Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two Republican Natural Resources Committee bills, the Indian Buffalo Management Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), and the Blackwell School National Historic Site Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas). House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: 

"I am glad to see two Republican bills that moved through our committee pass the House. Mr. Young's bill creates opportunities for tribes as they manage buffalo and buffalo habitat, while Mr. Gonzales' bill designates an important historical site in Texas. Both bills are bipartisan and commonsense wins for folks back home. I encourage the Senate to pass this legislation quickly."

Background

The Indian Buffalo Management Act authorizes the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to establish a program and promote the capacity of Indian tribes and tribal organizations to manage buffalo and buffalo habitat on tribal lands. 

The Blackwell School National Historic Site Act establishes the historic site in Marfa, Texas as a unit of the National Park System. 

The House also passed several other natural resources bills, including the Women Who Worked on the Home Front World War II Memorial Act, the Agua Caliente Land Exchange Fee to Trust Confirmation Act, the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act, and legislation to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian tribes.