To clarify authority granted under the Act entitled "An Act to define the exterior boundary of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation in the State of Utah, and for other purposes".

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4027, a bill to authorize an acre-for-acre exchange of subsurface mineral lands within the Hill Creek Extension between the State of Utah and the United States on behalf of the Ute Tribe.

I really want to thank Chairman Hastings and his staff, and also subcommittee Chairman Young and his staff, Ranking Member Markey and his staff, and Ranking Member Boren and his staff for their support in moving this bill through the Natural Resources Committee. And I would also like to thank my colleague from Utah (Mr. Bishop) who is a cosponsor of the bill.

In the transaction authorized in this bill, the tribe would acquire certain State minerals in Grand County, Utah, and in exchange, the BLM would relinquish certain Federal lands in Uintah County, Utah, to the State.

This bipartisan bill would give the Bureau of Land Management the authority to approve this transaction that was first proposed several years ago. In order to fully protect State and Federal interests, this legislation reserves identical overriding financial interests in each other's exchanged lands should development occur. Often in the past, these land exchanges had challenges with appraisals and making sure everyone is treated fairly. This legislation tries to address that issue looking forward.

This bill is a win/win. It helps the tribe consolidate its management of land that is considered sacred and culturally significant, and at the same time, it allows for domestic energy development on land not considered environmentally sensitive that would provide more school trust fund revenue for Utah and employment for energy workers in the State as well.

This legislation has broad support from local government, including Grand, Duchesne, and Uintah Counties, the State of Utah, and the Ute Tribe as well as partner agencies. The Wilderness Society also testified in support of this legislation.

So I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4027) to clarify authority granted under the Act entitled ``An Act to define the exterior boundary of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation in the State of Utah, and for other purposes''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4027 is a bipartisan bill that would clarify the boundaries of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation as passed by the Hill Creek Extension of 1948. The bill would authorize Utah's School and Industrial Trust Land Administration to relinquish to the Ute Indian Tribe its subsurface mineral rights in exchange for subsurface rights to an equal number of acres of other land owned by the Federal Government. The exchange would allow the school trust fund and the tribe to explore additional oil and gas development that will help support Utah education and create jobs for the tribe while preserving more culturally sensitive land for the tribe.

I urge adoption of the resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I'm prepared to yield back if the gentleman has no more requests for time.

I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4027 clarifies existing law regarding the Federal Government's authority to permit land exchanges within the boundaries of the Ute Indian Reservation in northeastern Utah and resolves the tribe's split estate problem caused by Federal error over 50 years ago. This legislation returns the subsurface mineral estate to the Ute Tribe in a portion of its reservation that the tribe considers culturally and environmentally significant and thus preserves the area's pristine wilderness from development. The bill also benefits the State of Utah by opening up Federal minerals for development in an area of the tribe's reservation already being developed by the tribe's energy company.

Legislation that corrects a Federal error and satisfies both tribal and State interests, without cost to the Federal Government, does not come along very often. Mr. Matheson is to be commended for his dedication in seeing this bill pass out of the House and for crafting a workable solution to a difficult problem.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4027, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Matheson).

Mr. Speaker, we thank the gentleman from Utah for his hard work, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4027, which redefines the boundary of the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation. I thank my colleague, Congressman Matheson, for introducing this legislation.

This bill will authorize Utah to relinquish certain subsurface mineral lands for the benefit of the Ute Indian Tribe. Native American tribes deserve the opportunity to benefit from the natural resources available on their land.

The bill concurrently protects the interests of Utah, by requiring the State to reserve an overriding interest in the portion of the mineral estate that is being relinquished. This portion of the mineral lands is to be reserved for the benefit of the school trust.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Native American Caucus, I am proud to work with my colleagues in the House to continue to protect the rights and interests of Native Americans around the country. As such, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4027.