Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on six bills that address practical issues in federal land management, including improving emergency communications in National Parks, advancing commonsense administrative jurisdiction transfers and supporting local communities. Subcommittee Chairman Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) issued the following statement in response:

“Today’s bills modernize emergency communications, improve coordination between agencies and local communities and ensure federal land policies better serve the people who live closest to these lands. The Federal Lands Subcommittee will continue to cut unnecessary red tape, strengthen federal land management and support local communities while keeping these lands safe and accessible for the millions of Americans who visit every year.”

Background

H.R. 3286, the Mammoth Cave National Boundary Adjustment Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), expands Mammoth Cave National Park by 551 acres to include two new cave systems.

H.R. 4716, introduced by U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah), transfers administrative jurisdiction of Bureau of Land Management land in Saratoga Springs, Utah, to the United States Postal Service for the construction of a post office.

H.R. 6062, introduced by U.S. Rep. Riley Moore (R-W. Va.), will transfer administrative jurisdiction of 25 acres of National Park Service land to become part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Advanced Training Center. In return, CBP will transfer administrative jurisdiction of 71.51 acres of federal land to be administered as part of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

H.R. 7031, the Making National Parks Safer Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), improves public safety by assisting with the transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 systems in America’s national parks, facilitating improved emergency response efforts and interoperability across the National Park System.

H.R. 4290, the Downwinder Commemoration Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), requires the Secretaries of the Army, Air Force and Interior to obtain and place plaques to honor the Downwinder communities of N.M.

H.R. 5555, the Monterey Bay National Heritage Area Study Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating certain lands in California as a National Heritage Area.