Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on four bills that would return land management to local communities, remove unnecessary restrictions for land improvement and facilitate commonsense land transfers. Subcommittee Chairman Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) issued the following statement in response:

"The Federal Lands Subcommittee will continue to empower communities to meet their own needs and steward their own resources without unnecessary interference from Washington. The four bills today respond to instances in which federal intrusiveness threatens to stifle business research and student education, limit the expansion of charitable activity, and jeopardize water-resource security."

Background

H.R. 655, the Dalles Watershed Development Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.), transfers approximately 150 acres of reservoir-encompassing and adjacent National Forest System lands to the city of The Dalles, Ore. The conveyance of this parcel from Forest Service stewardship to local hands cuts red tape and ensures a long-term solution for this growing community’s water needs.

H.R. 1276, introduced by U.S. Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), removes National Park Service restrictions on a parcel of land used for recreation by the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club of Paducah, Ky. This will ultimately allow the club to move forward with renovations and to continue providing important services to the next generation of McCracken County youth.

H.R. 2876, the University of Utah Research Park Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah), releases a reversionary interest on 593 acres of non-federal land to the University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Removing these limitations will allow the university to continue developing the park for economic growth and student education.

H.R. 528, the Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.), requires federal land management agencies to carry out priority reforestation projects with non-federal partners following wildfires and other natural disasters. A version of this legislation was included in the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act that passed the House earlier this year in the wake of devastating fires in Los Angeles County, Calif.

To learn more, click here.