NPCA submitted the following positions to members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ahead of a hearing scheduled for June 7, 2022.
S. 387 – Grand Canyon Protection Act: NPCA supports this bill to protect Grand Canyon National Park, its watershed and the water sources vital to the Havasupai people, from the impacts of uranium mining. This legislation would make permanent the current 20-year ban on uranium mining for one million acres of land neighboring Grand Canyon National Park. This action will preserve for future generations the beauty and health of what is one of America’s most awe-inspiring landscapes. Tribal leaders, business owners, local officials and conservation groups all support this commonsense continuation of the temporary mining prohibition that the Department of the Interior recognized as necessary in 2012. While the Grand Canyon is clearly the wrong place to mine for uranium, risking contamination of a national jewel, it is the right place to invest in the booming tourism and recreation industries that employ thousands of Americans and bring hundreds of millions of dollars to rural communities.
S. 2254 – Montana Headwaters Legacy Act: NPCA supports this legislation, which would designate segments of twenty rivers and streams in Montana as wild, scenic or recreational rivers. These designations, many of which are in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, would help ensure that 385 miles of waterways in the state would remain clean for generations to come. These rivers, in addition to being some of the best recreation destinations in the world, are also critical to ecosystem health and help support countless species such as the Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
S. 3129 – M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act: NPCA supports this legislation, which would designate segments of the Gila River in New Mexico as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. This designation will ensure long-term protection of the Gila’s riparian ecosystem and its threatened and endangered species, while also protecting clean water for outdoor recreation, local communities and the region’s economy. It will carry immediate benefits for Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument and surrounding public lands and wilderness.
S. 3144 - Sutton Mountain and Painted Hills Area Wildfire Resiliency Preservation and Economic Enhancement Act: NPCA supports this legislation which would establish the Sutton Mountain National Monument. The lands proposed for national monument designation include wilderness study areas adjacent to John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, a unit of the National Park System. Formalizing these designations through the monument will preserve additional public lands for their natural resources, recreational benefits, and deep cultural history. A comprehensive management plan for the landscape developed in partnership with other federal land managers, including the Park Service, will ensure consistent and more coordinated management of public lands in Central Oregon.
S. 4062 – HOUSES Act of 2022: NPCA opposes this legislation that authorizes the sale of certain Federal lands to States and units of local government to address housing shortages and for other community buildings. We appreciate the intention to help remedy housing shortages, particularly around our public lands, but this legislation does not guarantee housing for federal employees including those at the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and other agencies that are struggling to find affordable housing. We urge Congress to prioritize addressing the housing crisis within the federal government before considering requests from states. We look forward to working with the committee to find additional solutions to the ongoing housing issue.
