Natural Resources
As an attorney, I fought to return control of natural resources to local entities, not far-away federal bureaucrats. I am honored to serve on the Natural Resources committee to continue this work from the halls of Congress. I also have the privilege of chairing the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs, working with tribal and territorial leaders on issues important to their communities.
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Members of Congress and tribal officials discussed the barriers to economic development across tribal lands during a U.S. House hearing March 1.
Throughout the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs’ oversight hearing, several members, including those from Wyoming and New Mexico, called for tribal economic sovereignty, while tribal officials shared their experiences and suggestions.
WASHINGTON—Sinkholes, potholes and washed-out bridges were top of mind for the Tohono O’odham Nation’s vice chair when she spoke to a congressional subcommittee last week.
“Those roads are dangerous for our members as well as our visitors,” Wavalene Saunders, vice chairwoman of Tohono O'odham Nation, said on Wednesday. “During monsoon season, flooding completely washes out our roads and makes them impassable.”
Converting tribal lands from "trust" to "restricted fee" status, and providing tribes with the ability to quickly enter 99-year leases, will provide Native American nations with the ability to pursue economic growth and increase efficiency for federal and tribal governments.
Bureaucratic red tape and outdated federal regulations stifle the economic potential of tribal lands. Indian tribes deserve the flexibility to use their lands the way they see fit.
As chair of the Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee, I seek to provide them with this long-overdue freedom.
Today, Harriet Hageman introduced legislation to provide flexibility and certainty in the tribal land leasing process. The bill amends the Long Term Leasing Act to allow all federally recognized tribes to enter into 99-year leases.
Washington, DC, March 1, 2023 – Today, Harriet Hageman introduced legislation to provide flexibility and certainty in the tribal land leasing process. The bill amends the Long Term Leasing Act to allow all federally recognized tribes to enter into 99-year leases.
WASHINGTON – The vice chairwoman of the Tohono O’odham Nation told a House panel Wednesday that economic development on her remote reservation is hobbled by everything from a lack of basic infrastructure like roads and water to inadequate capital.
Wavalene Saunders said the Tohono O’odham Nation is typical of tribes in rural areas that suffer from “profound deficits in the availability of basic utilities to provide adequate drinking water, sanitation, and electricity.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman introduced legislation to direct the Secretary of Interior to remove the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem population of grizzly bears from the federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife.
The Greater Yellowstone population was delisted twice before, in 2007 and 2017. Each time, the delisting was thrown out by "activist courts," according to a news release from Hageman's office.
The National Environmental Policy Act's flaws result in massive delays to infrastructure projects nationwide. This leads to less jobs, depleted resources, and higher energy prices for all Americans. It's time to revise NEPA to make sure it works for the benefit of the American people and economy.
Taxpayer funds are now funding "ecogrief" training for federal employees to help them "cope" with their emotional struggles related to the environment. Meanwhile, Biden's Administration seeks to destroy our nation's energy dominance.