Hearing on Bird Habitat, San Manuel Exchange, Carlsbad Minerals, Yuma Lands

The committee will come to order. The chair notes the presence of a quorum. Perceived through 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 mark-up, 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 three, I, 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. Uh, good morning and thank you all for joining us for our full committee mark-up. Today we are considering four bills on which the committee has reached bipartisan agreement. The bills we are considering today provide solutions to address challenges faced by communities across the country. We are restoring access to a culturally significant travel site, boosting local economies through energy production, strengthening our military preparedness, while ensuring multiple use on public land and more. H R thirty nine twenty five, the Yaha the Autumn of San manual national land exchange act that's a mouthful introduced by representative olbernulti will direct an exchange of land between the tribe and the san bernardino national forest to better connect the reservation with arrowhead springs a culturally significant site for the tribe the conveyances will reduce uh checkerboard land holdings in the region improve land management efficiency for both the federal government and the uv autumn tribe and reduce the size of the federal estate hr seventy eight eighty two introduced by representative stauber follows historical precedent making the mineral estate below the incorporated city of carlsbad new mexico eligible for development of federal minerals this bill is supported by the city and with the support of local and state officials will enable american energy operators to use modern technology to safely access the mineral resources beneath the city without conducting any surface disturbing activities in carlsbad itself This legislation supports American energy dominance, produces affordable energy, boosts federal revenues, and strengthens local economies through job creation and increased economic activity. We'll also consider H R eighty-six eighty-six, offered by the gentleman from Arizona, Doctor Gosar. Uh, this vital legislation would expand the army's use of the Yuma proving ground in Arizona by twenty-two thousand acres, increasing the size of surface safety zones to enable testing of guided parachute systems at higher altitudes. The Yuma Proving Ground ranks among the US Army's premier test and evaluation installations, and is one of only eight facilities designated as a major range and test facility base. The Yuma Proving Ground is the only Army facility capable of supporting high-altitude precision parachute testing. However, because of insufficient surface safety zones, at present these tests cannot be conducted at elevations greater than twenty-five thousand feet Doctor Gosar's legislation would allow for testing at thirty five thousand feet, enhancing military readiness, mission effectiveness, and force protection. I thank Doctor Gozar for his leadership on this effort. I thank the sponsoring members for their dedicated work on these bills, and I look forward to our discussions today. I yield back and recognize uh Ranking Member Huffman for any opening statement he may have.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, it's good to have a mark-up that consists of four bills that we expect to pass on unanimous consent. We don't always see that in this committee. Uh, because we deal with big weighty issues, many of which are are very controversial. You all know the broad jurisdictional sweep of this committee, uh, and the kind of conflicts that that sometimes presents. But the bills before us today that are positioned to pass with strong bipartisan support on unanimous consent, uh, didn't just happen. Members did good work, uh, across the aisle, staff did good work, and so I think it's, uh, it's appropriate to appreciate that. uh this morning as we move forward. On the substance of these bills, uh H. R. thirty-two, seventy-six, the bipartisan Local Communities and Bird Habitat Stewardship Act, uh from Representative Dingell and Representative Klein uh is an important bill addressing a problem that we that we should talk about more, the fact that bird populations in the last fifty years uh have declined by half. Uh this bill would combat the ra- rapid decline by bird habitat, local stewardship, education, and hands-on conservation work to connect people to wildlife uh in places where uh they live. Bird conservation is not limited to remote refuges or faraway landscapes. It happens in neighborhoods, schools, parks, and community spaces from our small towns to our major metropolitan areas. And this bill recognizes that and gives communities and local partners better tools and resources to do their part in conserving bird habitat. Next is uh H R thirty nine twenty five, Congressman Obernolte's, and I'm gonna give this a try, Mister Chairman. Ujjaviatam uh bill of uh for the San Manuel Nation land exchange. Uh it advances an important tribal priority and supports the return of lands to the Ujjaviatam of San Manuel Nation. And uh we do wanna stress that uh the ordinary FLPMU land exchange procedure is important. We don't lightly depart from that because those uh procedures exist for a reason, but we also recognize that the standard federal land exchange process can create barriers in unique tribal land return cases, and this bill reflects a serious effort to address those barriers while preserving important commitments around the Arrowhead landmark site. Uh, we're also considering H.R. Eighty six, eighty six, Congressman Gosar's bill related to Arizona's Yuma Proving Ground. This is a routine but important public land withdrawal to support military readiness readiness and public safety. The Yuma Proving Ground plays a major role in testing military equipment and training capabilities. And this bill helps provide the necessary safety buffer and administrative clarity to support that work. And then finally, uh, H.R. seventy eight, eighty two, Congressman Stauber's bill related to mineral leasing within the city of Carlsbad, New Mexico. I do wanna thank the majority, especially Chair Westerman and Subcommittee Chair Stauber for working with us on HR seventy eight eighty two. Uh, it's a bill that is supported by the city of Carlsbad, and throughout, through your cooperation we were able to incorporate feedback from other stakeholders to ensure the highest level of protection for surface lands groundwater and the environment more broadly. There's also now a provision to insure protective bonding requirements are in place so the clean-up costs aren't passed on to the public. Um, with all of these good faith negotiations and, uh, safeguards, uh, this is a bill that I'm happy to support moving forward. And a good example how we can work together through legitimate concerns, and ultimately produce a better and more widely supported bill. Um, with that, Mister Chairman, I am, uh, looking forward to a rapid voting process and i yield back

thank you ranking member huffman and what's not to like about birds the yhavi autumn tribe the city of carlsbad and our military all good topics and i'm appreciate your work and all the staff's work in coming to uh agreement on these bills and we now turn to the u. c. package with cooperation of ranking member huffman and the other members of the committee we have worked out an agreement on four bills scheduled for mark up today As we've done before, rather than going through a formal mark-up process for each of the bills, I will make a single unanimous consent motion to report out the bills favorably with any amendments that have been filed and agreed to. Before we b- begin, does any member seek time to speak on any of the bills in this unanimous consent motion?

Mister Chair.

Representative Staver, you're recognized.

Chairman, West Lumen ranking member Hoffman, thank you very much. I rise in support of the UC package, included in uh my bill uh which is HR seventy eight eighty two which would help unleash our true energy potential in the Permian basin. This bill amends the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize the BLM to lease federal subsurface minerals underneath the city of Carlsbad New Mexico, when it is requested by the city's leadership. This legislation builds upon innovations in horizontal drilling technology that will allow for these minerals to be accessed from wells drilled on federal lands outside of the city limits this will prevent any new surface disturbance within the city of Carlsbad. It is estimated that the federal subsurface minerals under the city of Carlsbad would net the federal government between a hundred and thirty-five and a hundred and fifty-five million dollars in bid bonuses and royalties. Additionally, allowing access to these federal mineral minerals could net other mineral owners, including the city of Carlsbad, twenty-five million dollars in revenues by enabling higher production wells. Additionally, accessing accessing uh this resource will help bring oil and gas resources online to help power our growing economy and demand for such power. I would like to thank the City of Carlsbad, New Mexico, for the support for this legislation and ask unanimous consent that this May twelfth, two thousand twenty-six, a unanimous resolution in support of the legislation from the Carlsbad City Council be entered into the record.

That objection, so we'll just

Additionally, I wanna thank my colleagues in the New York Mex in the New, correction, New Mexico delegation, including Representative Stansberry, who have worked with my office over the past several weeks to help improve this bill, changes which are reflected in the ANS. I additionally wanted to thank the committee it's the committee staff from both the majority and minority for their work over the past several weeks to get this legislation across the finish line. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting HR seventy eight eighty two and the entire UC package. Mister Chair, yield back.

Gentleman yields back. Is there further discussion? Mister Tiffany, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, and I do allow both you and the ranking member for coming together on this, but um um I'm going to provide just a little bit of rain on the parade. I uh will support the UC package, have no problem with it. But I think about this um bird habitat stewardship act. that is being put forward today and the first line says birds play key roles in local ecosystems and economies. And I think we would be remiss in not recognizing uh the harm that's happening to birds, including endangered birds, as a result of these intermittent sources of energy that are being used more prevalently here in America. And I'd cite a couple uh some data here that I have before me, solar energy's production's toll on wild birds. Um, estimates of annual migratory bird uh uh mortality here in the US from collisions with wind turbines. They estimate between two hundred thousand and over a million birds are being killed annually as a result of these collisions with wind turbines. Uh, they cite a specific example in regards to the solar plant out in California, Ivampa, where uh they estimate at least six thousand bird deaths happen each year. And those birds going through the extreme heat that is generated by those solar panels they're referred to as streamers. In other words, they light on fire as they go through um this uh uh through the solar array that is out there. So um um I will be supporting this package uh, Mister Chairman, but I think this is something that we need to um uh we need to consider as we go forward because there is a real economic or excuse me an environmental impact that is oftentimes ignored, um, especially when it comes to, uh, birds, bird habitat and the impact that these intermittent sources of power are having on them. With that, I yield back.

Do you want me to yield this back? Is there further discussion? Yes. Mister Huffman?

Yeah, just just to, uh, push back a little bit on some of the fantastical narrative we just heard, uh, attacking clean energy. Since my colleague is so concerned protecting birds, I assume he uh is very concerned about house cats. Uh, I assume that he's very concerned about buildings, uh, which are two of the largest uh sources of bird mortality in the nation, like overwhelmingly. And he should probably uh read up a little bit on that Ivanpah thermal solar plant which is being decommissioned. Um, so it can no longer be the boogeyman killing birds uh in the name of this false narrative clean energy is bad for birds. Yield back.

So, I mean, yield back if there's further discussion. If there's no further discussion, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries be discharged from further consideration of H. R. thirty two seventy six, the Local Communities and Bird Habitat Stewardship Act of twenty twenty five, without objection. So, ordered, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Indian and from further consideration of hr thirty nine twenty five the uh of sam manual nation land exchange act without objection so ordered ask unanimous consent that the subcommittee on energy and mineral resources uh be discharged from further consideration of hr seventy eight eighty two to provide the leasing of certain deposits of minerals located within the city of carlisle bad new mexico without objection So ordered. Ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Federal Lands be discharged from further consideration of H R eighty-six eighty-six to amend the Military Land Withdrawals Act of twenty thirteen to withdraw and reserve certain public land in the vicinity of Yuma, Proving Ground, Arizona, without objection. So ordered. Ask now, I now ask unanimous consent that the following measures be approved and favorably reported as described to the House of Representatives. H R thirty-two seventy-six the Local Communities and Bird Habitat Stewardship Act of twenty twenty five, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by the gentlewoman from Michigan Miss Dingell designated Dingell one fifty nine A and S. H R thirty nine twenty five, the UV autumn of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by the gentleman from Colorado, Mister Hurd, designated Hurd A and S. H R seventy eight eighty two, to provide for the leasing of certain deposits of minerals located within the city of carlsbad new mexico with an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by the gentleman from minnesota mister starboard designated starboard fifty one ans and hr eighty six eighty six to amend the military land withdrawals act of twenty thirteen to withdraw and reserve certain public land in the vicinity of yuma proving ground arizona with an amendment by the gentleman from arizona mister gosar designated gosar one O five without objection So ordered. Without objection, the motions to reconsider are laid on the table. Mister Huffman,

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

you have a statement.

I want to give notice of my intention to file supplemental additional dissenting or minority views on the measures just considered. I ask unanimous consent this notice be extended to all measures considered at this mark-up under House Rule eleven, clause two L. This notice extends to all members.

Without objection. So ordered. Asking unanimous consent that the staff be allowed to make any technical and conforming changes to the documents committee just adopted subject to approval of the minority without ejection so ordered uh before we wrap up i will note that uh we are having a field hearing friday in hot springs national park my hometown on the great american outdoors act uh it's a representative huffman and i hope to file a bipartisan bill on the great american outdoors act today if you wanna be an original cosponsor please see the uh committee staff is there any further business to come yeah if there's no further uh business to come before the committee the committee stands adjourned

good