Legislative Hearing on H.R. 2073, H.R. 3692, H.R. 4255, H.R. 4256 and H.R. 4970

House Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries

2025-09-03

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Source: Congress.gov

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The Honorable Dave Min
Okay.
The Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries will come to order.  I want to wish everybody a good afternoon.
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The Honorable Dave Min
I want to welcome our members, our witnesses, and guests in the audience to today's hearing.  Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess of the subcommittee at any time.
Under Committee Rule 4F, any oral opening statements at hearings are limited to the chair and the ranking member.
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The Honorable Dave Min
I therefore ask unanimous consent that all 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.
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The Honorable Dave Min
I also ask unanimous consent that the Congressman from Arizona, Dr. Gosar, and the Congressman from Washington, Mr. Newhouse, be allowed to participate in today's hearing.
Without objection, so ordered.
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The Honorable Dave Min
We're here today to consider five legislative measures.   First, HR 2073, Defending Our Dams Act, sponsored by Representative Newhouse of Washington.
HR 3692, to reauthorize the Young Fishermen's Development Act, sponsored by Representative Moulton of Massachusetts.  HR 4255, the Enhancing Safety for Animals Act of 2025, sponsored by Representative Gosar of Arizona.
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The Honorable Dave Min
HR 4256, the Digital Coast Reauthorization Act of 2025, sponsored by Representative Min of California.   and H.R.
4970, the Orland Project Water Management Act sponsored by Representative LaMalfa of California.
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The Honorable Dave Min
I now recognize myself for a five-minute opening statement.
Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries will examine five bills.  These bills represent a wide array of issues under this subcommittee's jurisdiction, including the management of ESA-listed species,
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The Honorable Dave Min
maintaining public power delivery and infrastructure, and reauthorizing important expiring programs.  In particular, I'd like to highlight two of the bills before us today, first being H.R.  4255 sponsored by Representative Gosar.  This bill would heed the calls for state, local, and tribal governments to provide sanity to the management of the Mexican wolf.
The reintroduction of the Mexican wolf in western New Mexico and eastern Arizona was a science experiment thrust upon the people living there without their consent.  In the decades since, ranching communities and small businesses have suffered tremendously from the impact of the wolf's presence.  These impacts include the financial burden of increasing livestock depredations and the loss of wildlife populations that are integral to local hunting industries.
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The Honorable Dave Min
In the face of this crisis, counties at the epicenter of the Mexican wolf program have begun to pass emergency declarations due to the financial burdens placed upon them.
These resolutions have been followed by resolutions from state, local, and tribal governments passed in support of these counties.  HR 4255 responds to the devastation these communities have faced by removing the Mexican wolf from the list of endangered and threatened species.
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The Honorable Dave Min
Turning to H.R.
2073, the Defending Our Dams Act, sponsored by Representative Newhouse, over the last several decades and over the course of the 118th Congress, the Lower Snake River dams, part of the federal Columbia River power system, have faced operational uncertainty due to ongoing litigation and pressure from environmental activists that are focused on their removal.  Under the Biden administration, a settlement agreement was reached
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The Honorable Dave Min
that committed one billion over the course of 10 years to study the future of the Lower Snake River dams.
Many stakeholders believe that this settlement agreement was designed to lay the foundation to breach the Lower Snake River dams.
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The Honorable Dave Min
Congressman Newhouse's bill that we are considering today would prevent any federal funds from being used to remove the Lower Snake River dams and engage in any efforts to study their removal or provide technical assistance for their removal.
This legislation builds on action that President Trump has taken to withdraw from the flawed settlement agreement and will provide certainty to all of those who benefit from this critical infrastructure across the Pacific Northwest.
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The Honorable Dave Min
With that, I want to take time to thank our witnesses for being here today.  I look forward to a robust conversation.
I'd now like to recognize our ranking member, Representative Hoyle, for her opening statement.
Good afternoon.  Today we're considering five bills on wildlife conservation and natural resource management.   H.R.  3692 and H.R.  4256 are strong bipartisan proposals.  Representative Moulton's Young Fishermen's Development Act reauthorization will continue supporting the next generation of commercial fishermen facing the graying of the fleet challenge.  Representative Minn's Digital Coast Reauthorization Act will help our coastal communities access critical data and tools to address climate impacts and plan future developments.   Representative LaMalfa's bill, H.R.  4970, would allow water transfers from the Orland project to California's Central Valley project at any time at the request of the Orland Unit Water Users Association rather than just during drought emergencies.  I understand drought and water availability are a major challenge in California.

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