Congressional newcomer Blake Moore has bagged another choice appointment to join the House Natural Resources Committee in the 117th Congress.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressional newcomer Blake Moore has bagged another choice assignment on Capitol Hill here.
Just hours after being appointed to the House Armed Services Committee on Monday, Republican leaders recommended that Moore join the House Committee on Natural Resources in the 117th Congress.
“Utah has some of America’s most beautiful public lands and riches resources,” said ranking minority member Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-AR, welcoming Moore to the Natural Resource Committee. “I know that Rep. Moore will bring that important perspective and background to the Natural Resources Committee.”
“I am honored to represent Utah on the House Committee on Natural Resources,” Moore replied. “Utah ranks second in the country for the percentage of land owned by the federal government and with that reality comes many challenges and opportunities.
The federal government controls about 50 percent of all land west of Kansas, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. In the case of Utah, federal holdings represent nearly 65 percent of the state’s land.
In southern Utah, for example, the land area of Garfield County includes Mammoth Cave; parts of Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef national parks; parts of the Dixie and Fishlake national forests; parts of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument; Carcass Canyon Wilderness Study Area; and, the Escalante Petrified Forest.
That leaves about three percent of Garfield County, with a population of more than 5,000, in private hands.
“I am looking forward to spearheading Utah’s representation on the committee to address our unique values and interests, including recreation, conservation, energy and development,” Moore emphasized.
Utah’s public lands provide recreation and economic opportunity for the state and the Intermountain West at large.
During his 2020 campaign for Utah’s 1st District seat in Congress, Moore promised to use his background in management consulting to find balanced solutions to public land use issues while prioritizing the values of his constituents in northern Utah and the needs of other Utahns who rely on federal land for their livelihoods.
“I’m really looking forward to getting to know (Moore) better,” Westerman added, “as we work together on our shared goals of conservation and environmental stewardship.”