After the Democrats seized control of the House of Representatives in the mid-term elections, Rep. Bishop’s tenure now has an expiration date. Come January, the congressman is expected to hand over his gavel to the ranking Democratic member of the committee, Representative Raúl Grijalva of Arizona.

With support from conservation groups and his more environmentally minded colleagues, Grijalva will soon be able to reverse much of the legacy that Bishop leaves behind. Here are five urgent priorities that Grijalva can tackle in the months ahead:

CONDUCTING REAL OVERSIGHT

During his short time in office, Ryan Zinke’s Department of the Interior has been a den of unseemly industry influence, ethical infractions, and troubling conflicts of interest. After close consultation with conservative ideological groups, for instance, his department drastically reduced the size of Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, both in southern Utah. And, after scores of meetings and regular communication with oil and gas groups, the DOI rolled back the Obama-era methane rule that sought to regulate potent greenhouse gas emissions on federal land.

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Source: Pacific Standard – Nov 29, 2018
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