]

Minority[13]

Rob Bishop, Utah, Chair Don Young, Alaska Louie Gohmert, Texas, Vice Chair Doug Lamborn, Colorado Rob Wittman, Virginia Tom McClintock, California Steve Pearce, New Mexico Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania Paul Gosar, Arizona Raúl Labrador, Idaho Scott Tipton, Colorado Doug LaMalfa, California Jeff Denham, California[14] Paul Cook, California Bruce Westerman, Arkansas Garret Graves, Louisiana Jody Hice, Georgia Amata Coleman Radewagen, American Samoa Darin LaHood, Illinois Daniel Webster, Florida David Rouzer, North Carolina Jack Bergman, Michigan Liz Cheney, Wyoming Mike Johnson, Louisiana Jenniffer González, Puerto Rico Greg Gianforte, Montana

Raúl Grijalva, Arizona, Ranking Member Grace Napolitano, California Madeleine Bordallo, Guam Jim Costa, California Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana Islands[15] Niki Tsongas, Massachusetts Jared Huffman, California, Vice Ranking Member Don Beyer, Virginia Norma Torres, California Ruben Gallego, Arizona Colleen Hanabusa, Hawaii Nanette Barragán, California Darren Soto, Florida Jimmy Panetta, California (until April 2017) Donald McEachin, Virginia Anthony Brown, Maryland Alan Lowenthal, California Lacy Clay, Missouri Jimmy Gomez, California Nydia Velázquez, New York (since April 2018)

See also

• List of current United States House of Representatives committees

Notes

1. @RachelFrazin (January 31, 2023). "AOC joins the House Natural Resources Committee, and becomes its top Democrat on the Energy and Mineral Resources subcommittee" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
2. Van Drew left the Democratic Party on December 19, 2019, to join Republicans.

References

1. "Incoming chairman pledges new agenda for House environment panel". Associated Press/Lodi News Record. December 8, 2006. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
2. "Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives - 404". Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-10-05. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
3. McCarthy, Kevin (3 January 2017). "Text - H.Res.5 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): Adopting rules for the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress". congress.gov. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
4. "Rules for the Committee on Natural Resources" (PDF). Committee on Natural Resources Committee (PDF). January 23, 2013.
5. Bravender, Robin (January 7, 2015). "Staff shuffles abound across energy, enviro committees". Energy & Environment Daily. E&E Publishing, LLC. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
6. Taylor, Phil (January 6, 2015). "New chairman overhauls committee staff". Energy & Environment Daily. E&E Publishing, LLC. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
7. Subcommittee Changes

   • Taylor, Phil (January 14, 2015). "Bishop creates new oversight panel, names GOP roster". Energy & Environment Daily. E&E Publishing, LLC. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
   • "House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop Announces Republican Members for 114th Congress, New Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations". Committee on Natural Resources. January 13, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
8. "Westerman Announces Subcommittee Chairs". Committee on Natural Resources. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
9. Vu, Nancy (September 14, 2022). "Alaska's new member of Congress, Mary Peltola, is now on the House Natural Resources Committee — thanks to a resignation assist from Lori Trahan". Politico. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
10. Chair Grijalva Announces Vice Chairs, Subcommittee Chairs for 117th Congress, Looks Forward to Climate and Environmental Justice Collaboration
11. Westerman Announces Subcommittee Ranking Members
12. H.Res. 6, H.Res. 51
13. H.Res. 7, H.Res. 45, H.Res. 52, H.Res. 95
14. Appointed to committee in 2015, previously served from 2011 to 2013
15. Sablan is an Independent, but caucuses with the Democrats

External links

• Committee on Natural Resources, U.S. House of Representatives (Archive)
• House Natural Resources Committee. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.