United States House Committee on Natural Resources

Committee information

• Date created: December 17, 1805, as House Committee on Public Lands; 1993 as House Committee on Natural Resources
• Members: Forty-five members in the 119th Congress (2025–2027)
• Subcommittees: Energy and Mineral Resources; Federal Lands; Indian and Insular Affairs; Oversight and Investigations; and Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries

Role

The United States House Committee on Natural Resources oversees matters involving the country’s land, waters, wildlife, energy sources, and other natural resources. It was formed to help ensure that US natural resources are used in a way that benefits American citizens while minimizing negative effects on the environment. The committee is made up of several members of the US House of Representatives.

Committees are used to help members of Congress give more focus and attention to particular needs. Typical committees are made up of members of both political parties. In order to accurately reflect the current House or Senate, the majority party also holds the majority of committee members, and the committee chairperson. The minority party also has a leader in the committee, referred to as the ranking member.

Some committees are formed to resolve immediate issues. These are called select committees, and typically dissolve once the issue in question—or mandate—has passed. In some cases, however, the House or Senate may decide that the committee could fill an important long-term role, and it becomes a standing committee. The House Committee on Natural Resources is a standing committee. These committees are focused on issues that will always need attention for the foreseeable future. It is made up entirely of members of the House of Representatives and makes legal and policy recommendations to the House. Some committees include members of both the House and the Senate, and are called joint committees.

Committees rapidly increased in number throughout the 1800s. In the mid-twentieth century, Congress limited the number of committees and more clearly defined their jurisdictions. By the early twenty-first century, the House had twenty permanent committees, and the Senate had sixteen.

The House Committee on Natural Resources meets to discuss issues involving US natural resources. In addition to regularly scheduled meetings, the committee may also hold meetings in response to particular situations that arise. Its members can propose bills, acts, or amendments to existing laws. As a standing committee, it has the authority to present proposals to the rest of the House. It also has the responsibility of overseeing particular federal government agencies and projects. The committee can order these agencies to make changes if it finds they are not performing their duties properly, and can conduct investigations.

Some prominent agencies that the House Committee on Natural Resources oversees include the US Geological Survey (USGS). This agency is dedicated to studying the country’s natural landscape and waters. Its findings help increase national understanding of the landscape and allows for more efficient use of natural resources while protecting the environment and keeping citizens out of dangerous territory. Another agency is the National Park Service (NPS), which manages land that is considered protected by the government. The service is designed to enforce those protections while educating the public and helping citizens enjoy the parks.

The House Committee on Natural Resources is broken into five subcommittees, each with its own leader and selection of committee members. These allow the committee to focus on even more specific needs and issues. Congress officially limits each committee to five subcommittees, although it has made exceptions under certain circumstances.

History

Although the House Committee on Natural Resources did not officially form under that name until 1993, House committees that served similar duties have existed since 1805. In December 1805, Representative William Findley moved for the creation of a Committee on Public Lands. This shortly followed the Louisiana Purchase, in which the United States bought a large amount of territory from France. The new land allowed the United States to expand west of the Mississippi River and approximately doubled its size. The United States did not have a large enough population to settle the land immediately, so the federal government took ownership of a great deal of the western territory. The government owned and managed the land but allowed American citizens access to it, and it became known as public land.

This was not a permanent solution, however. Many politicians knew that it was a matter of time before citizens began moving west. They wanted to make sure that a system was in place that would allow citizens to purchase land from the government in a fair and orderly fashion. In addition, much of the land was seen as unsuitable for living or farming, and the government needed to develop and enforce policies for managing it. To address these concerns and establish a standardized set of policies, Congress approved the creation of the Committee on Public Lands. Because of the scope of the committee’s task, Congress decided that a standing committee would be more practical than a select one.

By the mid-twentieth century, Congress had several standing committees whose responsibilities had changed dramatically since they were first formed. Some found themselves with far more responsibilities than they were created to handle, while others were becoming obsolete. Congress agreed to overhaul its entire committee structure, passing the Legislative Reorganization Act in 1946. Among the effects of this act was reducing the amount of House standing committees from forty-four to nineteen. It achieved this in part by combining some committees with similar interests. The Committee on Public Lands took on the jurisdiction of several committees that the act dissolved. The committee was also given jurisdiction of certain military properties, such as memorials. After this change, the committee was focused on far more than just public lands. To better represent its new duties, its name was changed to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs in 1951.

In the following decades, concerns about pollution, energy use, and conservation resulted in shifts in the committee’s focus. By 1993, its name was officially changed to the Committee on Natural Resources. It also established five subcommittees: Energy and Mineral Resources; Insular and International Affairs; National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands; Native American Affairs; and Oversight and Investigations. In 1995, its name was shortened to the Committee on Resources. Due to more reorganization among committees, it gained jurisdiction over national waters and fishing. It also made changes to its subcommittees, and consisted of Energy and Mineral Resources; Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans; National Parks, Forests, and Lands; Native Americans and Insular Affairs; and Water and Power Resources. In 1997, it was decided that Native Americans and Insular Affairs would only be addressed as a full committee, while Forests was split into its own subcommittee.

In 2006, the committee was once again named the Committee on Natural Resources. In 2015, its subcommittees went through another restructuring. They consisted of Energy and Mineral Resources; Federal Lands; Indian, Insular, and Alaska Native Affairs; Oversight and Investigations; and Water, Power, and Oceans. By the 119th Congress, the committees included Energy and Mineral Resources; Federal Lands; Indian and Insular Affairs; Oversight and Investigations; and Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries.

Subcommittees

As of the 119th Congress, the House Committee on Natural Resources had forty-five members—twenty-five Republicans and twenty Democrats. It had five subcommittees.

During Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, he was highly critical of the federal government’s handling of natural resources. According to Trump, excessive regulation was harming American jobs and reducing access to valuable resources. Once he became president in 2017, he continued to advocate for less regulation of natural resources. With a majority of members sharing Trump’s political party, the committee tended to focus on deregulation. This drew strong criticism from conservationists and environmentalists, who said it was an irresponsible use of resources. Supporters argued that the committee was putting American lives and jobs over other concerns.

United States House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources

This subcommittee regulates mining and other forms of energy production that take place on public land. Its jurisdiction includes US minerals, oil, natural gas, radioactive materials, and solar, wind, and water power. It also works with the US Geological Survey and geothermal resources organizations.

Mining is also covered by this subcommittee. It is not only responsible for the regulation of mining activity, but also for monitoring the impact mining has on the environment, overseeing any reclamation projects involving mined lands, and regulating mining schools. Mining was also a focus of the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump said that his administration would back coal and other mining industries. Following Trump’s victory, the subcommittee made proposals to place fewer restrictions on miners, aiming to boost their production. It also introduced policies that would speed up the process of transferring public land into private ownership. In the 2020s, the subcommittee’s primary focus was creating legislation that supported affordable American energy sources and the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act of 2023.

United States House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands

The land itself is the focus of this subcommittee. It deals with territory owned or managed by the federal government. National parks, trails, heritage sites, and monuments fall under this subcommittee’s jurisdiction. It also oversees wildlife refuges and national forests. The Federal Lands subcommittee is responsible for certain military sites, primarily former battlefields, cemeteries, and monuments that are federally owned.

Many of the lands in this subcommittee are delicate and valuable, either due to their environment and wildlife or their historical significance. They also serve the important functions of both attracting and educating the public. This subcommittee has to ensure that the lands are being managed with both their preservation and public interest in mind.

United States House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs

This subcommittee oversees matters relating to the federal government’s interactions with Indigenous people living in the United States. These include Indigenous Americans in the continental United States, Indigenous Alaskans, and Indigenous Hawaiians. They also apply to insular American territories, such as Puerto Rico.

In 2016, the Army Corps of Engineers was planning to build an oil pipeline near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The Standing Rock Sioux protested, claiming that the potential for leaking oil presented a health hazard to the community, and that the construction intruded on sacred ground. Construction halted until the following year, when President Trump signed an executive order calling for it to resume. Several members of the committee voiced their opposition to the order.

That same year, the subcommittee proposed the Native American Energy Act. The House of Representatives passed the act shortly afterward. It gave more control over local resources to Indigenous American groups.

United States House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

This subcommittee is dedicated to preventing corruption or wasteful spending. It has the authority to organize investigations of agencies within the committee’s jurisdiction that are suspected of wrongdoing. In order to do so, it may request documents or other forms of information from agencies.

In 2015, a toxic wastewater spill occurred at Gold King Mine in Colorado. The subcommittee took part in an investigation that uncovered that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contractors accidentally caused the spill. The EPA was informed of the risks of a spill but did not take appropriate precautions to prevent it.

United States House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries

This subcommittee has jurisdiction over federal water projects—such as hydroelectric facilities—interstate water projects, federal irrigation efforts, fisheries, marine wildlife sanctuaries, and oceanography. It works to ensure that all parties are treated fairly when water or seafood is gathered in one state and used in another. It also helps encourage sustainable fishing practices.

The subcommittee presented the Reclamation Title Transfer and Non-Federal Infrastructure Incentivization Act to the House in 2018. This act simplified the process of transferring ownership of a dam or other water facility from the federal government to local operators. The subcommittee stated that this should allow facilities to be managed more efficiently and in the best interests of local residents. That same year, prolonged droughts in California led to poor farming conditions and several fires. This prompted members of the subcommittee to advocate for reduced regulations of water facilities. They argued that this would encourage more cooperation and allow engineers and facility operators to find more efficient ways to supply drought-stricken areas with water in the future.

Bibliography

“About.” House Committee on Natural Resources, 2018, naturalresources.house.gov/about. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

Budner, Ali. “New Chair of House Committee on Natural Resources Vows to Fight for Public Lands.” WBUR, 10 Dec. 2018, www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/12/10/raul-grijalva-house-natural-resources. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

“Committee History.” House Committee on Natural Resources, naturalresources.house.gov/about/history.htm. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

“House Committee on Natural Resources: Reports.” Govtrack, www.govtrack.us/congress/committees/HSII#reports. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

“House National Resources Committee.” Congress, www.congress.gov/committee/house-natural-resources/hsii00. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

“House Natural Resources Committee.” C-SPAN, 2018, www.c-span.org/congress/committee/?2133. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

“Subcommittees.” House Committee on Natural Resources, naturalresources.house.gov/subcommittees. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.