Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on legislation regarding water rights, public access and the negative impacts of the Endangered Species Act on wildlife management and economic development in the state of Florida. Subcommittee Chair Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) issued the following statement in response:

“House Republicans are restoring the focus of environmental stewardship on the proactive recovery and protection of species rather than the continued proliferation of the administrative state. Washington has weaponized a runaway regulatory regime for far too long, compromising efforts across the board to manage America’s water, wildlife and fisheries.”

Background

H.R. 177, the Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), amends the Raker Act to increase the annual rent San Francisco pays to the National Park Service for water from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park from $30,000 to $2 million, adjusted annually for inflation. The bill authorizes recreational uses of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and allows the rental fee to fund wildfire mitigation activities.

H.R. 5935, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Water Rights Settlement Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), approves a settlement of the water rights claims of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.

H.R. 8546, the Pechanga Band of Indians Water Rights Settlement Technical Amendments Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), makes technical corrections to the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act.

H.R. 9017, the Restore Florida Water Independence Act of 2026, introduced by U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), reverses a decision from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that discontinued the State of Florida's Section 404 Clean Water Act permitting authority.

H.R. 9590, the Study and Assessment of Future Ecosystems (SAFE) for Manatees Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on alternative habitat for certain manatees.

H.R. 10117, the Gathering Alligator Treatment, Oversight and Response (GATOR) Act of 2026, introduced by U.S. Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), requires the Comptroller General and the Department of the Interior to study how a decades-old federal species listing affects the ability of state wildlife agencies to remove nuisance alligators from residential and commercial waterways.

H.R. 3717, the Golden Mussel Eradication and Control Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Josh Harder (D-Calif.), amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to establish a demonstration program with respect to the golden mussel.

H.R. 6869, introduced by U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-Calif.), amends the Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act to modify a provision relating to the extension of certain dates for the completion of the Regional Water System.