Bruce Westerman

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from South Dakota (Mr. Johnson), the lead sponsor of the bill.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this legislation will further allow the Lakota people to memorialize and honor their relatives and ancestors killed in the Wounded Knee Massacre. It gives the title of the land to both the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, while ensuring that the land has the protections provided by restrictions against alienation and taxation. I again commend my friend from South Dakota for bringing us this bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge its adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 165) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to complete all actions necessary for certain land to be held in restricted fee status by the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and for other purposes.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members are given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 165, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, as we continue to pray for communities across the Nation that have been impacted by wildfire, we do need to put feet to our prayers to ensure that our forests are being properly managed. The ACRES Act is a step in the right direction and a commonsense solution to a problem that really shouldn't even exist in the first place. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material on H.R. 204, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of Representative Tiffany's legislation, H.R. 204, the Accurately Counting Risk Elimination Solutions, or ACRES Act. This is a commonsense, good-governance bill that will bring sorely needed transparency and accountability to the misleading way our Federal land managers are tracking and reporting hazardous fuel treatments. This month, wildfires in southern California leveled entire communities and took the lives of at least 24 people. Local residents forced to flee their homes described the scene as a war zone. Unfortunately, the tragedies in southern California are just the latest consequences in what has been a historic wildfire crisis, devouring an average of 7 million acres every year for the last two decades. This alarming figure is more than double the annual losses seen during the 1990s. This worsening problem is directly linked to insufficient forest management, which has created a dangerous build-up of hazardous fuels in our forests. Despite the clear need to confront this crisis head-on, Federal land management agencies like the Forest Service are still failing to increase the pace and scale of their treatments. Alarmingly, investigative reporting from ``NBC News'' found that the Forest Service is overreporting the number of acres they treat annually by over 20 percent, but that is not all. The same report found that overcounting was worse in areas of greater risk, such as California, where the total acres treated were overcounted by 35 percent in the wildland-urban interface. In one example, the Forest Service reported that they treated 744 acres of land when, in fact, only 173 acres of land had been treated. This means that the Forest Service suggested to Congress and the public that they had done four times more work than they had actually accomplished. This is unacceptable, particularly in an area where wildfire risk and the risk to communities and lives is extremely high. This inaccurate and misleading reporting results from the Forest Service counting the same piece of land towards its risk reduction goals multiple times if different treatments, such as prescribed thinning and burning, are completed on that land. In some cases, the Forest Service counted the same parcel of land 30 times, meaning the agency reported to Congress that they reduced hazardous fuels on 30 acres when, in fact, only 1 acre received treatment. This legislation simply requires the Forest Service to submit data to Congress annually that details their hazardous fuels reduction work by only counting each acre once, even if multiple treatments were performed. This exact idea has been supported in reports from the Government Accountability Office and the USDA's Office of Inspector General. The fact that we even need to pass legislation to tell the Forest Service how to count makes it clear just how deep this problem runs when it comes to confronting our catastrophic wildfire crisis. Holding our Federal land managers accountable for their actual work on the ground is a good first step. We need to improve the health of our Nation's forests as we fight against these catastrophic wildfires, and this bill will help us do that. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Agriculture, Washington, DC, January 10, 2025. Hon. Bruce Westerman, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter confirms our mutual understanding regarding H.R. 204, the ``ACRES Act.'' Thank you for collaborating with the Committee on Agriculture on the matters within our jurisdiction. The Committee on Agriculture will forego any further consideration of this bill. However, by foregoing consideration at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over any subject matter contained in this or similar legislation. The Committee on Agriculture also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees should it become necessary and ask that you support such a request. We would appreciate a response to this letter confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 204 and request a copy of our letters on this matter be published in the Congressional Record during Floor consideration. Sincerely, Glenn ``GT'' Thompson, Chairman.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank my friends across the aisle, Mr. Huffman and the minority, for supporting forestry bills both small and large. This is, I think, a small step in the right direction, and it shouldn't cost any more to report accurate data than to report inaccurate data. I look forward to passing this bill as well as some larger bills like the Fix Our Forests Act that we hope to have before the body this week. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Tiffany), who is the lead sponsor of the bill.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 204) to require that the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior submit accurate reports regarding hazardous fuels reduction activities, and for other purposes.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Minnesota.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time. In closing, Madam Speaker, this is a straightforward bill that benefits the people of northern Minnesota and our public lands. Once again, I applaud Representative Stauber for his work on the legislation, I urge its passage today. I hope the Senate will take up this legislation quickly, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 197) to provide for a land exchange in the Chippewa National Forest, Minnesota, and for other purposes.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 197, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 197, the Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange Act of 2025, led by Representative Stauber. This commonsense legislation authorizes the U.S. Forest Service to enter into a land exchange with the Bowen Lodge, a family-operated resort on the shores of Lake Winnibigoshish in northern Minnesota. Exchanging parcels between the Chippewa National Forest and Bowen Lodge will create a win-win scenario. The lodge will gain permanent access to the lake, and the Forest Service will be able to reconfigure part of its unwieldy checkerboard pattern of land ownership. This change will provide excellent fishing and recreation opportunities for the local community and improve management efficiencies for the Federal Government. Representative Stauber has done an excellent job of leading this bill that would help this small business improve its operation for years to come. This bill would improve outdoor recreation opportunities for its constituents and for all who have the pleasure of visiting and recreating in northern Minnesota. He has long been a strong advocate for responsible public land management and access to outdoor recreation, and this legislation is an excellent reflection of that commitment. Last Congress, this bill passed the House unanimously by voice vote. I urge my colleagues to do the same today and support this important piece of legislation. Madam Speaker, I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 375) to require the Secretary of the Interior to partner and collaborate with the Secretary of Agriculture and the State of Hawaii to address Rapid Ohia Death, and for other purposes.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I again thank my colleague, Mr. Wittman, for taking action to address the challenge that fishing communities across the United States currently face. I have had the opportunity to do some recreational fishing in the western and eastern Gulf. I have had the opportunity to go out on research vessels and even down in the Florida Keys and on the Atlantic Coast. There is one thing in common, and it is you can be certain somebody is going to be reeling in a fish and a shark is going to take everything but pretty much the lips off of the hook. People who fish more than I do and who are around this will tell you that it has gotten much more common over the years. Improving coordination between fisheries managers, State agencies, and other experts to solve the challenge of shark depredation is an approach that respects the bottom-up approach that has allowed the United States to be the gold standard in fisheries management. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman), the lead sponsor of this bill.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 207, sponsored by the Committee on Natural Resources vice chairman, Congressman Rob Wittman of Virginia. Concerns over shark depredation are increasingly common in the Florida Keys, the Gulf of Mexico, and North Carolina's Outer Banks. Shark interactions can be frustrating for anglers, resulting in loss of catch, damaged gear, and degraded fishing experiences. They also potentially impact the post-release survival of both target fish and bycatch. As the number of reports of shark depredation has increased, the underlying cause remains uncertain. It could be due to an increase in the number of sharks as stocks rebuild, a learned behavior by sharks as they recognize motors, fishing techniques, or shark feeding locations as a source of food. We simply don't have enough information to answer all the questions. To emphasize the scale of this issue, during the consideration of this legislation, we heard from Captain Jack Graham, who fishes out of the renowned Oregon Inlet in North Carolina. Captain Graham has been keeping records of tuna depredation impacting his small marina of about 25 boats. By his estimates, a staggering 250,000 pounds of tuna are depredated each month during tuna season just within his marina. To make matters worse, shark depredation involves many Federal and State jurisdictions, but because no single entity is responsible for addressing it, very little is being done. H.R. 207 would require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task force to address shark depredation. The task force membership would include representatives from NOAA, the Regional Fishery Management Councils, marine fisheries commissions, State fish and wildlife agencies from the States within the Regional Fishery Management Councils, and non-Federal experts. In the 118th Congress, this legislation was passed unanimously through the Committee on Natural Resources, and it passed the House by voice vote. I am grateful that we are again considering this legislation that will help the Federal Government respond to the challenge. Madam Speaker, I applaud Representative Wittman for his work, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 207) to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task force regarding shark depredation, and for other purposes.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 207, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.