Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 3925,

the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act.

For nearly a decade, the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation has worked with the U.S. Forest Service to complete a land exchange in San Bernardino County.

The San Manuel Reservation is surrounded by Federal lands and the communities of San Bernardino and Highland, leaving the Nation with limited space to meet its housing, infrastructure, and cultural needs.

H.R. 3925 would complete an exchange of approximately 1,500 acres of Forest Service land for an equivalent amount already owned by the Nation. Much of the land being provided by the Nation was acquired specifically to facilitate this exchange at the request of the Forest Service.

Completing this exchange will create a more contiguous land base, reduce checkerboard ownership, and improve land management for both the Nation and the Forest Service.

This legislation also protects the historic Arrowhead landmark, a site of significant cultural importance to the Yuhaaviatam people and a well-known symbol throughout the San Bernardino Valley.

This exchange will also support better wildfire preparation and land management in an area that faces significant wildfire risk. The Nation has already made substantial investments in fire protection and emergency response at the edge of the San Bernardino National Forest.

Mr. Speaker, after years of work and unfortunate delay, congressional action is needed to finally complete this process. This is a straightforward measure that respects Tribal sovereignty, protects important cultural resources, and improves land management in my district.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3925.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3925 would authorize a land exchange between the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation and the U.S. Forest Service.

This exchange would convey approximately 1,475 acres of Federal land within the San Bernardino National Forest for approximately 1,460 acres of Tribal land. The Nation began working with the Forest Service on this exchange in 2017. The lands the Nation is seeking to acquire are adjacent to the reservation and include an arrowhead-shaped rock formation at the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains.

The Arrowhead landmark site and the lands toward which it points are sacred to the Nation and are intertwined with their creator and sacred stories.

The land holds significant cultural and spiritual importance, and the Nation has dedicated significant time and resources towards completing this land transfer. However, administrative hurdles have delayed such an exchange.

This bill would complete the exchange, consolidating parcels of the checkerboard of Tribal and Forest Service lands, while providing the Nation with culturally significant lands.

The exchange would also support the preservation and cultural integrity of the Arrowhead landmark site and enhance stewardship of the San Bernardino National Forest.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3925) to provide for a land exchange in San Bernardino County, California, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3925, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte), the lead sponsor of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3925, introduced by Congressman Obernolte, as has been said, authorizes a land exchange between the U.S. Forest Service and the Yuhaaviatam Tribe of San Manuel Nation. Again, this land exchange would create a more contiguous land base for the Yuhaaviatam, and it would reduce checkerboard land holdings in the region. Under the exchange, the Yuhaaviatam would receive approximately 1,475 acres of Forest Service land, and the Tribe would transfer 1,460 acres to the Forest Service.

These conveyances would not only improve land management for both the Federal Government and the Tribe but would also reduce the overall size of the Federal estate.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte) for working with the Yuhaaviatam to develop H.R. 3925. I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close. I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I also urge passage of H.R. 3925, and I yield back the balance of my time.