Key Takeaways
- •The committee favorably reported H.R. 5497, the Apostle Islands National Park and Preserve Act, and H.R. 6300, the Grasslands Grazing Act, to the House.
- •Representative Tiffany (Republican-WI-7) championed H.R. 5497 to redesignate Apostle Islands as Wisconsin's first national park, affirming existing uses and tribal rights.
- •Representative Huffman (Democratic-CA-2) pressed Representative Tiffany (Republican-WI-7) on insufficient tribal consultation for H.R. 5497, which Tiffany disputed.
- •Republicans and Democrats disagreed on the need for environmental reviews and tribal consultation, rejecting Democratic amendments for both H.R. 5497 and H.R. 6300.
- •Both H.R. 5497 and H.R. 6300, along with ten other bills, were ordered reported to the House, advancing them for potential floor votes.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
The House Natural Resources Committee met on February 11, 2026, for a markup of several legislative measures aimed at redesignating national park units, streamlining grazing permit processes, and addressing critical mineral consistency. Led by Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4), the committee considered two primary bills under regular order—H.R. 5497 and H.R. 6300—alongside a package of 10 bipartisan bills approved via unanimous consent, including H.R. 755.
Policy Proposals
The first major item of business was H.R. 5497, the Apostle Islands National Park and Preserve Act, introduced by Rep. Thomas Tiffany (R-WI-7). The bill proposes redesignating the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin as the nation’s 64th national park. Rep. Tiffany argued that the redesignation would provide the "crown jewel of Wisconsin" with the national recognition it deserves, potentially increasing tourism and supporting local economies. He emphasized that the bill includes a "preserve" designation for Sand Island to protect traditional hunting access and contains specific language affirming tribal treaty rights.
However, Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA-2) led the opposition to H.R. 5497, citing a lack of "meaningful consultation" with the Red Cliff Band and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Rep. Huffman noted that while Rep. Tiffany’s office had shared drafts with the tribes, the tribal leadership felt their requests for face-to-face, government-to-government meetings had been ignored for over 18 months. Rep. Huffman offered an amendment to require formal consultation before the redesignation could take effect. Chairman Westerman and Rep. Tiffany opposed the amendment, characterizing it as an unprecedented delay tactic, noting that the Secretary of the Interior has never been required to conduct such formal consultation for a mere name change of an existing park unit. The amendment failed, and the bill was reported favorably by a vote of 20-17.
Overview
The committee then turned to H.R. 6300, the Grasslands Grazing Act, introduced by Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY). This legislation seeks to provide parity for ranchers grazing livestock on national grasslands by bringing them under the same statutory framework as those on other National Forest System and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. Rep. Hageman explained that under current law (the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act), grassland permittees lack the 10-year permit certainty and renewal priority afforded to others under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA). She argued that grazing is a vital tool for reducing wildfire risk and managing invasive species.
Policy Proposals
Rep. Huffman opposed H.R. 6300, arguing it would expand "NEPA loopholes" by allowing grazing permits to be renewed on "autopilot" without updated environmental reviews. He contended that the climate crisis and historic droughts require more scientific scrutiny, not less. Rep. Huffman offered an amendment to require a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study on the health of rangelands and the impact of expedited permit renewals. Rep. Hageman and Chairman Westerman dismissed the amendment as a "gotcha" tactic intended to advance an anti-grazing agenda. They cited opposition from the Public Lands Council, which represents 22,000 permittees. The amendment was defeated, and the bill was reported favorably by a vote of 25-14.
Overview
In addition to the debated measures, the committee passed a block of 10 bills by unanimous consent, reflecting bipartisan cooperation on a variety of niche policy areas. Notable among these was H.R. 755, the Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025, introduced by Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ). This bill aims to ensure consistency in how the federal government defines and manages critical minerals to support domestic supply chains. Other bills in the package included: - H.R. 3706 (the SUSHI Act), which addresses habitat identification for fisheries. - H.R. 6380, the Chiricahua National Park Act, which similarly seeks to elevate a national monument to national park status in Arizona. - H.R. 5419, the Enhancing Administrative Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act, aimed at streamlining high-speed internet infrastructure on federal lands. - H.R. 3922, the Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act, and H.R. 4671, the Ensuring Casualty Assistance for our Firefighters Act, both focusing on wildfire management and personnel support.
Throughout the hearing, a broader partisan tension was evident. Ranking Member Huffman used his opening remarks to criticize the Republican majority for a perceived "abdication of responsibility" regarding oversight of the executive branch, alleging financial scandals and "grift" within the administration. Chairman Westerman, conversely, framed the legislative agenda as a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary and a commitment to the "multiple-use" mandate of public lands.
Next Steps
The markup concluded with the adoption of several Amendments in the Nature of a Substitute (ANS) for the UC package. Ranking Member Huffman gave notice of his intent to file dissenting or minority views on the contested measures. The bills reported favorably will now move to the full House of Representatives for further consideration. No specific deadlines for floor action were mentioned during the proceedings.
Transcript
[Gavel sounds.] The committee will come to order. The chair notes the presence of a quorum. Pursuant to committee rules, members of the committee may submit written opening statements for the record. I ask that members may revise and extend their remarks on the bills to be considered at this markup and have those remarks included in the record without objection. So ordered. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess of the committee at any time. Pursuant to committee rule 3(g), the chair announces that I may postpone further proceedings today on the question of approving any measure or matter or adopting an amendment on which a recorded vote is ordered. I now recognize myself for an opening statement. Good afternoon. Thank you all for joining us for the full committee markup. We are considering two bills under regular order. The first bill will appropriately elevate the designation of a current national lakeshore to a national park and preserve. The second bill will provide efficiency and clarity in the grazing permit process on federal grasslands. In addition, we will consider 10 additional bills under unanimous consent. As we celebrate America's 250th birthday, national parks and public lands remind us of the natural resources and beauty we as Americans have a responsibility to steward. These iconic places represent the best of America, and only the most special and unique places throughout the country are awarded national park status, representing the crown jewels of our nation's public lands. H.R. 5497, the Apostle Islands National Park and Preserve Act, introduced by Congressman Tiffany, will redesignate the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore as a national park and preserve. Importantly, this would make the Apostle Islands our nation's 64th national park and establish Wisconsin's first and only national park. Often referred to as Wisconsin's crown jewel, the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior are home to rich historic and cultural resources, forest and pristine habitat, and abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. Representative Tiffany's legislation protects the area's existing uses and simply redesignates the Apostle Islands to denote its national park status. While this may be a simple change on the surface because it does not affect the boundary or management of this unit, it carries significant weight and will ensure thousands of additional visitors travel to the Apostle Islands every year. This in turn helps support local communities and outdoor recreation businesses. Mr. Tiffany's bill is an opportunity to recognize a place that contributes to our national heritage and to the beauty of our national landscape. Our second regular order bill is H.R. 6300, the Grasslands Grazing Act, introduced by Representative Hageman. This bill will improve transparency and bring parity to grazing permittees across the entire national forest system. Across the country, the U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres of land, including nearly four million acres of national grasslands. On these grasslands, grazing permittees generally receive 10-year terms with the option to renew. However, due to technical issues, permittees on grasslands within national forests do not have the same statutory clarity on permit renewal that grazers on the other approximately 189 million acres of the national forest system receive. Grazing on federal lands is an important multiple use that not only sustains rural economies but provides affordable food to millions of Americans. Grazing is also a known tool to counteract invasive species and reduce wildfire risk, thereby providing a cost-effective mechanism to ensure healthy ecosystems while also producing affordable American food and fiber. Representative Hageman's bill provides a technical fix that addresses the inconsistent treatment of grazing permits on grasslands and provides uniformity across federally managed grazing lands. This common-sense change will ultimately improve rangeland health and boost rural economies. Finally, we will consider 10 unanimous consent bills on which we have reached bipartisan agreement. These bills cover a wide variety of issues, from designating new historical landmarks in national parks to establishing methods to aid enforcement against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The bills also include legislation to add critical materials to the critical minerals definition and streamline broadband deployment in rural and tribal communities. I thank sponsoring members for their work on these bills and appreciate the bipartisan agreement reached on the legislation. I look forward to our discussions today, and I yield back and I recognize Ranking Member Huffman for any opening statement he may have.
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