[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6255864,"mediaKeyId","3161536-a9f47ee376c23eceb5afddc448c805ab","parentId",3161536,"title","Subcommittee presses Interior and Forest Service on BIA office closures, staffing and tribal consultation","audioSeconds",1404,"startMs",1059000,"endMs",2463000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3161536-a9f47ee376c23eceb5afddc448c805ab&start=1059&end=2463","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3161536-a9f47ee376c23eceb5afddc448c805ab/thumbnail_1059000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6255864/Subcommittee-presses-Interior-and-Forest-Service-on-BIA-office-closures-staffing-and-tribal-consultation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6255864-d18d1dd2c89699b383ecb0e69cdbf036/orig.mp4?Expires=1770446519&Signature=OQAjwWEuS2cwlq8Aww08nirFsrEm372HY-43Xb-BfzJAl0yR8fWNfHwX81ylLfknJPSbGQVl4B~2r24SsklVirf-gUPC7IUB7e0VuqexoPhP3Cg83zhvuYEs~73KlrsuKKD9qx0ozfTYzP-W8uA1STlFv2brbjZK-1~aVitrcijj7oieh6GRV0Ugdd9~V3qwCXvAkYk0QA3ISx9rUlVqnJLx5aqau-hcORfbBOlpHBa0F~H1XrD6EC4dyjpiT1lvVTdf18PBNDafbn59npncQ5CJ0vtD9ivfd4ZEIh1nEU2Ymnca1cNKXoXWPm4yowO7XogVCZJ57K~bh343P7OzqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources","date","2025-05-01T00:20:51.583Z","article","Members of the House Natural Resources subcommittee pressed Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service witnesses on staffing, proposed Bureau of Indian Affairs office closures, and the need for government‑to‑government consultation before changes that affect tribes.

Ranking Member Ledger Fernandez and other members raised concerns about reported plans to close multiple BIA offices and about workforce actions that they said could disrupt services tribes rely on, including law enforcement, contract administration and wildfire support. \"We have not closed any offices,\" Bureau of Indian Affairs Director Brian Mercier said, adding that the BIA had not been consulted about any closures reported through GSA and that no leases had yet expired for offices reported at risk.

Members also criticized recent workforce reductions and high turnover at agencies. Representative Hoffman and Ranking Member Ledger Fernandez said they had heard of staff reductions and uncertainty affecting wildfire management and tribal partnerships. John Crockett of the U.S. Forest Service said the agency had reinstated certain probationary employees who had been removed and that the Forest Service planned tribal consultations on workforce changes; he said the agency manages about 93 million acres of national forest and grasslands and will coordinate with tribes on transfers where overlap exists.

Members repeatedly sought commitments to meaningful government‑to‑government consultation when decisions could impact staffing, funding, or office access. Mercier said the department supports tribal self‑determination and acknowledged the need to make resources available to assist with land transfers, and Crockett said he could commit to ensuring activities do not diminish tribal sovereignty and that the Forest Service would consult at forest and supervisor levels.

Committee members requested written follow‑up on numbers of staff separations, details of any new BIA internal requirements for fee‑to‑trust processing, and the status of leases reportedly slated for closure. Witnesses agreed to provide written responses under the committee’s post‑hearing process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Legislative Hearing | Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee","oneSentenceSummary","Members questioned Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service witnesses about proposed BIA office closures, workforce reductions, consultation with tribes, and impacts on wildfire prevention and tribal partnerships; agency witnesses pledged follow‑up and consultations.","taxTitle","Natural Resources: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1983,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6255870,"Pitt River tribe seeks 584 acres and 40 acres fee‑to‑trust for cultural center at 4 Corners site",2934,1760000,4694000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3161536-a9f47ee376c23eceb5afddc448c805ab&start=1760&end=4694","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3161536-a9f47ee376c23eceb5afddc448c805ab/thumbnail_1760000.jpg","/articles/6255870/Pitt-River-tribe-seeks-584-acres-and-40-acres-feetotrust-for-cultural-center-at-4-Corners-site","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6255870-edb101d1e4f6b0d2c46a90b048dc8c8c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770446519&Signature=dZSg6TSAe4lvM0h5SL9o2u27mV3WNSJrXbiUaoxrb8I4x1PzL0okTI5NNCl00FR8JFi8U7verNzMd2fGzhWpLOvNaP8R37dbf8VjzxegIvFAZcWsxOPLFDcHLOBTLXk5N5y5kzWLUFYCpyaMvBMx37UAqh2j34bxxCweVJnUbFUufedsA0L3zagARmXvtvhesphI4qpRfbhmGC7nfRureSNzInryKzf8TyrBpls4~T~CeX6h1uyq8SD1UTpQ~ft-9I7ti0E6FD1-6ej5dV3IavcE3U4bLItXi2NQ5OLuyb2cMCpo07UP2mqh75qYMgQzirWWvHDDHx5ACiHA73xH4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The subcommittee considered testimony on H.R.2400, which would transfer approximately 584 acres of Forest Service land known as the 4 Corners into trust for the Pitt River Tribe and place roughly 40 acres of tribal fee land into trust as well.

Pitt River Chairman Yoch Bamford told the committee the 4 Corners is a central landmark in the tribe’s ancestral territory and a focal point for historic Indian activism. The tribe previously occupied portions of the 4 Corners during demonstrations in the 1960s and 1970s; annual commemorative events are held at the site, Bamford said. The tribe currently owns 40 acres in fee at the southeast corner and has been pursuing acquisition of adjacent federal parcels for decades.

Bamford said the tribe envisions an interpretive/cultural center at the site and economic development on tribally owned parcels, and that securing the Forest Service parcels in trust would allow the tribe to protect and interpret the location. John Crockett of the U.S. Forest Service testified the agency supports H.R.2400, will work with Interior and the tribe to coordinate transfers, and recommends excluding existing special‑use permits and rights from transfers where appropriate. The bill text, as described in testimony, stipulates transferred land cannot be used for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

Bamford said prior efforts to obtain the 4 Corners through Forest Service administrative channels in 2013 were not completed, citing turnover and delays in agency staffing. Committee members pressed agencies on staff capacity, wildfire response and the timeline for potential transfers; agencies agreed to provide written follow‑up. No committee vote was taken during the hearing.","H.R.2400 would transfer roughly 584 acres of Forest Service land known as the 4 Corners and about 40 acres of tribal fee land into trust for the Pitt River Tribe; tribe told the subcommittee the site is culturally and historically important and would host an interpretive center and economic uses.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6255874,"Quinault leader urges trust transfer of Allotment 1157 for cultural, conservation use",2625,1735000,4360000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3161536-a9f47ee376c23eceb5afddc448c805ab&start=1735&end=4360","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3161536-a9f47ee376c23eceb5afddc448c805ab/thumbnail_1735000.jpg","/articles/6255874/Quinault-leader-urges-trust-transfer-of-Allotment-1157-for-cultural-conservation-use","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6255874-f1234a6792a41ad9d6461d575d88c8ca/orig.mp4?Expires=1770446519&Signature=I-ni6DpXQY92ym9q2ZY6-FVk7HrUpFFvIkF8LsR0XefCt5iGX-pwRbDLg0Cwi6LxQyBA76UIqJr-h7TwPCQ2nDVhV4lXL32gZ9ZpdCT2F4VNQ1bkcC-clZQ5nP-QN2wT2fG8sbWPjkASV7YhlOnMi52CKuLrEKe6wHdt7B3XURrxgeHeiXEplI73EBalTvnvz5eiYrRjCk8Zf6eE-hJlYwy8KNOscfxPb-UhDB1OAnF5uXvTzUe7uaOfZBbSGJjVOibML-R5TkXV7-Rw5SsK7wYntQfArtP1ry9nvxmloD~v0RN1NUMzKYJLBuixZkGMicCluYPi0s06ICfSiNYv1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The subcommittee heard testimony on H.R.2389, the Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act, which would transfer roughly 72 acres of National Forest System land (Allotment 1157) into trust for the Quinault Indian Nation.

Quinault Councilman Tyson Johnston described the historical context: the reservation was set aside following the Treaty of Olympia in 1856 and later partitioned under the General Allotment Act (Dawes Act), which created individually allotted parcels. Allotment 1157 was allotted in 1928 and later sold to private timber owners; the Forest Service acquired the parcel in the 1990s. Johnston said the nation has reacquired roughly 51% of reservation acreage and seeks to consolidate remaining parcels for cultural preservation and long‑term stewardship. \"Allotment 1157 represents one of the few remaining vestiges of old growth forest, including ancient cedar trees that once defined the Quinault Indian Reservation's landscape,\" Johnston testified.

John Crockett of the U.S. Forest Service told the subcommittee the agency supports H.R.2389 and will coordinate interagency and tribal coordination where interests overlap, and that the bill stipulates the land cannot be used for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The department and agency witnesses said transfers are subject to verification of existing rights and other technical changes the agencies would like to work with the sponsor to resolve.

Johnston said the nation plans to use Allotment 1157 for heritage and cultural purposes and to ensure the land is never commercially logged. Committee members asked the agencies for written follow‑up on technical issues; no committee vote occurred during the hearing.","H.R.2389 would transfer about 72 acres of U.S. Forest Service land (Allotment 1157) into trust for the Quinault Indian Nation; tribal leaders and agency witnesses described the land's cultural significance and agency willingness to coordinate transfers subject to validation of existing rights.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6255878,"Subcommittee hears bill to transfer BLM and tribal fee land to Shingle Springs Band for housing, wildfire reduction",3174,665000,3839000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3161536-a9f47ee376c23eceb5afddc448c805ab&start=665&end=3839","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3161536-a9f47ee376c23eceb5afddc448c805ab/thumbnail_665000.jpg","/articles/6255878/Subcommittee-hears-bill-to-transfer-BLM-and-tribal-fee-land-to-Shingle-Springs-Band-for-housing-wildfire-reduction","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6255878-f55c5b950538b26b4ee797e63d66fb04/orig.mp4?Expires=1770446519&Signature=BajSSeLOrGUPbAsEKeSCKuyquwcV5GWWSn70XEAfnZoR6ih9NqXRP84nIOpARu7BcuehH7d1U0Bwoulkts3OlOFz6YBbbYK2Cn8ZpUutlFrQU3AGUCo6ZPiZRw9UXJ8Z5ZS8G9Io2xpfAykSrEewLgsfTQlMhwzD~3uD6oZW72j4X~PEN-M0HHvZrUhYOlyUz91OvYUnBPmTrBHGp2-E2qdyKcSemsD8Z0EaaXrx2vuwkQn-GCUs2ihFyrWRhPywcaZDBigtcgURktMKaSSTXJghR5lhAQ7ZFgHNa3OIroI3MqF6LujRVfPD17rYoL65zJaoVcyMwpq9uPwPmU-UIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the House Natural Resources subcommittee heard testimony on H.R.2302, which would convey approximately 85.3 acres of Bureau of Land Management land and 188.84 acres of fee land into trust for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians to support housing and wildfire hazard reduction.

\"The trust transfer contemplated by H.R.2302 will not eliminate our housing shortage, but it will make a serious dent in it,\" Shingle Springs Band Chairwoman Regina Cuellar said. She told the subcommittee the tribe purchased the Indian Creek Ranch property, which was originally approved for 75 residential lots in 2009 but remained undeveloped after the 2008 real estate crash.

Cuellar said the property sits about three miles from the reservation and would give tribal members proximity to services and infrastructure. She and other witnesses also described active vegetation management already underway on adjacent properties to reduce wildfire hazards; testimony noted fires such as the Caldor and Kings fires as local examples of rising wildfire risk.

Department witnesses supported the transfer’s goals but said agencies would work with the sponsor and committee on technical details such as acreage verification and exclusions for existing rights and special‑use permits. John Crockett, deputy chief for State, Private and Tribal Forestry at the U.S. Forest Service, stated the bill \"directs the secretary of agriculture to transfer certain lands ... to the Department of Interior to take them into trust for the benefit of the Quinault Indian Nation and the Pitt River tribe respectively\" when commenting on related transfers; he told the subcommittee the Forest Service is committed to interagency coordination where interests overlap.

Cuellar said El Dorado County supports the transfer and that the measure could streamline the fee‑to‑trust timeline compared with the BIA’s existing backlog. Committee members asked for written follow-up and technical corrections; no committee vote was recorded during the hearing.","H.R.2302 would place roughly 85.3 acres of BLM land and about 188.84 acres of fee land into trust for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians to address housing shortages and wildfire risk, witnesses said at the hearing.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6255883,"House subcommittee reviews bill to pay $137.5 million settlement to Quapaw Nation",2865,617000,3482000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3161536-a9f47ee376c23eceb5afddc448c805ab&start=617&end=3482","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3161536-a9f47ee376c23eceb5afddc448c805ab/thumbnail_617000.jpg","/articles/6255883/House-subcommittee-reviews-bill-to-pay-1375-million-settlement-to-Quapaw-Nation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6255883-99c3579f5ec1eca14e17c3c45560ef3b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770446519&Signature=oNd4l~KjPKm5wZdbFOr6FdeRaCixViQ3Op6EZwNZIvT7Z1kSgIbsceCVZpWVbQm5E28o896dWcWdSLqXhUSDGz-XlTaGJZk5zq-wyWlFfqzK4N~cLfoQiVlFUYTSVa~KrlUvhXT1llCRJ1JJAYA0jTti1E1YQ50zsptr5I4qMllUSiMFS8An8XT3A3G-nRc4WCrL~Uez9B7E8KtgKc7TrFL9inAu9i7GWICqOAxrg1GCwCuxOk-xKM0gdCPNGU-dhfqEBFhkzg0nteEqjAToO5Wn~AZgGdDK5JkDj0Vr8b9c15e7l5h0wObVwEL28Hgixt2rZq5DhPhwMaGeu70LVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing, witnesses and tribal leaders discussed H.R.1451, the Quapaw Tribal Settlement Act of 2025, which would authorize $137,500,000 to be placed into a special deposit account to pay claimants in the Thomas Charles Baer et al. v. United States settlement.

The settlement responds to decades of litigation over alleged mismanagement of Quapaw trust assets and environmental harm from lead and zinc mining on reservation lands. \"The bill is a just and necessary response to one of the most egregious violations of federal trust responsibility,\" Quapaw Nation Business Committee Chair Wina Supernaw told the subcommittee.

The Court of Federal Claims recommended the payment after Congress referred the case to that court. Brian Mercier, director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior, told members the department \"supports the intent of H.R.1451 to effectuate the payment of the settlement funds in resolution of the legal and equitable claims against the United States\" and offered to work with the sponsor and the subcommittee on technical implementation details.

Supernaw and other witnesses described the human and environmental toll of more than a century of mining, including large tailings piles, contamination of water, and community displacement. Supernaw said the mines produced large quantities of lead and zinc and that contamination ultimately led the EPA to designate much of the reservation as a Superfund site.

The bill, as described in testimony, would create a special deposit account in the department's Bureau of Trust Funds Administration to hold the settlement funds and provide a process for distribution to identified claimants and parties. Mercier and Supernaw both urged the committee and the sponsor to work with the department on technical aspects of creating and administering the account.

No committee vote was recorded during the hearing; members asked witnesses to respond in writing to follow-up questions. The subcommittee indicated it plans to continue working with the sponsor and administration on technical drafting and implementation steps.","A House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing examined H.R.1451, which would authorize $137,500,000 to implement a Court of Federal Claims settlement for Quapaw Nation claimants and establish a special deposit account in the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Subcommittee presses Interior and Forest Service on BIA office closures, staffing and tribal consultation

Pitt River tribe seeks 584 acres and 40 acres fee‑to‑trust for cultural center at 4 Corners site

Quinault leader urges trust transfer of Allotment 1157 for cultural, conservation use

Subcommittee hears bill to transfer BLM and tribal fee land to Shingle Springs Band for housing, wildfire reduction

House subcommittee reviews bill to pay $137.5 million settlement to Quapaw Nation