Exploring the Economic Potential of the Golden Age of American Energy Dominance
Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans
2025-09-09
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Source: Congress.gov
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The subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess of the subcommittee at any time. The subcommittee is meeting today to hear testimony on the five bills before us. Under Committee Rule 4F, any oral opening statements at hearings are limited to the chairman and the ranking minority member. I therefore ask unanimous consent that all other members' opening statements be made part of the hearing record if they are submitted in accordance with Committee Rule 3.0. Without objection, so ordered. I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Alaska, Mr. Begich, the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. Keating, the gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Norman, and the gentleman from California, Mr. Olbernolte, be allowed to sit and participate in today's hearing. Without objection, so ordered. I will now recognize myself for an opening statement. Today our subcommittee is meeting to discuss five bills. The first bill is H.R. 681 to amend the Long-Term Leasing Act to add the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe and the Wampanoag tribe of Gay Head sponsored by Representative Keating of Massachusetts. This bill would amend the Long-Term Leasing Act for these tribes to enter into leases of up to 99 years on trust lands, placing them on equal footing with many other tribes that already have this authority. Longer lease terms can unlock financing for housing, community facilities, as well as economic development. The second bill is H.R. 3654, the Tribal Emergency Response Resources Act, or TERRA Act, sponsored by Representative Randall of Washington. This bill would create a single tribe-driven framework at the Department of the Interior to integrate federal funding for climate resilience and, where needed, community relocation. This framework includes coordinated permitting guidelines and streamlined reporting. Proponents argue this improves speed and coherence for tribal projects, considerations on the need for clear guardrails on waiver authority, legal durability under NEPA, and capacity to meet statutory timelines merit discussion related to this legislation, and I look forward to the start of those conversations here today.
Our third bill is H.R. 3903, the Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act sponsored by Representative Begich of Alaska. After the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989, extensive conservation acquisitions created a split estate with the federal government having a surface ownership while the Chugach Alaska Corporation had a subsurface ownership. This legislation authorizes a negotiated exchange to consolidate federal conservation where the federal government already owns the surface while conveying culturally and economically meaningful lands to the Chugach. The intent of the bill is to provide clear land management and to reduce the checkerboard estate. The fourth bill is H.R.
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You have Vietam of the San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act sponsored by Representative Olber Nolte of California. This bill directs a mutual exchange of 1,400 acres of U.S. National Forest Service land for 1,400 acres of tribal land in the San Bernardino National Forest. The exchange would reduce checkerboarded land ownership and make it simpler to protect Arrowhead Springs, a culturally important place for the tribe. Our final bill is H.R. 4463 to amend the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993 which is sponsored by Representative Norman of South Carolina. The 1993 Act restored recognition of the Catawba and resolved claims, but it also imposed an unusual federal restriction on future tribal membership. It required both lineal descent from the base role and continued political relations with the tribe in order for individuals to be considered for tribal membership. This is atypical. Generally, tribal membership is considered to be a decision reserved solely for the tribe itself with little to no federal involvement. H.R. 4463 would remove that federal constraint and return authority for future citizenship to the tribe under its own laws while leaving the broader 1993 settlement framework intact. I want to thank our witnesses for being with us today, and I look forward to a productive discussion on these measures. The chair now recognizes the ranking minority member for any statement. Representative Ledger Fernandez.
Thank you so much, Chairman Hurd. And as always, thank you to the tribal leaders and everybody in the audience and those watching us for joining us. I thank the administration witnesses. It's good to see you again. And it's good to be back after the August recess. In the month of August, I met with several tribal leaders.
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