Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources reported out eight bills, including legislation to remove the Mexican wolf from the list of threatened and endangered species and several bipartisan bills pertaining to America’s waterways, tribal lands, and national parks. Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response:

“Today, the Committee advanced important bipartisan legislation meeting challenges from the Grand Canyon to the Chesapeake Bay. We addressed the need to de-list the Mexican wolf, a mismanaged experimental population that now threatens families and livestock in Arizona and New Mexico. We passed bills to simplify administrative processes and clarify legal frameworks impacting Indian Country. We advanced critical infrastructure projects at two national parks, including the Grand Canyon, which is recovering from devastating wildfires in 2025. And we approved innovative reforms to inform sailors and fishermen about water conditions and access, and to respond to invasive catfish in the Chesapeake Bay. Today’s was a productive and bipartisan markup, and I look forward to bringing these bills to the House floor soon.”

Background

H.R. 2130, the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), requires the Bureau of Indian Affairs to process and act on all business and residential mortgages on tribal trust land within clear, enforceable deadlines.

H.R. 3073, the Shivwits Band of Paiutes Jurisdictional Clarity Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah), clarifies that civil cases that involve the Shivwits Band of Paiutes that occur on their trust lands fall under the jurisdiction of the State of Utah. It also amends the Long-Term Leasing Act to allow the tribe to lease land held in trust for up to 99 years.

H.R. 3340, the Modernizing Access to Our Public (MAP) Oceans Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.), authorizes the creation of a website with geographic information on restrictions on the recreational usage of Federal waterways.

H.R. 4255, the Enhancing Safety for Animals Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), delists the Mexican wolf from the Endangered Species Act and stipulates that only the species’ status in the United States may be considered in future recovery plans.

H.R. 5729, the North Rim Restoration Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to utilize emergency authorities to rebuild areas of the Grand Canyon National Park that have been impacted by last year’s Dragon Bravo Fire.

H.R. 6365, the Wintergreen Emergency Egress Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. John McGuire (R-Va.), requires that the Secretary of the Interior issue a right-of-way for the construction of an emergency exit route for the town of Wintergreen, Virginia.

H.R. 4294, the Mitigation Action and Watermen Support (MAWS) Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), supports the commercial removal of invasive blue catfish by establishing a three-year pilot program in the Office of the Chesapeake Bay within the Department of Commerce.

H.R. 5254, the Gateway Partnership Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), allows the Secretary of the Interior to enter into agreements with the Gateway Arch Park Foundation, the philanthropic partner of Gateway Arch National Park, to support events at the park.