The House Natural Resources Committee advanced 19 bills on Wednesday, including measures introduced by U.S. Reps. Jeff Katko (R-NY), Steve Denham (R-CA), Steve Womack (R-AR) and Glenn “G.T.” Thompson (R-PA).
Katko’s Fort Ontario Study Act, H.R. 4202, would commission a special resource study of Fort Ontario that explores the site’s national significance and advances the designation of Fort Ontario and the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum in Oswego towards National Park status.
“This legislation takes the first step in preserving the legacy of a historic gem in our community,” Katko said. “Fort Ontario has been involved in nearly every war from the French and Indian War through WWII, with Safe Haven providing shelter to over 980 refugees during World War II. This historic site already draws visitors from across the nation and its designation as a National Park would preserve the history of this site and continue to boost our region’s growing tourism-based economy.”
Denham’s Save Our Salmon (SOS) Act, H.R. 4582, would eliminate a doubling requirement established under the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act for striped bass, a known predator of endangered salmon and steelhead.
“The drought has taken a significant toll on the Central Valley and I’m proud to put forward a smart and bipartisan solution to a counterproductive policy from 24 years ago,” Denham said. “By eliminating the doubling requirement of non-native predator fish, federal agencies can focus solely on native fish recovery and stop wasting taxpayer dollars on a shortsighted policy.”
Womack’s Assuring Private Property Rights Over Vast Access to Land (APPROVAL) Act, H.R. 3062, would direct the Department of Energy to get approval from a governor and a state public service commission prior to approval of any Section 1222 transmission project and use of federal eminent domain.
“The success of the APPROVAL Act in committee today is yet another positive step toward passage in a long and hard-fought battle to allow states to retain the historic precedent of authority for interstate transmission projects,” Womack said. “The administration has consistently demonstrated a lack of acknowledgment of this right through three years of conversations with our delegation leading us to this legislative fix, and I commend my colleagues for recognizing the need to reverse this all-too-common trend of ceding power to the federal government through their overwhelming support for my legislation. I will continue to work to prevent DOE from solidifying this unprecedented process for transmission infrastructure approval.”
U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT), the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, said that the bill was crucial in protecting the private property rights of Arkansas.
“It elevates state voices, allowing those impacted to have a say in proposed interstate transmission projects,” Bishop said. “I thank the entire Arkansas Congressional Delegation for this commonsense legislation to ensure the protection of private property rights.”
Thompson’s Cooperative Management of Mineral Rights Act, H.R. 3881, would reinforce federal law and federal court rulings that have found that the U.S. Forest Service cannot create new rules or regulations related to leasing or permitting of privately held mineral rights in the Allegheny National Forest.
“Despite nearly a century of cooperation between the owners of private mineral rights and the federal government, extreme environmental groups repeatedly attempted to shut down energy production in the Allegheny National Forest,” Thompson said. “The Cooperative Management of Mineral Rights Act will make these affirmative court rulings law, protecting jobs in our communities while reaffirming the importance of private property rights.”