# 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.

## Jurisdiction

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

## Members, 119th Congress

| Majority | Minority |
| Bruce Westerman, Arkansas, Chair Rob Wittman, Virginia, Vice Chair Tom McClintock, California Paul Gosar, Arizona Amata Coleman Radewagen, American Samoa Doug LaMalfa, California Daniel Webster, Florida Russ Fulcher, Idaho Pete Stauber, Minnesota Tom Tiffany, Wisconsin Lauren Boebert, Colorado Cliff Bentz, Oregon Jen Kiggans, Virginia James Moylan, Guam Wesley Hunt, Texas Mike Collins, Georgia Harriet Hageman, Wyoming Mark Amodei, Nevada Tim Walberg, Michigan Mike Ezell, Mississippi Celeste Maloy, Utah Addison McDowell, North Carolina Jeff Crank, Colorado Nick Begich III, Alaska Jeff Hurd, Colorado Mike Kennedy, Utah | Jared Huffman, California, Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva, Arizona (until March 13, 2025), Ranking Member Emeritus Joe Neguse, Colorado Teresa Leger Fernandez, New Mexico Melanie Stansbury, New Mexico Val Hoyle, Oregon Seth Magaziner, Rhode Island Jared Golden, Maine Dave Min, California Maxine Dexter, Oregon Pablo Hernández Rivera, Puerto Rico Emily Randall, Washington Yassamin Ansari, Arizona Sarah Elfreth, Maryland, Vice Ranking Member Adam Gray, California Luz Rivas, California Nydia Velázquez, New York Debbie Dingell, Michigan Darren Soto, Florida Julia Brownley, California |
Resolutions electing members: H.Res. 13 (Chair), H.Res. 14 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 42 (R), H.Res. 44 (D), H.Res. 55 (D)

## Subcommittees

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
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. 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
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.

### Current subcommittees

| Subcommittee | Chair | Ranking Member |
| Energy and Mineral Resources | Pete Stauber (R-MN) | Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) |
| Federal Lands | Tom Tiffany (R-WI) | Joe Neguse (D-CO) |
| Indian and Insular Affairs | Jeff Hurd (R-CO) | Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM) |
| Oversight and Investigations | Paul Gosar (R-AZ) | Maxine Dexter (D-OR) |
| Water, Wildlife and Fisheries | Harriet Hageman (R-WY) | Val Hoyle (D-OR) |

## 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 | 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 | 1840 |
| Jeremiah Morrow | Whig | Ohio | 1840 | 1841 |
| William C. Johnson | Whig | Maryland | 1841 | 1841 |
| Jeremiah Morrow | Whig | Ohio | 1841 | 1842 |
| Reuben Chapman | Democratic | Alabama | 1842 | 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 | 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
### 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 (from February 23, 2023) |
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

| Subcommittee | Chair | Ranking Member |
| 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) |

### 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) | 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 | Ranking Member |
| 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, 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 | Minority |
| 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 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 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) |