North Rim Restoration Act

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5729) to authorize direct emergency acquisition flexibilities for the National Park Service for the purpose of retaining, vetting, approving, and expediting contractor approval for the clearing, rebuilding, maintenance, and improvement of the Grand Canyon grounds that have been impacted by the Dragon Bravo Fire, as amended.

Madam 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. 5729, the bill now under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5729, the North Rim Restoration Act, introduced by my friend and colleague Representative Crane of Arizona.

Madam Speaker, this vital legislation gives the National Park Service the streamlined authorities necessary to rebuild and restore one of the natural wonders of the world and iconic historic structures.

Last year, the Dragon Bravo fire tore through the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, one of the true crown jewels of the National Park System. The fire burned nearly 150,000 acres of land. It left a deep mark on the once-peaceful landscape, severely damaging pristine evergreen forests, decimating wildlife habitat, and destroying more than 100 buildings and structures.

Among these structures destroyed was the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge, which millions of visitors had enjoyed visiting for nearly a century. Since the fire was contained, the North Rim has been partially closed to visitors.

The year before the fire, over 11 million visitors to Arizona's national parks contributed $42.2 billion to the State's economy. As visitor numbers declined after the fire, the ripple effects have been felt well beyond the North Rim, especially by small businesses and gateway communities in northern Arizona.

These communities depend on tourism and recreation. Without quick action, visitor numbers may never rebound, harming small businesses in rural Arizona for years, even for decades. Representative Crane's bill offers a bold and decisive solution to this problem. His legislation provides streamlined, practical recovery tools that will allow the National Park Service to quickly begin infrastructure rebuilding and forestry recovery efforts in the areas affected by the Dragon Bravo fire.

This bill will allow the National Park Service to use temporary emergency contracting authorities for up to 7 years to quickly hire highly qualified contractors, allowing them to move at the pace and scale necessary to repair fire damage, rebuild burned structures, and conduct essential forest management activities necessary to restore full access to one of the most visited landscapes in America.

The Grand Canyon is not only a national treasure but also an engine for local jobs and the outdoor recreation economy. H.R. 5729 is the right solution at the right time that will ensure the North Rim's much- needed recovery from the Dragon Bravo fire is not slowed down by avoidable red tape.

Representative Crane's bill ensures the North Rim can recover to its full glory. It restores access for millions of American families. It will support our local communities that rely on park access and a strong outdoor recreation economy.

I thank Representatives Crane and Tiffany as well as Chairman Gosar for their collective work on this important effort. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5729.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Crane), the lead sponsor of the bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Crane for his thoughtful and aggressive efforts to make sure we can restore the Grand Canyon National Park to its former glory and for his work in highlighting the incredible stress that this places on the communities there.

I thank him, too, for offering this legislation at a key point to make sure that the right things happen so that people in his district can indeed get back to what they know is highlighting a great, great national treasure.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 5729 gives the National Park Service limited accountable authorities to expedite the restoration and rebuilding process following last year's Dragon Bravo fire so that the treasured North Rim of the Grand Canyon can fully reopen and do so safely.

I thank Representative Crane once again for his leadership on this effort and for his insightfulness. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 5729, the North Rim Restoration Act, offered by my colleague Representative Crane of Arizona.

Last summer's devastating Dragon Bravo fire burned nearly 150,000 acres of the Grand Canyon's North Rim, causing irreparable damage to crucial water infrastructure, well-loved trails, and 106 buildings, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.

After the fire, safety concerns forced the Park Service and the nearby Kaibab National Forest to restrict visitor access, effectively closing the North Rim overnight. The loss of tourism has been devastating for communities and businesses. The loss for this Nation cannot be overstated.

Arizona's $29.3 billion tourism economy is fueled by visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park, with nearly 5 million people visiting this crown jewel each and every year. Restoring and rebuilding at the North Rim is a serious priority.

It will take an all-hands-on-deck approach to rebuild the iconic North Rim lodge to get visitors back to this wonderful landscape.

H.R. 5729 will allow the National Park Service to use expedited contracting authority to efficiently move projects along as quickly as possible. However, the single best action we can take is to ensure our Federal land management agencies have the sustained resources and staff required to fulfill their mission of wildfire mitigation and ecosystem restoration, along with the tools necessary.

To recover from tragedies like the Dragon Bravo fire, the seventh largest fire in Arizona's history, we must fully fund our national parks, forests, and public land management agencies.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that most of the emergency authorities in this bill could have been granted with the stroke of the President's pen if he had approved an emergency or disaster declaration. That likely hasn't happened because disaster recovery at FEMA has been deeply politicized and delayed by this administration.

We can never and should never play politics with rebuilding and recovery efforts. While I appreciate what this bill will do for the North Rim rebuild, I urge my colleagues to work with us and collaborate on the larger issues of staffing, funding, cutting of red tape, and disaster recovery we are seeing in communities across this country.

Madam Speaker, I urge support for H.R. 5729, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this critical and timely piece of legislation.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the North Rim Restoration Act of 2025. Last July, a lightning strike ignited the Dragon Bravo fire, which grew into the seventh largest wildfire in Arizona's history.

It burned more than 145,000 acres. It destroyed over 100 structures, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. It also forced the closure of the North Rim. The result was great uncertainty for gateway communities whose livelihoods depend on a steady flow of visitors.

In the days and months during and after the fire, I traveled to the region to meet with park staff, local employers, and community leaders. Each conversation revealed different consequences of the disaster, but one concern came up repeatedly: the layers of bureaucracy threatening to slow recovery and prolong economic hardship.

Families and workers cannot wait years for the infrastructure and housing needed to bring the North Rim back to life. That is why I worked closely with local stakeholders to draft the North Rim Restoration Act of 2025. This bill gives the Department of the Interior emergency contracting authority for all recovery efforts from the Dragon Bravo fire.

This is a bipartisan approach that would minimize unnecessary delays. At the same time, it preserves community input, environmental standards, and mandatory reporting every 180 days to ensure transparency, accountability, and responsible use of taxpayer dollars.

Although last year's July 4 lightning strike brought months of hardship to the region, we now have a chance to restore this iconic destination as we honor America's 250th anniversary.

Passage of this bill sends a clear message to every visitor, worker, and family who cherishes the North Rim. This place will not fade into memory. It will endure as a living legacy.

As I prepare to close, I thank the Coconino County Board of Supervisors, Chairman Westerman, and everyone who has played a role in advancing this legislation. As a result of their dedication and persistence, we are on the verge of securing House passage just 5 months since introduction.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this effort and help ensure a full and timely recovery.