Name: • H.R. 3276 (Rep. Dingell), “Local Communities & Bird Habitat Stewardship Act of 2025” • H.R. 3925 (Rep. Obernolte), “Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act” • H.R. 7882 (Rep. Stauber), To provide for the leasing of certain deposits of minerals located within the City of Carlsbad, New Mexico. • H.R. 8686 (Rep. Gosar), To amend the Military Land Withdrawals Act of 2013 to withdraw and reserve certain public land in the vicinity of Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.
Uploaded: 2026-06-10T14:00:00+00:00
Duration: 1480 s

07:17 - 10:55

Speaker 1

The committee will come to order. The chair notes the presence of a quorum. Pursuant to committee rules, members of the committee may submit written opening statements for the record. I ask that members may revise and extend their remarks on the bills to be considered at this markup and have those remarks included in the record without objection. So ordered.

Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess of the committee at any time. Pursuant to committee rule 3i, the chair announces that I may postpone further proceedings today on the question of approving any measure or matter or adopting an amendment on which a recorded vote is ordered. I now recognize myself for an opening statement. Good morning and thank you all for joining us for our full committee markup. Today we are considering four bills on which the committee has reached bipartisan agreement.

The bills we are considering today provide solutions to address challenges faced by communities across the country. We are restoring access to a culturally significant tribal site, boosting local economies through energy production, strengthening our military preparedness while ensuring multiple use on public land and more. H.R. 3925, the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel National Land Exchange Act, that's a mouthful, introduced by Representative Obernolte, will direct an exchange of land between the tribe and the San Bernardino National Forest to better connect the reservation with Arrowhead Springs, a culturally significant site for the tribe. The conveyance will reduce checkerboard land holdings in the region, improve land management efficiency for both the federal government and the Yuhaaviatam tribe and reduce the size of the federal estate. H.R. 7882, introduced by Representative Stauber, follows historical precedent, making the mineral estate below the incorporated city of Carlsbad, New Mexico, eligible for development of federal minerals.

This bill is supported by the city and with the support of local and state officials will enable American energy operators to use modern technology to safely access the mineral resources beneath the city without conducting any surface disturbing activities in Carlsbad itself. This legislation supports American energy dominance, produces affordable energy, boosts federal revenues and strengthens local economies through job creation and increased economic activity. We'll also consider H.R. 8686, offered by the gentleman from Arizona, Dr. Gosar. This vital legislation would expand the Army's use of the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona by 22,000 acres, increasing the size of surface safety zones to enable testing of guided parachute systems at higher altitudes. The Yuma Proving Ground ranks among the U.S. Army's premier test and evaluation installations and is one of only eight facilities designated as a major range and test facility base.

The Yuma Proving Ground is the only Army facility capable of supporting high-altitude precision parachute testing. However, because of insufficient surface safety zones, at present these tests cannot be conducted at elevations greater than 25,000 feet. Dr. Gosar's legislation would allow for testing at altitudes up to 35,000 feet, enhancing military readiness, mission effectiveness and force protection. I thank Dr. Gosar for his leadership on this effort. I thank the sponsoring members for their dedicated work on these bills and I look forward to our discussions today.

I yield back and recognize Ranking Member Huffman for any opening statement he may have.

10:55 - 14:08

Speaker 2

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's good to have a markup that consists of four bills that we expect to pass on unanimous consent. We don't always see that in this committee because we deal with big, weighty issues, many of which are very controversial. You all know the broad jurisdictional sweep of this committee and the kind of conflicts that that sometimes presents.

But the bills before us today that are positioned to pass with strong bipartisan support on unanimous consent didn't just happen. Members did good work across the aisle, staff did good work, and so I think it's appropriate to appreciate that this morning as we move forward. On the substance of these bills, H.R. 3276, the bipartisan Local Communities and Bird Habitat Stewardship Act from Representative Dingell and Representative Cline, is an important bill addressing a problem that we should talk about more, the fact that bird populations in the last 50 years have declined by half. This bill would combat the rapid decline by supporting bird habitat, local stewardship, education, and hands-on conservation work to connect people to wildlife in places where they live. Bird conservation is not limited to remote refuges or faraway landscapes.

It happens in neighborhoods, schools, parks, and community spaces from our small towns to our major metropolitan areas, and this bill recognizes that and gives communities and local partners better tools and resources to do their part in conserving bird habitat. Next is H.R. 3925, Congressman Obernolte's, and I'm going to give this a try, Mr. Chairman, Yuhaaviatam bill for the San Manuel Nation land exchange. It advances an important tribal priority and supports the return of lands to the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation. And we do want to stress that the ordinary FLPMA land exchange procedure is important. We don't lightly depart from that because those procedures exist for a reason, but we also recognize that the standard federal land exchange process can create barriers in unique tribal land return cases, and this bill reflects a serious effort to address those barriers while preserving important commitments around the Arrowhead Landmark site.

We're also considering H.R. 8686, Congressman Gosar's bill related to Arizona's Yuma Proving Ground. This is a routine but important public land withdrawal to support military readiness and public safety. The Yuma Proving Ground plays a major role in testing military equipment and training capabilities, and this bill helps provide the necessary safety buffer and administrative clarity to support that work. And then finally, H.R. 7882, Congressman Stauber's bill related to mineral leasing within the city of Carlsbad, New Mexico. I do want to thank the majority, especially Chair Westerman and Subcommittee Chair Stauber, for working with us on H.R. 7882.

14:08 - 14:52

Jared Huffman

It's a bill that is supported by the city of Carlsbad, and through your cooperation, we were able to incorporate feedback from other stakeholders to ensure the highest level of protection for surface lands, groundwater, and the environment more broadly. There's also now a provision to ensure protective bonding requirements are in place so that cleanup costs aren't passed on to the public. With all of these good-faith negotiations and safeguards, this is a bill that I'm happy to support moving forward and a good example of how we can work together through legitimate concerns and ultimately produce a better and more widely supported bill. With that, Mr. Chairman, I am looking forward to a rapid voting process, and I yield back.

14:53 - 15:40

Bruce Westerman

Thank you, Ranking Member Huffman, and what's not to like about birds, the Yuhaaviatam tribe, the city of Carlsbad, and our military? All good topics, and I appreciate your work and all the staff's work in coming to agreement on these bills. We now turn to the UC package. With cooperation of Ranking Member Huffman and the other members of the committee, we have worked out an agreement on four bills scheduled for markup today. As we've done before, rather than going through a formal markup process for each of the bills, I will make a single unanimous consent motion to report out the bills favorably with any amendments that have been filed and agreed to.

Before we begin, does any member seek time to speak on any of the bills in this unanimous consent motion?

15:38 - 15:40

Speaker 4

Representative Stauber, you're recognized.

15:40 - 16:19

Pete Stauber

Chairman Westerman, Ranking Member Huffman, thank you very much. I rise in support of the UC package included in my bill, which is H.R. 7882, which would help unleash our true energy potential in the Permian Basin. This bill amends the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize the BLM to lease federal subsurface minerals underneath the city of Carlsbad, New Mexico, when it is requested by the city's leadership. This legislation builds upon innovations in horizontal drilling technology that will allow for these minerals to be accessed from wells drilled on federal lands outside of the city limits. This will prevent any new surface disturbance within the city of Carlsbad.

15:40 - 15:41

Mr. Chair.

16:20 - 17:12

Pete Stauber

It is estimated that the federal subsurface minerals under the city of Carlsbad would net the federal government between 135 and 155 million dollars in bid bonuses and royalties. Additionally, allowing access to these federal mineral minerals could net other mineral owners, including the city of Carlsbad, 25 million dollars in revenues by enabling higher production wells. Additionally, accessing this resource will help bring oil and gas resources online to help power our growing economy and demand for such power. I would like to thank the city of Carlsbad, New Mexico, for the support for this legislation and ask unanimous consent that this May 12th, 2026, unanimous resolution in support of the legislation from the Carlsbad City Council be entered into the record.

17:13 - 17:15

Thomas Tiffany

Without objection, so ordered.

17:15 - 17:47

Pete Stauber

Additionally, I want to thank my colleagues in the New York Mex- in the New- correction, New Mexico delegation, including Representative Stansbury, who have worked with my office over the past several weeks to help improve this bill, changes which are reflected in the ANS. I additionally want to thank the committee staff from both the majority and minority for their work over the past several weeks to get this legislation across the finish line. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 7882 and the entire UC package, and Mr. Chair, I yield back.

17:48 - 17:54

Bruce Westerman

The gentleman yields back. Is there further discussion? Mr. Tiffany, you're recognized.

17:54 - 19:50

Thomas Tiffany

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I do laud both you and the ranking member for coming together on this, but I'm going to provide just a little bit of rain on the parade. I will support the UC package, have no problem with it. But I think about this Bird Habitat Stewardship Act that is being put forward today, and the first line says birds play key roles in local ecosystems and economies. And I think we would be remiss in not recognizing the harm that's happening to birds, including endangered birds, as a result of these intermittent sources of energy that are being used more prevalently here in America. And I'd cite a couple, some data here that I have before me.

Solar energy's production's toll on wild birds. Estimates of annual migratory bird mortality here in the U.S. from collisions with wind turbines, they estimate between 200,000 and over a million birds are being killed annually as a result of these collisions with wind turbines. They cite a specific example in regards to the solar plant out in California, Ivanpah, where they estimate at least 6,000 bird deaths happen each year, and those birds going through the extreme heat that is generated by those solar panels, they refer to as streamers. In other words, they light on fire as they go through this through the solar array that is out there.

So I will be supporting this package, Mr. Chairman, but I think this is something that we need to we need to consider as we go forward because there is a real economic or excuse me, an environmental impact that is oftentimes ignored, especially when it comes to birds, bird habitat, and the impact that these intermittent sources of power are having on them. With that, I yield back.

19:50 - 19:57

Bruce Westerman

Gentleman yields back. Is there further discussion? Yes, Mr. Huffman.

19:57 - 20:37

Jared Huffman

Yeah, just just to push back a little bit on some of the fantastical narrative we just heard attacking clean energy. Since my colleague is so concerned about protecting birds, I assume he is very concerned about house cats. I assume that he's very concerned about buildings, which are two of the largest sources of bird mortality in the nation, like overwhelmingly. And he should probably read up a little bit on that Ivanpah thermal solar plant, which is being decommissioned. So it can no longer be the bogeyman killing birds in the name of this false narrative that clean energy is bad for birds.

Yield back.

20:38 - 23:02

Bruce Westerman

Gentleman yields back. Is there further discussion? If there's no further discussion, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3276, the Local Communities and Bird Habitat Stewardship Act of 2025. Without objection, so ordered. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3925, the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act.

Without objection, so ordered. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 7882, to provide for the leasing of certain deposits of minerals located within the City of Carlsbad, New Mexico. Without objection, so ordered. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Federal Lands be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 8686, to amend the Military Land Withdrawals Act of 2013 to withdraw and reserve certain public land in the vicinity of Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. Without objection, so ordered.

I ask now I now ask unanimous consent that the following measures be approved and favorably reported as described to the House of Representatives: H.R. 3276, the Local Communities and Bird Habitat Stewardship Act of 2025, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by the gentlewoman from Michigan, Ms. Dingell, designated Dingell 159 ANS; H.R. 3925, the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by the gentleman from Colorado, Mr. Hurd, designated Hurd ANS; H.R. 7882, to provide for the leasing of certain deposits of minerals located within the City of Carlsbad, New Mexico, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Stauber, designated Stauber 51 ANS; and H.R. 8686, to amend the Military Land Withdrawals Act of 2013 to withdraw and reserve certain public land in the vicinity of Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, with an amendment by the gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Gosar, designated Gosar 105. Without objection, so ordered. Without objection, the motions to reconsider are laid on the table. Mr. Huffman.

23:03 - 23:17

Jared Huffman

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I want to give notice of my intention to file supplemental, additional, dissenting, or minority views on the measures just considered. I ask unanimous consent this notice be extended to all measures considered at this markup under House Rule 11, Clause 2L, this notice extends to all members.

23:18 - 24:07

Bruce Westerman

Without objection, so ordered.

I ask unanimous consent that the staff be allowed to make any technical and conforming changes to the documents the committee just adopted subject to approval of the minority. Without objection, so ordered. Before we wrap up, I will note that we are having a field hearing Friday in Hot Springs National Park, my hometown, on the Great American Outdoors Act. Representative Huffman and I hope to file a bipartisan bill on the Great American Outdoors Act today. If you want to be an original co-sponsor, please see the committee staff.

Is there any further business to come before the committee? If there's no further business to come before the committee, the committee stands adjourned.