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.
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.
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.
The states shown in the two darkest red shades are included in the United States Census Bureau Northeast Region. The Bureau subdivides the Northeast into:
The Census Bureau–defined region has a total area of 181,324 sq mi (469,630 km2) with 162,257 sq mi (420,240 km2) of that being land mass. Although it lacks a unified cultural identity, the Northeastern region is the nation's most economically developed, densely populated, and culturally diverse region.
Of the nation's four census regions, the Northeast has the
second-largest percentage of residents living in an urban setting, with
85 percent, and is home to the nation's largest metropolitan area. The Northeast is home to most of the Northeast megalopolis, the most economically significant and second most-populated of eleven megaregions within the United States, accounting for 20% of US GDP.
Composition
Geographically
there has always been some debate as to where the Northeastern United
States begins and ends. The vast area from central Virginia to northern Maine, and from western Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh) to the Atlantic Ocean, have all been loosely grouped into the Northeast at one time or another. Much of the debate has been what the cultural, economic, and urban aspects of the Northeast are, and where they begin or end as one reaches the borders of the region.
Using the Census Bureau's definition of the Northeast, the region includes nine states: they are Maine, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. The region is often subdivided into New England (the six states east of New York) and the Mid-Atlantic states
(New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania). This definition has been
essentially unchanged since 1880 and is widely used as a standard for
data tabulation. However, the Census Bureau has acknowledged the obvious limitations of this definition
and the potential merits of a proposal created after the 1950 census
that would include changing regional boundaries to include Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia,
with the Mid-Atlantic states, but ultimately decided that "the new
system did not win enough overall acceptance among data users to warrant
adoption as an official new set of general-purpose State groupings. The
previous development of many series of statistics, arranged and issued
over long periods of time on the basis of the existing State groupings,
favored the retention of the summary units of the current regions and
divisions."
The Census Bureau confirmed in 1994 that it would continue to "review
the components of the regions and divisions to ensure that they continue
to represent the most useful combinations of States and State
equivalents."
Many organizations and reference works follow the Census Bureau's definition for the region; however, other entities define the Northeastern United States in significantly different ways for various purposes. The Association of American Geographers
divides the Northeast into two divisions: "New England", which consists
of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and
Connecticut; and the "Middle States", which consists of New York,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Similarly, the Geological Society of America defines the Northeast as these same states but with the addition of Maryland and the District of Columbia. The narrowest definitions include only the states of New England.
Other more restrictive definitions include New England and New York as
part of the Northeast United States, but exclude Pennsylvania and New
Jersey.
States beyond the Census Bureau definition are included in Northeast Region by various other entities:
Various organizations include: Delaware, Maryland, and District of Columbia.
The US EPA and NOAA include in their Northeast Region: Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia.
The National Fish and Wildlife Service includes in their Northeast
Region: Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, West Virginia, and Virginia.
The National Park Service includes in their Northeast Region:
Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia (though small parts are
also in the National Capital Region).
History
Indigenous peoples
Anthropologists recognize the "Northeastern Woodlands" as one of the cultural regions that existed in the Western Hemisphere at the time of European colonists in the 15th and later centuries. Most did not settle in North America until the 17th century. The cultural area, known as the "Northeastern Woodlands",
in addition to covering the entire Northeast U.S., also covered much of
what is now Canada and others regions of what is now the eastern United States. Among the many tribes that inhabited this area were those that made up the Iroquois nations and the numerous Algonquian peoples. In the United States of the 21st century, 18 federally recognized tribes reside in the Northeast.
For the most part, the people of the Northeastern Woodlands, on whose
lands European fishermen began camping to dry their codfish in the early
1600s, lived in villages, especially after being influenced by the
agricultural traditions of the Ohio and Mississippi valley societies.
Colonial history
All of the states making up the Northeastern region were among the original Thirteen Colonies, though Maine, Vermont, and Delaware were part of other colonies before the United States became independent in the American Revolution. The two cultural and geographic regions that form parts of the Northeastern region have distinct histories.
Although the first settlers of New England were motivated by
religion, in more recent history, New England has become one of the
least religious parts of the United States. In a 2009 Gallup
survey, less than half of residents in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine,
and Massachusetts reported religion as an important part of their daily
life. In a 2010 Gallup survey, less than 30% of residents in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts reported attending church weekly, giving them the lowest church attendance among U.S. states.
The first European explorer known to have explored the Atlantic shoreline of the Northeast since the Norse was Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524. His ship La Dauphine explored the coast from what is now known as Florida to New Brunswick. Henry Hudson
explored the area of present-day New York in 1609 and claimed it for
the Netherlands. His journey stimulated Dutch interest, and the area
became known as New Netherland. In 1625, the city of New Amsterdam (the location of present-day New York City) was designated the capital of the province. The Dutch New Netherland settlement along the Hudson River and, for a time, the New Sweden settlement along the Delaware River divided the English settlements in the north and the south. In 1664, Charles II of England formally annexed New Netherland and incorporated it into the English colonial empire. The territory became the colonies of New York and New Jersey. New Jersey was originally split into East Jersey and West Jersey until the two were united as a royal colony in 1702.
In 1681, William Penn, who wanted to give Quakers a land of religious freedom, founded Pennsylvania and extended freedom of religion to all citizens.
Penn strongly desired access to the sea for his Pennsylvania Province and leased what then came to be known as the "Lower Counties on the Delaware" from the Duke.
Penn established representative government and briefly combined
his two possessions under one General Assembly in 1682. However, by 1704
the Province of Pennsylvania had grown so large that their
representatives wanted to make decisions without the assent of the Lower
Counties and the two groups of representatives began meeting on their
own, one at Philadelphia,
and the other at New Castle. Penn and his heirs remained proprietors of
both and always appointed the same person Governor for their Province
of Pennsylvania and their territory of the Lower Counties. The fact
that Delaware and Pennsylvania shared the same governor was not unique.
From 1703 to 1738, New York and New Jersey shared a governor. Massachusetts and New Hampshire also shared a governor for some time.
U.S. Route 220 as it passes through Lamar Township, Pennsylvania
Topography
While most of the Northeastern United States lie in the Appalachian Highlands physiographic region, some are also part of the Atlantic coastal plain which extends south to the southern tip of Florida. The coastal plain areas (including Cape Cod in Massachusetts, Long Island in New York, most of New Jersey, Delaware, and the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia) are generally low and flat, with sandy soil and marshy land. The highlands, including the Piedmont and the Appalachian Mountains,
are generally heavily forested, ranging from rolling hills to summits
greater than 6,000 feet (1,800 m), and pocked with many lakes. The highest peak in the Northeast is Mount Washington (New Hampshire), at 6,288 feet (1,917 m).
Land use
As of 2007,
forest-use covered approximately 60% of the Northeastern states
(including Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia), about
twice the national average. About 12% was cropland and another 4%
grassland pasture or range. There is also more urbanized land in the
Northeast (11%) than any other region in the U.S.
Climate
The climate of the Northeastern United States varies from northernmost Maine to southernmost Maryland.
The climate of the region is created by the position of the general
west to east flow of weather in the middle latitudes that much of the
USA is controlled by and the position and movement of the subtropical
highs. Summers are normally warm in northern areas to hot in southern
areas. In summer, the building Bermuda High
pumps warm and sultry air toward the Northeast, and frequent (but
brief) thundershowers are common on hot summer days. In winter the
subtropical high retreats southeastward, and the polar jet stream moves
south bringing colder air masses from up in Canada and more frequent
storm systems to the region. Winter often brings both rain and snow as
well as surges of both warm and cold air.
The basic climate of the Northeast can be divided into a colder
and snowier interior (Pennsylvania, New York State, and New England),
and a milder coast and coastal plain from southern Rhode Island southward, including, New Haven, CT, New York City, Philadelphia, Trenton, Wilmington, Baltimore...etc.).
Annual mean temperatures range from the low 50s F from Maryland to
southern Connecticut, to the 40s F in most of New York State, New
England, and northern Pennsylvania.
Wildlife
The Northeast has 72 National Wildlife Refuges, encompassing more than 500,000 acres (780 sq mi; 2,000 km2) of habitat, and designed to protect some of the 92 different threatened and endangered species living in the region.
Demographics
New York City, the most populous city in the Northeast and all of the United States
Philadelphia, the second most populous city in the Northeast and the sixth most populated city in the United States
Washington, D.C., the third most populous city in the Northeast and the capital of the United States
Boston, the most populated city in Massachusetts and New England and the fourth most populated city in the Northeast
As of the July 2013 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the population of the region totaled 55,943,073. With an average of 345.5 people per square mile, the Northeast is 2.5
times as densely populated as the second-most dense region, the South. Since the last century, the U.S. population has been shifting away from the Northeast (and Midwest) toward the South and West.
The two U.S. Census Bureau divisions in the Northeast (New England and Mid-Atlantic) rank #2 and #1 among the 9 divisions in population density according to the 2013 population estimate. The South Atlantic region (233.1) was very close behind New England (233.2). Due to the faster growth of the South Atlantic
region, it will take over the #2 division rank in population density in
the next estimate, dropping New England to 3rd position. New England is
projected to retain the number 3 rank for many, many years, as the only
other lower-ranked division with even half the population density of
New England is the East North Central division (192.1) and this region's population is projected to grow slowly.
New York City, considered a global financial center, is in the Northeast.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons maintains 17 federal prisons and two affiliated private facilities in the region.
Transportation
The following table includes all eight airports categorized by the FAA as large hubs located in the Northeastern states (New England and Eastern regions):
Rank
Metro area served
Airport code
Airport name
Largest airline
1
New York
JFK
John F Kennedy International
JetBlue (37%)
2
New York
EWR
Newark Liberty International
United (49%)
3
Philadelphia
PHL
Philadelphia International
American (80%)
4
Boston
BOS
General Edward Lawrence Logan International
JetBlue (29%)
5
New York
LGA
La Guardia
Delta (21%)
6
Baltimore/Washington
BWI
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall
Southwest (65%)
7
Washington
IAD
Washington Dulles International
United (41%)
8
Washington
DCA
Ronald Reagan Washington National
American (50%)
Culture
One geographer, Wilbur Zelinsky, asserts that the Northeast region lacks a unified cultural identity, but has served as a "culture hearth" for the rest of the nation. Several much smaller geographical regions within the Northeast have distinct cultural identities.
Landmarks
Almost half of the National Historic Landmarks maintained by the National Park Service are located in the Northeastern United States.
Religion
According to a 2009 Gallup poll,
the Northeastern states differ from most of the rest of the U.S. in
religious affiliation, generally reflecting the descendants of
immigration patterns of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with
many Catholics arriving from Ireland, Italy, Canada, and eastern Europe.
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey are the only
states in the nation where Catholics outnumber Protestants and other Christian denominations. More than 20% of respondents in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont declared no religious identity.
Compared to other U.S. regions, the Northeast, along with the Pacific
Northwest, has the lowest regular religious service attendance and the
fewest people for whom religion is an important part of their daily
lives.
Sports
The Northeast region is home to numerous professional sports franchises in the "Big Four" leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB), with more than 100 championships collectively among them.
The region has also been noted for the prevalence of the traditionally Northeastern sports of ice hockey and lacrosse.
Health
The rate
of potentially preventable hospitalizations in the Northeastern United
States fell from 2005 to 2011 for overall conditions, acute conditions,
and chronic conditions.
Politics
The Northeastern United States tended to vote Republican in federal elections through the first half of the 20th century, but the region has since the 1990s shifted to become the most Democratic in the nation. Results from a 2008 Gallup poll
indicated that eight of the top ten Democratic states were located in
the region, with every Northeastern state having a Democratic party
affiliation advantage of at least ten points. The following table demonstrates Democratic support in the Northeast as compared to the remainder of the nation.
Archaeological evidence has shown that people lived over 10,000 years ago in and among the many caves and alcoves.
The first humans to live here were hunter-gatherers who followed large
game and collected edible vegetation. Artifacts that support this
include projectile points, baskets, pottery, and rock art.
The first Europeans to arrive in the area were the Spaniards in
the 16th century, but they did not make serious attempts to settle in
the Guadalupe Mountains. The Spanish introduced horses into the area,
and nomadic indigenous tribes of the area such as the Apaches soon found
horses to be an asset for hunting and migrating. Mescalero Apaches were nomadic and followed the game and harvested the agave (or mescal) for food and fiber. Mescalero is Spanish for mescal-maker. Agave-roasting pits and other artifacts of Mescalero culture can be found in the park.
Guadalupe Mountains in 2006
The Mescalero Apaches remained in the mountains through the mid-19th
century, but they were challenged by an American transportation route at
the end of the American Civil War.
During the 1840s and 1850s, many people immigrating west crossed the
area. In 1858, Pinery station was constructed near Pine Springs for the Butterfield Overland Mail.
The Butterfield Overland Mail traveled over Guadalupe Pass located at
5,534 ft (1,687 m) above sea level. A cavalry was known as the Buffalo Soldiers was ordered to the area to stop Indian raids on settlements and mail stage routes. During the winter of 1869, Lt. H.B. Cushing
led his troops into the Guadalupe Mountains and destroyed two Mescalero
Apache camps. The Mescalero Apache were eventually driven out of the
area and into US Indian reservations.
Felix McKittrick was one of the first European settlers in the Guadalupe Mountains; he worked cattle during the 1870s. McKittrick Canyon
is thought to be named after him. Frijole Ranch was the first permanent
ranch house; it was constructed in 1876 by the Rader brothers. Frijole
Ranch House was the only major building in the region; it served as a
community center and regional post office from 1916-1942. Today, the
Frijole Ranch House has been restored and operates as a cultural museum.
In 1908, Williams Ranch House was built, and it was named after one of
its inhabitants, James Adolphus Williams. Judge J.C. Hunter from Van Horn consolidated most of the smaller ranches in the area into the Guadalupe Mountain Ranch. In 1921, Wallace Pratt, a geologist for Humble Oil and Refining Company,
was impressed by the beauty of McKittrick Canyon and bought the land to
build two homes in the canyon. Both constructions were used as summer
homes by Pratt and his family until 1960. Wallace Pratt donated about
6,000 acres (24 km2) of McKittrick Canyon which became part of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. In 1978, the United States Congress designated 46,850 acres (190 km2) of the Texan side of the range as a U.S. Wilderness area, managed by the National Park Service.
Geography
Hunter Peak
The Guadalupe Mountains reach their highest point at Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas, with an elevation of 8,751 feet (2,667 m). The range lies southeast of the Sacramento Mountains
and east of the Brokeoff Mountains. The mountain range extends
north-northwest and northeast from Guadalupe Peak in Texas into New
Mexico. The northeastern extension ends about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Carlsbad, near White's City and Carlsbad Caverns National Park; the southwest tip ends with El Capitan about 90 miles (140 km) east of El Paso. The mountains rise more than 3,000 feet (910 m) above the arid floor of the Chihuahuan Desert. The Guadalupe Mountains are surrounded by the South Plains to the east and north, Delaware Mountains to the south, and Sacramento Mountains to the west.
The northwestern extension, bounded by a dramatic escarpment known as
"The Rim", extends much further into New Mexico, to near the Sacramento
Mountains. The range is bounded on the north by Four Mile Canyon; on
the east by the valley of the Pecos River;
and on the west by Piñon Creek, Big Dog Canyon, Valley Canyon, Middle
Dog Canyon, and West Dog Canyon. Much of the range is built from the
ancient Capitán Reef that formed at the margins of a shallow sea during
the Permian period. The Guadalupian epoch of the Permian period is named for these mountains, and the Capitanian age within this epoch is named for the Capitan reef. For details on the area's geology, see Delaware Basin. As the range is built up almost entirely of limestone,
upland areas have little or no surface water. The only significant
surface water is McKittrick Creek, in McKittrick Canyon, which emerges
from the eastern side of the massif, just south of the New Mexico
border. Elevations at the base of the range vary from 4,000 feet
(1,200 m) above sea level on the western side to 5,000 feet (1,500 m) on the east. Several peaks on the southern end exceed 8,000 feet (2,400 m).
The Guadalupe Mountains experience relatively hot summers, calm,
mild autumn weather, and cool to cold weather in winter and early
spring. Snow storms, freezing rain, or fog may occur in winter or early
spring. Frequent high-wind warnings are issued during winter through
spring. Late summer monsoons produce thunderstorms. The nights are cool,
even in summer.
Ecology
Three major ecosystems are contained within the mountain range. First, deserts exhibit salt flats on the western side of the national park and creosotedesert, with low elevations on the east covered with grassland, pinyon pine, and junipers such as alligator juniper and one-seeded juniper. Secondly, canyon interiors such as McKittrick, Bear, and Pine Springs Canyon on the southeast end exhibit maple, ash, chinquapin oak, and other deciduous
trees. These trees are able to grow in the desert due to springs of
water recharged by wet uplands. Finally, alpine uplands known as "the
Bowl" exceeding elevations of 7,000 ft (2,100 m) are covered with denser
forests of ponderosa pine, southwestern white pine, and douglas-fir, with small stands of aspen.
The range contains many world-class caves, including Carlsbad Caverns (the best known) and Lechuguilla Cave, discovered in 1986. The history of the range includes occupation by ancient Pueblo and Mogollon peoples, and by the Apache and various Anglo outlaws in the 19th century.
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