Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a full committee markup and favorably reported six bills out of committee. Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) released the following statement in response:

"Today marks another productive day in the House Committee on Natural Resources, where we are working to keep our Commitment to America and deliver results for the American people. The bills we advanced in a bipartisan manner will establish stronger wildfire fighting strategies, support tribal sovereignty, create job opportunities for American veterans, allow for the continued operations of western water and power projects, protect historic sites and address increasing interactions between anglers and sharks. We consistently hear from our constituents that lack of access and transparency under the Biden administration are among their biggest concerns. These bills are an important step in addressing the needs of Americans an improving the lives and livelihoods of our communities. Today's success is a testament to the hard work by members of this committee and I look forward to moving these bills on through the House and ultimately signed into law."

Background

The House Committee on Natural Resources favorably reported a total of six bills out of committee today: 

• H.R. 934, introduced by U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), would give clear direction to the U.S. Forest Service to immediately suppress wildfires on lands identified as being under extreme drought conditions or at high-risk of wildfire.
• H.R. 3448, introduced by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), makes several improvements to the American Battlefield Protection Program, such as the inclusion of educational institutions and nonprofit organizations to receive grants directly and adding tribes as eligible entities for these grants, to ensure the continued protection of our nation’s battlefields a crucial element of American history.
• H.R. 4051, introduced by U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), would require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task force to address shark depredation, which occurs when a shark eats or damages a hooked fish before an angler can reel in their catch.
• H.R. 4596, introduced by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), would reauthorize the Upper Colorado and San Juan Recovery Implementation Programs through fiscal year 2031.
• H.R. 929, introduced by U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.), would take approximately 17 acres of fee land in Pierce County, Wash., into trust for the benefit of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.
• H.R. 1786, introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.), seeks to increase the hiring of veterans by creating a pilot program directing the Department of the Interior (DOI) to work with the Department of Labor and Veterans Administration to employ veterans in DOI positions related to conservation and resource management activities.