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

"Our committee remains focused on promoting conservation by passing policy solutions for Americans across the country. Today, we advanced seven bills aimed at strengthening our national security, granting coastal communities access to their lands and waters, increasing transparency in the federal government and more. These values are reflected in the work we are sent to Washington to do for our constituents and a hallmark of how productive this committee is week in and week out. Even as the Biden administration continues to restrict access to our domestic resources and turn to our adversaries for energy and minerals, we remain committed to passing innovative legislation that supports hardworking American families and the communities they live in. I look forward to supporting these bills as they move through the House and Senate and ultimately into law."

Background

In total, the committee favorably reported seven bills:

H.R. 524, introduced by U.S. Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.), is a return to previous policies allowing for more efficient restoration of beach habitat for communities in need by creating an exemption to the restriction on the use of federal funds for certain shoreline borrow sites within the Coastal Barrier Resources System.

H.R 2437, introduced by U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), would require the Secretary of the Interior to update and fix errors in the Coastal Barrier Resources Act system in the North Topsail Beach, N.C. area by modifying the boundaries.

H.R. 2882, the Udall Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2023, introduced by U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), would reauthorize the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation through 2028. The foundation has several programs that provide Native American students with internships and fellowships, as well as research and policy guidance related to natural resources and public lands.

H.R. 4094, the Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), would give the Department of the Interior more flexibility in addressing the issues surrounding the Great Salt Lake Basin. 

H.R. 6070, introduced by U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), would clarify the Department of Defense's authorization to conduct certain military activities within the Nevada Test and Training Range overlaps with the Desert National Wildlife Refuge and help maintain its strategic worth as a fully operational facility. 

H.R. 1727, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park Commission Extension Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-Md.), would amend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Development Act to extend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission.

H.R. 5509, the Electronic Permitting Modernization Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), would require the Secretary of the Interior to create and use an electronic system to accept and process applications for permits, forms and other paperwork.