Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries legislation

House Natural Resources Committee
   Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee
1324 Longworth

09/03/2025 at 02:00PM

On Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

  • H.R. 2073 (Rep. Newhouse), “Defending our Dams Act”, prohibiting any federal funds from being used “to allow, lead to, or study the breach or functional alteration of, including study of power, flood control, or navigation replacement of, or provide dam removal technical assistance for, the Lower Snake River dams”
  • H.R. 3692 (Rep. Moulton), To reauthorize the Young Fisherman’s Development Act
  • H.R. 4255 (Rep. Gosar), “Enhancing Safety for Animals Act of 2025”, to delist the Mexican wolf from the ESA, while also nullifying the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2015 and 2022 rules, and to also prevent the Service from considering the status of the Mexican wolf in Mexico
  • H.R. 4256 (Rep. Min), “Digital Coast Reauthorization Act of 2025”
  • H.R. 4970 (Rep. LaMalfa), “Orland Project Water Management Act”, to amend the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991(P.L. 102-250) to authorize the Orland Project to transfer water to the Central Valley Project and its contractors when surplus is available without requiring authorizations

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

Panel I (Members of Congress)

  • To Be Announced

Panel II (Administration Witnesses)

  • Dustin Sherer, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. [H.R. 2073, H.R. 4255, and H.R. 4970]

Panel III (Outside Experts)

  • Tom Paterson, President-Elect, New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, Luna, New Mexico [H.R. 4255]
  • Clark Mather, Executive Director, Northwest RiverPartners, Vancouver, Washington [H.R. 2073]
  • Bill Vanderwaal, General Manager, Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority, Willows, California [H.R. 4970]
  • Shannon F. Wheeler, Chairman, Nez Perce Tribe, Lapwai, Idaho [H.R. 2073] [Minority witness]