Indian Land Leases and Exchanges, Including for Oil and Gas Drilling in the Chugach

House Natural Resources Committee
   Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee
1324 Longworth

09/09/2025 at 02:00PM

On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

  • H.R. 681 (Rep. Keating), To amend the Act of August 9, 1955 (commonly known as the “Long-Term Leasing Act”), to authorize leases of up to 99 years for land held in trust for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), and for other purposes, to bring the Mashpee and Aquinnah Wampanoag tribes in line with other tribes regarding land leasing authority
  • H.R. 3654 (Rep. Randall), Tribal Emergency Response Resources Act or the “TERRA Act”
  • H.R. 3903 (Rep. Begich), Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025, to permit oil and gas drilling in parts of the Chugach National Forest
  • H.R. 3925 (Rep. Obernolte), “Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act”
  • H.R. 4463 (Rep. Norman), To amend the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993.

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

Panel I (Members of Congress)

  • To Be Announced

Panel II (Administration Witnesses)

  • Bryan Mercier, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. [H.R. 681, H.R. 3654, H.R. 3925, and H.R. 4463]
  • John Crockett, Deputy Chief for State, Private, and Tribal Forestry U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C [H.R. 3903 and H.R. 3925]

Panel III (Outside Experts)

  • Sheri Buretta, Chairman of the Board, Chugach Alaska Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska [H.R. 3903]
  • Joe Maarango, Councilman, Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, Highland, California [H.R. 3925]
  • Brian Harris, Chief, Catawba Nation, Rock Hill, South Carolina [H.R. 4463]
  • Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, Chairwoman, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Aquinnah, Massachusetts [Minority Witness] [H.R. 681]
  • Quintin Swanson, Chairman, Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, Tokeland, Washington [Minority Witness] [H.R. 3654]