Markup of Bills to Overturn Chaco Canyon Protections, and other issues

House Natural Resources Committee
1324 Longworth

19/07/2023 at 09:15AM

On Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at 9:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources will hold a mark-up on the following bills:

  • H.R. 1607 (Rep. Schweikert, R-Ariz.), To clarify jurisdiction with respect to certain Bureau of Reclamation pumped storage development on the Salt River Project, and for other purposes (legislative hearing);
  • H.R. 2839 (Rep. Hoyle), To amend the Siletz Reservation Act to address the hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and for other purposes; and
  • H.R. 4374 (Rep. Crane, R-Ariz.), “Energy Opportunities for All Act,” to overturn Biden administration protections of Chaco Canyon

Markup memo

Bills expected to move by unanimous consent are H.R. 1607 (Rep. Schweikert), To clarify jurisdiction with respect to certain Bureau of Reclamation pumped storage development, and for other purposes, and H.R. 2839 (Rep. Hoyle), To amend the Siletz Reservation Act to address the hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and for other purposes.

In 1905, Congress and the Secretary withdrew the majority of the National Forest System lands adjacent to Apache Lake where two potential pumped storage sites are located. H.R. 1607 would extend this withdrawal by two miles to capture the upper reservoir sites and associated infrastructure to clarify that the Bureau of Reclamation has jurisdiction to evaluate the development of such facilities. The legislation does not remove the need for federal and state environmental permitting and public input processes including but not limited to those required under the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Tribal consultations, National Historic Preservation Act and Bald and Gold Eagle Protection Act.

In June, the Biden administration issued a Public Land Order placing a moratorium on 336,404.42 acres of federal mineral estate surrounding the Chaco Canyon National Historical Park for 20 years.