    [House Hearing, 116 Congress]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                        INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED
                         AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2021

    _______________________________________________________________________

                                     HEARINGS

                                     BEFORE A

                               SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE

                           COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

                             HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                          ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

                                  SECOND SESSION

                       ___________________________________

           SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES

                         BETTY McCOLLUM, Minnesota, Chair

      CHELLIE PINGREE, Maine			DAVID P. JOYCE, Ohio
      DEREK KILMER, Washington			MICHAEL K. SIMPSON, Idaho
      JOSE E. SERRANO, New York			CHRIS STEWART, Utah
      MIKE QUIGLEY, Illinois			MARK E. AMODEI, Nevada
      BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN, New Jersey
      BRENDA L. LAWRENCE, Michigan

        NOTE: Under committee rules, Mrs. Lowey, as chairwoman of the full
        committee, and Ms. Granger, as ranking minority member of the full
        committee, are authorized to sit as members of all subcommittees.

             Rita Culp, Donna Shahbaz, Jocelyn Hunn, Peter Kiefhaber,
                  Kusai Merchant, Janet Erickson, and Tyler Coe
                                Subcommittee Staff

                       ___________________________________

                                      PART 7

              Testimony of Interested Individuals and Organizations

                                                                       Page
    Americans for the Arts, February 6,
      2020....................................                            1

    Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee,
      February 11, 2020.......................                          281

    American Indian and Alaska Native
      Public Witness Day 2, February 12, 2020.                          527

    Members' Day Hearing, March 10, 2020..                              779

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                       ___________________________________

              Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations

                        U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

      43-677                   WASHINGTON : 2021

                          COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

                                  ----------

                      NITA M. LOWEY, New York, Chairwoman

      MARCY KAPTUR, Ohio			KAY GRANGER, Texas
      PETER J. VISCLOSKY, Indiana		HAROLD ROGERS, Kentucky
      JOSE E. SERRANO, New York		ROBERT B. ADERHOLT, Alabama
      ROSA L. DeLAURO, Connecticut		MICHAEL K. SIMPSON, Idaho
      DAVID E. PRICE, North Carolina	JOHN R. CARTER, Texas
      LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD, California	KEN CALVERT, California
      SANFORD D. BISHOP, Jr., Georgia	TOM COLE, Oklahoma
      BARBARA LEE, California		MARIO DIAZ-BALART, Florida
      BETTY McCOLLUM, Minnesota		TOM GRAVES, Georgia
      TIM RYAN, Ohio			STEVE WOMACK, Arkansas
      C. A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER, Maryland	JEFF FORTENBERRY, Nebraska
      DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Florida	CHUCK FLEISCHMANN, Tennessee
      HENRY CUELLAR, Texas			JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER, Washington
      CHELLIE PINGREE, Maine		DAVID P. JOYCE, Ohio
      MIKE QUIGLEY, Illinois		ANDY HARRIS, Maryland
      DEREK KILMER, Washington		MARTHA ROBY, Alabama
      MATT CARTWRIGHT, Pennsylvania		MARK E. AMODEI, Nevada
      GRACE MENG, New York			CHRIS STEWART, Utah
      MARK POCAN, Wisconsin			STEVEN M. PALAZZO, Mississippi
      KATHERINE M. CLARK, Massachusetts	DAN NEWHOUSE, Washington
      PETE AGUILAR, California		JOHN R. MOOLENAAR, Michigan
      LOIS FRANKEL, Florida			JOHN H. RUTHERFORD, Florida
      CHERI BUSTOS, Illinois		WILL HURD, Texas
      BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN, New Jersey
      BRENDA L. LAWRENCE, Michigan
      NORMA J. TORRES, California
      CHARLIE CRIST, Florida
      ANN KIRKPATRICK, Arizona
      ED CASE, Hawaii

                     Shalanda Young, Clerk and Staff Director

                                       (ii)

         DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
                            APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2021

                                  ----------

                                           Thursday, February 6, 2020.

             TESTIMONY OF INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS

                                  ----------

                             AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS

                                    WITNESS

    BEN FOLDS, AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS
        Ms. McCollum [presiding]. Good morning. Welcome to the
    first day of two public witness hearing being held here for
    non-tribal government programs under the jurisdiction of the
    Interior, Environment Appropriations Subcommittee. And I am
    pleased to be joined by the former chair of this committee,
    still a great member, Congressman Michael Simpson of Idaho, as
    well as our vice chair, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree of Maine.
        Now, you might have noticed there was a little commotion
    before I put down the gavel. We were out in the hall really
    quick. So I would like you all to give a warm welcome to a
    visiting delegation of the Parliament of Georgia. We appreciate
    your interest in our legislative process, and we hope you find
    our hearing instructive because it is very important to this
    committee that we support our public lands, our arts, and
    things that make America so very special. Yes, please.
        [Applause.]
        Everybody was being so, so quiet and so polite. I didn't
    want to put anybody on the spot, but thank you for welcoming
    our guests.
        Last year when I became chair of this subcommittee, I
    brought back the important tradition of public witness days for
    non-tribal programs, and I am pleased today that for this
    hearing, more than 40 witnesses composed of a diverse range of
    partners, including public nonprofit organizations, State and
    local governments, will have an opportunity to testify before
    this subcommittee. Today we will hear about numerous topics
    related to the jurisdiction of this subcommittee, including the
    arts and the humanities, environment, public lands, and
    wildlife. I am eager to learn more about each of your
    priorities, and I look forward to our discussions that we have
    on these issues because I believe it will help all of us on
    this committee be more informed while we begin to develop the
    2021 appropriations bill.
        Before I turn to Mr. Simpson, I would like to cover a few
    hearing logistics, however. We will call each panel of
    witnesses to the table one at a time, and, as you can see, our
    first panel, gold stars, right here. Each witness will have 5
    minutes to present their testimony, and we will be using a time
    tracker to track the time. As I pointed out, we have 40
    witnesses, so we want to be respectful of everybody's time. So
    when the light turns yellow, you have 1 minute remaining, and
    we would like you to please conclude your remarks. When the
    light blinks red, I will lightly gavel. [Laughter.]
        It is a light gavel. It is not a heavy one, and ask you to
    please conclude your remarks so the next witness can begin.
        Now, each witness needs to know we have their written
    statements, and I have been reading through them, so everything
    will be in the record. So don't feel pressure or rushed to get
    everything covered orally in your 5 minutes. After we hear the
    testimony of each witness on the panel, members will have an
    opportunity to ask questions, so get ready. We ask really good
    questions.
        And I would like to remind those who are joining us in the
    hearing room that the committee rules prohibit the use of
    cameras and audio equipment during the hearing by individuals
    without House-issued press credentials. After this morning's
    hearing concludes, we will adjourn and reconvene at 1:00 this
    afternoon for the hearing.
        So at this time, I am honored and very happy to yield to my
    dear friend, my dear friend, Mr. Simpson from Idaho.
        Mr. Simpson. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for
    calling this important hearing to get input from the public on
    a wide array of programs under this subcommittee's
    jurisdiction. Mr. Joyce and I, along with other members of the
    subcommittee, look forward to working with you in the days and
    weeks ahead to do what we can to evaluate the effectiveness of
    these programs and to make the difficult, but necessary,
    choices among competing priorities.
        Like the chair, I would like to take a minute to extend a
    warm welcome to all of our witnesses and to the delegation from
    the Parliament of Georgia, who are sitting in the audience.
    Since we have a full day ahead of us, I am happy to yield back,
    and I look forward to the testimony.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. There will be a portion of the
    testimony where I will have to step out and attend another
    hearing, but the vice chair, who has many other arts titles
    here at the U.S. Congress, will be ably ready to assist in
    taking remaining testimony.
        So with that, we have our first panel: Mr. Ben Folds, Ms.
    Pam Breaux, Ms. Beth Kane, and Stephanie----
        Ms. Eriacho. Eriacho.
        Ms. McCollum [continuing]. Eriacho. Beautiful name. In the
    interest of time, I am just going to let you introduce your
    arts organizations so we have more time for questions. Mr.
    Folds?
        Mr. Folds. Chair McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce, thank you
    for the opportunity to testify on behalf of Americans for the
    Arts and the NEA, something that is very important to me. I was
    here speaking to your committee 1 year ago, and I wish more
    people could see this side of D.C. It is really nice to see you
    all working together on something that is important to
    everybody, and it gave me some fuel to go back out and do it
    again for 1 year, something that I do as advocacy for arts.
        I have submitted written testimony for the record that
    presents arguments we know are effective in making the case for
    the National Endowment for the Arts. I state that I am asking
    for at least $170 million for the National Endowment for the
    Arts for the 2021 Fiscal Year. You all know this, but it is
    worth noting for the public watching that this request just
    brings us to the 1994 levels of investment for the NEA. That is
    not a big ask for something that is very important.
        I began my career as a rock and roll recording artist 30
    years ago, making albums and touring every corner of the U.S.
    It is kind of like I am on constant campaigning. I just talk to
    people. I am everywhere and talk to everybody. For the past 15
    years, a big part of my career has been performing with
    symphony orchestras in cities big and small. I just got back
    from performing two nights with the Minnesota Symphony. I
    performed with the Utah symphony in Salt Lake in April. I do
    that regularly. Tacoma Symphony Orchestra in November. I have
    done them all.
        One of my greatest experiences was Cleveland's Contemporary
    Youth Orchestra, and that is a total NEA success story. That is
    wonderful. It is 100 kids, all walks of life, and they are
    fantastic. They play all original music. I did five seasons of
    primetime NBC music television. I am about to embark on a TV
    series for Fred Rogers Productions composing songs with
    children. I am the artistic adviser to the National Symphony
    Orchestra at the Kennedy Center where my mission is to bring
    younger audiences to experience the symphony, an important part
    of our culture. It means a lot to me.
        At my own gigs, I tell each audience that the symphony
    orchestra is the artistic symbol for civilization, which I
    believe is very true. You are seeing 50, 60, 100 people on
    stage working together. The rhetoric that we use every day--in
    concert, in harmony. Those are all symbols of the symphony
    orchestra, and the symbols matters to me. That is what we take
    with our flag.
        I am a cold-hearted capitalist you should know----
        [Laughter.]
        Mr. Folds [continuing]. Who is grateful for the competitive
    environment in which I succeeded because it pushed me
    creatively, and it pushed me personally. So I come to you as an
    artist, an arts advocate, but also a small business owner
    because in rock music, the band runs out of gas and you are
    done. Zero-zero.
        A small business owner knows the difference between
    spending and investing. If you spend too much you fail. The NEA
    is to me, is a great investment. It is felt most profoundly in
    rural areas where an NEA dollar results in $9 in matching funds
    from the private sector. That is the kind of investment that
    satisfies the cold-hearted capitalist in myself.
        But the invaluable, irreplaceable service that the NEA
    offers most has to do with access to the arts. That is the
    important part to me is the access and the access for everyone.
    It is hard to do it any other way. It is not as much about
    supporting the arts, which is important, but it is about
    finding ways for the arts to support and help us. It is putting
    the arts to work, and you see that every day if you tour as
    much as I do.
        For profound examples of this, I don't have to draw from my
    professional career. I live in a small Hudson Valley River
    town. It is as small as a postage stamp. It is just a few
    blocks wide and deep. We have a very diverse population that
    you will ever see. It seems like a Kentucky rural countryside.
    It is sitting right next to Brooklyn. It is all together. But
    sadly, despite the proximity, there is not a lot of mingling.
    Different blocks, different stores, different churches despite
    all our best intentions.
        Just last December, I attended a fun little concert. It
    involved children, and it involved local professional
    performers, musicians, and dances. It was just so cool. I don't
    normally like stuff like this, but it was awesome. Kids from
    all the neighborhoods got together, sung together. The parents
    mingled. Everyone had a good time, and it is the first time I
    saw everyone together. I looked at the program, ``Made possible
    by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts,'' and they
    nailed it. They nail it all the time. And the people in the
    community made it work all the way to whatever level this has
    to come down from. We have a lot of arts, a lot of arts money
    in the Hudson, but I have never seen it bring people together
    like that.
        I think I am out of time, so I am just going to say that
    $170 million is not 50 cents a year per person. It is not quite
    50 cents. Over my lifetime, I have seen it increase at $1 per
    capita. Thanks for your time.
        [The statement of Mr. Folds follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Wonderful. Please.

                              ----------

                                          Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                    NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF STATE ARTS AGENCIES

                                    WITNESS

    PAMELA (PAM) BREAUX, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF STATE ARTS
        AGENCIES
        Ms. Breaux. Good morning.
        Ms. McCollum. Good morning.
        Ms. Breaux. Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce, and
    members of the committee, today, Members Pingree and Simpson,
    thank you for your invitation to deliver this testimony today
    regarding Federal appropriations for the National Endowment for
    the Arts. My name is Pam Breaux, and I serve as president and
    CEO of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, or NASAA,
    the organization that represents and serves the Nation's 56
    State and jurisdictional arts agencies. And today I am here to
    thank the committee, to thank the members for their tremendous
    support of the Arts Endowment, and urge the committee to
    consider funding it at $170 million in Fiscal Year 2021.
        In the recent funding bill passed by Congress, this
    subcommittee supported an increase in funding for the Agency.
    The States and NASAA are extremely grateful for this. We
    recognize that committee members worked together in a
    bipartisan manner to support the Endowment and its important
    contributions to our country. Through its highly-effective
    Federal/State partnership, the Endowment contributes 40 percent
    of its programmatic funds to State, jurisdictional, and
    regional arts agencies each year. That resulting $49 million
    Fiscal Year 2019 helped to empower States and regions to
    address their priorities.
        Unique among Federal agencies, the Endowment funds State
    plans. These plans are developed by State arts agencies in
    response to citizens, communities, arts organizations,
    legislators, and governors. That makes the Federal/State arts
    investment incredibly responsive and relevant to citizens. The
    report accompanying the last appropriations act affirmed
    Congress' support for this important partnership and its
    corresponding 40 percent allocation, and we thank the committee
    for this acknowledgement.
        State arts agencies use their share of Endowment funds
    combined with funds from State legislators to support about
    22,000 grants to arts and civic organizations and schools in
    more than 4,500 communities. Twenty-two percent of the grant
    awards go to non-metropolitan areas, supporting programs that
    benefit rural America, and 26 percent of State grant dollars go
    to arts education, fostering student success in and out of
    school. Congress' continued support of the 40 percent formula
    is essential to State arts agencies, boosting their ability to
    ensure that the arts benefit all communities regardless of
    wealth or geography.
        In response to an increased demand for arts programming for
    older Americans, for example, the Minnesota State Arts Board
    recently provided training for teaching artists to learn how to
    design and implement high-quality arts education programs
    specifically for older adults. With the total number of older
    adults in in Minnesota expected to double between 2010 and
    2030, creative aging programming is a key strategy for
    fostering positive aging and healthier lives. And the State
    Arts Board Programs will ensure that Minnesota artists are
    trained to provide these vital services.
        In an additional example, the Ohio Arts Council
    demonstrates its commitment to all the people of the State by
    successfully fulfilling its Fund Every County Initiative. Now
    all 88 counties in the State have received arts funding in
    response to their needs. Should Congress support an increase
    for the Arts Endowment, State arts agencies will be in a
    position to expand their meaningful work to help communities
    thrive as fulfilling and productive places to live, conduct
    business, visit, and raise families.
        NASAA and state arts agencies also applaud the Arts
    Endowment's many services to the country, including its
    leadership in developing noteworthy programs for communities,
    military personnel, veterans, students, and so many others. We
    proudly partner with the Endowment and work collaboratively
    with them to benefit all communities across the country because
    together we can accomplish what neither side can achieve alone.
        Thank you again for the opportunity to appear before you
    today. We look forward at NASAA to continuing to work
    productively with this committee, and we stand ready to serve
    as a resource to you. Thanks.
        [The statement of Ms. Breaux follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

    NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES AND THE STATE HUMANITIES COUNCILS

                                    WITNESS

    BETH KANE, GRANTEE, NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES AND THE STATE
        HUMANITIES COUNCILS
        Ms. Kane. Madam Chair and member of the subcommittee, thank
    you for this opportunity to present testimony on behalf of the
    State Humanities Councils, the state affiliates of the National
    Endowment for the Humanities. My name is Beth Kane, and I am
    director of the Norway Memorial Library in Norway, Maine.
        My institution has received no fewer than 24 grants from
    the Maine Humanities Council. I am here to request $170 million
    for the National Endowment for the Humanities for Fiscal Year
    2021, and $54 million for the Federal/State Partnership, which
    provides allocations by formula to the 56 humanities councils.
    Because this request is so important, I would like to tell you
    what the State Humanities Council support has done for Norway
    and other rural communities across our country.
        Norway, Maine is a town of about 5,000 people in southern
    Oxford County between Little Androscoggin River and the western
    foothills of the Mahoosuc Range of the White Mountains. The
    Norway Memorial Library has a staff of six and serves over
    40,000 visitors a year. Our most recent annual report records
    program attendance of 6,301. As in so many towns across rural
    America, the library in Norway is an anchor cultural and
    educational institution and plays a central role in the life of
    the community.
        The Maine Humanities Council has been our valued partner
    for more than 30 years. Through grant funding and program
    partnerships, the Council has helped to shape how we understand
    our work and clarify our vision for the kinds of intellectual
    and cultural opportunities we offer. In partnership with the
    Maine Humanities Council, the library has been home to popular
    book discussion programs for the general public and for low
    literacy adults, who may have never dreamed they would be part
    of a book group.
        Other offerings include lectures, theatrical presentations,
    and community discussions programs. To give just one example,
    in 2013, the library was awarded a Bridging Cultures Muslim
    Journeys Bookshelf by the American Library Association and the
    NEH. We turn to the Maine Humanities Council for financial
    support for cultural programming, including speakers,
    musicians, a film screening, and scholars to help lead book
    discussions.
        This year, several Norway organizations will come together
    to plan events for the State's bicentennial. The library and
    Norway Historical Society will seek Council support for
    programs as part of this series.
        Time and again we have seen hunger for this kind of
    programming, and it is no small thing when a discussion series
    on race and justice in America brings in 89 people over five
    discussions, or 52 people attend a talk by an Iranian immigrant
    sharing his family's story of building a life in Maine. These
    experiences have lasting impact on the life of the community.
        Maine Humanities Council programs and grants enable people
    in my town to access cultural and lifelong learning
    opportunities that the library simply could not provide on its
    own. The work of our State Humanities Council levels the
    playing field so that my small-town library can offer
    experiences equal and intellectual depths and breadth to those
    found in America's biggest cities. I am very proud that the
    Norway Memorial Library is a valuable resource for the people
    of my community, but I am not here today because my library is
    special. I am here because libraries serving communities like
    mine are partnering with their state humanities councils in
    every corner of America.
        What I have described in Norway is a microcosm of the
    impact State humanities council support has had on individuals
    and neighbors across our country. The councils make humanities
    programs possible in places where a small grant of several
    hundred to a few thousand dollars can make an enormous
    difference. The councils, along with the NEH, are now looking
    ahead to the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of
    Independence, an event that offers Americans the opportunity to
    renew our understanding of our founding principles, explore how
    they have been both challenged and reinforced, give voice to
    marginalized stories in communities, and deepen understanding
    of our collective history and the pillars of democracy. The
    State humanities councils can help make the next 5 years a time
    when we rededicate ourselves to strengthening civics education
    and reinvigorating our ability to work through differences.
        My written testimony describes a wide range of programs
    made possible by State humanities councils in communities large
    and small, in every corner of this Nation where residents are
    talking with each other about issues that matter. The State
    councils are well positioned to effectively put to use the $54
    million we are requesting through Federal/State partnerships.
        Thank you for this opportunity you have given me to
    testify, for the support you have provided over the years, and
    for the important work of the State humanities councils and the
    National Endowment for the Humanities.
        [The statement of Ms. Kane follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. This panel, and I know we have
    another speaker, but I set it up going in this direction. So we
    have heard from the Assembly of State Arts Agencies. We have
    heard from Americans from the Arts, and we have heard from the
    Endowment for the Humanities. And now we are going to hear from
    a very, very special American, one who not only shared her
    story, but her uncle's story, and how the arts and the
    humanities make it possible for us to say thank you for your
    service. Please introduce yourself for the record.

                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                          JEFFERSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

                                    WITNESS

    STEPHANIE ERIACHO, STUDENT VETERAN, JEFFERSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
        Ms. Eriacho. My name is Stephanie Eriacho, and I am a
    student at Jefferson Community College in Watertown, New York.
    Good morning. Thank you to the subcommittee for inviting me
    today to testify today. I am pleased to testify in support of
    the National Endowment for Humanities on behalf of the National
    Humanities Alliance.
        As I said, I am a student at Jefferson Community College,
    home to Fort Drum. I am a retired Navy veteran and aircraft
    mechanic by trade. I deployed 12 times, including a 7-month
    deployment to Iraq, and a 13-month deployment to Afghanistan.
        In 2018, the College offered a class for combat veterans
    called Dialogues of Honor and Sacrifice. The class made
    possible by a National Endowment for the Humanities grant was
    intended to teach the history, literature, and art of the
    Civil, Vietnam, and Iraq Wars. I was drawn to this course
    because I wanted to better understand my uncle's experience. He
    is an Army veteran who had been twice during the Vietnam War,
    and was awarded two Purple Hearts.
        I remember my uncle as being intimidating, quiet, and a
    scary man who wanted nothing to do with me. We hadn't spoken
    more than two full sentences to one another by the time I left
    to join the Navy in 1996. Nonetheless, I visited my uncle every
    chance I could during my time in the Navy, but nothing was as
    special as the visits after I experienced real combat
    deployments. Now, seeing me as a fellow combat veteran, he let
    down his guard. He smiled, laughed, and even joked around. My
    uncle was now able to talk, even just a little bit, about his
    experience in Vietnam. Knowing I could relate, he let me see
    his guilt and pain that he had been harboring for years: guilty
    for wanting to be proud of wearing his Army uniform even being
    spat on when he stepped off the plane; guilty for being able to
    come back home to his family unlike so many brothers who lost
    their lives in front of him.
        It was not until another tour in Afghanistan that I grew
    more like my uncle. When I returned, I began to self-medicate
    with alcohol, or I was working out 6 times a week for about 2
    hours a day to the point of exhaustion. My relationship with my
    husband, my children, and my family were severely strained. My
    children, especially my oldest, were afraid when I got angry. I
    could not wrap my head around why I felt lost, alone, and
    misunderstood. It was in the midst of these challenges that I
    had the opportunity to take the Dialogues of Honor and
    Sacrifice course, and while I hoped the focus on the Vietnam
    War would help me understand more about my uncle, I didn't
    realize how it would affect me. How it would help me as well.
        The course began 2 weeks before JCC's 2018 fall semester
    with a week-long trip that took both professors and students to
    Gettysburg, Arlington National Cemetery, and Washington, D.C.
    We learned the history of the sites and bonded quickly.
    Although we were strangers, we were interested in one another,
    taking turns, talking and listening. Sometimes no words needed
    to be spoken, only the presence of a fellow combat soldier who
    understood.
        Fall semester began with the trip still fresh in our minds,
    and we dove straight into the history of all three wars. We
    studied contrasts and similarities between the three wars, but
    to our amazement, we realized that these soldiers were not so
    different from us. Experiences in Vietnam, the battle, and the
    firefights in Iraq were also similar. As veterans of Iraq and
    Afghanistan, we could relate to stories from a Civil War. This
    camaraderie across conflicts was amazing. It was a special bond
    that most could never fathom.
        Our focus shifted to poetry, literature, music, and art as
    we read, Here, Bullet, a book of short poems. Our task was to
    create our own poem, intimidating at first, but became a
    touching, lasting experience, a liberating sense of freedom to
    open your heart and pour every brutal emotion onto paper so
    that readers can experience the reality. When we moved to The
    Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, it became everyone's
    favorite because every student carried something special in
    their combat war zone. We related to one another across
    different branches of military, different theaters of war, and
    even drastically different duties while at war.
        Moving towards the last 2 weeks of the week, we entered the
    world of art. Each student was given a blank masquerade mask to
    decorate it as we saw ourselves. The introspection and self-
    evaluation produced every raw emotion I have ever felt as they
    flooded onto my mask. The syllabus surely did not reflect
    therapy or liberation as a goal, but it helped me face my past
    with the realization that none of us are alone in the battle of
    normalcy. The curriculum allowed everyone to engage and
    challenge one another. They forced everyone to try different
    perspectives and even think differently than they normally may.
        During the last week of the course, we had the privilege of
    speaking with two Vietnam veterans. My initial drive for
    pursuing this program was upon me, trying to understand my
    uncle, hoping to learn how to bond with him. I learned horrific
    details from these Vietnam veterans, but ones I wanted to hear,
    ones I knew would help me relate to my uncle. But I also began
    to realize that searching for a better understanding about my
    uncle was not as impossible as I thought.
        Our lives and experience paralleled each other at each
    times; occasionally, even mirrored one another. My experiences
    were less gruesome and less drastic, but in the end, he and I
    carried the same demon from war. We are kept awake at night for
    the same reasons. Through a combination of course and therapy,
    my night terrors have lessened dramatically. Anxiety attacks
    are almost gone. I still avoid big crowds, but I have learned
    to work through my fears. My relationship with my family, both
    immediate and extended, have improved and are no longer
    strained. For the first time in my life, I have been at peace
    with myself and no longer self-medicate to drown out the noises
    in my head.
        I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to take this
    course and appreciate the support the subcommittee has offered
    NEH in recent years, making programs like this possible. To
    ensure that more veterans and all Americans can benefit from
    humanities as I did, I ask that you fund the NEH at $170
    million for the Fiscal Year of 2021. Thank you for your time.
        [The statement of Ms. Eriacho follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you, and the Mask Program is something
    that I have seen that we have worked with other arts
    organizations, Americans for the Arts. So thank you so much for
    your testimony. Ms. Pingree, do you have a question for the
    panelists?
        Ms. Pingree. So many, but I have a feeling you want me to
    keep it short.
        Ms. McCollum. I can tap you lightly. [Laughter.]
        Ms. Pingree. Okay. Well, first, Madam Chair, thank you.
    This is a wonderful panel. I know it is going to be a great
    morning of panelists, but this is really a great, as you said,
    sort of transition between looking at the big picture. And
    thank you so much for sharing your personal story. That is just
    really profound. I don't think any of us could say it better
    about how the arts can impact an individual, a family, and
    obviously the community. You took the course, that is really
    great, and I really appreciate you sharing so much with us.
        And to all of you, thank you. Of course, we are great fans
    of Americans for the Arts, and really appreciate all that they
    do in--in the national perspective on all of this. And for you
    to make this part of your career, it is really beneficial. We
    love the state associations for the arts, and it is important
    to us. And, Beth, thank you so much for coming from the State
    of Maine. I am honored to have you here. And, of course, if you
    lived in the State of Maine, there is only 1.3 million people,
    and we joke we are just a small town with very long roads.
    [Laughter.]
        And, of course, Beth and I hadn't seen each for a very long
    time, and then we realized that were closely connected by her
    husband. And that is just how it is in Maine. You know everyone
    one way or the other. And thank you for the great work. I
    really appreciated the fact that you brought it home to all of
    us that in every small rural town, there isn't sufficient
    funds. There aren't sufficient funds to support the kinds of
    works that the NEA and the NEH do. And I don't think people
    realize how profound that is, the number of people who would
    come in to hear the experience of an Iranian immigrant or to
    come in and talk about race, and, you know, many challenges
    that are faced in every single community. And you all really
    brought that out about how the arts can bring us all together.
        So I am obviously making a statement, not asking a
    question, but just quickly because I won't have as much time as
    I would like. But is there more that you could do? I mean, I
    hope we can fund at $170 million, and based on all your
    testimony, we should be doing this at $170 billion, I don't
    know. You know, it should be twice that, right? [Laughter.]
        Mr. Simpson. I don't know about all that. [Laughter.]
        Ms. Pingree. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Okay, but, as you said, I
    think less than 50 cents a person. I think this is a
    contribution we would all make seeing the work that you did.
    But just quickly share with us, what could you do if you had a
    little more money, and why is it so important in a community
    like Norway because I am assuming you wouldn't find these funds
    in the communities' budget.
        Ms. Kane. We would not. We have great support in our
    community, but a lot of it is not necessarily financial
    support. We could always do more. We try to keep in the back
    pocket availability and openness to programs that come our way.
    We are always keeping our eyes and ears open. We can't do
    everything on a shoestring. We have very generous authors and
    professionals in Maine who come to libraries, but money always
    helps. What we find is the cultural aspect, discussing a book
    is one thing, but when you can actually bring in speakers or
    musicians, or take the food, or hear more in depth, it grows
    and expands that experience for everyone in the community. That
    frequently takes money that we don't necessarily have.
        Ms. Pingree. Well, thank you. I would love to ask you all a
    question, but I know I will get in trouble. But thank you so
    much. You really gave great testimony this morning. Thank you,
    Madam Chair.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Simpson.
        Mr. Simpson. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you all for
    being here to testify. This is an area that I think is very
    important, and I think it is bipartisan between Republicans and
    Democrats. Several years ago I said, I guess about 4 or 5 years
    ago, we had one of the directors for the NEA out in Idaho. In
    fact, I think I have had the last four out to Idaho. Last
    summer we had Mary Anne Carter and toured the State for a few
    days and stopped at local arts councils and everything. I said,
    you know what we need to do is find a plan where we can project
    5 years ahead where we would like to double the investment in
    the arts and humanities, and put that one a glide path somehow
    as they did in 1994 when they said they wanted to NIH funding
    over a 5-year period, and they did it.
        When you look at our total budget of stuff, $170 million is
    not all that much money. But they do incredible work in
    communities all across this country, and it has been, as I
    said, my pleasure to have the directors of both the National
    Endowment for the Arts and Humanities out to the State. In
    fact, I had the director for the National Endowment for the
    Humanities bring to Boise one day when I was there about 10 or
    12 people who had gotten grants, that the State had given
    grants to. And we sat around the table, and they each talked
    about what they were doing and why they were doing it, and so
    forth. It is fascinating stuff, but it is very important.
        Pam, you mentioned 40 percent of the $170 million, if you
    got that, goes to the States. Is that true? Is that the same in
    the Humanities? What is the split between State and----
        Ms. Kane. I haven't done the percentage. That sounds about
    right. Yes, thank you. Yeah, this is my homework.
        Mr. Simpson. Is that the right split?
        Ms. Breaux. Yeah, it is about the same. They parallel. To
    my humanities? Yeah, they are parallel.
        Mr. Simpson. Is that the right split?
        Ms. Breaux. It is. I think it is an important split. Forty
    percent is meaningful and goes a long way to match State
    dollars for important programming, and it is also meaningful
    that the National Endowment for the Arts retains 60 percent of
    its funding at the national level because it allows arts
    organizations across the country to compete in a national pool.
    And those who are able to do that find incredible leverage
    within that to go out and raise other resources for
    programming.
        Mr. Simpson. And I think it is probably true for most of us
    is that, you know, I am not worried about the arts in New York,
    or the arts in Washington, or the arts in Los Angeles. I am
    worried about the arts in Salmon, Idaho.
        Ms. Breaux. Right.
        Mr. Simpson. And how do we make sure that we can continue
    to support the arts communities in rural America----
        Ms. Breaux. Right.
        Mr. Simpson [continuing]. That don't have access to a lot
    of these things? So it has been fantastic what they have been
    doing. I hope they continue it. I have always questioned
    whether 60/40 was the right split or whatever, and I don't know
    what it is, but I know that my wife is on the Idaho Falls Arts
    Council, and there is one person they do have to satisfy in
    this world. [Laughter.]
        And so I do whatever I can.
        Ms. Breaux. One additional note on the importance of the
    investment on the Federal side, on the 60 percent side, is it
    allows both the Endowments, I think, to invest in new work that
    then can have a major ripple effect. And a prime example of
    that would be both Endowments' investments in arts and
    humanities and military, right?
        Mr. Simpson. Yeah.
        Ms. Breaux. It is both the Endowments that began those
    pilots that have led to so much important work now going on
    across the country in arts and humanities to benefit members of
    the military. And that had to be tested and created someplace,
    and it is the leadership shown at both Endowments that enable
    that to happen. So that is another important part of a strong
    investment on the Federal side, that leadership and what they--
    --
        Mr. Simpson. You talked about the authors, and the Idaho
    Humanities Council brings out authors and does a lecture in
    north Idaho and southeast Idaho, and southwestern Idaho, and
    they have been fascinating. And ever since I started going to
    those when I can, when I get out of here and go to them, it has
    cost me a lot of money. Then I support the humanities, and last
    year, we had Douglas Brinkley that wrote ``Moonshot,'' and
    listening to him talk about it all is just fantastic. So
    anyway, Stephanie, thank you for your testimony. We appreciate
    it very much.
        Ms. McCollum. As I mentioned, I have another committee that
    I am going to be going to later, and it is the one that
    oversees the defense money. And we are having the Department of
    Defense, now that the humanities and the arts have proven ways
    in which to help our service men and women heal, recover, be
    resilient, be strong, they are stepping up to the plate in
    order to free up more dollars for more opportunities to work
    with our communities at large. And when you help a veteran, you
    help their family, and I say that as a daughter of a veteran,
    so.
        But, Mr. Folds, I want to know, when you mentioned working
    on this project with the Rogers Foundation, with kids, my kids
    had an artist in residence, and the ``Peanut Butter and Jelly
    Sandwich'' song has not left my head since you mentioned that.
    [Laughter.]
        So will you help me think about something else today and
    just kind of tell me where you are going to go? What are some
    of the goals and aspirations, because I think it is really
    important to get into schools and for kids to understand music
    is language, music is math.
        Mr. Folds. Exactly, yeah.
        Ms. McCollum. Music is transformative.
        Mr. Folds. Yeah. I mean, the angle of the show that I am
    doing with the Rogers Foundation is music as communication
    first and foremost. I mean, the human brain works that way. You
    know, if a little kid says, I want to go home, it is like,
    okay, we have got to a song. You do that 3 times. [Laughter.]
        Mr. Simpson. We begin to think that doing is an art is
    great. It is hijacking something that we already do in
    communication, and if you can teach a kid that and not
    intimidate them too badly at the beginning about are you going
    to be a musician, are you going to be proficient at it or not.
    When you learn art as, you know, painting, the first thing you
    do when you are a little kid is you do something that is an
    original piece that came out of you. When you do music, not so
    much. You know, you are usually learning dead German music, you
    know?
        And I think it is really important to do both, but this
    show is an attempt to, and it has been really successful so far
    in the pilots that we have done. The kids have all kinds of
    ideas. Behind we will have a student group of musicians that
    are a little bit older so they can see that you could get good.
        Ms. McCollum. Yeah.
        Mr. Folds. Plus I give them the riff. So if the kid has
    said, I want to go home, I am like, okay, harp plays this, you
    play this, and now say what you just said. And they say it, and
    they sing it, and they come up with new ideas. So I think it is
    good because it is not for kids who are going to grow and be
    musicians. It is for kids to grow up and have an idea of how to
    speak publicly, how to organize their lives, how to connect
    abstract and critical thinking together. And I am inspired by
    it.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, I want to thank the first panel for
    setting the table literally up here for what we are going to
    hear the rest of the morning and this afternoon. Thank you very
    much. Thank you, Stephanie.
        Ms. Eriacho. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. It is always a good sign when people are
    still talking after a panel has left, but I want to be
    respectful of everyone's time. So I am going to, because we are
    already a little behind, we are not going to introduce
    everybody twice. I am just going to let you folks take it. You
    sat in order, and introduce yourself and your organization
    because we want to have time for questions. So, please.
        Ms. Onley. Is it on?
        Ms. McCollum. The little red light is on.
        Ms. Onley. Okay.
                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                             THE NATURE CONSERVANCY

                                    WITNESS

    KAMERAN ONLEY, DIRECTOR OF U.S. GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, THE NATURE
        CONSERVANCY
        Ms. Onley. Thank you very much for the opportunity to be
    here. It is hard to follow that last panel. That was pretty
    moving and very exhilarating. On a personal note, I will start
    with I am Kameran Onley. I am the director for U.S. policy and
    government relations at the Nature Conservancy. And on a
    personal note, as I was sitting there listening to your last
    panelist, I was thinking of my daughter who is 12, and she is
    literally going through a test right now on the American
    Revolution and the Declaration of Independence. And it has just
    been so fun for me to tell her that I am coming up here to talk
    to you, really exercising democracy. I wish she could be with
    me here today, but she is taking a science test also.
    [Laughter.]
        But just thank you. It is really timely for me.
        So Chairwoman McCollum, Congressman Simpson, and members of
    the committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit our
    recommendations, the Nature Conservancy's recommendations, for
    Fiscal Year 2021. The Nature Conservancy is an international
    organization. We are in all 50 States, but also around the
    world, working to protect ecologically important lands, waters
    for people and nature. Building on the themes that you heard
    from our last panel, you know, the nature really unites people.
    We see that across the country. It brings people together to
    work on issues they care deeply about in their community. It
    also heals people. We have seen more and more science where we
    have seen veterans use our rivers, use our parks, use our
    nature to really heal after some very traumatic events.
        We would like to thank you all on the committee for the
    work that we do over the years with policy initiatives on the
    ground. Chairwoman McCollum, you have been just a champion for
    the Land and Water Conservation Fund. We cannot thank you
    enough for that, increasing the funding for the conservation
    not just for your home State, but for projects around the
    country, nationwide. I also wanted to recognize Ranking Member
    Joyce has continued support for the Great Lakes Initiative. It
    has been great.
        Each one of you have done work with us, the Nature
    Conservancy, in your home States, but also nationwide. We
    cannot thank you enough. We have a lot of it in our submitted
    testimonies. I can't highlight it all, so I apologize for that.
    We have to be brief. Those are just two examples of where we
    have worked with you.
        As we enter the Fiscal Year 2021 budget cycle and likely
    another challenging fiscal environment, the Conservancy wishes
    to thank all of you for the 2020 programs and the support
    there. Our budget recommendations that we submitted to you in
    full reflect a balanced approach from the funding levels that
    we have seen in prior years.
        The Fiscal Year 2020 spending package dedicated $495
    million dollars to the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Thank
    you. This is a fund that has seen strong bipartisan support,
    again, bringing people together, and the Conservancy
    appreciates Congress' commitment to the funding of important
    projects on the ground and the recreational project that that
    program delivers across the country.
        The Conservancy this year is supporting $900 million full
    funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. We are
    looking forward to that, but also looking forward to working
    with all of you to see a permanent funding fix for that
    program.
        We strongly support funding for habitat and wildlife
    conservation investments, like the Cooperative Endangered
    Species Fund and the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program.
    These and other investments are essential to ensuring that we
    take strategic actions to prevent species from being listed as
    threatened or endangered. Notably, the Conservancy requests
    continued investment in ongoing efforts to restore and conserve
    sagebrush habitat and the greater sage-grouse across Federal,
    State, tribal, and private lands.
        These resources are needed to implement on-the-ground
    projects and monitor habitat treatments, address fire, invasive
    grasses, and facilitate the partnerships and the science needed
    that for effective conservation. We also urge the subcommittee
    to continue its support for programs that focus on specific
    geographic areas. I mentioned the Great Lakes Restoration
    Initiative, but the EPA's programs and the Chesapeake Bay,
    Puget Sound, Long Island Sound, Gulf of Mexico programs, all of
    those contribute to protecting habitat, water quality on a
    large landscape scale. These programs have a proven record of
    supporting the States' voluntary restoration efforts, and the
    Conservancy urges the committee to continue to support strong
    Fiscal Year 2020 funding for these programs.
        I will close by thanking all of you for the continued work
    to address wildfire funding. Congress took major steps to
    stabilize the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service as
    well as the Department of Interior's budgets with the 2018 fire
    fix. However, the fire fix will only be fully successful
    without substantial reinvestment and the programs that help
    those forests be resilient. Strategic, proactive hazardous fuel
    and restoration treatments have proven to be safe and cost
    effective in reducing risks, and leaving forests a more natural
    condition resilient to those wildfires.
        Again, thank you for the opportunity to be here and to
    submit the Nature Conservancy's recommendations for Fiscal Year
    2021.
        [The statement of Ms. Onley follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                            AMERICAN HIKING SOCIETY

                                    WITNESS

    KATHRYN VAN WAES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMERICAN HIKING SOCIETY
        Ms. Van Waes. Thank you. I am Kate Van Waes, executive
    director of American Hiking Society. Chair McCollum and members
    of the subcommittee, on behalf of American Hiking Society and
    the Trails Move People Coalition, I thank the committee for the
    opportunity to provide testimony today on the vital importance
    of adequately funding our Nation's trails and public lands to
    ensure access for all.
        This is about more than preserving precious ecological and
    cultural treasures. Children's outside playtime is shrinking,
    and the gap between the diversity of our Nation and the
    diversity of those spending time outdoors is widening,
    resulting in measurable detriment to mental and physical health
    and development. We cannot afford to push trail funding to the
    sidelines.
        American Hiking Society is the only national nonprofit
    organization dedicated to empowering all, and I stress all, to
    enjoy, share, and preserve the hiking experience. We envision a
    world where everyone feels welcome in the hiking community and
    has permanent access to meaningful hiking. Our efforts ensure
    funding for hiking trails, the preservation of natural areas,
    and expansion of access to and inclusion in outdoor recreation.
    American Hiking Society has mobilized over 558,000 trail
    volunteers to construct and maintain 41,000 miles of trails on
    Federal and State public lands at a value of over $108 million
    in labor.
        I am also testifying today on behalf of the newly-formed
    Trails Move People Coalition. The member organizations of the
    Coalition represent millions of Americans who spend their time,
    money, and energy to get out on trails for recreation and
    volunteer activities. I thank the subcommittee for in recent
    years leading congressional efforts to provide incremental
    increases in funding that benefit trails and the hiking
    community, and I encourage continued progress, and know I am
    speaking to friends today. I will highlight a few of these
    funding priorities today with the full list of recommendations
    provided in my written statement.
        We are grateful to the subcommittee for providing increased
    funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund in Fiscal Year
    2020. Like the Nature Conservancy, we are urging full funding
    at $900 million. The LWCF protects and makes accessible much of
    our Nation's trails, public lands, parks, and open spaces. One
    great example is the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership
    Program. This innovative program has made real progress in
    expanding access to outdoor spaces for urban communities,
    especially urban communities of color, whose access to and
    inclusion in outdoor recreation have been disproportionately
    negatively impacted by geography, socioeconomic status, and
    other factors. Along with full LWCF funding, passage of the
    Outdoors for All Act will help programs, like Outdoor
    Recreation Legacy, thrive.
        Hiking, simply walking along a trail, be it urban or wild,
    poses the fewest participation barriers of almost any outdoor
    activity. But it requires trails, paved and unpaved, and trails
    don't build and maintain themselves. That requires human labor
    and Federal funding. Specifically, for the Forest Service,
    which is responsible for over 80 percent of all federally-
    managed trails in the U.S., we recommend funding the capital
    improvement and maintenance trails budget at $100 million,
    which will allow the completion of annual maintenance needs and
    begin addressing the huge trail maintenance backlog.
        For the Bureau of Land Management, we urge the creation of
    a trail specific line item in their budget. The BLM manages
    over 13,000 miles of trails, traversing a rich diversity of
    landscapes for hikers, anglers, hunters, and other outdoor
    enthusiasts. Unlike other Federal land managers, though, BLM
    does not have an individual funding line item for trails,
    resulting in inconsistent funding levels and a lack of clarity
    on allocations. For the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we
    recommend funding for refuge visitor services at just over $74
    million. National wildlife refuges provide incredible
    opportunities for outdoor recreation on 11 national scenic and
    historic trails and 44 national recreation trails, supporting
    more than 37,000 jobs.
        In conclusion, the nearly 1 million square miles that
    comprise U.S. public lands are our most treasured natural,
    historic, and cultural resource. Whether you are a hiker
    enjoying the abundance of American trails, which span over 4
    times the total length of interstate highways, whether you are
    a member of the indigenous populations for whom these lands are
    their ancestral homes, or one of the 145 million outdoor
    recreation users, our public lands are of incalculable value to
    hundreds of millions of Americans. As we all strive together to
    protect these lands and trails and make them accessible and
    welcoming to all communities for generations to come, Congress
    must do its part to ensure adequate funding. I thank the
    committee for holding this public witness day and providing me
    with the opportunity to give this testimony.
        [The statement of Ms. Van Waes follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                       CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL COALITION

                                    WITNESS

    AMANDA WHEELOCK, POLICY AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, CONTINENTAL DIVIDE
        TRAIL COALITION
        Ms. Wheelock. Chair McCollum and members of the
    subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on
    behalf of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, a nonprofit
    organization with the mission to complete, promote, and protect
    the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. My name is Amanda
    Wheelock, and I am the policy and communications manager for
    the Coalition.
        For those who haven't had the fortune of visiting the
    Continental Divide Trail, usually known simply as the CDT,
    travels 3,100 miles along the spine of the Rocky Mountains,
    connecting the vibrant Tonahutu of the southern New Mexican
    desert to the equally brilliant yellow larches of Glacier
    National Park in northern Montana, as well as countless natural
    historical and cultural treasures in between, including several
    hundred miles in the 2nd District of Idaho.
        The Continental Divide Trail Coalition and our members
    greatly appreciate your previous support for the CDT and the
    entire National Trail System through appropriations to our land
    management agency partners to build and maintain these trails,
    and respectfully request that you continue and increase the
    support as detailed in our written testimony. We are also
    grateful for your efforts to increase appropriations for the
    Land and Water Conservation Fund, often referred to as
    America's best conservation program and the subject of my
    testimony today.
        Statistics abound on the myriad successes of LWCF, but I
    myself prefer stories to statistics. So let's imagine ourselves
    on the CDT for a, moment walking just a few miles outside of
    Steamboat Springs, Colorado on a warm summer's day. As we walk,
    shimmering Aspen Groves and golden rangeland stretch beyond the
    horizon in front of us as does the black pavement of the
    highway we are walking on. An 18-wheeler whizzes by just 5 or 6
    feet away, followed by a long line of cars stuck behind it,
    cursing and wishing they could get up to Rabbit Ears Pass even
    quicker than they are now. Here in northern Colorado, due to a
    lack of public land, the CDT is forced to follow along the
    shoulder of Highways 14 and 40 for almost 15 miles, tempting no
    one but the most determined of through-hikers to experience
    this particularly dangerous section of this National Scenic
    Trail.
        Despite more than 4 decades of work by dedicated Land
    Management agency staff, nonprofit partners, volunteers, and
    members of trail site communities, the Continental Divide Trail
    remains incomplete due to gaps just like this one in public
    land ownership along its corridor. Without LWCF funding, there
    is no realistic way to acquire the lands necessary to create a
    continuous corridor for the trail, leaving what should be a
    world-class recreational resource with no path to completion.
    That is why the Continental Divide Trail Coalition respectfully
    requests $900 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund
    in Fiscal Year 2021, because we believe that resources like the
    Continental Divide National Scenic Trail deserve the protection
    via LWCF that they were promised.
        And we are not alone in this belief. A full 98 percent of
    small business owners along the CDT support Congress providing
    dedicated full funding for the Land and Water Conservation
    Fund, and just last year, more than 200 of those business
    owners along the trail went a step further, signing open
    letters urging their senators and representatives to provide
    LWCF with full permanent funding. Residents of Steamboat
    Springs, which became an official CDT gateway community in
    2018, want dearly to see their section of trail moved off of
    the highway and made footing of a National Scenic Trail.
        The Yampa Valley Community Foundation has provided funding
    to CDTC to support our work to close the gap. Big Agnes, a
    multimillion-dollar and much beloved gear company borne out
    Steamboat Springs, rallied their entire staff of more than a
    120 people to relay all 750 miles of the CDT in Colorado to
    raise awareness of the trail and the need for its completion.
    And many local residents stand willing and ready to volunteer
    to build the new trail section. Steamboat Springs resident,
    Kathleen Lynch, perhaps captured their spirit best when she
    said, ``It is so much more than a trail to the people who live
    here. It feels so much a part of what defines us as a community
    that protecting it is inherent to what we believe in.''
        The Land and Water Conservation Fund is vital to
    communities like Steamboat Springs all across the United
    States, to their economies, to their health, and to their
    identities. We hope to see you invest in these communities and
    in our public lands by fully funding LWCF in Fiscal Year 2021.
    Thank you for your time today and for your consideration of
    these important requests.
        [The statement of Ms. Wheelock follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                   PARTNERSHIP FOR THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM

                                    WITNESS

    KATHY DECOSTER, ADVOCACY & POLICY COORDINATOR, PARTNERSHIP FOR THE
        NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM
        Ms. DeCoster. Good morning. My name is Kathy DeCoster, and
    thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I am testifying
    this morning on behalf of the Partnership of the National Trail
    System, but I wanted to echo what Kameran and others earlier
    have said about our appreciation for the time you put into
    these public witness days. It is probably underappreciated or
    certainly unknown maybe outside these walls, but we are very
    grateful that you are listening to the American people for many
    days. I am just glad I am on the early panel. [Laughter.]
        I am testifying today for the Partnership, which represents
    the 30 congressionally-designated national historic and scenic
    trails that make up the National Trail System. I brought a
    couple of maps to look at while we are talking because you may
    know about the one or two trails that are in your district or
    your State, but you may not know that there is at least one
    national trail in each of the 50 States. Altogether, they are a
    significant public land resource for the American people worthy
    of investment.
        The 19 national historic trails help tell our uniquely
    American story from colonial exploration, to the forced
    relocation of Native Americans, to the civil rights struggle,
    and so much more. And the 11 National Scenic Trails, like
    Amanda just discussed, along the Continental Divide Trail,
    provide millions of Americans with access to the outdoors over
    thousands of miles close to home and in remote wilderness
    areas.
        Here are some quick statistics to keep in mind. These 30
    trails connect with 84 national parks, 89 national forests, 70
    national wildlife refuges, over 100 BLM public land areas, and
    179 national wilderness areas. The individual national trails
    and their supporting groups have engaged 129 trail towns mostly
    in rural areas at the local level, and they run near or through
    100 major urban areas. So the system is really something we are
    working to expand and appreciate the support you all have
    given. Your ongoing commitment in the past and last year's
    appropriations bill has made an enormous difference to this
    system and to the successful work of trail groups and trail
    administrators on the ground.
        It is also worth noting that in 2019, the Federal funds
    invested in the trails leveraged over $13 million in private
    funding and 1 million volunteer hours that are valued at almost
    $26 million. So you can be assured that every dollar you
    appropriate is stretched much farther on the ground, and the
    Partnership is committed to expanding this leveraging power of
    the national trails. This impressive system of trails is not
    yet complete, however, as Amanda talked about so effectively.
    In order to ensure that the national trails serve the American
    people most effectively, we are requesting investments in
    Fiscal Year 2021 for operations, construction, and maintenance
    for all 30 trails in the Park Service, the Forest Service, and
    the Bureau of Land Management, and full funding at $900 million
    for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, with over $38 million
    of that allocated for the parks. I mean, for the trails. My old
    job just surfaced. Sorry.
        Ms. McCollum. As you say, everything connects.
        Ms. DeCoster. Everything connects. [Laughter.]
        These funds are critical to ensuring that the integrity of
    the trails that make up the National Trail System is supported
    and enhanced now and into the future.
        My written testimony includes specific funding requests for
    the varied needs within the Agency's operations, construction,
    and maintenance categories for all 30 trails, and we are happy
    to dig in later as you put your bill together on those. We also
    want to extend our gratitude, as others have, for your
    continued robust investments in the Land and Water Conservation
    Fund and the annual allocations to specific national trails.
        We call for full funding for LWCF in Fiscal Year 2021 so
    that the entire $900 million that is deposited into the LWCF
    account every year can be allocated by Congress by this
    subcommittee to the conservation and recreation programs for
    which that funding is intended. We understand that within your
    current budget allocations this is very challenging as well as
    your need to meet all the other programs, as has been testified
    to and will continue to be today. So that said, we were very
    heartened to see a final LWCF appropriation in Fiscal Year 2020
    that was the highest in 17 years. We really appreciate that.
        LWCF funding for the national trails is critical. There
    continued to be identified needs for land acquisitions along
    several national trails, totaling almost $40 million in Fiscal
    Year 2021, and the specifics are highlighted in our written
    testimony. Full funding of LCWF and the allocation of some of
    those funds to specific trails will give trail managers the
    tools they need to protect important trail resources and ensure
    that the National Trail System can meet the needs of the
    American people.
        Thank you again for allowing us to testify today, and we
    look forward to working with you as you put your bill together.
        [The statement of Ms. DeCoster follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Well, thank you, and thank you very much for
    helping me make the case, along with all the colleagues on this
    committee, that we need a bigger baseline budget. And thank you
    for the acknowledgement for what this committee did for all
    LCWF. But we need your help in getting a bigger topline number
    altogether, and many of the programs that you pointed out, you
    also want to see an increase in, and that is some of the lines
    in Forest, and BLM, and Park. So altogether, it just puts more
    pressure on the dollars.
        And I appreciate also the singling out of some of the
    trails and some of the connections that you want to do, but as
    of right now, we are not able to specify anything but putting
    things in the topline number due to constraints with not having
    full agreement with my colleagues on the other side of the
    aisle that that we can specify certain trails or certain
    projects. I would like to see us do some of that where we can
    get something completed and done, and move on to the next one,
    but that is the discussion that will continue to take place on
    this side of the Capitol, but also has to take place on the
    other side of the Capitol to do that.
        So thank you. I just want to thank you for helping me make
    the case where we need to work with a bigger allocation, and
    for also recognizing not only the testimony that you heard
    today, but what we will hear from our tribal brothers and
    sisters who also work on many of the projects that you are
    working on together. So I can't thank you enough. I don't have
    a question for you because you got everything laid out for me
    to take when I go in and make my argument. So thank you from
    the top of my heart for helping me make the case that our
    subcommittee needs a larger allocation, period. And we all want
    to work together for finding that permanent funding solution
    for LWCF because that will help this committee in being able to
    move forward on those joint projects that you so all eloquently
    put out. Ms. Pingree?
        Ms. Pingree. No, I didn't really have anything. I
    appreciate your helping people to understand just beyond this
    room that it is the big number that governs everything else. So
    thanks for everyone's hard work and doing all that we can. I
    get to work with almost all of you, except the Continental
    Divide, which is way too far away. [Laughter.]
        But anyway, it is a wonderful part of the trail system, and
    thanks for providing this map. It is really impressive to see
    what all of them are. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        Ms. McCollum. And I know, having worked on environmental
    policy for many, many years, Peter, we like you. But I just
    want to cherish this moment of all the women sitting here at
    the table on both sides. [Laughter.]
        Thank you very much. Thank you.
        [Applause.]
        Ms. DeCoster. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. So as I pointed out--thank you to the third
    panel--we have colleagues coming in and out. We have full
    testimony in front of us, and they will be joining back again
    shortly. I figured out a way to kind of get us back on time,
    and that is not to do the double introductions. So, Ms. White,
    I am going to let you lead it off and give us the full
    background of who you are supporting, and go right into your
    testimony. And we will start it will start the timer when you
    go into your testimony, not for introducing yourself. Thank
    you.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                         GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

                                    WITNESS

    KASEY WHITE, DIRECTOR FOR GEOSCIENCE POLICY, GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF
        AMERICA
        Ms. White. Okay, wonderful. Thank you so much, Chairwoman
    McCollum. My name is Kasey White, and I am pleased to testify
    today in support of the U.S. Geological Survey, on behalf of
    the Geological Society of America. GSA is a scientific society
    with more than 20,000 members from Academia industry, and
    government in more than 100 countries. GSA applauds the work of
    the subcommittee to increase the USGS budget in Fiscal Year
    2020. Thank you for supporting the Survey and ensuring its
    ability to continue to serve the Nation through its research
    and partnerships.
        GSA or urges Congress to build on these investments and
    provide USGS with $1.35 billion in Fiscal Year 2021. This
    increase will allow the USGS to implement new initiatives
    created by recent legislation, sustain base funding for
    critical research and monitoring, and update and maintain its
    facilities.
        The USGS is one of the Nation's premier science agencies
    with the distinctive capacity to engage interdisciplinary teams
    of experts to gather data, conduct research, and develop
    integrated decision support tools about our earth. In addition
    to underpinning the science activities and decisions of the
    Department of the Interior, USGS research is used by
    communities and businesses Across the Nation to make informed
    decisions regarding land use planning, emergency response,
    natural resource management, engineering, and education.
        The recent passage of several pieces of legislation
    illustrates the bipartisan congressional support for the
    Agency. Last year, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation
    Management and Recreation Act established a national volcano
    early warning and monitoring system at the USGS, and
    reauthorize the USGS' National Cooperative Geologic Mapping
    Program. The previous year, the enactment of the National
    Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2018
    reauthorized and expanded this important program, including
    adding our earthquake early warning capabilities. GSA
    recommends adequate funding to implement these laws.
        USGS research addresses many of society's greatest
    challenges. For example, natural hazards are a major cause of
    fatalities and economic losses. NOAA found that in 2019, the
    United States saw 14 weather and climate events with losses
    exceeding $1 billion, which included floods, severe storms,
    tropical cyclones, and wildfires. USGS data is utilized by
    decision makers in many sectors to mitigate the effects of
    these natural disasters. For example, the aviation sector
    relies upon USGS volcano monitoring to create safe flight
    routes. NOAA depends on data from the USGS to issue flood,
    drought, and tsunami warnings.
        USGS is a key partner in obtaining measurements necessary
    to predict severe space weather events, which can have drastic
    impacts on the electric power grid, satellite communications,
    and navigation systems as highlighted in the March 2019
    executive order coordinating national resilience to
    electromagnetic pulses. GSA urges investment in the USGS
    hazards programs as an improved scientific understanding of
    these events will reduce future losses by informing effective
    planning and mitigation.
        In addition to conducting research on long-term patterns of
    climate change, USGS connects science to local communities.
    Climate adaptation science centers provide scientific
    information necessary to anticipate, monitor, and adapt to the
    effects of climate change at regional and local levels. These
    centers work with communities to make smart, cost-effective
    decisions on issues as diverse as protecting cultural resources
    to planning for wildfires. GSA appreciates the expansion of
    this important program and Fiscal Year 2020.
        As the U.S. increases its use of renewable energy, there is
    a vital need to understand the abundance and distribution of
    critical mineral resources both within the U.S. and globally.
    This goal will require expanded collection and analysis of
    geological, geochemical, and geophysical data. Earth MRIs are
    an important part of this effort, and GSA appreciates
    congressional support for this program.
        The Landsat Satellite Program has amassed the largest
    archive of remotely-sensed data in the world, a tremendously
    important resource for everything from natural resource
    planning, land use planning, and assessing water resources, the
    impacts of natural disasters, and global agriculture. GSA
    supports interagency efforts to ensure the continuation of this
    vital monitoring program.
        All of these endeavors are supported by the core systems
    sciences, facilities, and science support. These programs and
    services, such as geologic mapping and data preservation,
    provide critical information and infrastructure that form the
    foundation of USGS research.
        Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony today
    for the support of the U.S. Geological Survey. I would be happy
    to answer any questions.
        [The statement of Ms. White follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Make sure the mike is on.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                                 3DEP COALITION

                                    WITNESS

    JOHN M. PALATIELLO, 3DEP COALITION
        Mr. Palatiello. Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is John
    Palatiello, and I am pleased to be here today on behalf of the
    3DEP Coalition. I am also the government affairs consultant to
    the National Society of Professional Surveyors, and the founder
    and president of USGO, the informal coalition of leading
    geospatial firms.
        The 3DEP Coalition includes more than 40 organizations. If
    I may, I would like to insert into the record a list of these
    organizations that support the 3DEP program.
        Ms. McCollum. We will do that. Just make sure that you
    leave that at the end of the presentation.
        Mr. Palatiello. I will do. Thank you. Thank you very much.
    As the subcommittee is aware, 3DEP is the USGS program that is
    satisfying the growing demand for consistent, high-quality
    topographic data across the country, primarily through the
    collection of elevation data with LIDAR. There are more than
    600 applications that benefit from this data. They support
    economic growth, responsible environmental protection and
    resource development, infrastructure improvement, and many
    more.
        USGS' own assessment of this program shows that it
    generates about $13 billion in annual benefits and has a
    benefit cost ratio of 4.7 to 1, so it is an extraordinary
    investment of our tax dollars. And I would say that it provides
    the underpinning to a number of the programs that you will hear
    about in the course of the public witnesses here today.
        Since 2015, over 200 Federal, State, local, and
    nongovernmental partners have collaborated in support of 3DEP.
    I have a map here that my colleague is showing that where now
    about 67 percent of the Nation is completed with this data for
    the first time over. The optimal funding for this program is at
    $146 million a year. At that level, the country can be mapped
    in 7 years and then go on another repeat cycle. So at our
    current funding level, we are at about 67 percent.
        I would like to draw your attention to two things with
    regard to this map. One, Madam chair, I think jumps out at you
    is there is unfortunately a big white space in the middle of
    the country other than perhaps the Twin Cities. And so is a
    tremendous need for precision agriculture for stormwater
    management, for a variety of applications in agricultural
    America. The other point that I think is very important to draw
    attention to is the fact that the other major unmapped part of
    the country is the public lands west, and there is a critical
    need whether you are talking about wildfire mapping, rural
    broadband development, rural infrastructure. We would hope that
    the subcommittee could fund this program not only through USGS,
    but through the other agencies. It is the landowners, the
    Forest Service, BLM, that have an inherent interest in having
    this data for good management.
        As I mentioned in the beginning of my statement, 3DEP has
    supported numerous programs, applications, and activities. I
    would hasten to add, Mr. Joyce, that in my written statement, I
    talk about some great work that an Ohio firm is doing on the
    3DEP program, and that is being replicated by the other firms
    that are involved as well. But when we talk about hazard
    mitigation, energy resource development, wildlife and habitat
    management, flood plain mapping, flood risk management,
    agriculture, precision farming, natural resource, conservation,
    invasive species mapping and mitigation infrastructure,
    transportation, climate change monitoring, all of these are
    activities where the 3DEP data becomes good baseline data for
    all of them.
        So we would urge the full funding of the program at its
    optimum level of a $146 million. We understand the constraints
    on you. Whether we do this solely within USGS or through the
    other agencies, as I mentioned, there is a critical need to
    finish the country and provide that data and the benefits that
    I mentioned. Thank you very much for the opportunity to be with
    you this morning.
        [The statement of Mr. Palatiello follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                                  GEOMAGNETISM

                                    WITNESS

    DAVID JONAS BARDIN, GEOMAGNETISM
        Mr. Bardin. Chair McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce, Mr.
    Simpson, Vice Chair Pingree, Mrs. Watson Coleman, I am David
    Jonas Bardin, and I appreciate your again holding this public
    hearing and again letting me testify.
        This subcommittee was the leader on the USGS Geomagnetism
    Program that had such success in the minibus that was signed
    into law on December 20th, and I am going to give you all the
    credit in the world. You identified issues. You identified the
    issue of what happens when the Air Force withdraws a stipend.
    You dug into the facts. Your staff went and found out with the
    Air Force on the one hand, but also with USGS stuff, which they
    don't tell you in the way the green book, the budget
    justifications are done nowadays. So you have to dig them out
    on why three observatories might have been closed down, which
    really had to do with deferred maintenance issues that I want
    to raise.
        And you fully funded the Administration's request for the
    $1.7 million for 1 more years' worth of the magnetotelluric
    survey in order to try to do what the President's executive
    order of March last year calls for, completion in 4 years. So I
    give you credit. I give you hosanna, and I hope, Madam Chair,
    that you and your staff again will dig in on some of the issues
    I want to raise.
        Today I just want to talk thematically. I am not asking.
    You raised the appropriation for the USGS Geomagnetism Program,
    Congress did, to $4 million, which is almost all of the $4.1
    million that the House voted for. Your Senate colleagues came
    around to your advice and your insights, for which I give them
    credit, but I give you the most credit and thanks.
        Ms. McCollum. They didn't bring any money with it.
        Mr. Bardin. The $4 million the minibus appropriates is
    almost the entire $4.1 million that the House did. The Senate
    would have had a somewhat lower number. One of the differences
    was on the magnetotelluric survey that you fully funded the
    Administration's request. They initially didn't, but then
    finally in the minibus, they did.
        There are a couple of things I would like you to look into,
    and, as I say, this is thematic testimony. After we see the
    Administration's actual proposal next week, I probably will
    supplement it. At the very least, I will give you a table which
    shows you year by year what has been requested and what has
    been appropriated. And I can't fill in the bottom line now
    because I don't know it yet. But basically, the history flat,
    flat, flat until the sequester, and then down, and only last
    year. Thanks to this subcommittee and the minibus did it go up
    to the $4 million. I think it should be higher.
        I would like you to look into at least two questions. One
    is the $1.7 million for the magnetotelluric survey. This is a
    new undertaking for USGS and the Geomagnetism Program. They
    have never done it before. They are working hard to figure out
    how to do the details, and I hope that you want on a tactful
    staff level will follow what are the issues at the moment. None
    of that money has been obligated. Now, it is not remarkable
    since it was appropriated on December 20th, and none of it has
    been obligated. But we are not going to feel good about it if
    that isn't corrected and cured by the end of the Fiscal Year.
    And I think it is a question of finding what are the roadblocks
    for the money and what needs to be done there.
        The second area I would like you to take a look into is
    deferred maintenance. There is a problem for some of the
    observatories on deferred maintenance. The formula which works
    very well for much of the Interior Department doesn't really
    apply very much to geomagnetic observatories. They are not
    catering to visitors like national parks. They don't have large
    numbers of staff people. So to the extent that priorities are
    set based on health and safety of staff, health and safety of
    businesses, they really don't apply to a facility wherever it
    is located. And I think we need some reconsideration. Perhaps
    the Administration will come up with something on its own, but
    if not, perhaps either in report language or even more, once
    you get the facts, that would be helpful.
        The Geomagnetism program staff does an excellent job of
    keeping track of the deferred maintenance issues, the
    accumulating balance. They have the facts. So if you ask them
    the questions, they can produce the answers, and I trust they
    will produce truthful answers. But they are not being
    volunteered because that is not the way it is normally run.
        I am supposed to stop now, so I will stop.
        [The statement of Mr. Bardin follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. We mentioned with the other panel,
    you know, their succinct way in which they outlined how we
    needed to have more funding. And I appreciate the way this
    panel, and, you, sir, in particular, Mr. Bardin, pointed out
    that the House had money for some of the projects that we're
    talking about today. But when Mr. Joyce and I went to
    conference with the Senate, when we left conference, we had
    $1.3 billion less than what we left the House with. So it is a
    challenge. And that is why these hearings today are so
    important to hear your priorities, to give us some questions to
    be asking the administration, discussions for us to have
    amongst ourselves, so that with the dollars that we have, we
    put forth the most robust budget that that meets the needs of
    the people here.
        I just want to take an observation because we are talking
    about earth. And in the testimony about earth science and the
    studying of earth science, most high schools don't even have an
    earth science class anymore. They might have a climate studies
    class in which they are talking about climate trends, but that
    is different and needs to be incorporated into a more robust
    earth science class. So I was the only girl in my earth science
    class----
        [Laughter.]
        And it is something that I have found very useful for me
    just as taking a biology class or other things like that,
    because it is the planet we live on. So thank you. As a social
    studies teacher, I want to thank you for shouting out for earth
    science because that is where social science and physical
    science meet each other and other things. So thank you for
    pointing that out. And I am going to talk to my education
    colleagues and do some lobbying.
        Ms. White. Terrific. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. So, Mr. Joyce, thank you for joining us, and
    I didn't have a question, I had a comment, and so I will turn
    it over to you and see if there is a question or comment you
    have.
        Mr. Joyce. None at this time, but thank you very much for
    the recognition, and I thank Mr. Simpson for helping me out
    here.
        Mrs. Watson Coleman. I am good.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay.
        Ms. Pingree. Can I ask a question?
        Ms. McCollum. Yes. Ms. Pingree.
        Ms. Pingree. Sorry. I will go home and do a little
    homework. Thank you all for the important work you do. It is
    obviously under recognized most of the time, but I will do a
    little homework. But will you just tell me what 3DEP means?
        Mr. Palatiello. It is 3-Dimension Elevation Program.
        Ms. Pingree. Oh, okay. So----
        Mr. Palatiello. It is the topographic mapping of the
    country. It is primarily collected through LIDAR, which is a
    process where a sensor is mounted in the fuselage an airplane.
    As it goes along a flight path, it is sending thousands of
    lasers to the ground, and measuring the time it takes for that
    laser to leave the airplane, hit the ground, and come back and
    register with the sensor. And by doing thousands of pulses a
    second, it goes along and all of a sudden the mountains rise
    and the valleys fall. And that is how modern topographic
    mapping is done. So this is a program to do with current
    topographic mapping of the entire Nation.
        Ms. Pingree. So, what is the range of an airplane? Like is
    it----
        Mr. Palatiello. The size of the swath?
        Ms. Pingree. Yeah.
        Mr. Palatiello. That depends on the altitude of the
    aircraft, and that will relate to what the scale and resolution
    of the mapping is that is guys hired.
        So the lower it is, the broader the swath, and the higher
    resolution the data is. The higher the altitude is, the more
    narrow the swath and the less accurate or larger scale the
    mapping will be. So what this program does is it did create
    sort of a common denominator for the accuracy. All the
    stakeholders were brought together. A study was done and looked
    at both what was a reasonable budget and what was a scale of
    mapping that would meet the greatest number of needs. And that
    is the standard in 3DEP.
        Ms. Pingree. So last question. So the topographic maps that
    we currently have, we have them, but you are doing like the
    next sort of digital electronic----
        Mr. Palatiello. Yes. So you remember the pink and green
    topographic maps with the contours. This is the next
    generation. This is the replacement to that, which produces the
    benefit of being both digital data so it can be used to plot it
    and manipulate it, and also it can be printed.
        Ms. Pingree. Perfect. Thanks so much.
        Mr. Palatiello. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. I am just going to add on because I think one
    of the things that you can 3DEP that we can't do with some of
    the better precision satellites that we have where we can move
    and position faster, is now we have a full complement. And I
    think this is very exciting that if we need to look at
    something, what is happening with a flood plain in a large
    swath area, we are getting better satellite image to do that.
    But you can do something that they can't do, and that is, and I
    know the reason why Minnesota is not mapped is because of our
    trees.
        Ms. Pingree. Yes----
        Ms. McCollum. No, the reason why they are not mapped is
    because of our trees, because the satellites can't do what you
    can do. And if you would explain a little more about what LiDAR
    can do that the satellites can't do. And this is why they
    complement each other and it is so exciting. My trees don't get
    in the way. That is not why I am not mapped.
        Mr. Palatiello. Well, there are a lot of trees in Maine as
    well, and you can see Maine is a further along. [Laughter.]
        So LiDAR does----
        Ms. McCollum. All right, guys. I have the gavel.
    [Laughter.]
        Minnesota wins.
        Mr. Palatiello. What LiDAR does is the technology enables
    the collection of what I described before about the timing and
    the distance from the sensor to the ground and back. You can do
    that to the treetop, or you can do it to the bare earth, and
    that way you can penetrate those tree canopies.
        When we used to do mapping with old conventional aerial
    photography, in Maine, for example, and Minnesota, particularly
    the northern tier States in the country, particularly those
    where you had deciduous trees, you could only fly aerial
    photography mapping during a time of the year where there is
    snow. Think about this in Maine. No snow on the ground. The sun
    is high enough where you don't have long shadows. You can only
    do it around noon time, I mean, a couple of hours midday, and
    no leaves on the tree. What is that? That is 3 days in March in
    Maine? [Laughter.]
        I mean, in all seriousness, that was the challenge with
    conventional aerial photography and photogrammetry. You no
    longer have those constraints with LiDAR. The other benefit of
    LiDAR is because you can measure that tree canopy, this is an
    extraordinary tool in measuring, monitoring, verifying, and
    validate the effects of climate change. You can measure the
    biomass, and if we had a program where were doing the country
    every year, we can go back year by year and saying, well, we
    are losing 3 percent of our biomass in the country. And we
    don't have that data now, so we can't define the effects or
    measure the effects as precisely as we would like, but the
    technology is there.
        Ms. McCollum. So we have two tools in the toolbox. When we
    can combine them now, we can get amazing, amazing in-depth and
    real-time imagery. So it just means we have to be more creative
    on how we finance both of these types of mapping to go forward
    because they are both critically important. Mr. Simpson.
        Mr. Simpson. No, I don't have any questions. I feel like
    what I have learned here just in the last few minutes is that
    we have a lot more forestry programs in Minnesota. [Laughter.]
        Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Good morning, Mr. Stewart. Did you have a
    question for the panel?
        Mr. Stewart. No. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.
        Mr. Joyce. Madam Chair.
        Ms. McCollum. Yes?
        Mr. Joyce. I think there is somebody at the table who is
    celebrating today, if I am not mistaken.
        Ms. McCollum. Really?
        Mr. Joyce. There might be a birthday?
        Mrs. Watson Coleman. Thank you. [Laughter.]
        Ms. McCollum. I respect you so much, Bonnie, I will not
    lead ``Happy Birthday'' in a song. [Laughter.]
        I would drive all our witnesses who are ready to approach
    the table out of the room. I was asked to sing softly many
    times in grade school.
        So, Ranking Member Joyce, what we have been doing to stay
    on time is we have been having the panels introduce themselves.
        Mr. Joyce. That is great.
        Ms. McCollum. And not counting their introduction time
    against their testimony time. And we have found that, as you
    come down in the panelists, right, you don't want to be the one
    that is running 15 minutes, now it is 20, now it is a half an
    hour behind. So I want to thank the panels for doing that.
        I will probably be leaving during this panel, so after the
    introductions, Mr. Joyce, Ms. Pingree will be taking the gavel.
        Mr. Joyce. I am used to ladies being in charge on this
    committee. [Laughter.]
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. So please start.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                               THE CORPS NETWORK

                                    WITNESS

    MARY ELLEN SPRENKEL, PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE CORPS NETWORK
        Ms. Sprenkel. Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce,
    members of the subcommittee, my name is Mary Ellen Sprenkel,
    and I am the president and CEO of the Corps Network. On behalf
    of the Corps Network, our 131 member corps, and the 25,000
    diverse Corps members they annually engage, thank you for the
    opportunity to testify before the subcommittee about utilizing
    service and conservation corps to complete priority projects
    with the National Park Service and related public land
    management agencies.
        Based on the model and philosophy of the Civilian
    Conservation Corps of the 1930s, today's corps are locally-
    based nonprofit organizations that engage young people between
    the ages of 16 and 30, and recently returned veterans up to age
    35, in service projects that address conservation, recreation,
    disaster response, and community needs. Through a term of
    service that could last several months to 1 year, corps
    participants or corps members gain work experience and develop
    in-demand skills.
        Corps members are compensated with a stipend or living
    allowance, and often receive an educational award or
    scholarship upon completing their term of service.
    Additionally, corps provide participants with educational
    programming, mentoring, access to career and personal
    counseling, and supportive services. Like the Civilian
    Conservation Corps, today's corps work with the land management
    agencies to maintain and improve our natural resources and
    recreation infrastructure. Last year alone, corps built,
    improved, or maintained more than 13,000 miles of multiuse
    trail and waterways, restored 1.4 million acres of wild
    wildlife and fish habitat, cleared almost 67,000 acres of
    invasive species, removed 19,000 acres of hazardous fuel,
    increased access to and utilization of nearly 8,000
    recreational facilities, responded to 223 wildfires and other
    natural disasters, preserved 336 historic structures, and
    planted almost 1.1 million trees. Further, they leveraged an
    additional 107,000 volunteers who completed 537,000 service
    hours valuing more than $13 million.
        In addition to traditional natural resource work, many
    corps participate in projects to preserve America's historic
    and cultural resources. Six years ago, the Corps Network
    partnered with the Historic Trust for Historic Preservation to
    develop the Hope Crew Model, and under this model traditional
    corps crews work side by side with a historic preservation
    expert to refurbish and maintain historic structures and
    facilities. Several hundred projects have been completed in the
    years since. Through these projects, corps members not only
    develop a sense of connection to our country's history, but
    learn marketable job skills.
        Regardless of the type of project, land managers find corps
    to be cost effective and capable of producing high-quality
    work. The National Park Service commissioned an independent
    study by Booz Allen Hamilton, which found that corps can save
    up to 87 percent on certain maintenance projects. In addition,
    in regular surveys, virtually all Federal partners report being
    highly satisfied with the project work and say they would work
    with a corps again.
        With over $19 billion in deferred maintenance on Federal
    lands, we need to harness America's growing enthusiasm for the
    great outdoors and engage more people in service and
    volunteerism on public lands. One obvious strategy is to engage
    and bring to scale the existing network of corps to start
    tackling a variety of deferred maintenance projects already
    identified by the Restore Our Parks Project, which we will hear
    more about in a moment.
        The National Park Service relies on several funding streams
    to engage corps in this work. Therefore, we respectfully
    request that you support funding increases that directly
    address deferred maintenance needs within the National Park
    System. Specifically, we request strong funding levels for the
    repair and rehabilitation, cyclic maintenance, and line item
    construction accounts. In addition, we also request robust
    funding for similar accounts of other land management agencies
    under your jurisdiction, including the U.S. Forest Service, the
    Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
    Service.
        Corps have long been cost-effective partners of Federal
    land management agencies, and have been working to generate
    excitement and new ways to engage youth and veterans in outdoor
    service, while helping to accomplish much-needed project work.
    The time has come to seriously consider corps as an essential
    part of any plan to tackle deferred maintenance and usher in
    future stewards and champions of our natural treasures.
        Thank you for the opportunity to testify, and I welcome any
    questions.
        [The statement of Ms. Sprenkel follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree [presiding]. Thank you. Ms. Brengel.

                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                    NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

                                    WITNESS

    KRISTEN BRENGEL, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, NATIONAL
        PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION
        Ms. Brengel. Yes. Thank you so much for having me. My name
    is Kristen Brengle. I am the vice chair of government affairs
    for the National Parks Conservation Association. I want to
    thank Ranking Member Joyce and members of the subcommittee for
    giving us the opportunity to testify today. We are grateful for
    the work that all of you do on behalf of the national parks. In
    fact, this committee is full of park champions that we are
    thrilled about. Ranking Member Joyce, I want to thank you in
    particular for your work on the Great Lakes, pollution,
    invasive species, all of the issues up there. It has been great
    working with you and your staff.
        We truly appreciate all the subcommittee does for parks
    given scarce funding. As the chair pointed out earlier, the
    overall budget is tough to work with. In particular, we want to
    thank you for the land and water conservation funding last
    year. It was particularly impressive.
        So I am here to share some concerns that we have about the
    current state of our national parks and our worries about the
    staff who protect them. We are hearing and seeing the
    following. Morale is low. This is due to weakening policies, a
    looming reorganization, and a lack of leadership. In fact, as
    some of you may know, 10 of the 16 senior park service
    positions that oversee critical departments, including
    operations, interpretation, visitor, and resource protection,
    and even the acting National Park Service director, are either
    vacant or without a permanent leader. Second, many parks are
    suffering unrepaired damage, as my colleague pointed out to the
    right, and the effects of climate change. The other issue and,
    Ms. Pingree, you know this very well, some of our popular parks
    are completely overcrowded, including Acadia, which I was just
    there. Beautiful. [Laughter.]
        And this can lead to resource harm. The other issue is
    conservation, is taking a backseat to development outside of
    their borders. This is due to rampant drilling and mining,
    proposals which this committee is very well aware of. And
    specifically we thank you for Chaco, for the language on Chaco
    Cultural.
        In the last 3 years, NPCA has documented 112 administrative
    actions that erode protections for waterways, wildlife, visitor
    experiences, air quality, and quality of life for staff. The
    consequences of these actions could be felt for generations. We
    appreciate the committee's willingness to consider some of
    these issues as you deliberate the bill.
        To dive specifically into the National Parks Service
    budget, park operations and deferred maintenance are our
    highest funding priorities. One of the largest challenges
    facing park superintendents is operating budgets insufficient
    to prevent the reduction of personnel. One superintendent
    recently reported uncontrollable fixed costs of more than 5
    percent. This will no doubt result in fewer staff. One area
    where the staff shortage becomes a major issue is with the huge
    influx of visitors to many popular parks. With inadequate
    staff, national parks are getting crushed.
        Joshua Tree, for example, no longer has an off season.
    There are just tons of people there through the year. In 2018,
    there were 1.6 million more visitors than a decade prior,
    similar to Zion and other parks in Utah. That 125 percent
    increase in visitation was coupled by a 31 percent erosion of
    base staffing levels. As an example, a Joshua Tree ranger was
    making sure cars weren't parking on the side of the road,
    crushing vegetation. When asked the range what his job actually
    was, he said he was on the trail crew. Because he was dealing
    with so many visitors, he couldn't work on the trail. This
    means less maintenance. The lack of operations funding has a
    ripple effect.
        Now getting to the deferred maintenance backlog, it is one
    of our highest priorities, and my colleague at Pew next to me
    is going to testify in greater detail on this important issue.
    But one example to point out is Great Sand Dunes. Some of the
    pressing projects are very connected to visitors. The visitor
    center roof, re-roofing of the comfort stations, and
    rehabilitation of campgrounds, these are just some of the
    thousands of examples that there are cross the park system. We
    are working on other funding sources, including the bill that
    Mr. Kilmer is leading, the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands
    Act. We are thankful for that bill, and we appreciate all the
    co-sponsors here. We hope that it gets signed into law this
    year, but we still need this committee to focus on deferred
    maintenance and routine maintenance as we look at the budget.
        I should note a huge thanks for the Centennial Challenge
    funding, which also helps with the maintenance backlog and
    great programs; National Heritage Area funding, which is also a
    wonderful program; Endangered Species Act funding, and, course,
    the EPA's geographic programs in last year's bill.
        As I mentioned earlier, we are alarmed by the impacts of
    climate change. We must ensure the Park Service has the
    resources and guidance they need to monitor climate change
    impacts to the parks, and utilize the best available science to
    help parks adapt to climate change. We can reduce repair costs
    if parks have the funds they need to be resilient from the
    start. On another topic, we appreciate your oversight on the
    Interior Department's reorganization. We are concerned not just
    about the BLM move, but the potential for a larger initiative
    to harm management and stewardship of our parks. We don't want
    the reorganization to undermine the Park Service's
    conservation-driven work or the morale of Park staff. We
    commend the oversight and the report language on this. We are
    also happy that you were able to secure statutory reprogramming
    language, which ensures greater oversight of the
    administration, and reaffirms the role and powers of the
    appropriators. This time last year, our parks were recovering
    from a shutdown made worse by the Administration's use of fees
    to keep parks open to harm. So we are grateful for your work on
    the issue and hope we can identify more opportunities for your
    engagement. Thank you so much.
        [The statement of Ms. Brengel follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree. Rebecca, tell me how to say your last name.
        Ms. Knuffke. Knuffke.
        Ms. Pingree. Knuffke. Thank you so much.
        Ms. Knuffke. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

               RESTORE AMERICA'S PARKS, THE PEW CHARITABLE TRUSTS

                                    WITNESS

    REBECCA KNUFFKE, OFFICER, RESTORE AMERICA'S PARKS, THE PEW CHARITABLE
        TRUSTS
        Ms. Knuffke. So good morning, Ranking Member Joyce and
    members of the subcommittee. I am Rebecca Knuffke, officer at
    the Pew Charitable Trust Restore America's Parks Campaign. And
    thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
        The Pew Charitable Trusts applies a rigorous analytical
    approach to improve public policy, inform the public, and
    invigorate civic life. The Restore America's Parks Campaign
    seeks to conserve the national assets of the National Park
    System by providing commonsense long-term solutions to its
    multibillion dollar repair backlog. The National Park Service
    is responsible for managing and maintaining more than 400
    nationally-significant sites in all 50 States and several
    territories. These park units document the remarkable people,
    heritage, and the places that comprise the ongoing story of
    America.
        Unfortunately, our 100-plus year old National Park Service
    has an aging infrastructure that is deteriorating. Compounding
    this challenge are visitation pressures on park resources. The
    National Park Service recorded over 318 million visits in 2018
    and years of inadequate funding for maintenance needs.
        The Park Service is not able to keep up with the pace of
    repairs for assets that include over 5,000 miles of paved
    roads, nearly 1,500 bridges, 18,000 miles of trails, more than
    28,000 buildings, including historic structures, employee
    housing, over 2,000 sewage systems, and other facilities, such
    as battlefields, campgrounds, interpretive facilities, and
    monuments and memorials. As a result, the Agency must triage
    repair needs, and it has a backlog of deferred maintenance that
    is estimated to be $11.9 billion based on 2018 data.
        Drawing down a maintenance backlog that has accrued over
    decades requires a combined approach, one that includes robust
    annual appropriations funding, dedicated funding, and policy
    reforms to leverage technology and increased efficiencies.
    Adequate discretionary investment is essential for NPS to keep
    up with the maintenance needs, over three-quarters of which are
    priority projects. Pew commends the subcommittee for providing
    increases for NPS deferred maintenance in recent years, and we
    respectfully urge you to build on the support in Fiscal Year
    2021 as there still is a substantial gap between NPS
    discretionary funding and what the Agency needs to address its
    priority projects repairs.
        Specifically, within the operation of the National Park
    System and construction appropriations, Pew urges the
    subcommittee to maximize allocations for repair and rehab,
    cyclic maintenance, and line item construction accounts. These
    accounts provide the bulk of the necessary funding for the Park
    Service to undertake maintenance that will keep our national
    parks accessible to the public and safe. Funding for planning
    and adequate staffing capacity, as Kristen mentioned, are also
    critical to the execution of repair and maintenance needs, and
    we ask that these accounts be funded as robustly as possible.
        Further, we urge the allocation of $4 million for employee
    housing to help expedite correcting the dilapidated state of
    ranger housing. According to NPS, deferred maintenance for
    employee housing totaled more than $186 million in Fiscal Year
    2018, yet the Agency received only $2.2 million that year for
    the housing improvement program. Another important program that
    my colleagues have also mentioned, the Centennial Challenge
    program, which matches Federal dollars with private donations
    and directs the monies towards priority deferred maintenance
    projects and other park programs. This has the potential to
    leverage even more funding, and by raising the annual
    appropriations from $20 million to $30 million, Federal dollars
    could encourage more partner and private donations,
    facilitating the repair of even more park infrastructure.
        Dedicated funding is also an important way to draw down the
    backlog, and the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act, and
    thanks again to Representative Kilmer for his leadership on
    this bill, and also Congressman Bishop here in the House, and
    the companion Restore Our Parks Act sponsored by Senators
    Portman, Warner, Alexander, and King in the Senate, would
    direct over $6 billion of Federal agency energy development
    revenue to tackle park repairs over a 5-year period. This
    dedicated funding source would provide consistent, reliable
    funding to enable NPS to better plan for complicated large-
    scale project repairs. If enacted, this bipartisan, widely-
    supported legislation, endorsed by over three-quarters of the
    House, half of the Senate, the Administration, and 82 percent
    of the American public, would provide NPS the resources to help
    tackle its highest priority repairs. The intent of the
    legislation is not to supplant annual appropriations, however,
    which are needed to ensure that NPS can do current maintenance
    work needed to prevent the repairs from escalating and becoming
    more expensive over time.
        In conclusion, fixing our parks has overwhelming support
    from Congress and the American public. To be successful, NPS
    needs robust annual appropriations and dedicated funding, and
    we appreciate the discretionary increases in park maintenance
    accounts over the past several years, and encourage the
    subcommittee to continue to build on that investment. Thank you
    for your consideration of Pew's request and for your continued
    support of our national parks. And, Chairwoman McCollum, I will
    just add that it comes to me through my family. My stepmother
    was a Park Service superintendent at Voyageurs National Park in
    your beautiful State. So thank you again.
        [The statement of Ms. Knuffke follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                    NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION

                                    WITNESS

    TOM CASSIDY, VICE PRESIDENT FOR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND POLICY,
        NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
        Mr. Cassidy. Okay. Chair McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce,
    and members of the subcommittee, I appreciate this opportunity
    to present the National Trust testimony. My name is Tom
    Cassidy. I am the vice president of government relations. The
    National Trust is a privately-funded nonprofit chartered by
    Congress in 1949. We work to save America's historic places to
    enrich our future. And this is the line I have been practicing,
    and it is the best line I have ever delivered in this room.
    [Laughter.]
        Thank you for creating and enacting last year's bill. It
    was the most preservation-friendly appropriations bill in the
    history of the republic, both for its historic funding levels
    and also for policy directions throughout the report. Thank
    you. We are confident that this subcommittee will continue its
    robust support for funding for programs within your
    jurisdiction. My written testimony includes recommendations on
    a variety of reports, as did our best-selling report from last
    year now in production for this year.
        Let's start with the third successive year of record
    funding for the Historic Preservation Fund. Last year's level
    of $118.6 million represents a 46 percent increase from Fiscal
    Year 2017 levels. HBF funding supports fundamental preservation
    activities provided by State and tribal preservation officers,
    including survey, nomination of properties to the National
    Register, and project reviews required for historic tax credit
    projects. Among many highlights within the competitive grants
    programs, we would like to emphasize the committee's $15-and-a-
    half million appropriation for the successful African-American
    Civil Rights Program and the new $2-and-a-half million program
    to preserve and highlight sites and stories associated with
    securing civil rights for all Americans, including women,
    American Latino, Native American, and LGBTQ Americans. This
    subcommittee made that happen. Thank you. And this really
    promises to be a lasting legacy to recognize the sights and
    stories that tell our fullest and most inclusive history. And,
    of course, our national stories also benefit from your strong
    commitment to increased funding for Save America's Treasures.
        In terms of National Park Service and the operation of the
    Park System, a small, but important, increase last year within
    resource stewardship was $1 million for the African-American
    Civil Rights Reconstruction Era and other networks. We urge an
    increase for these programs this year, including language that
    would make some of these funds available for grants to network
    sites. We have had a lot of discussion about in NPS deferred
    maintenance, so I will try to shorten this area. But this
    committee has been a champion of tackling this program, and of
    the $12 billion DM backlog, 47 percent of that is attributed to
    historic assets.
        We have for years really focused on the repair and rehab
    and the cyclical maintenance programs. Marginal increases in
    these accounts are spread out throughout the system. They form
    the basis to fund core network projects and crew projects, so
    we would just really emphasize sustained investment in these.
    They are not high profile. Cyclical maintenance is not like a
    line item construction project, but it has broad-based impact
    throughout the system. And we also strongly support the
    creation of a reliable dedicated funding source. Thank you, Mr.
    Kilmer, for your sponsorship of that, and Mr. Bishop. And
    everybody here is a co-sponsor, so thank you for that.
        In terms of the Park Service cultural programs, thank you
    for your attention to the Agency's proposed revisions of
    procedures for listing projects on the National Register, and
    language calling for the agency to withdraw its proposed rule
    and consult with stakeholders. We are monitoring the situation
    closely, but remain concerned with the direction the Service
    may take. I would also like to address the Bureau of Land
    Management, specifically, the Cultural Resources Program. Not
    as many people realize that BLM oversees the largest, most
    diverse, and scientifically-important collection of historic
    and cultural resources on our Nation's public lands. We
    appreciate the committee's commitment to ongoing oversight of
    the Department's reorganization. Please sustain that oversight.
    The Trust and many other organizations continue to be concerned
    with the impact of the reorganization and loss of staff within
    the Cultural Resources Division.
        You directed funding last year of $1-and-a-half million
    within the BLM cultural resources account for something called
    the National Cultural Resources Information Management System.
    But basically, as we learned from our USGS friends earlier, if
    you don't map it, you can't save it. And this program is an
    innovative partnership between BLM and state historic
    preservation officers to support predictive modeling and data
    analysis to enhance planning for large cross-jurisdictional
    projects. It is a significant and too often overlooked
    preservation success story, and we would recommend once again
    providing specific funding for that above enacted.
        And my time is over, so thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Cassidy follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree. Thank you very much for your presentation and
    your thoughtful words, and thank you to everybody here. Of
    course, we greatly appreciate the work that all of you do. It
    is vitally important in States like mine, but everywhere across
    the country. Mr. Kilmer, do you have any questions or thoughts?
        Mr. Kilmer. I had a couple. Is that all right?
        Ms. Pingree. Go for it, yeah.
        Mr. Kilmer. First, for the Corps Network, it is not a
    question. I just want to take a moment to say thank you for the
    amazing work you do. Thanks for the amazing work you do. In our
    neck of the woods, Jay Satz from the Northwest Youth Corps,
    does outstanding work, innovative work. We are really lucky to
    have him. And it is really, I think, a great example of the
    work that happens in our local communities by the Corps
    Network. So I can make it a question by just saying don't you
    agree----
        [Laughter.]
        So let the record show she said yes. I do also want to
    express gratitude for your references to the maintenance
    backlog within our Park System. This subcommittee and our
    chair, I think, has worked very hard to ensure that the Agency
    has sufficient funding, but we know that there is an $11
    billion, with a ``B,'' maintenance backlog. And to your point,
    the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act is targeted at
    addressing that. NPCA, Pew, have been terrific partners in
    this. We have got 330 co-sponsors at this point, and I think
    that is a testament to your organizations collectively for
    making the case. I guess my question is, so what else should we
    be doing?
        Ms. Brengel. We need to get it to the floor as quickly as
    possible.
        Ms. Knuffke. We need to get it to the floor. And I will
    just add that there are 39 appropriators on the bill as co-
    sponsors on the dedicated funding bill, so that is impressive.
        Ms. Brengel. Yeah. I don't know if you read in the E&E
    newsletter this morning, Mr. McConnell also talked about
    bringing it to the Senate floor, so it would be really great if
    we could move it in both chambers this year. So we did so much
    work.
        Mr. Kilmer. Yeah.
        Ms. Brengel. It is time to move it.
        Mr. Kilmer. Yeah, let's get it done. Thank you. Thanks. I
    yield back.
        Ms. Pingree. Thank you very much. Mr. Joyce? No? Mr.
    Stewart? Again, we greatly appreciate your support helping to
    make the case for the things that I think this committee knows
    are really important, and I feel confident Mr. Kilmer will get
    the bill to the floor. Laughter.]
        With his great power and wisdom. Thank you, and thanks so
    much for the work that all of you do.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you.
        Ms. Pingree. The next panel will come up. You guys are so
    quick and efficient, getting right up there. So we are excited
    to have our next panel. Thank you, Mr. Kolton.
                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                            ALASKA WILDERNESS ACTION

                                    WITNESS

    ADAM KOLTON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALASKA WILDERNESS ACTION
        Mr. Kolton. Thank you. Thanks for having me. My name is
    Adam Kolton. I am the executive director of Alaska Wilderness
    League, which is the only national organization devoted
    exclusively to the production of Alaska's national treasures,
    for which the Interior Department plays such a critical role in
    stewarding for the benefit of all Americans here, because there
    are two of our national treasures in Alaska that are at grave
    risk, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Tongass
    National Forest.
        As we speak, the Administration is rushing to hold the
    first-ever oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic National
    Wildlife Refuge, and in the process, we believe it is
    sidestepping environmental laws, sidelining scientists,
    skipping required consultation with indigenous people. This
    process jeopardizes the very values to which President
    Eisenhower originally set aside this area, endangering not only
    iconic wildlife, such as threatened polar bears, but the way of
    life the Gwich'in people and their 15 villages.
        Beyond that, and perhaps most notable for members of the
    subcommittee, the Interior Department has also completely
    abandoned its commitment and the legislative requirement of the
    2017 Tax Act that arctic refuge lease sales generate $2.2
    billion in revenue, half of which for the Federal Treasury.
    Thanks to this subcommittee and the good work of the chair,
    last year's bill attempted to direct the Bureau of Land
    Management to set minimum lease sale bids to meet the required
    revenues of the Tax Act, and it was retained on the House floor
    in a strong bipartisan fashion.
        But unfortunately, it wasn't included in the final bill,
    and, as a result, the BLM could in the coming months hold a
    lease sale that auctions off this cherished landscape at fire
    sale prices, setting up a future scenario in which Congress
    will need to appropriate even more money to buy back leases
    from oil companies that will bid low and attempt to sell back
    high. Last year in response to the subcommittee's actions, we
    heard drilling proponents argue against any requirement to meet
    the promised revenue targets. This begs the question, were the
    highly-touted revenue and oil bonanza production simply a ruse
    to catch a ride on the budget reconciliation train? Why are
    some now so fearful and opposed to language that simply
    enforces what Congress already passed? Might they be worried
    that major banks, like Goldman Sachs, who are unwilling to
    finance arctic refuge oil and gas development?
        Alaska's senior center acknowledged that the goal here is
    simply to get leases out in the hands of oil companies because
    then, ``it is tougher to throw roadblocks in place.'' The
    Administration's intent here is clear: get leases sold no
    matter the cost or, in this case, whatever the taxpayer rip-off
    may be. Considering this, it is not surprising that the
    Administration is barreling toward a lease sale in ways that
    not only disregard the fiscal consequences, but also the impact
    to the resources on the ground.
        Take the issue of polar bears. Climate change and
    disappearing sea ice is causing bears to come on shore more
    frequently in search of food and to build their winter
    maternity dens. Yet the Interior Department has developed no
    meaningful restrictions on seismic exploration to prevent the
    killing of polar bears. If all that weren't troubling enough,
    Politico has reported the Administration has silenced
    scientists and pressured others in pursuit of advancing leasing
    as quickly as possible. Given the reckless manner which the
    Interior Department is seeking to hand over this national
    treasure to oil companies and its disregard for the
    requirements of the Tax Act, including its own revenue
    assumptions, we ask you to again include language in the
    underlying bill that forces the Administration to meet its
    promises and its legal responsibilities.
        We similarly ask the subcommittee's help to rein in the
    Administration as it seeks to exempt the entire 17 million acre
    Tongass National Forest from roadless protections. You know, we
    heard the President talk about planting a trillion trees. These
    are 800-year old trees. This is America's rain forest, and
    there are enormous subsidies that are still intact for the
    Tongass. It makes no sense to, on the one hand, talk about
    planting trees to sequester carbon, and the other, subsidize
    the destruction of our most iconic cherished American
    rainforests.
        The Alaska Wilderness League strongly supported
    Representative Blumenauer's amendment, successful amendment, to
    last year's bill to end taxpayer subsidies for road building
    activity in the Tongass. And, you know, even now, the Forest
    Service timber program is costing taxpayers about $30 million
    per year for a loss of approximately $600 million over the last
    20 years. We urge you to include the Blumenauer language which
    passed the House with a bipartisan 243-188 vote in this year's
    underlying bill. Doing so would protect U.S. taxpayers,
    southeast Alaska's vibrant outdoor economy, hunting, fishing,
    and outdoor recreation interests, as well as wildlife and our
    climate.
        Thank you for the opportunity to testimony and share our
    views.
        [The statement of Mr. Kolton follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree. Thank you very much. Mr. Stretton.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                     PROJECT ON GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT (POGO)

                                    WITNESS

    TIM STRETTON, POLICY ANALYST, PROJECT ON GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT (POGO)
        Mr. Stretton. Thank you, Congresswoman Pingree, and Ranking
    Member Joyce, and members of the subcommittee. Thank you for
    the opportunity to testify today. My name is Tim Stretton, and
    I am a policy analyst at the Project on Government Oversight,
    or POGO. POGO is a nonpartisan, independent watchdog that
    investigates and exposes waste, corruption, abuse of power, and
    when the government fails to serve the public. For decades,
    POGO has shed the light on the need for the Federal Government
    to ensure oil and natural gas industries are paying their fair
    share for the publicly-owned onshore and offshore resources
    they extract and profit from.
        POGO has recommendations to provide more accountability and
    transparency for oil and gas royalty policy at the Bureau of
    Ocean Energy Management. We urge the subcommittee to prohibit
    the use of funds to approve leases where the bureau
    retroactively lowered its valuations without public notice, and
    requires that no public funds be spent on approving delayed
    value leases that were not evaluated by a neutral third party.
        The Bureau administers offshore drilling rights and
    periodically holds auctions in which bidders obtained leases
    for the underlying oil and gas deposits under specific tracts
    of land. These resources are owned by the taxpayer, so the
    Bureau is legally required to ensure that taxpayers receive
    fair market value, in part, by collecting royalties on the sale
    for oil and gas produced from these lands. But the Bureau's
    royalty release procedures often leave tens of billions of
    dollars in the pockets of the extractive industry rather than
    being returned to taxpayers.
        In a recent report, the Government Accountability Office
    identified two additional procedures the Interior Department
    has engaged in for decades that may not have resulted in a full
    fair market return. The GAO's analysis closely tracks with the
    findings of POGO's 2018 report, ``Drilling Down Big Oil's
    Bidding.'' And the nonpartisan organization, Taxpayers for
    Common Sense, has reported similar problems at the Department's
    Bureau of Land Management through its increased use of awarding
    of noncompetitive leases.
        The Bureau sets royalty rates for offshore oil and gas and
    can reduce or waive royalty payments in an attempt to increase
    production. But as the Bureau itself has found, the practice
    often means taxpayers lose out on the fair return they are
    owed. The GAO found that leases that had been awarded between
    1996 and 2000 resulted in about $18 billion--that is billion
    with a ``B''--in foregone royalties through 2018. When it
    auctions off tracts of land, the Bureau is supposed to reject
    bids that are below the estimated value of the land. Instead,
    however, the GAO found that when a bid comes in lower than the
    Bureau's own valuation, the Bureau often retroactively lowers
    its initial value and then accepts the bid. The GAO estimated
    that between March 2000 and June 2018, the Bureau could have
    collected $567 million in addition auction revenue if it had
    not engaged in this practice so consistently.
        The Bureau does not disclose when it awards drilling rights
    based on reduced valuations, and because of this, the practice
    of lowering valuations has resulted in the loss of hundreds of
    millions of dollars in public revenue. This committee has a
    vested interest in ensuring that the Bureau is held
    accountable. To provide that accountability, we urge the
    subcommittee to prohibit the use of funds to approve leases
    when the Bureau retroactively lowers its valuation without
    public notice.
        The GAO's report also highlighted problems with how the
    Bureau considers the present value and the delayed value of a
    tract of sea floor, which may have resulted, again, in $873
    million in foregone revenue from March 2000 to June 2018.
    Again, that is money that should have gone to the American
    taxpayer. If a bid is lower than the present value, but higher
    than the delayed value, the Bureau can accept it, but the
    Bureau has been projecting delayed values to be lower than they
    should be, allowing it to accept lower bids.
        The GAO found that the Bureau's unrealistically large
    forecast of depreciation have increasingly been the deciding
    factor in accepting lower bids, and, as a result, the
    government is unnecessarily passing up hundreds of millions of
    dollars in potential revenue. GAO recommended that an
    independent third party should examine whether the Interior
    Department's use of delayed values deliver fair market value
    and whether it should stop using these lower valuations. POGO
    believes that such an independent examination would bring about
    greater accountability to the bid valuation process. We
    recommend that this subcommittee require no funds be spent on
    approving a delayed value lease that was not evaluated by a
    third party.
        Again, POGO has prepared recommendations to provide more
    accountability and transparency for oil and gas policy at the
    Bureau, which we would be happy to provide to the subcommittee.
    Thank you for the opportunity, again, to testify today, and I
    am happy to answer any questions you may have.
        [The statement of Mr. Stretton follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree. Thank you very much. Mr. Messmer.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                                     OCEANA

                                    WITNESS

    MICHAEL MESSMER, OCEAN ADVOCATE, OCEANA
        Mr. Messmer. Good morning. Thank you, Congresswoman
    Pingree, Ranking Member Joyce, and members of the subcommittee
    for this opportunity. I am Mike Messmer, an ocean advocate at
    Oceana, the largest international advocacy organization devoted
    solely to oceans conservation. I am here to speak in opposition
    to expanded offshore oil and gas drilling, particularly to the
    Trump Administration's 2019-2024 5-year program for offshore
    oil and gas leasing that the Department of Interior's Bureau of
    Ocean Energy Management is currently developing.
        Oceana thanks the committee and members for including
    provisions in the Fiscal Year 2020 Interior, Environment
    appropriations bill to restrict funding for offshore oil and
    gas leasing in the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Eastern
    Gulf of Mexico. There is longstanding precedent for this as
    Congress for nearly 3 decades heeded concerns from the
    communities it represents and restricted spending on offshore
    Federal oil and gas leasing and drilling activities via the
    appropriations process.
        We urge the committee to include these offshore drilling
    moratoria again as you craft the Fiscal Year 2021 base bill. We
    also encourage committee leaders to work with the Senate to
    include these provisions in any final package.
        The 5-year program governs when and where BOEM can offer
    offshore drilling leases to the oil and gas industry. In
    January 2018, the Trump Administration released its 2019-2024
    draft proposed program. As it stands, this proposal would
    radically expand future oil and gas leasing to the Atlantic,
    Pacific, and Arctic Oceans as well as off Florida's Gulf Coast.
    The draft plan proposes opening the vast majority of the outer
    continental shelf. Reinstating offshore drilling moratoria
    through the appropriations process would prevent BOEM from
    leasing specific areas that Congress wishes to protect from
    future offshore drilling. Without moratoria provisions,
    Congress relinquishes its power to influence the future of
    offshore drilling to the executive branch.
        Offshore drilling threatens the continued prosperity of
    coastal communities and States whose economies are directly
    tied to clean oil-free shores and waters. As of today,
    opposition and concern over offshore drilling activities has
    been expressed by every East and West Coast governor, more than
    380 municipalities, over 2,300 State, local, and Federal
    elected officials, Democrats and Republicans alike, and
    alliances representing over 56,000 businesses and more than 500
    fishing families. In addition to permanently altering the
    landscape of many towns up and down the East and West Coasts,
    offshore drilling is a dirty investment with long-term
    implications for the environment and the safety of workers.
        Large-scale catastrophies, such as BP's Deepwater Horizon
    in 2010, highlight how a single accident can cause enormous and
    lasting consequences. The Deepwater Horizon tragedy killed 11
    rig workers, spilled more than 200 million gallons of oil,
    fouled thousands of miles of coastline, endangered public
    health, and killed thousands of birds, dolphins, and fish.
    Seaside communities on the Gulf are still recovering physically
    and economically from the estimated $36.9 billion in damage
    caused by the Deepwater Horizon spill.
        Offshore oil development is dirty across the board beyond
    catastrophic spills that make headlines. At least 6,500 oil
    spills occurred in U.S. waters between 2007 and 2017; further,
    are typically far larger than what is reported. During that
    same time period, hundreds of workers were injured every year,
    and, on average, a fire or explosion erupted on offshore rigs
    every 3 days on the outer continental shelf.
        Offshore oil and gas exploration activities, such as high-
    intensity geophysical seismic surveys, pose dangers to marine
    life before commercial drilling even begins. Noise from these
    dynamite-like blasts is so loud that it can disturb, injure, or
    even kill animals across the entire marine ecosystem from the
    smallest zooplankton to the largest whales. The North Atlantic
    right whale, one of the most endangered marine mammal species
    in the world, is a particular concern. Experts say seismic air
    gun blasting for oil and gas exploration may well represent a
    tipping point for the survival of this critically-endangered
    whale.
        We urge the subcommittee and committee to restrict any
    funding in the Fiscal Year 2021 Interior, Environment
    appropriations bill for the purpose of conducting any new
    offshore oil and gas leasing and related activities. Threats to
    coastal economies, marine wildlife, and your own constituents
    are simply too great to risk expanding the footprint of
    offshore drilling. Thank you again for the opportunity to
    testify today.
        [The statement of Mr. Messmer follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree. Thank you all very much for your testimony and
    for the critical work that your organizations are doing. I just
    want to make a couple of comments, particularly, well, to each
    one of you. But thank you to POGO for the work that you have
    done on the report, researching this. And I think particularly
    in light of the last panel where, funding for land and water
    conservation, the Kilmer bill that is proposed, so much of it
    depends on how much we receive on these leases. So the idea
    that there would be any mechanism that would reduce the amount
    that we receive, and also that there is no transparency, is
    really unthinkable. So thank you for bringing to light, and I
    hope we can do some work on that in the next bill.
        Certainly we are all concerned about the Administration's
    proposals in Alaska, and even as far as Maine, I hear from my
    constituents about this all the time because I do think we
    think of these as national treasures. In terms of the logging
    rights, as you mentioned, the President just said we are going
    to plant 1 million trees, and we don't need to cut down trees
    in areas where we should be protecting them. And obviously
    there are appropriate places for forestry harvesting. My State
    is one of them. But there are places in public lands where we
    shouldn't be doing that.
        And I am particularly disturbed about the leasing of oil
    and gas opportunities, particularly when we are not paid the
    full value. But even more importantly, I think as solar, and
    wind, and renewable resources become even more affordable, the
    fact that we are not investing in that, yet we are encouraging
    and supporting and subsidizing oil and gas leases, is
    ridiculous at this moment in time when we have bigger concerns
    to think about.
        I just heard someone give a talk that said 5 years ago in 1
    percent of the world, solar and wind was more financially
    feasible than oil and gas. Five years later, today, in two-
    thirds of the world, it is more cost-effective to invest in
    solar and wind. So the very idea that we are supporting that is
    unthinkable. It also makes a lot of those resources subprime,
    and so over time, the reason the value is going down is because
    it is increasingly less valuable. The reason these companies
    want, you know, a cheaper, no expense to their bid is because
    they know in the future there is not going to be much support
    for it. So it is just bad policy all the way.
        And, of course, being from an ocean State where we have so
    many concerns about the future of the ocean, and I think you
    know our entire delegation, our tripartisan delegation, and our
    governor, our State legislature are just furious at the idea
    that the Administration would suggest that we should drill. It
    would be a huge challenge to our fishing industry, it would be
    a disaster to our tourism industry, two very important
    industries to our State. And it doesn't make any sense, and we
    are much more interested in offshore wind and solar projects,
    and that is where our money should be.
        So obviously I didn't ask you guys any questions, but I
    just wanted to rant there for a minute and really support the
    work that you are doing. And I am so grateful for you helping
    us to make that case. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. I certainly appreciate all of you coming today
    and the information that you have provided all of us. I don't
    have any further questions. Thank you.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you each for the
    work you do. Mr. Messmer, last week I was in Grays Harbor
    County, Washington out on the coast meeting with folks who work
    in the fishing industry. And obviously it has been a
    challenging time. And the concern about offshore drilling is
    real, you know. It is perceived in our region by Democrats,
    Republicans, you name it, as a real threat to those
    livelihoods, to our maritime industry, to commercial fishing,
    sport fishing, tourism. We have a $50 billion maritime economy,
    almost 200,000 jobs supported by it just in Washington State
    alone, and it is incompatible with oil and gas development.
        You spoke about hoping to see in the bill restriction of
    funds to be used for offshore drilling. Any other direction
    either to this committee or to Congress to protect the coastal
    communities that are really put at risk?
        Mr. Messmer. Thank you. I think at this time what we would
    really like to see is the restoration of these funding
    restrictions to the bill. They had a 30-year. This is nothing
    new. They are something out of the legacy of Congress. This is
    something that Congress had done in response to the will of its
    constituents and because of the interest of members as well for
    almost 30 years from 1982 to 2008. And so we very much think
    that this is returning, restoring these provisions to the bill
    as you did last year. Unfortunately, we didn't make it through
    the Senate and on to the White House. But, you know, obviously
    regardless, we keep pushing on that front as well as protecting
    the North Atlantic from seismic. I know there was language that
    Mr. Cunningham offered last year, which was amended to the
    bill. And we obviously support that language as well.
        Mr. Kilmer. Okay. Thank you.
        Mr. Messmer. Thank you.
        Ms. Pingree. I want to just add, I meant to say that. But
    thank you so much for the data and the support around limiting
    seismic drilling exploration. Obviously the right whale is a
    huge topic in the Gulf of Maine, and we are concerned about
    every threat to the right whales, and so thank you for making
    that case.
        Thank you to the panel. We appreciate all your work, and we
    appreciate your being here today. And we will look forward to
    our last, but certainly not least, panel of the morning.
        Okay. Well, thank you for being so prompt, and we will go
    ahead and begin this panel. Thank you, Ms. Kraska.
        Ms. Kraska. Kraska.
        Ms. Pingree. Kraska, yes.
        Ms. Kraska. Mm-hmm.
        Ms. Pingree. Thank you. Please go ahead.
        Ms. Kraska. Exactly how it sounds. Thank you so much. I
    appreciate it.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                                     ASPCA

                                    WITNESS

    KATIE KRASKA, SENIOR MANAGER OF FEDERAL LEGISLATION, ASPCA
        Ms. Kraska. Good morning, Vice Chair Pingree, Ranking
    Member Joyce, and members of the subcommittee. Thank you for
    the opportunity to testify on the non-lethal and sustainable
    management of our Nation's wild horses and burros under the
    care of the BLM. My name is Katie Kraska, and I am the senior
    manager of Federal legislation for the American Society for the
    Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
        Wild horses and burros are a key segment of the equine
    population at the ASPCA is working hard to protect. We
    appreciate the subcommittee's continued commitment to non-
    lethal management, most recently extending these protections to
    herds on U.S. Forest Service lands in Fiscal Year 2020.
    Recognizing the American public's overwhelming opposition to
    horse slaughter and killing for population control, Congress
    has, since the late 1980s, prohibited lethal management of our
    wild herds, and we urge that this continue in Fiscal Year 2021.
        But wild horses and burros need more than these protections
    to thrive for generations to come. That is why I am here today
    to speak in support of a new humane path forward for the Wild
    Horse and Burro Program. If there is one thing that everyone on
    all sides of this highly-polarized issue can agree on, it is
    that the status quo is not working. This program is in
    desperate need of a change, and know that ASPCA does not agree
    with the BLM's current view that the 31 million acres of land
    allotted for wild horses and burros can only support 27,000
    equines. We know that achieving a sustainable program requires
    a stable population over time.
        The current strategy of moving horses off range and into
    holding facilities is not capable of achieving this goal
    because it does nothing to address population growth. We end up
    with more horses on range, more horses off range, and a
    shrinking budget to use on active management. Last year, off-
    range holding costs devoured 67 percent of the program's annual
    budget. Despite the negativity and polarization that has
    plagued this issue for decades, we want to focus on solutions.
        For the first time, and in large part due to the
    subcommittee's leadership, we have an opportunity to slowly but
    surely steer this program on to a sustainable and humane
    course. The ASPCA, along with other humane and wild horse
    advocacy groups, recognize that the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro
    Program needed not only an overhaul, but direction on how to
    accomplish it. Our goal was a paradigm shift away from removals
    and towards on-range management achieved with proven, safe, and
    humane fertility control. That is why we developed a
    comprehensive science-driven, non-lethal management plan that
    will achieve this goal within 1 decade.
        Wild horse and burrow management has vexed administration
    after administration, Congress after Congress, which is why it
    is a privilege to be able to thank the vice chair, the ranking
    members of the subcommittee, and their staff for their hard
    work and unprecedented action in the Fiscal Year 2020 Interior
    appropriations bill. In the end, this committee allocated an
    additional $21 million for a new management plan. It takes
    courage and expertise to recognize the need for action.
        This was a truly bipartisan effort, and we applaud the
    subcommittee's directive to BLM to ensure that effective and
    humane fertility control is adopted as the central pillar of
    its management program, and to strictly adhere to its
    comprehensive animal welfare program to ensure that horses and
    burros on and off range are always handled humanely. With the
    support of a wide variety of stakeholders, we are carving a
    humane path forward for these iconic animals of which Americans
    can be proud.
        Assuming that the BLM meets Congress' requirements, we urge
    the committee to continue to increase funding for BLM's Wild
    Horse and Burro Program in Fiscal Year 2021. We look forward to
    seeing BLM's forthcoming report outlining how it intends to use
    the additional $21 million in funds, which we hope will convey
    their clear commitment to a humane path forward. We also
    support the subcommittee's commitment to oversight and
    understand that Agency input and communication are critical to
    the lasting success of these efforts.
        From a humane and scientific standpoint, the most cost-
    effective way to rebalance this program is to dedicate maximum
    funding up front, but correct implementation, especially of
    fertility control, is key. Ultimately, the American public
    wants to see wild, free-roaming horses and burros managed with
    their well-being in mind. We thank the committee for taking
    action to achieve this and for considering funding and
    programmatic needs for the Wild Horse and Burro Program in
    Fiscal Year 2020. I welcome your questions.
        [The statement of Ms. Kraska follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree. Thank you very much. Ms. Marienfeld?
        Ms. Marienfeld. Marienfeld, yes.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                       SOUTHERN UTAH WILDERNESS ALLIANCE

                                    WITNESS

    KYA MARIENFELD, WILDLANDS ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN UTAH WILDERNESS ALLIANCE
        Ms. Marienfeld. I represent the Southern Utah Wilderness
    Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of the
    outstanding wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau. We
    thank you for providing the opportunity to present our views on
    the subcommittee's support for the Bureau of Land Management's
    financial involvement in the State of Utah's Watershed
    Restoration Initiative, a partnership that has resulted in tens
    of millions of Federal taxpayer dollars spent on the
    destruction of native ecosystems throughout public lands and
    Utah. Specifically, we are concerned that the subcommittee's
    explicit support for this partnership greenlights BLM spending
    on large-scale removal of native vegetation risks diverting
    limited agency monies away from critical staffing needs, and
    results in irreparable damage to Utah Public Lands.
        Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative, which I will refer
    to as the Initiative, is founded and coordinated by the Utah
    State Department of Natural Resources. The Initiative is a
    coalition of public and private entities created to fund and
    promote vegetation and habitat projects in Utah. The money
    pooling function of the initiative has undoubtedly produced a
    continual increase in vegetation removal on BLM managed public
    lands in our State.
        In the report accompanying the appropriations bill for
    2020, this subcommittee highlighted its concern over ongoing
    drought in the western United States, and overtly endorsed
    BLM's continued funding of the Initiative to, as the
    subcommittee stated, ``develop water resources to benefit the
    public, wildlife, endangered species, permits use, and other
    users.'' But vegetation removal projects, called vegetation
    treatments or habitat restoration, take many forms. Often the
    initiative invests in projects that employ heavy machinery and
    extensive surface disturbance.
        One prevalent method is mastication where a machine known
    as a bull hog is used to mulch vegetation, turning entire
    forests of live trees into thousands of acres of wood chips and
    stumps. Chaining utilizes a large anchor chain dragged between
    two enormous bulldozers to rip live trees out of the ground,
    roots and all. These chain masticators and other heavy
    equipment destroy the fragile living soil crust that is the
    backbone of the Colorado Plateau ecosystem, and is our main
    defense against future drought and desertification.
        While preventing drought and fire and protecting watersheds
    are laudable goals for BLM, science tells us that the large-
    scale disturbance resulting from these projects can actually
    make these problems worse. BLM is spending millions of dollars
    a year on projects with no proven track record of success and
    with no real plan to develop the science necessary to increase
    those odds in the future. Furthermore, the Initiative's funding
    regime has created a tail-wagging-the-dog situation as this
    pool of money has grown, so has the size and scale of
    vegetation removal projects proposed by BLM, regardless of
    science and research that recommends otherwise.
        Since 2006, BLM has contributed over $80 million in funding
    to support initiative projects in Utah. It is exceptionally
    difficult for the public to follow the trail of financing from
    congressional appropriation to BLM funding of initiative
    projects. We are concerned that discretionary agency monies are
    being moved away from other needs, such as filling critical BLM
    field office staffing vacancies and positions ranging from law
    enforcement officers to biologists, and is instead being
    transferred to a money pooling coalition controlled by the
    State of Utah. Rather than protecting water resources, this
    taxpayer money is being used to fund the removal of native
    trees and shrubs, which results in a degraded ecosystem on
    public lands. Our concern over a lack of transparency is
    heightened when considering the revolving door between
    leadership at the Department of Interior and the State of Utah.
        We are not advocating that truly degraded ecosystems can
    never benefit from human help, but rather that the subcommittee
    should not continue to effectively grant BLM blanket approval
    to fund large-scale vegetation removal projects through this
    initiative partnership. We believe that additional
    appropriations oversight is necessary to ensure that BLM's
    funding pipeline for so-called watershed restoration projects
    is transparent, and that projects are grounded in high-quality
    science and monitoring, and that discretionary BLM funds are
    not being diverted from necessary staffing and resource needs
    toward Initiative projects.
        We encourage the subcommittee to take a hard look at its
    endorsement of this partnership. Issues of accountability, both
    through BLM's funding process as well as when public funds are
    in the Initiative's hands, and the Initiative's continual
    promotion of projects that benefit economic interests at the
    detriment of all other resource values. Thank you.
        [The statement of Ms. Marienfeld follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree. Thank you very much. Mr. Simpson. You are
    well-miked today. [Laughter.]
        Mr. Simpson. Stereo right here.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                            PUBLIC LANDS FOUNDATION

                                    WITNESS

    DON SIMPSON, VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLIC LANDS FOUNDATION
        Mr. Simpson. Well, thank you for the opportunity to testify
    today. My name is Don Simpson. I am the vice president of an
    organization called the Public Lands Foundation, PLF. We are a
    national nonprofit organization. We are nearly all retired
    employees of the Bureau of Land Management and have a large
    body of experience, expertise, and knowledge of public land
    management. I am here today to present our program priorities
    for the 2021 budget for BLM.
        The first program area is balanced energy development. I
    think we have had a little discussion already. We believe the
    subcommittee should support the environmentally-responsible and
    balanced development of all energy resources. This includes
    oil, gas, coal, solar, wind, and geothermal. It also includes
    the associated pipeline and transmission infrastructure. It is
    critically important that sufficient funds are provided to not
    only support the leasing and permitting activities, but also
    the land use planning, the resource assessments, the NEPA
    reviews, the program management, and the inspection and
    enforcement activities.
        Sage-grouse habitat is the second issue that we have. As
    the West has become urbanized over the last 100 years, large
    areas of sagebrush have been impacted, resulting in significant
    sage-grouse population declines. The PLF recommends increased
    funding for the BLM to coordinate activities on public lands
    with State agencies, stakeholders, and partners to improve and
    restore habitat that has been damaged by wildfire, weed
    invasions, and development. Conserving and restoring habitat
    for sage-grouse will also enhance populations for elk, mule
    deer, golden eagles, and hundreds of sagebrush-dependent
    species.
        Wild horses and burros, number three. So I am going to tag
    on to what Ms. Kraska was talking about. The overpopulation of
    wild horses and burros on the range is now nearly 4 times its
    targeted management level, and it is past a critical point, and
    it is doing irreparable harm to the land, the vegetation, the
    wildlife, and the animals themselves. The PLF has been working
    as a partner with a broad coalition of diverse stakeholders
    that are seeking a solution to the problem. The only viable
    approach for resolution is the implementation of a consistently
    funded multiyear strategy that entails aggressive removals,
    broadscale annual application of fertility control, novel
    efforts to increase adoption, such as BLM's recent incentive
    program, and pasturing of unadopted animals. We recommend that
    the committee, at a minimum, retain the 2020 funding levels for
    the Wild Horse and Burro Program, with increases and long-term
    funding to implement the BLM's soon-to-be-presented plan.
        Recreation is the fourth area I would like to discuss. For
    those of you that have visited the West recently, it is growing
    very rapidly. It is placing a significant demand on the public
    lands for recreation opportunities. In Fiscal Year 2018, the
    public lands provided 68 million recreation visits with an
    economic output of nearly $7 billion to the western States'
    economies. We recommend that this subcommittee increase funding
    for recreation, wildlife, fisheries, land restoration, and the
    Land and Water Conservation Fund. These funds will allow BLM to
    maintain and add recreation opportunities, secure easements for
    access to landlocked public lands, and restore degraded lands
    to improve wildlife and fisheries habitat.
        Fifth is an emerging and important program area, wildlife
    migration corridors. BLM has been working for several years now
    with the State wildlife agencies to identify wildlife migration
    corridors for species such as mule, deer elk, and pronghorn
    antelope. Funding should be provided to continue and expand
    this effort. These are very small amounts of public lands, but
    they are crucial for the species to get to and from their
    winter and summer habitats. Our sixth and final issue I would
    like to highlight is the functional elimination of the BLM
    headquarters. As you are aware, the Secretary of Interior
    announced the movement of the BLM headquarters of employees
    from Washington, D.C. to 11 western States. That was done last
    summer. So the director, assistant directors, and a few
    immediate staff are going to be located in Grand Junction,
    Colorado. The other staff will be scattered throughout other
    western locations. The PLF opposed this proposal as it will
    functionally eliminate the Agency's headquarters. The result
    will be the largest Federal land managing agency with no seat
    at the table in Washington, D.C. as policy procedures and
    budgets are developed. We strongly believe the BLM headquarters
    should be located in Washington, D.C. We recommend that funding
    be eliminated for the continuation of this action in Fiscal
    Year 2021, and that significant congressional oversight occur
    by both House and Senate Appropriations and authorizing
    committees during Fiscal Year 2020.
        Thank you for the opportunity to share PLF's priorities.
        [The statement of Mr. Simpson follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree. Thank you so much. Mr. Ogsbury.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                         WESTERN GOVERNOR'S ASSOCIATION

                                    WITNESS

    JIM OGSBURY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WESTERN GOVERNORS' ASSOCIATION
        Mr. Ogsbury. Thank you. Vice Chair Pingree, Ranking Member
    Joyce, my name is Jim Ogsbury. I am the executive director of
    the Western Governors Association, a bipartisan organization
    representing the governors of the 22 westernmost States and
    territories. It is my profound honor to appear before you,
    particularly because of the disproportionate influence of the
    Interior appropriations bill on the economies, and
    environments, and quality of life in the great American West.
        Western governors have few priorities that are higher than
    that of strengthening the State-Federal relationship. As the
    chief executives of co-sovereign governments, they aspire to
    work shoulder to shoulder with the Federal agencies as
    authentic partners in the development and execution of policy
    that affects our shared constituencies. States are not
    stakeholders, although they are too frequently treated as such
    by Federal authorities. They are sovereigns governed by men and
    women whose knowledge of their States' unique environments and
    economies and cultures should be integrated into Federal
    policymaking. Federal consultation with States that is
    substantive, meaningful, and ongoing, and it occurs at the very
    earliest stages of a policy's ideation and throughout its
    execution will result in policy that is more informed, durable,
    and defensible.
        This subcommittee in particular has consistently recognized
    the value of State engagement, directing that resource agencies
    within your jurisdiction utilize State science and data and
    analysis to inform Federal decision making. Western governors
    urge you to include such language in the report to accompany
    the Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations bill. The governors
    understand that you operate under severe fiscal constraints.
    Within those constraints, they respectfully urge your
    consideration of their priorities, which are outlined in detail
    in the written testimony that WGA has submitted for the record.
    With respect to the conservation of the West's unparalleled
    natural resources, those priorities include funding to support
    the shared stewardship memorandum of understanding executed by
    western governors with the Department of Agriculture, and
    additional funding to advance State-supported projects and
    programs promoting voluntary mitigation corridors and habitat
    conservation.
        Western governors appreciate the subcommittee's historic
    support of the Payment in Lieu of Taxes Program. PILT funding
    does not represent a gift to western States. Rather, it helps
    compensate western jurisdictions for the disproportionate
    measure of nontaxable Federal lands within the region. WGA
    encourages you to continue full funding of PILT in the Secure
    Rural Schools Program in the coming Fiscal Year.
        I commend your attention to my written testimony for a
    discussion of other gubernatorial priorities, including
    protection of State authority over our water and groundwater,
    funding to address the maintenance backlog at national parks,
    efforts to combat invasive species, and funding to help States
    comply with their obligations under the Clean Water Act. In the
    meantime, thank you again for the opportunity to testify.
    Western governors appreciate the enormity of your
    responsibilities, and urge that you regard them as partners and
    resources as you establish funding priorities for the Nation.
    Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Ogsbury follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree. Thank you very much for your testimony. Thank
    you to all of you for the great work that you are doing. Ms.
    Kraska, I know that is an intractable problem, and I appreciate
    the hard work that your organization is doing. Ms. Marienfeld,
    I am coming from an eastern State so unaware of some of the
    things that happen in western States. And, I will certainly get
    up to speed and learn a little more about this.
        But I guess I am not completely clear what the original
    purpose is of deforesting and this vegetation, I forgot what
    you termed them as. But anyway, what is the stated purpose of
    doing that?
        Ms. Marienfeld. It varies from project to project.
    Oftentimes you get sort of a catch-all where it is wildlife
    restoration, habitat, sage grouse protection is one, watershed
    protection. Grazing is really heavily involved in these
    projects as well. It is never a stated benefit more often than
    not these days, but it is often an auxiliary benefit of the
    treatments when they happen. And then more recently, you are
    seeing fire prevention as a stated reason for doing these
    treatments in the West as well.
        Ms. Pingree. So when you deforest land, does prairie grass
    or something grow up there so it become grazing land?
        Ms. Marienfeld. In the West, more often than not, it has to
    be really heavily impacted, heavily treated in order for that
    to happen. There are a lot of factors that go into perennial
    grasses or forbs coming back. You will see land management
    agencies that seed there. They often seed non-native species
    that are good for cattle forage as part of these projects. But
    it is really dependent on whether in climate conditions,
    whether or not the treatments are successful at the end of the
    day, which is why you do see, according to the best science and
    the research that is out there right now, that the treatments
    really are unsuccessful by most metrics a lot of time, if they
    are in those very heavily surfaced disturbing manners. The big
    mechanic treatments that we are talking about here.
        It depends on the weather. If you get rain, maybe it will
    work, but if you don't, which is far more common these days,
    they are unsuccessful, and you have to go back and do basically
    the same thing about 10 years later.
        Ms. Pingree. Well, thank you. I am sure I will be
    interested to learn more about that.
        Ms. Marienfeld. Yes, thank you.
        Ms. Pingree. Mr. Simpson, I, too, am very concerned about
    this relocation and the reorganization of the Bureau of Labor
    Management. I also sat on Agriculture Appropriations, we have
    been very discouraged to watch the relocation of ERS and NIFA,
    and can see that that has just had disastrous consequences, a
    lot of senior staff was lost in the process, so a lot of the
    experience and brain trust there, and didn't seem to be a lot
    of consultation.
        So I am just curious. From your perspective, the
    Administration maintained that it conducted extensive
    consultation with Bureau employees, especially senior
    employees, before implementing this breakup. Can you tell us
    what you are hearing from members of your organization
    regarding that claim?
        Mr. Simpson. Sure. So we have about 600 members, and they
    are scattered throughout the country, so they are near a BLM
    office somewhere in the West. We do a lot of work with them,
    public lands appreciation days, that kind of stuff, so we are
    in daily contact pretty much with our BLM offices. And I have
    to say when that was announced last summer, none of the BLM
    people that we had talked to knew this was coming. They read
    about it the same time we did.
        Ms. Pingree. Yeah, that is very discouraging, and, again,
    we have lots of concerns about this, and hopefully, in my
    opinion, the committee can exercise more oversight on this
    process. Thank you, too, Mr. Ogsbury. I appreciate your
    representation of the western State governors. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you all for being here. I can appreciate
    the problems that you certainly have. It is something that we
    have studied, and the combination of the animals and the land
    and trying to find where we have that perfect match. I know the
    answers aren't easy, but we will continue to work with you to
    try to address those concerns. Thank you for coming.
        Ms. Pingree. Thank you to this panel. This concludes the
    morning hearing, and we stand adjourned until the afternoon
    hearing begins at 1:00 p.m. Thanks again very much for your
    testimony.
        Voice. Thank you.
                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                               AFTERNOON SESSION

                                  ----------

                            NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY

                                    WITNESS

    DAVID O'NEILL, CHIEF CONSERVATION OFFICER AND SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE
        CEO, NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY
        Ms. McCollum. Good afternoon, and welcome to our second
    public witness hearing covering non-tribal programs under the
    jurisdiction of the Interior, Environment, and Other Related
    Agencies subcommittee. This morning we heard from advocates
    from the arts and from the humanities discuss issues related to
    land and water conservation funding, energy, science, and
    conservation programs. This afternoon we are going to be
    focusing on issues related to endangered species conservation,
    public lands, and critical environmental programs for our
    Nation. We will be hearing from the remaining 21 witnesses.
        Before I begin, I am going to go over a couple of logistics
    here for the hearing. We are trying to stay on time. So my
    colleagues are in and out of the room. We have a gentlepersons
    agreement to help each other, but we also have, as you see in
    front of me, a big fat book with everybody's testimony. And
    Jocelyn can tell you, I have a lot of things highlighted, so I
    have looked at things before, and I am frantically taking notes
    during the hearing. So I want you to know that that you are
    being listened to and paid attention to.
        What we are going to do, and the first panel is at the
    table, we are going to call the panels up one at a time.
    Everybody is going to get 5 minutes to present their testimony.
    We are going to use a timer to track the progress. When the
    light turns yellow, the color of this highlighter, witnesses
    will have 1 minute remaining to conclude their remarks. When
    the light blinks red, I will lightly tap--I won't use the big
    end of the gavel--but I will let you know that it is time for
    the next witness to start. And that is so all witnesses can
    have an opportunity to be heard without getting too delayed.
        Having said that, we do have votes scheduled some time
    between 1:20 and 1:30 we feel, so when we call votes, please
    make sure that we are going to be taking a brief recess and
    come back as soon as we can, and we will pick up where we left
    off. So I would ask people to stay close. There are places to
    get coffee and some things around here on this floor. So take
    your rest break and grab what you need, but stay close because
    we will start as soon as a member is back.
        I would like to remind those in the hearing room of the
    committee rules, however. We prohibit the use of cameras and
    audio equipment during the hearing by individuals without
    House-issued press credentials. So, Mr. Joyce, has told me to
    get started so we don't delay. And what we did this morning to
    save a little extra time is we had people introduce themselves,
    and we found it really kept things moving a little faster. So
    maybe the second panel would like to get in before votes get
    started.
        So, Mr. O'Neill, your introduction will not count against
    your time, so please introduce yourself and then we will start
    your time.
        Mr. O'Neill. Great. Thanks so much for the opportunity. I
    much appreciate it. My name is David O'Neill. I represent the
    National Audubon Society and our 1.7 million members across the
    country as its chief conservation officer and senior advisor to
    the CEO.
        Ms. McCollum. And you can start your testimony.
        Mr. O'Neill. Sure. I am here to discuss an ongoing crisis
    of bird survival, what the crisis signals for communities, and
    steps the committee can take to reverse the alarming trend.
        Since 1970, we have lost 3 billion of America's birds, and
    two-thirds of our remaining birds are now at risk of extinction
    due to climate change. The birds we have lost are not just
    threatened and endangered species, but common birds in
    communities and back yards across the country. The bird
    declines we are seeing and predicting are due to human
    activity: loss of habitat, greenhouse gas emissions, on and on.
    This is the fifth alarm and a five-alarm fire that is crystal
    clear to the 48 million birders across the country.
        But birders aren't the only ones who should care about
    these staggering figures. Birds are important indicator
    species. They are indeed the canary in the coal mine, meaning
    that severe declines in bird health tell us about future
    threats facing people and communities. With the Administration
    implementing rollbacks to bedrock environmental laws,
    increasing Federal conservation investments is a critical
    backstop. The bipartisan projects and programs under your
    jurisdiction provide tangible, scientifically-based solutions
    to recover our bird populations as well as to provide cleaner
    air and cleaner water. The National Audubon Society is
    proposing Fiscal Year 2021 funding priorities to address
    critical threats facing birds and to start to reverse these
    declines. I thank this committee for its work to consistently
    expand and enhance conservation funding. The recovery of birds
    require it.
        Our recent ``State of the Birds'' study that documented the
    3 billion bird loss also found one area for hope: waterfowl.
    Waterfowl are the one bird guild that not only did not
    experience declines. In fact, it increased by 56 percent, in
    large part due to investments to wetlands conservation work
    through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, or NAWCA.
    And I thank the committee for continuing to prioritize this
    investment. Conservation works, and we urge funding for this
    program at $50 million.
        The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Grants
    Program is one of the best opportunities to build on NAWCA's
    success for the billions of migratory birds that pass through
    our backyards to breed and winter outside our borders. The
    program is an innovative, cost-effective approach to bird
    conservation, supporting projects that benefit birds and their
    habitats, research and monitoring, law enforcement, and
    education programs in Canada, the U.S., Latin America, and the
    Caribbean. It is important to reauthorize the Act and to fully
    fund the program at $6.5 million, and we would like to work
    with you and others to see how we could expand that program in
    the future.
        The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative present provides a
    regional success story that not only restores habitat, but
    allows the community to take part in education and stewardship
    of restoration programs over a long period of time. The newest
    GLRI action plan prioritizes, among other things, the
    restoration of wetlands that attract and restore to sustain
    breeding marsh bird populations. Increasing the investment in
    GLRI can help advance these important goals for birds.
    Investments at the ecosystem scale, like the Great Lakes
    program, are critical to protecting the full spectrum of
    habitat needs for birds. We urge the creation of a similar
    program for the Mississippi or Upper Mississippi River Basin,
    and we had be thrilled with the opportunity to work with you,
    Representative McCollum, on that to make that a reality. There
    are dozens of successful programs moving forward across the
    country, all of which require full and sustained Federal
    funding. We are standing at a crossroads. Now is the time to
    fully invest in conservation programs at a scale necessary to
    address the crisis and to ensure a sustainable path forward for
    birds and communities now and into the future.
        Thank you very much for your time and your attention.
        [The statement of Mr. O'Neill follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                           AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY

                                    WITNESS

    STEVE HOLMER, VICE PRESIDENT OF POLICY, AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY
        Mr. Holmer. Thanks very much for this opportunity to
    testify. I am Steve Holmer, vice president of policy for
    American Bird Conservancy, and we work to conserve birds in
    their habitats throughout the Americas. We are going to be
    talking today about a package of funding requests from a large
    coalition of groups, and this includes the Neotropical
    Migratory Bird Conservation Act at $6.5 million, Migratory Bird
    Joint Ventures at $19.9 million, State and Tribal Wildlife
    Grants at $70 million, North America Wetlands Conservation Act
    at $50 million, ``State of the Birds'' activities at $5
    million, and then an overall $10 million increase for invasive
    species eradication monitoring control. And we appreciate
    language about the greater sage-grouse and the need to advance
    its conservation.
        And I just want to take a moment to thank the committee
    because there were some very significant increases in last
    year's bill for this package of programs. This committee
    recommended over $20 million in increases. The final bill
    included about $10 million, so this was an important step in
    the right direction. But based on what we know about the $3
    billion bird report and the ``State of the Birds,'' there needs
    to be quite a lot more done. And I am not sure if you have
    received a copy of the 2019 ``State of the Birds'' report, but
    I just thought I would share that with you and others on the
    committee if you would like to see this, because it does
    highlight the science study showing the 2.9 billion birds gone,
    but it also shows that through State wildlife grants and
    through the migratory bird joint ventures, we are also seeing a
    lot of successes. We are seeing things getting done on the
    ground that can really make a difference.
        In your region where we have the Upper Mississippi and
    Great Lakes Joint Venture, the Kirtland's warbler is being
    delisted through concerted conservation action. And so it shows
    that when we focus our efforts, we can bring these birds back.
    Of course, wetland conservation is another big success story
    where we managed to bring back waterfowl in large part through
    NAWCA. The joint venture in your region has guided a number of
    NAWCA projects in Minnesota, and one of the reasons we are
    interested in supporting this package is for the simple reason
    that all these programs work very closely together. So I feel
    like we are making good progress and appreciate the support of
    the committee on these issues.
        In light of the billion birds report, there is an
    indication, though, that we need to think about doing even
    more. This is kind of a beginning as kind of how we are seeing
    that. And we also need to maintain the regulatory framework
    that makes sure that endangered species and public lands are
    protected. And at this point with rulemakings happening on the
    National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, the
    Migratory Bird Treaty Act, on sage-grouse plans, on Forest
    Service, NEPA, we are concerned that the safety net for
    wildlife and public lands is now at risk. And so we appreciate
    the committee weighing in against these changes. I don't
    believe the public supports these deregulatory efforts, and it
    is really unfortunate that at a time when we are in a crisis
    where we are seeing, you know, significant losses, that there
    are policies that could end up actually making the situation
    worse. So it is really important that we address it on both the
    funding side and on the policy side.
        This committee included some really strong language in the
    report last year about reducing bird collisions. We thought
    that was very helpful because about 1 billion birds a year are
    lost to bird collisions. There was also language about the
    Tongass National Forest, actually an amendment to protect that
    forest. And forest carbon is very important as part of the
    strategy to address climate change, and we would love to see
    that language be included again in this year's appropriations
    bill, and perhaps be expanded to include the Pacific Northwest,
    where we have old growth forests that have very high carbon
    stores that are also essential for threatened species, such as
    the marbled murrelet. And, in fact, the relationship between
    murrelet habitat and high carbon force is nearly 100 percent,
    so by conserving that bird, we are helping on climate change as
    well as clean water for the region.
        So I appreciate all the good work of the committee, and I
    had be happy to answer any questions.
        [The statement of Mr. Holmer follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                       ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS

                                    WITNESS

    DAN ASHE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS
        Mr. Ashe. Good afternoon, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Kilmer. My name
    is Dan Ashe. I am the president and CEO of the Association of
    Zoos And Aquariums and the former director of the United States
    Fish and Wildlife Service. It is a pleasure to be back in front
    of you and a privilege, a privilege because of the importance
    of the work that you do to wildlife conservation, and a
    pleasure because I neither have to present nor defend an agency
    budget today. [Laughter.]
        The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, or the AZA, is the
    world's leading zoological professional association. In order
    to be a member, a facility like Como Park Zoo and Conservancy
    or Northwest Trek must meet our exacting accreditation
    standards, the world's gold standard for a modern aquarium or
    zoo. And our vision for a modern aquarium or zoo is of a
    purposeful place. Yes, fun and educational where visitors come
    and create memories that last lifetimes, but most importantly,
    where a visit helps to conserve wildlife and save animals from
    extinction.
        Our 238 member facilities spent a collective $231 million
    on field conservation in 2018, positioning them as among the
    world's biggest conservation investors, and that number will
    likely occur approach one-quarter billion dollars in 2019, and
    it will continue growing. It is not a phase or a fad. It is who
    they are. And we are passionate partners of the U.S. Fish and
    Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S.
    Geological Survey, and their State, local, and tribal
    counterparts. We support their work to conserve and recover
    species, like the California condor, manatee, black-footed
    ferret, sea turtles, hellbender, American burying beetle, red
    wolf, rhinoceros, and dozens and dozens more.
        Your support for the Endangered Species Recovery Challenge
    Grants is inspiring this partnership, and I hope you will
    expand funding for this program and insert report language
    encouraging the Service to grow its partnership with accredited
    zoos and aquariums. Our members are ready and willing.
        We are building exciting new partnerships with the Interior
    Department agencies, and I will just quickly mention three.
    Since 2017, we have built a zoo park partnership and this past
    year signed a memorandum of understanding with the Park Service
    calling for 25 new partnerships over the next 5 years. The
    Yosemite National Park-San Francisco Zoo Partnership is a
    perfect example. They just released their 1,000th endangered
    California red-legged frog in an effort covering four valley
    floor habitats where introduced bullfrogs had eaten up
    literally the native populations. Park and zoo staff collect
    frogs and tadpoles, which are then reared at the zoo until they
    are ready for re-introduction around age 2. Through efforts
    like this, we are helping national parks and national wildlife
    refuges conserve species like sea turtles, corals, grizzly
    bear, and bison, and linking AZA's 200 million annual guests
    with their national parks and other public lands, and
    connecting urban America with wildlife and the outdoor. Again,
    with the encouragement of report language and a few dollars
    perhaps for National Park Service natural resource manage and
    refuge operations in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we
    will grow momentum and excitement about this partnership.
        AZA's signature conservation program is Saving Animals From
    Extinction, or SAFE, and it is driving cooperative conservation
    of species from elephants to sharks to monarchs. Wildlife
    trafficking is a major cause of decline in many SAFE species,
    and through AZA's Wildlife Trafficking Alliance, we are working
    with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on an innovative pilot
    confiscations network to help rescue and care for animals that
    are victimized by illegal trade. And finally, we are developing
    a strategy to manage AZA's entire polar bear population to
    support relevant conservation science. And this is going to
    help the Service and others answer key questions about the
    effects of climate change on managed wild bears, and also
    engage millions and millions of visitors.
        So, Ms. McCollum and subcommittee members, AZA's members
    are already exceptional partners of the Fish and Wildlife
    Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey,
    and others. They are anxious to do more nationally and
    internationally to conserve wildlife and save animals from
    extinction. Your encouragement through funding and report
    language will inspire ever more cooperation and innovation. And
    I want to thank you for your time and attention and everything
    that you do, and I am happy to answer any questions if there
    are any.
        [The statement of Mr. Ashe follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. I am going to put this in a
    general format, and then those of you who feel comfortable,
    speak to it. So we worked very hard to get riders. Authorizers
    need to do their job. Our bill, we were very successful. We
    still have a little ways to go. Report language is a way in
    which we try to monitor what is the cost of inaction or what
    can be the benefit of action, getting that agencies and outside
    groups. So the report language that we put in is a useful tool
    for us when we are making our decisions, as well as it is a
    useful tool for the authorizers when we are having
    conversations on things.
        So, for example, lead poisoning has been brought up. What
    is the cost of lead poisoning? What is the cost of having a
    rider like that in there? How much money are we spending? What
    other things are we doing? What is the cost of inactivity when
    we don't get ahead of an invasive species, you know? Dutch elm
    took place. People probably weren't talking too much about
    birds back then. Climate change wasn't the issue it was then.
    But since then we have seen you know, what is happening with
    the beetle that is attacking our pine, with what is going on
    with Asian ash borer, urban and rural areas, and in forestry
    areas, and then the effects of climate change on top of that.
        So there is a cost, whether it is forest health or bird
    population, of not doing anything. What is the cost of when we
    see insecticides and things like that, you know, keeping it in
    or out of the water? How is it affecting frog populations? What
    happens to the bird population that eats the frogs? So we are
    trying to get a holistic approach and try to take a scientific
    approach to things like doing that. So I appreciate the
    acknowledgement of the report language we are putting in there
    because inactivity has consequences on our budget, and activity
    can have positive, sometimes negative, consequences on our
    budget.
        So if I could just maybe ask you to kind of speak to
    invasive species because we are trying to do more with that in
    the committee, about how our organizations can work with the
    scientific community. If you have got some ideas of how Mr.
    Joyce and I, and Mr. Kilmer is here. He cares a lot about the
    birds. I was in his district. You have got seabirds. I don't
    have that, so you have got it all. So maybe just take a take 1
    minute or 2 a piece, and just kind of tell me, you know, if
    there are some ideas on how we can get the invasive species
    part of this right, ideas on that.
        Mr. Holman. Sure. I will be happy to jump in there. Sage-
    grouse are in severe decline across the range, and cheatgrass,
    an invasive grass, is a major factor. And, in fact, I have had
    Forest Service Agency people tell me that if we don't deal with
    the cheatgrass problem, there is really no way to bring back
    enough sagebrush habitat to conserve the grass. So there is one
    example where we could do more on cheatgrass.
        In Hawaii, mosquitoes and the spread of avian malaria and
    other diseases are a huge problem. These are non-native insects
    in Hawaii, and now there are efforts to eliminate these
    mosquitoes in Hawaii. And this is really crucial because we are
    seeing a lot of birds go extinct in Hawaii because of the avian
    malaria and other diseases. So there are two examples where,
    you know, dealing with invasives is really critical.
        And then the last is the monitoring, the fast attack. You
    know, when we think about the brown tree snake, for example, if
    that were to get to Hawaii, it would be disastrous. So there
    needs to be this ongoing effort to monitor and keep things out,
    and then when they are in, attack them immediately.
        Mr. Ashe. Two things, Ms. McCollum. I can't resist the
    temptation to speak about California condor and lead poisoning.
    And so the key in that case is to stop the source of lead
    poisoning. Every California condor that is in the wild in
    California has to be taken back into captivity and put through
    lead chelation. And if that didn't happen, and it is AZA's
    members, like Los Angeles Zoo and San Diego Zoo and Santa
    Barbara Zoo, that are doing that work. And if that didn't
    happen, then that recovery of that population would collapse
    automatically. So we have to eliminate the source of the
    problems and have the courage to do that, and non-toxic
    alternatives are available.
        With invasives you have to act quickly. And so right now,
    we are helping deal with a coral reef crisis off of Florida.
    There is an invasive disease that is wiping out 25 of the 40
    coral species along the entire Florida Reef tract, over 300
    miles of coral reef. America's largest coral reef is being
    decimated by an invasive unknown as yet disease. And so what is
    required is to get in ahead of that, rescue the coral, pull
    them into refugia so that we can have the hope of restoring
    that reef once we find out what is going on. And so the key
    thing for the Federal agencies and their State counterparts is
    to act quickly in the face of species invasion.
        Ms. McCollum. So, Mr. O'Neill, birds eat fish. Fish live in
    coral. We will you close it. [Laughter.]
        Mr. O'Neill. Yeah, I think one of the things that we are
    finding, particularly on our seabird work, which is interesting
    maybe to Mr. Kilmer, is that you are starting to see a mix of
    species moving into areas where seabirds really rely on fish in
    order to survive. There are out on the water maybe 70, 80
    percent of their life cycle. They are getting fish now that are
    too large for their beaks to be able to feed. They are no
    longer productive, and that is a big shift because of climate
    change. The warming of some of these oceans are creating
    different movements of fish. As a result, the sea birds aren't
    able to eat fish that are the size that can create productivity
    when they move to their breeding grounds.
        So that is an important shift, but the importance of the
    actions that can be taken are around really thinking about
    managing the small forage fish that are in these river systems
    and that move out into the oceans. Protecting forage fish is
    really important to saving sea birds, and sea birds have
    declined some 70 percent over the last 40 years. So that is an
    invasive species that is moving as a result in part of ocean
    temperatures and warming.
        And I want to pick up on Dan's point about, you know,
    something along the lines of the pesticide issue for birds.,
    and Steve and I were talking about this earlier. It is a major
    issue for our board and our members. But pesticides we are more
    and more concerned about in terms of their impact on birds, and
    that is an issue that we want to explore further. I think some
    scientific research relative to the impact of pesticides on
    birds and the health of birds would be very valuable to really
    draw that link, that scientific link, between pesticide use and
    the loss of bird species throughout the Americas.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Have you found any birds that like to prey on
    Asian carp? [Laughter.]
        Mr. O'Neill. Not yet.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you all for being here.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Kilmer.
        Mr. Kilmer. None. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you very much. Thank you. And if the
    second panel would come up, please.
        I think we are going to be fine. We are finding out that we
    are seeing a yellow light. This morning we saw yellow light,
    but you are not seeing a yellow light right now. So we will
    give you an indication kind of where the minute comes without
    being too disruptive.
        So as the first panel did, if you would introduce yourself,
    and then we will start the clock then.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                             DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE

                                    WITNESS

    JACOB MALCOM, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR CONSERVATION INNOVATION,
        DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE
        Mr. Malcom. Good afternoon. I am Jacob Malcom. I am the
    director of the Center for Conservation Innovation at Defenders
    of Wildlife. Defenders has 1.8 million members and supporters,
    and we are dedicated to the conservation of wild animals and
    their habitats in their natural communities. Thank you, Madam
    Chairwoman, Ranking Member, and members of the subcommittee for
    the opportunity to speak with you today.
        The science that has been marshaled in recent years shows
    with unrivaled clarity that this is a pivotal time for wildlife
    and for humanity. You are likely familiar with last year's
    report. ``The Global Assessment on the Status of Biodiversity
    and Ecosystem Services,'' found that 1 in 8 species on the
    planet, or about 1 million species, are at risk of extinction.
    That is tens to hundreds of times faster than the background
    rate of extinction, and ultimately we are the cause of this
    loss.
        We have altered over 75 percent of terrestrial environments
    and two-thirds of marine environments. When you combine that
    loss with ongoing threats, like invasive species, climate
    change, the damage that we have done to nature is almost
    unimaginable. And the consequences of that are not just borne
    by nature, but also by humanity. Half a trillion dollars of
    crops are at risk of loss because of pollinator loss, which is
    a really big deal. Ecosystem services from fisheries to water
    filtration and beyond are all at grave risk of loss because of
    the damage to natural systems.
        But despite the darkness of these results, we also have
    good reason for hope because we know that we have solutions. We
    know we can make a difference when we act. We have reduced the
    risk of extinction for plants and animals by some 22, almost 30
    percent by investing in conservation. In the U.S. this is
    because of laws going back over a century for conservation
    starting with the Lacey Act in 1900, and because of our
    stewardship of our Federal public lands and public and private
    lands across the country.
        Defenders has a number of priorities that we have laid out
    in our written testimony, but here I wanted to focus for a
    moment on the key law for addressing the extinction crisis that
    we are facing now, the Endangered Species Act. The ESA is the
    epitome of success. Over 95 percent of listed species are still
    with us today, and hundreds of those are on the path to
    recovery. This record of success is even more stunning when you
    consider that species have received less than 25 percent of
    what scientists say is needed to recover them. You can imagine
    what we would be able to do if we invested fully in the
    Endangered Species Act. This point may have been most clearly
    made last fall in the Journal of Science when 1,800 scientists
    endorsed greater ESA funding as a key strategy for responding
    to the extinction crisis.
        The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the lead agency for
    recovering most listed species, but its endangered species
    budget needs nearly double the current funding, or about $486
    million a year, for the Agency to carry out the missions
    Congress intended. For example, the backlogged Listing Program
    needs to increase nearly threefold to $51 million dollars a
    year so that the Agency can determine if species need
    protection. The Recovery Program funding needs to nearly double
    to almost $197 million a year. That would allow the Service to
    complete almost 400, actually over 400, recovery plans that are
    needed, and thousands of recovery actions that are already
    planned and just need to be taken action on.
        The Consultation and Planning Program needs an almost 50
    percent increase to $130 million, which would allow, among
    other things, the application of new technologies that really
    massively increase the efficiency of consultations. And the
    Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, which
    empowers States and private landowners to take conservation
    action, needs at least $100 million a year.
        Across these programs and others detailed in our written
    testimony, we have laid out a path to address the extinction
    crisis that looms before us. You and your constituents depend
    on nature and the ecosystem services it provides.
    Fundamentally, laws like the ESA will be little more than lip
    service to wildlife if they are not funded fully and carried
    out. So thank you for the funding increases last year.
    Defenders and all of the wildlife and their habitats certainly
    appreciate it. Now we need leaders to use their authorities,
    the power of the purse, to further our commitment to halt the
    extinction crisis and reverse the fortunes of nature. Thank
    you.
        [The statement of Mr. Malcom follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you very much.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                     INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE

                                    WITNESS

    KATE WALL, SENIOR LEGISLATIVE MANAGER, INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL
        WELFARE
        Ms. Wall. Hi. Thanks. Can you hear me? Bear with me. I have
    a very scratchy voice.
        Ms. McCollum. Why don't we make sure you have a glass of
    water handy in case you need it?
        Ms. Wall. Thank you. That is kind. I won't wait on that,
    though. My name is Kate Wall. I am here on behalf of the
    International Fund for Animal Welfare. I am the senior
    legislative manager in our United States office. The
    International Fund for Animal Welfare--thank you--or IFAW, has
    offices in 15 countries around the world and works in more than
    40 countries globally. And we want to thank the chairwoman, and
    Ranking Member Joyce, and members of the subcommittee for the
    opportunity to testify here today.
        IFAW is very grateful for the subcommittee's championship
    of strong conservation funding in the current Fiscal Year. And
    as a member of the International Conservation Caucus, we also
    thank both the chair and ranking member for your conservation
    leadership both on this committee and elsewhere.
        So I am going to deviate a little bit from my prepared
    remarks today because, Chairwoman McCollum, you asked about the
    cost of doing nothing during the last panel. And I wanted to
    start these remarks by saying that the Intergovernmental
    Platform on Climate Change put forward a report last year that
    said that the total value of global ecosystem services is
    roughly equivalent to global GDP. That is huge. So the cost of
    doing nothing to protect our ecosystem services may be as much
    as allowing global GDP to trickle down the drain.
        All right. I just wanted to see that in your minds before I
    get started on my formal remarks because I think that sometimes
    when we talk about wildlife and ecosystems, we think about
    these as something that we need to think about in the future,
    not something that we should worry about today. We need to
    worry about our bottom lines of today. We all do this. I do
    this in my own thinking when I am thinking about my budget at
    home. But the reality is that we may be squandering huge
    resources that we do not have the wherewithal to put back into
    our coffers if we don't act today to protect wildlife and
    protect ecosystems here in the United States and globally.
        So we have heard just by turning on the news about some
    really pretty serious and grim challenges that face us around
    the world. We hear about sea level rise. We hear about warming
    oceans. We hear about biodiversity loss. If you aren't scared,
    then you aren't paying attention. But I don't want to focus on
    our fear today because fear can paralyze us, and the reality is
    that those of you sitting across the table from us here today
    have the power as leaders in this country to really make some
    transformative changes and make a better world for us, and I
    want to inspire you to act in that way. So put the fear aside,
    and let's talk about some things that you can do with the power
    of your purse.
        We continue as the United States to be a global leader, and
    the actions that we take here at home matter on the global
    stage. Some of the things that we can do internationally
    include funding the International Affairs Program within the
    Fish and Wildlife Service, which is tasked with coordinating
    domestic and international efforts to conserve species and
    restore wildlife and wild lands. These are programs that look
    not just at iconic species, which we will talk about next, but
    species that we may not have heard of, transboundary species,
    ecosystems, and they really have a power to create change in
    wide swathes of the world with very, very little. Also, because
    of language that you justifiably put in the Fiscal Year 2020
    appropriations report language, are tasked with ensuring the
    highest level of integrity and professionalism among partner
    organizations. And so we asked for further funding to ensure
    that they have the resources that they need to carry out those
    very important offices.
        With regard to iconic species like those protected by the
    multinational species conservation funds, species like tigers,
    rhinos, African and Asian elephants, great apes marine and
    freshwater turtles and tortoises, these species continue to
    face threats from poaching, from trafficking, and from climate
    change. And while there was a significant increase in funding
    in the last Fiscal Year, for which again, we are very grateful,
    these threats have not gone away, and we need more preventative
    funds now so that we don't risk further cure funding required
    later that will be much more costly to taxpayers and species
    writ large.
        And finally, on the international stage, the Office of Law
    Enforcement within the Fish and Wildlife Service is tasked with
    a huge amount of inspection of wildlife and wildlife products
    that come across our borders. They have attaches around the
    world. And we face yet another global pandemic, which appears
    to have been caused by wildlife interactions, we see those as
    all the more important offices that need to be carried out with
    additional funding.
        Again, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you
    here today.
        [The statement of Ms. Wall follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                    LEGISLATIVE AND FEDERAL BUDGET COMMITTEE

                                    WITNESS

    TIM SCHAEFFER, CHAIR, ASSOCIATION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE AGENCIES,
        LEGISLATIVE AND FEDERAL BUDGET COMMITTEE
        Mr. Schaeffer. Hi. My name is Tim Schaeffer. I am the
    executive director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
    Commission. And like Minnesota and Ohio, we are both a Great
    Lake State and a Mississippi River watershed State. People
    don't often think about the fact that the Ohio starts right
    there in Pittsburgh. And I am here today on behalf of the
    Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. I am the current
    chair of the Legislative Federal Budget Committee for the
    Association.
        Should I start again?
        Ms. McCollum. We are good.
        Mr. Schaeffer. Okay. Good. Thank you. Generally, the
    Association supports no less than Fiscal Year 2020 funding
    levels for the various budget line items under your purview.
    However, increasing funding for the Division of Fish and
    Aquatic Conservation of the Fish and Wildlife Service is
    important to ensure sufficient capacity and expertise is
    readily available to work in partnership with the States on
    various projects and issues. At least maintaining Fiscal Year
    2020 funding levels for the National Fish Hatchery operations
    and functions and budget line items is critical, and we request
    the same for mass marketing initiatives.
        Additional funding to address the National Fish Hatchery
    systems deferred maintenance is also necessary to continue
    species restoration and conservation efforts. We support the
    National Fish Habitat Action Plan at $7.2 million, and to
    continue Fiscal Year 2020 funding levels for conservation
    activities in the Delaware River Basin, Klamath Basin, Great
    Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, and the Everglades.
        The spread of the associated costs of aquatic invasive
    species are exploding--we have been talking about that already
    today--and we recommend increasing funding for AIS prevention
    in the FAC. This should be part of a comprehensive approach
    across relevant Federal agencies and the programs that provide
    resources to States to prevent and control AIS. We request
    Congress to restore funding for State aquatic nuisance species
    management plan implementation to $4.4 million dollars, without
    compromising ANS programs. And we support the continuation of a
    $25 million annual appropriation to implement the National
    Asian Carp Management and Control Plan in the Mississippi River
    and it is tributaries. I would really emphasize if we get it
    right in the tributaries, that helps to prevent the spread to
    the Great Lakes.
        The State and Tribal Wildlife grants program is the only
    Federal program available to States to leverage non-Federal
    funds to conserve over 12,000 State species of greatest
    conservation need to prevent them from becoming threatened or
    endangered through voluntary proactive and State-led
    conservation efforts. It is a lot cheaper to keep something off
    the Endangered Species List, and we like to say we want to keep
    common species common.
        The Association recommends the program be funded at $90
    million and Fiscal Year 2021. To truly address these
    challenges, we ask Congress to enact the Recovering America's
    Wildlife Act, H.R. 3742, which would provide States and their
    conservation partners with dependable resources and a modern
    enhancement in how we fund the full array of diverse fish and
    wildlife conservation for current and future generations.
        The Fish and Wildlife Service and States share management
    jurisdiction for migratory birds. This represents one of the
    most successful State/Federal Cooperative Partnerships for over
    80 years. Unfortunately, the Migratory Bird Conservation
    Program is chronically underfunded. More funding is needed to
    retain sufficient staff, fill key vacancies to work in
    cooperation with the States on co-management issues, and
    support science to inform decision making. The Association
    supports funding the program at Fiscal Year 2010 levels, and
    the Migratory Joint Bird Ventures at $19.9 million to
    accomplish shared responsibilities and priorities.
        Thank you for providing much-needed funding for the USGS
    Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Program in Fiscal
    Year 2020, and we strongly support maintaining the funding in
    Fiscal Year 2021. Further, we support additional funding for
    the science centers. In Pennsylvania, we recently learned that
    the Northern Appalachian Research Lab and Wellsboro,
    Pennsylvania may close this year because of decreased funding.
    That lab provides critical data, research, and information to
    our agency on how we manage freshwater mussels for the
    Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, but we manage all fish,
    reptiles, and amphibians in the Commonwealth. They also have
    supplied really critical research and data to us on the
    filtration roles of mussels, how they are connected to eels,
    and how that would help with Chesapeake Bay restoration
    efforts. The cleaner the water is leaving the Susquehanna
    River, the better it is for the Bay, and mussels play a role in
    that. We get a lot of great data on that from that USGS
    facility in Wellsboro.
        We also support additional funding for the National
    Wildlife Health Center to deal with chronic wasting disease. We
    support no less than Fiscal Year 2020 funding levels for other
    budget line items within USGS ecosystems. However, it is
    imperative the Congress provide additional resources to all
    relevant Federal agencies to coordinate to coordinate with the
    States on challenges related to CWD. We respectfully request
    that the subcommittee refer to the Association's testimony on
    CWD provided on October 17th, 2019 for additional CWD-related
    needs.
        Thank you for upholding the commitments to wildfire
    borrowing. We support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    budgets at no less than Fiscal Year 2020 levels, and
    respectfully request an additional $3 million to this program.
    So with that point, I would be happy to answer any questions.
        [The statement of Mr. Schaeffer follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Schaeffer. I didn't know if that buzz was for me or
    not, so. [Laughter.]
        Voice. The building is on fire.
        Mr. Schaeffer. Okay.
        Ms. McCollum. I have messages on my phone. There are 14
    minutes left. Only four people have voted, so I think we have
    got time for a quick round of questions. Mr. Joyce, do you want
    to kick us off?
        Mr. Joyce. I don't have any questions. I appreciate all of
    you being here today and your input. I look forward to working
    with you in the near future. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Kilmer.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you all for
    your testimony. Mr. Malcom, I wanted to thank you in your
    written testimony for calling out the important role played by
    the regional climate centers in supporting efforts to combat
    climate change and to adapt to the impacts of climate change. I
    am really grateful to our chair and to this committee for
    protecting and growing funding for the eight regional climate
    centers, including the Northwest Climate Center at the
    University of Washington.
        I was hoping just in the brief time we have, just could you
    elaborate a little bit on how the science that is produced at
    these centers informs our efforts to respond to the threat of
    climate change?
        Mr. Malcom. Sorry. Give me just 1 second.
        Mr. Kilmer. That is all right.
        Mr. Malcom. The science is critical to being able to make
    informed decisions. We are at a day and an age where we
    understand how to do this. As some people have noted, the
    science is so advanced and our understanding is so advanced. We
    know how we can make use of it and bring that information to
    the lawmakers to be able to make decisions. I wish I had a very
    specific example, for example, from the Northwest Climate
    Center that I could give to you, but I don't. There is this
    very tight, or there should be this very tight relationship
    between science and policy that society follows, and climate
    centers are essential for carrying that out and helping folks
    in different regions across the country understand the
    consequences.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. I appreciate the fact that when I
    read through your testimony, you see how everything is
    interconnected, all three of you did. And the support and
    reasons why supporting something at Fish and Wildlife is
    important to something, you know, with migratory birds, which
    whatever, because quite often I know somebody can say, oh, I
    will cut this. And they don't realize what the impact it is
    going to be achieving the goal that they really want to
    achieve. So I just wanted to compliment your testimony because
    you are kind of doing the broad cloth on how all the pieces fit
    together to make the quilt happen. So thank you for kind of
    putting that together for us for the committee to take a look
    at that.
        And with that, we will be in recess until the call of the
    chair after votes. Thank you.
        Mr. Kilmer [presiding]. All right. I think we are up for
    our next set of witnesses. Mr. Durkin, you have 5 minutes.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

             THE FRIENDS OF RACHEL CARSON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

                                    WITNESS

    BILL DURKIN, PRESIDENT, THE FRIENDS OF RACHEL CARSON NATIONAL WILDLIFE
        REFUGE
        Mr. Durkin. Good afternoon, Ms. Chairman, and goodbye.
    [Laughter.]
        And honorable members of the subcommittee. I am Bill
    Durkin, president of the friends of Rachel Carson National
    Wildlife Refuge in Maine. Thank you for accepting my request to
    testify today before the subcommittee. It is a true honor and
    privilege to represent my friend's group and to speak out for
    the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Wildlife
    Refuge System, our refuge, Rachel Carson National Wildlife
    Refuge, and for full dedicated funding of the Land and Water
    Conservation Fund.
        The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is named in
    honor of one of the Nation's foremost and forward-thinking
    biologists. After arriving in Maine in 1946 as an aquatic
    biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson
    became entranced with Maine's coastal habitats, leading her to
    write the international bestseller, The Sea Around Us. This
    landmark study, in combination with other writings, The Edge of
    the Sea, and Silent Spring, led Rachel Carson to become an
    advocate on behalf of this Nation's vast coastal habitats and
    wildlife that depends on it. Her legacy lives on today at the
    refuge bears her name, and is dedicated to the permanent
    protection of the salt marshes and estuaries of southern Maine
    Coast.
        The refuge was established in 1966 to preserve migratory
    bird habitat, waterfowl migration along southern Maine's
    Coastal estuaries. There are 11 refuge divisions and 12
    municipalities protecting approximately 5,600 acres within an
    14,800-acre acquisition zone. I have been on the board of the
    Friends group since 1989. The organization was founded in 1987.
    We are small group with a history of communicating with our
    Maine congressional members, who we are missing our
    representative right now, Chellie, for decades. In the past, we
    sent letters via U.S. mail, then anthrax forced us to fax our
    letters. Then the electronic age made things very simple: email
    and PDFs.
        The Friends play an important role in supporting the Rachel
    Carson National Wildlife Refuge mission. We work to educate
    Maine's U.S. congressional and State legislation about the
    relevance of the refuge wildlife habitat, its coastal
    resilience, tourism benefits, and the use for future
    generations. We support refuge staff by volunteering with trail
    maintenance, greenhouse activities, administrative work, and
    visitors services. We engage the towns and communities that
    surround the refuge through mailings, meetings events, and a
    future conservation theme book group. We fundraise and apply
    for grants so that we can assist with hiring refuge interns,
    purchase equipment, and support research projects. We support
    acquisition funding and refuse operation and engage in
    environmental education and outreach programs.
        National wildlife refuges protect habitat for a host of
    wildlife species, while also offering storm surge protection,
    improving water quality, supporting nurseries for commercially
    important fish and shellfish, and providing recreation
    opportunities for local refugee communities. Each one of you
    has a national wildlife refuge in your home State and maybe
    even one close to your home.
        I request, number one, an overall Fiscal Year 2021 funding
    level of $586 million for the operations and maintenance budget
    of the National Wildlife Refuge System managed by the U.S. Fish
    and Wildlife Service. All the refugees are in dire need of
    staffing and upkeep. Without increased funding for refuges,
    wildlife conservation and public recreation opportunities will
    be jeopardized. Every dollar appropriated for the refuge system
    returns an average of 4.87 to local economies.
        Number two, I request to appropriate $283 million for the
    wildlife and habitat management projects within the O&M budget.
    These monies will support restoration of salt marshes removal,
    controlling invasive species, recovering species, continued
    fire management programs, restoring cultivated land to its
    original habitat, implementing climate change strategies of
    adaptation mitigation, and engagement.
        Number three, I request $41 million for refuge land
    acquisition projects. In addition, the Land and Water
    Conservation Fund needs to be permanently funded at the $900
    amount annually. I have been advocating for this for over 2
    decades of Congress, and we finally have LWCF permanently
    authorized, but now to have the amount permanently funded at
    $900. As you know, there is H.R. 3195, the Land And Water
    Conservation Fund for Permanent Funding Act. It is pending, and
    we all need your continued support.
        This year marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and we
    thank Rachel Carson for inspiring us all. I leave you with a
    quote from Rachel's book, A Sense of Wonder. ``A child's world
    is fresh, and new, and beautiful, full of wonder and
    excitement.'' Each of the national wildlife refuges have a
    unique story and history behind their name, but they basically
    all serve one purpose: protect wildlife habitat. With that
    wonder and excitement, I thank you again for the opportunity to
    present my testimony and support our national wildlife refuges.
        [The statement of Mr. Durkin follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you. You stuck the landing. Mr. Hall.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

             FRIENDS OF NISQUALLY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX

                                    WITNESS

    JUSTIN HALL, BOARD PRESIDENT, FRIENDS OF NISQUALLY NATIONAL WILDLIFE
        REFUGE COMPLEX
        Mr. Hall. Good afternoon, Representative Kilmer, Ranking
    Member Joyce. It is on. The light is on. I just need to be
    louder. I can do that. My name is Justin Hall. I am the current
    president of the Friends of the Nisqually National Wildlife
    Refuge Complex, and I appreciate the invitation to testify
    today on behalf of the Friends.
        So our Friends group was formed in 1999 to promote the
    conservation of the natural and cultural resources of the
    Refuge Complex and engage in educational, charitable,
    scientific, and civic activities that will increase public
    awareness and assist management in accomplishing refuge goals.
    We provide just under $60,000 a year to support programs at the
    refuge, with our primary focus being the environmental
    education program.
        The Nisqually Complex is blessed with three very unique
    places. Billy Frank, Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge was
    established in 1974. The creation was led by a grassroots
    citizens movement to aid in the protection and enhancement of
    the Nisqually River delta. In 2009, the refuge accomplished the
    largest estuary restoration on the West Coast when 762 acres of
    deck habitat was converted back to salt marsh and tidal estuary
    essential rearing grounds for the threatened Puget Sound
    Chinook salmon. Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually is an urban refuge
    located between the cities of Olympia and Tacoma, just 1-hour-
    and-a-half from Seattle and 2 hours from Portland. The refuge
    receives over 220,000 visitors a year, and over 10,000 students
    and teachers participate in the environmental education
    program.
        The Black River Unit of Billy Frank, Jr. Nisqually protects
    a unique freshwater flood plain that is also critical habitat
    for the federally-threatened Oregon spotted frog. The Black
    River unit is not open to the public at this time because of
    lack of funds to develop and staff it for visitors. Grays
    Harbor National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1988. The
    highlight of Grays Harbor is the 100,000 shorebirds that stop
    over during the spring migration. The refuge is open to the
    public where visitors can view large flocks and the 1-mile
    boardwalk extending into the salt marsh. Over 12,000 people
    visit annually, mostly in the spring. A partnership between
    Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, Grays Harbor Audubon
    Society, and the City of Hoquiam puts on the Grays Harbor
    Shorebird and Nature Festival during the peak spring migration
    the last weekend of April or the first weekend of May. The 3-
    day Festival brings in more than 1,400 visitors.
        The Grays Harbor Hoquiam Aberdeen area is economically
    depressed, and one of the purposes of the annual festival is to
    increase ecotourism and help the local communities. However, an
    annual festival only provides short-term benefits. Grays Harbor
    has the potential to be a mainstay in the community and a
    destination for visitors, if an interpretive center,
    prioritized by Congress, but not funded, was supported for
    construction with an annual budget for staffing, operations,
    and maintenance.
        The biggest challenge at the Nisqually National Wildlife
    Refuge Complex is adequate funding for staff. Currently, seven
    permanent employees manage over 11,000 acres of land with a
    Black River unit 40 minutes from main office, and Grays Harbor
    Refuge 1-hour-and-a-half away. The complex has one maintenance
    worker to maintain the infrastructure and assist with habitat
    management, yet a large amount of the time is spent commuting
    between these worksites. I do believe the complex needs 15
    staff members to achieve at the full purpose of the refuges,
    not only to benefit fish and wildlife, but also provide
    quality, safe outdoor opportunities for the public. This is a
    common limitation for many other refuges.
        Law enforcement is also a significant issue for our
    complex. Currently, we have one-quarter of a refuge law
    enforcement officer for all three of our locations. The
    officer's house is 2 hours away in Sequim at the Washington
    Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Billy Frank, Jr.
    Nisqually is located directly off of Interstate 5, the major
    Corridor between Seattle and Portland. This close proximity and
    easy exit and entrance onto the highway may be the reason why
    there is higher crime at Billy Frank, Jr. Nisqually,
    particularly car prowls. Trespassing in a closed area set aside
    for wildlife and engaging in non-wildlife dependent activities
    are also big problems despite miles of trails throughout the
    refuge. For example, portrait photographers disturbing birds so
    their subjects can sit in the grasslands, dog walking in the
    refuge, and fishing and hunting in closed areas. A full-time
    law enforcement presence on the refuges is needed to curb
    abuses and to provide education to those unaware of the rules
    and regulations, and the reasons why they are in place.
    Additionally, a security surveillance system for the parking
    lot would go a long way towards reducing the problem with car
    prowls.
        The education program at the Billy Frank, Jr. Nisqually is
    incredible and is a direction for the future focus of this
    urban refuge. The refuge is a popular regional destination,
    especially on clear Pacific Northwest days, and regularly
    exceed its visitation capacity due current resource
    limitations. This is also true for the education program which
    serves a remarkable 10,000 students each year, but is facing
    growing demand from school districts and staff and teachers.
    With additional staff, the program can be expanded to provide
    environmental education outreach within the communities and
    then follow-up visit to the refuge. We want to help create the
    next generation of people who actively take care of our
    Nation's lands.
        As it is now, our Friends group and volunteers are picking
    up the slack and smoothing out the inconsistencies in the
    funding to the best of our ability. Whoever volunteers and
    outside staff are not a sustainable model for our refuge
    system. We support the request that the subcommittee allocate
    $586 million in funding for the Refuge System Operations And
    Maintenance Fund for Fiscal Year 2021. This increase would
    greatly impact our refuge. The Nisqually National Wildlife
    Refuge Complex would be better able to hire the staff needed to
    have an adequate level of law enforcement, increase our urban
    refuge outreach, control invasive species to benefit a
    diversity of fish and wildlife, restore critical habitat for
    Oregon spotted frog, construct and operate the promised
    interpretive center at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge,
    provide additional wildlife-dependent opportunities at Grays
    Harbor National Wildlife Refuge in the back of our unit, and
    further build out our environment education programs.
        Our refuges are the face of public lands for many people in
    the South Puget Sound Community as they are for communities
    across the country. We need adequate funding to ensure that
    they stay protected, accessible, and stewarded for the
    generations to come. Thank you for your consideration.
        [The statement of Mr. Hall follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you. Is it Brouwer?
        Ms. Brouwer. Brouwer, yes.
        Mr. Kilmer. All right. Ms. Brouwer.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                      NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ASSOCIATION

                                    WITNESS

    CAROLINE BROUWER, VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, NATIONAL
        WILDLIFE REFUGE ASSOCIATION
        Ms. Brouwer. Good afternoon. My name is Carolyn Brouwer,
    and I am the vice president of government affairs for the
    National Wildlife Refuge Association. I very much appreciate
    the invitation to testify today on behalf of the National
    Wildlife Refuge Association and our members and supporters,
    particularly the friends groups who do such amazing work on the
    ground. I am joined today by Justin and Bill, and we are
    thrilled to have you into town.
        The Refuge Association was started 45 years ago by retired
    refuge staff who wanted to start a group to advocate on behalf
    of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Today, the Refuge
    System consists of 568 refuge units across 850 million acres,
    which is roughly the size of India. Refuges are in all 50
    states and in five marine national monuments in the Pacific and
    Atlantic Oceans.
        Today, I want to talk with you today about what the Refuge
    System has been able to do with the recent increases. There was
    an increase of $14 million in the budget this past year in
    2020. With the $2.9 million increase included in the budget for
    law enforcement, the Refuge System has hired 43 new Federal
    wildlife officers. Last year when I testified, I stated that 13
    States have zero or one officer. With these recent hires, this
    is no longer the case, and we are anticipating law enforcement
    staffing to increase, especially in the States that have been
    particularly neglected recently.
        Another place that will receive more officers is border
    refuges. For several years, the Fish and Wildlife Service has
    moved nearly all of their officers on a rotating schedule down
    to the border for 21-day details. With these new hires, we
    expect detailees to be discontinued, which will allow these
    officers to stay at their home refuge. With additional funding
    in the upcoming appropriations Bill, the Refuge System is
    planning on hiring an additional 12 officers, which will raise
    levels of staffing and law enforcement to a new recent high.
    Current law enforcement funding is $41 million, and goal is $70
    million.
        Another positive outcome in the Fiscal Year 2020 bill was
    additional funding on invasive species. The Fish and Wildlife
    Service is facing serious impacts on nearly every wildlife
    refuge with 2.4 million acres infested with invasive plants. I
    am sure all of you will recognize names like phragmites, Kudzu,
    and salt cedar. There are also 1,749 invasive animal
    populations, which includes everything from mice and rats on
    the Pacific atolls and islands, to feral hogs, quagga mussels,
    pythons, and Asian carp. To show the impact of funding
    eradication efforts, one great example is nutria in the
    Chesapeake Bay. Nutria are a rat species that are roughly 14
    pounds on average, which is larger than my cat. There are
    extremely destructive to wetland habitats. For several years,
    there has been a substantial amount of money put towards
    eradicating nutria in the Chesapeake Bay. There has been a lot
    of people, I have a team of dogs, lots of money and focus. This
    is about the fifth year with no nutria sightings, so perhaps
    this next year, nutria will be considered eradicated in that
    area.
        There has also been a new effort to create invasive species
    strike teams. There was $2.5 million for this in the fiscal
    year 2020 bill, which is enough for five new teams, bringing
    the number up to 12. Their goals are early detection and rapid
    response. One species that is a prime target for the strike
    teams are mice on Midway atoll. These mice are literally eating
    the albatross alive as they sit on their nests, and it is a
    gruesome sight. And I am told that at dusk, you can see the
    ground moving there are so many mice there.
        I want to thank you for your support of funding for the
    Refuge system and for that overall $4 million dollar increase
    in the 2020 bill. The system needs another boost of funding
    this next year. Funding is now $1 million lower than the height
    of funding in 2010, and fiscal year 2010 funding of $503
    million, after calculating for inflation, would be $598 million
    now. This means that the Refuge System has had to absorb $94
    million in cuts over the last 10 years. As a result, the system
    has lost one-seventh of its staff. Acres needing prescribed
    burns are left untouched. Half of refuge units are unstaffed.
        Law enforcement funding, even with recent increases, is
    about 25 percent of full staffing. Many, many refuges have no
    visitor services staff, which doesn't sound like a big deal
    until you see the refuges that do have these staffers, and you
    realize the value they add to the community in terms of
    bringing school kids out to refuges and teaching the community
    about nature in their own backyard. Anyone who has visited the
    Prairie Wetlands Learning Center in Fergus Falls, Minnesota
    knows the value of hands-on nature for kids. This is what
    visitor services staff does. Just imagine if we could replicate
    centers like that all over the country.
        Refuges are currently funded at 59 cents an acre. Parks in
    comparison, and I agree we are talking about apples and
    oranges, but parks are funded at $30 an acre. Our goal for over
    a decade now has been to get refuge funding up to $900 million
    dollars, which would still be barely a dollar per acre. We are
    asking your subcommittee to include $586 million in the FY 2021
    appropriations bill.
        Thank you very much, and I am happy to answer any questions
    you may have.
        [The statement of Ms. Brouwer follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you. Mr. Leinbach.
        Mr. Leinbach. Thank you. Am I allowed to give you pictures
    and stuff?
        Mr. Kilmer. I think so, yeah. Sure.
        Mr. Leinbach. [Audio malfunction in hearing room.]
        Mr. Kilmer. Great. We love pictures. Thank you. I will pass
    them down. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                              URBAN ECOLOGY CENTER

                                    WITNESS

    KEN LEINBACH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, URBAN ECOLOGY CENTER
        Mr. Leinbach. Good afternoon. Ranking Member Joyce and Mr.
    Kilmer, and anyone else who is listening in the room. It is a
    lovely afternoon if you are a duck. I am the executive director
    of the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I am
    super grateful for the opportunity to speak with you today. The
    purpose of this testimony is to introduce the Interior and
    Environment Subcommittee to a replicable nonprofit model for
    urban revitalization.
        The Urban Ecology Center, the UEC, uses environmental
    education as a tool to transform challenged urban parks and
    neighborhoods, and our work is capturing the attention of
    cities across the country. The UEC started as an experimental
    social invention based on research that states, ``If one has
    consistent access to nature from an early age while having a
    mentor in your life who demonstrates respectful behavior toward
    the land, that person is very likely to grow up caring for and
    working for the environment.'' That is the kind of person we
    need right now in the world.
        Our mission then is quite simple: to connect people who
    live in cities to nature and each other. The center began in
    the mid-90s as a small group of teachers in a humble trailer in
    a high crime park in one of the most densely populated
    neighborhoods in our State. We started offering field trips to
    nearby schools, and quickly discovered the what we are offering
    was needed. Nature-based recreation and education is beneficial
    in every: intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and
    physical. Our trailer became a hive of community activities for
    adults and kids. Our success allowed us to grow, and we now are
    in three beautiful green built and rehab buildings that bustle
    with community activities on Milwaukee's southwest and east
    side.
        While the center began as a strategy to improve ecological
    literacy of folks in a city, we discovered that when a UEC is
    placed in an urban park, so much more happens. The park becomes
    safe. Student academic achievement improves. New jobs are
    created. Volunteerism explodes. And if done correctly, a
    significant influx of community resources flow into the park
    and nearby surroundings. The center has catalyzed over $45
    million in direct investments in and near the parks that we
    occupy. What once was blighted, even dangerous, green spaces
    becomes a safe and green community asset.
        Last year, we hosted over 220,000 visits by youth and
    adults at our three branches in Milwaukee. Three thousand five
    hundred volunteers helped us plant over 10,000 native trees and
    plants in the 70-plus acres that we now manage. We partner with
    63 urban schools providing 35,000 students with regular field
    trips. We reach an incredibly diverse audience. All ages,
    racial, political, and economic backgrounds come together at
    our centers. Both sides of the aisle have supported us.
        Today, cities all over the Nation are reaching out and
    showing interest in replicating this model. To help facilitate,
    we published this book, Urban Ecology, and created a training
    institute around it. To date we have had over 50 people come
    through our training, representing 19 different cities,
    Columbus, Atlanta, Rochester, and Denver to name a few. We have
    had cities from different countries as well.
        Twenty years after our inception, the program is
    flourishing to such a degree that it was suggested that it was
    important for you, who are charged with governance of this
    Nation, to be aware of our existence and the transferable
    impacts we are having. I am deeply honored that you accepted
    our testimony to speak to you today and have hopes that you and
    any listening might be able to assist us in finding additional
    partnerships and funding opportunities to help accelerate the
    spread of our important program. Worth noting, we have worked
    with the U.S. Forest Service in creating a 40-acre children's
    forest, an arboretum out of remediated industrial land. And we
    were also grateful to receive nearly $1 million dollars of
    funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the first
    year of its inception, to help remediate a tier-one tributary
    into Lake Michigan. Thank you. Congratulations, by the way, on
    passing the reauthorization bill for the GLRI just yesterday, I
    believe, right? Well done.
        Some of you may be in Milwaukee this July for the
    Democratic National Convention. Come visit. We would love to
    show you around. And if you happen to know of anybody looking
    for a unique venue for their meeting or event, please contact
    us. We have really cool facilities, these ultra-green
    facilities.
        I know as you, Ranking Member Joyce, that the freshwater
    bodies in our region aren't merely Good Lakes, they are Great
    Lakes. Accordingly, I don't know if I am allowed, but I brought
    you each a Petoskey stone, a polished fossilized ancient stone
    found only on Lake Michigan, as a gift from the lake. I
    actually have enough that folks in the room can have them as
    well. And there is no real value to these except for the
    beauty, so I think it is okay for me to give them. It is not
    like----
        Mr. Kilmer. People frequently throw rocks at us----
        [Laughter.]
        Mr. Kilmer. So we are good. We are good. Thank you. Thank
    you.
        Mr. Leinbach. These are quite beautiful, so take one, pass
    it on. Make sure you get one. You are doing the hard work. I
    would Tyler to get one because he helped me out early, and then
    anybody else in the room until they are gone. Thank you for the
    opportunity to testify. I am more than happy to answer any
    questions you have about our mission and our work.
        [The statement of Mr. Leinbach follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. This
    got Oprah real quick. You get a rock, and you get a rock.
    [Laughter.]
        Mr. Joyce, do you have any questions?
        Mr. Joyce. No. I thank you all for being here, and I
    appreciate all the hard work you do. Hopefully we can all
    continue to work together for a better planet.
        Mr. Kilmer. I would like to thank each of you for your
    testimony. I have been trying to get David Joyce to come to the
    Democratic Convention for a long time now, so thank you.
    [Laughter.]
        Mr. Joyce. I got to go to Washington. That was nice.
        Mr. Kilmer. There you go. Yeah, that was nice. That was
    nice. I actually did want to just make maybe a comment and a
    question to Justin. Thank you for mentioning some extraordinary
    refuges in our neck of the woods. The Billy Frank, Jr. Refuge
    is really incredible, and is appropriately named after someone
    who was a real champion for tribal justice and for
    environmental justice, and I know that the work of that refuge
    is designed to sort of live up to that mission. I am also
    really grateful that you mentioned Grays Harbor and the
    Shorebird Festival. I would encourage anyone who is watching on
    C-SPAN 8----
        [Laughter.]
        Mr. Kilmer [continuing]. To come visit Grays Harbor
    Country, and it really is an extraordinary refuge, the
    Shorebird Festival. So I have got two daughters. My oldest
    daughter was quite young. She was a total birder. She was very
    unusual. Most kids would read Dr. Seuss, and she would read,
    like, a book on birds at night rather than reading Dr. Seuss.
    She would be the yellow-breasted warbler, you know, lives in
    shrubs and trees, and migrates in the fall, right? It was a
    very unusual childhood for her. But I took her to the Shorebird
    Festival, and it was so cool to see her just sort of connect
    with nature. And the only connection I had seen prior to that
    was Angry Birds was about as close as she got to connecting,
    and so I appreciate you mentioning that.
        I want to ask you in light of these unique assets, so if
    there was additional base funding, talk about how that could
    build capacity for connecting with communities, connecting with
    youth. You mentioned a couple of examples, but I just want to
    make sure we hear the message loud and clear from you.
        Mr. Hall. You bet. So most of education comes out of the
    Billy Frank, Jr. Nisqually, and we actually have a partnership
    between the Friends group, the refuge, some amount of their
    base funding, and another nonprofit, the Nisqually River
    Foundation, that provides a staff member in order to do that.
    And then we have a couple AmeriCorps, one that works Grays
    Harbor and that works at Billy Frank, Jr. As I said, we reached
    capacity. Our parking lots are full. People are parking on the
    grass on those occasional sunny days that we do get in the
    Pacific Northwest.
        So the way to increase the outreach and the benefit of that
    refuge is to get those education staff out into the schools,
    into the community. We also work with the Nisqually Tribe with
    their Head Start program, getting them out. And they learn
    about the refuge, and what the missions are, and what we are
    trying to do, and then they have capstone field trip into the
    refuge itself. And so really working with Joint Base Lewis-
    McChord, and then Pierce County Schools and Thurston County
    Schools and some Lewis County Schools, we are really able to
    extend that out, and then those people come back. The students
    come back with their parents, and, you know, they learn what
    the refuge system is for, why they are there, what the benefits
    are. And so really that is that next step.
        And the Fish and Wildlife Service had an urban refuge
    contest, a funding contest, which added $1 million to the base
    funding, which we applied for. We still have that plan ready to
    go. We were not successful. They only did one. It went on for 3
    years. They did two refuges one year and then one refuge the
    other 2 years, and the one in our district was fortunate enough
    to get that. But we have those plans ready to go. And so really
    to extend the impact of the refuge into the community, it just
    requires that extra base funding in order to fully support that
    education program.
        Mr. Kilmer. Terrific. I appreciate you mentioning that. And
    I also just wanted to call out the staff at both of those
    refuges are just really tremendous.
        Mr. Hall. Absolutely amazing people to work with.
        Mr. Kilmer. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you all for your
    testimony.
        Mr. Leinbach. Can I offer a thought to this?
        Mr. Kilmer. Go on. Dive in.
        Mr. Leinbach. I was just thinking, I am curious. In our
    modeling of an urban ecology center, it would be really great
    to partner with the refuges and the parks that are on the
    outskirts. And the way our model works is we actually have a
    fleet of buses that we own that we are able to take kids to
    where we need to go, which is often a stumbling block. So it
    would be lovely to talk to with you or anyone else again in the
    room--I don't know who is here--related to that type of
    partnership. But the amount of money that it would require to
    create those urban centers is actually not very significant, so
    it would be interesting to talk to somebody about that. So
    thanks.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you. Great. Thank you all for your
    testimony. Let me invite up the next panel. Miles Keogh, the
    executive director of the National Association of Clean Air
    Agencies. Dr. Sumita Khatri. Did I get that close?
        Dr. Khatri. Yes.
        Mr. Kilmer. Okay. With the American Lung Association, and
    Mandy Warner with the Environmental Defense Fund. Thank you.
    Thank you. Welcome. Mr. Keogh, go ahead. Kick us off. You have
    got 5 minutes.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                   NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CLEAN AIR AGENCIES

                                    WITNESS

    MILES KEOGH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CLEAN AIR
        AGENCIES
        Mr. Keogh. Thank you so much. This is actually my second
    rodeo doing this, and to repay your kindness for the last time
    that I came, I have some written remarks, but I know you know I
    can read, and I know you can read, so I am not going to read
    them. I will speak a little bit extemporaneously, but I will
    kind of try to make it worth your time as much as possible.
    Thank you so much, again, to you and to the other members of
    the subcommittee for letting me speak today.
        You mentioned I am Miles Keogh. I run the National
    Association of Clean Air Agencies, which convenes 155 of the
    State and local air pollution and climate agencies across the
    country. And I am testifying today because those agencies,
    which have the primary responsibility under the Clean Air Act
    for protecting your constituents form air pollution. They get a
    lot of their funding through appropriations that you all
    consider and authorize.
        Those agencies which are coastal and heartland, urban and
    rural, every stripe of politics, those agencies have received
    level funding for a long time. In fact, they continue to
    receive today the same level of funding that they received 15
    years ago in 2004 during the George W. Bush Administration.
        NACAA's ask for every State and local agency in every State
    of the country, is for the House, for you all, to help
    appropriate an additional $87 million this year to the State
    and local category grants under Section 103 and 105 of the
    Clean Air Act. That is a 15-year inflation adjustment, and I
    came in last year and asked for a 14-year inflation adjustment.
    The needs are greater than that. In 2007, we asked the agencies
    what they needed, and, you know, it is 15 years at the same
    level, and the numbers were more than double what they were
    receiving. But adjusting for inflation would go a long way.
        So I remember from last year. I know what you are thinking.
    Why should you all give any more money to the Clean Air
    Agencies for this work, right? Obviously you can do it with
    level funding because you are doing it, and you have been doing
    it, so why would we consider increasing the money? In fact,
    there are five ways in which your districts would benefit from
    having these agencies get an increase in the funding.
        The first is that at the current level, there is an
    impediment to business development. When the agencies are
    stretched as they are over 15 years of operating with the same
    funding, it delays the time that we can approve projects as
    being in line with the law. It slows down how fast we can get
    permits out the door. It impedes investment. It slows economic
    growth, and it slows job creation. So this is a real thing. It
    is hard to tally what that number actually is, but holding
    things steady over that time has had an effect.
        Second, it shifts that spending to your States. There are
    not that many sources of money in the world, so where the
    Federal money doesn't show up, it is citizens in your district
    that backfill the difference, and that a lot of what has
    happened. Third is that the public demands more information and
    more effort than we needed in previous years. We now find out
    about air quality in our weather apps. There is greater Clean
    Air awareness thanks to wildfires. There are some explosion and
    sensor data, and there is a bunch of new pollutants, things
    like ethylene oxide and PFAS, and the like that we just didn't
    have the same understanding years ago as we do know.
        Fourth, if you have ambitions to comprehensively reduce
    greenhouse gas emissions, those are going to involve State and
    local agencies. If you want to do that in the future, the time
    to invest in those agencies is now. And then finally, and by
    far most importantly, even though more people are protected
    from air pollution today, we still have non-attainment areas,
    and we still have people exposed to air toxics. There are still
    limits to the work that we could be doing, and constraining the
    ability of air agencies to provide services to the public, it
    narrows that reach and limits the protection we can provide
    your constituents.
        We don't know how many environmental justice programs we
    are not doing. We don't know how many communities we are not
    reaching. And the fact is that while clean air is a huge
    success story, it is still an unfinished story. More Americans
    still die from air pollution than from car crashes or from gun
    violence, and about a third of Americans still breath unhealthy
    air for about a third of the year. So, again, the ask is for an
    addition $87 million to adjust for 15 years of holding it
    steady on the paycheck.
        I thank you for your time, and if you have questions, I am
    happy to address them.
        [The statement of Mr. Keogh follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you. Dr. Khatri.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                           AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION

                                    WITNESS

    SUMITA KHATRI, M.D., M.S., VICE CHAIR-MISSION PROGRAMS; CHAIR OF THE
        PUBLIC POLICY COMMITTEE, AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION
        Dr. Khatri. Good afternoon. Hello, Ranking Member Joyce. I
    am a Buckeye, too. Thanks. Mr. Kilmer and others in the room,
    thank you for offering us the opportunity to testify in front
    of your subcommittee. My name is Sumita Khatri. I am a board
    member of the American Lung Association, and I am also a lung
    physician, and also a member of the community. And it is in
    these realms that I am here for you today. The mission of the
    American Lung Association is to improve lung health and prevent
    lung disease, and how that mixes in with air quality, so thank
    you for the segue prior.
        So I am here to urge the subcommittee to increase its
    investments in the U.S. EPA air quality programs. It is the
    50th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, and there is opportunity
    to do even more than has already been done. There is much more
    to be done because you can't have too healthy air. In order for
    us to deliver on our promise for the Clean Air Act, if we fund
    further, there are so many things we can do.
        For instance, build upon the EPA air quality management
    system that is in already place which is keeping track of what
    air quality is going on so that we can all be informed
    citizens. Two, EPA's grants to States and tribes to do what
    needs to be done individually based on what the community needs
    after you have done the research to figure out and have these
    partnerships. Three, monitoring and enforcement. Unless we
    monitor, we don't know what we are needing to do next. And
    enforcement because we need to be held accountable whatever the
    origin of those air quality alerts are coming from. And then,
    of course, the EPA's Climate Protection Program because after
    decades of progress, we are seeing some backslide due to
    changes in climate, as you mentioned, in the wildfires.
        So my written comments outline more in detail what we are
    asking for specifically, but I would like to highlight how the
    EPA has helped me be better at all three realms that I
    discussed earlier. I live in Cleveland, and don't talk about
    the river, okay? But Cleveland used to have worse air quality,
    but it has gotten a lot better. And part of how we are being
    able to do that is through the State implementation plans,
    looking at what the sources of air pollution are. And not only
    is it industry, but it is also transportation.
        So I have to mention a story. I do a lot of outreach. I
    just don't stay in my four walls as a clinician. I partner with
    air quality agencies, and I have a really compelling story
    about the very proactive bus fleet manager in a large public
    school system, who decided that he wanted to be part of the
    solution. And so he applied for the diesel particulate filter
    funding grants, and he took about 300 buses over 6 years and
    retrofitted them with diesel particulate filters. And the air
    quality not just outside improved, but inside. We actually rode
    those buses and did some air quality monitoring, and we saw
    that.
        So about 10 years ago when my kids started going to school,
    you will be sure to know that as I waved goodbye to them, I was
    actually making sure that the DPF was there. Like, what are you
    doing, Mom? I am like, never mind, it is good for you. So that
    is one thing that I know that we are doing well with these
    programs. The second thing is that having publicly-available
    databases with air quality metrics, like AQS Data Mart, that
    lets people who are epidemiologists like me look and see
    whether there are associations from a timing standpoint with
    asthma visits to the ED, or even doing kind of studies looking
    at inflammation in their upper airways, people with asthma who
    demonstrate that more. So having this publicly-available data
    available allows for us to do this research.
        And then finally, as a clinician, I am able to have these
    conversations. They know what they are breathing, and it
    doesn't feel good. They are the canaries in the coal mine. And
    having conversations around air quality index and what they can
    do, when they should exercise, what they can do in their own
    environments to think how to have a healthier lifestyle can be
    improved. Those are all important.
        So I already mentioned about how climate change, having
    these extreme weather events, and not only are the people
    getting sicker in these areas, but the people who are trying to
    deliver medical care, they are experiencing challenges. So all
    of these things are important that we talk about. So thank you
    very much. We appreciate all of the progress that has been made
    through the EPA, but I call on you to further fund the EPA, and
    we have all those details available for you so that we as
    clinicians can do job well done, too.
        Thank you very much.
        [The statement of Dr. Khatri follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you. Ms. Warner.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                           ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

                                    WITNESS

    MANDY WARNER, SENIOR MANAGER, CLIMATE & AIR POLICY, ENVIRONMENTAL
        DEFENSE FUND
        Ms. Warner. Thank you. Good afternoon. I want to thank
    Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce, and Representative
    Kilmer, and other members of the subcommittee for the
    opportunity to testify today. My name is Mandy Warner. I am a
    senior manager for climate and air policy at Environmental
    Defense Fund. EDF is an international and environmental
    advocacy organization with 2-and-a-half million members
    nationwide. While there are numerous priorities for EDF within
    Interior and Environment appropriations that are critical to
    public health, my remarks today are specifically focused on the
    Environmental Protection Agency's proposal related to the
    mercury and air toxic standards for power plants.
        EDF is respectfully asking the Interior, Environment
    Subcommittee to include a provision to direct EPA to complete a
    report that fully assesses this proposal's impacts on
    Americans. Specifically, we recommend EPA complete an analysis
    of the impacts of its MATS proposal that includes a
    comprehensive assessment of its potential public health,
    economic, and environmental consequences. That study must
    include an analysis of the costs and benefits of the
    Administrator's proposed revised supplemental finding, and of
    any rescission, invalidation, or termination of MATS, as well
    as a study of the actual cost to industry of complying with
    MATS since it has been implemented. This analysis will better
    inform the public and Congress of the issues at stake in the
    MATS proposal.
        Remarkably, EPA proposed to find control of power plant
    mercury in air toxics emissions is not appropriate without
    doing any such study, and despite a massive record showing the
    grave harms that these pollutants cause to society, including
    children and vulnerable populations.
        As background, in 2011, EPA finalized standards to reduce
    mercury and other toxic air pollution, including lead,
    chromium, arsenic, and soot from coal- and oil-fired power
    plants. Power plants were the single-largest source of toxic
    mercury emissions in the U.S. and emit over 80 hazardous air
    pollutants. These pollutants are known to cause cancer, birth
    and reproductive impacts, respiratory and cardiovascular
    impacts, impaired brain develop in children, and other harms to
    human health.
        Leading up to the finalization of the standards, EPA
    assessed the benefits and costs associated with implementing
    the rule, finding up to 11,000 lives would be saved every year,
    along with avoiding 130,000 asthma attacks among children and
    other health harms. This analysis demonstrates that the
    benefits outweigh the costs of implementing the standards by a
    margin of 9 to 1. And subsequent to finalization and
    implementation of MATS, many studies have further quantified
    and monetized reductions of mercury, finding that the benefits
    are indeed orders of magnitude higher than EPA had estimated.
    And it is now also clear that EPA and industry overestimated
    the cost of compliance with the standards.
        The power sector is meeting MATS and has achieved an 85
    percent reduction in mercury, an 81 percent reduction in other
    metals, and a 96 percent reduction in acid gases since 2010.
    Unfortunately, in 2018, EPA proposed to reverse the Agency's
    prior foundational finding that MATS is appropriate and
    necessary, which could potentially undermine these already-
    implemented and widely-supported standards. EPA presented no
    scientific evidence to suggest it was not appropriate to
    regulate power plants' hazardous air pollution. EPA also
    declined to update its analysis of the cost and benefits of the
    rule, and instead inappropriately relied on the 2011 regulatory
    impact analysis.
        Numerous public commenters noted that the substantial peer-
    reviewed research documenting greater health effects of mercury
    and analysis quantifying and monetizing benefits and reducing
    mercury emissions were not considered in EPA's 2018 proposal.
    This deficiency was also noted by the EPA's Science Advisory
    Board in a draft report addressed to Administrator Wheeler in
    October 2019. For example, as EPA admitted at the time, the
    Agency's 2011 RIA was only able to quantify and monetize a
    small subset of the subset of the impacts of methyl mercury
    exposure. More recent studies have shown that there are
    significant new analysis EPA could draw from to assess the full
    array of benefits from implementing the standards.
        A comprehensive report from leading independent
    environmental economists released in December 2019 also found
    that EPA's approach greatly underestimated the public health
    benefits associated with reducing mercury emissions, and that a
    new retrospective and prospective benefit cost analysis could
    better represent the impacts of the MATS rule. Furthermore, the
    public health and environmental community is not alone in
    objecting to EPA's harmful and scientifically-unsupported
    proposal. EPA's proposal has been widely opposed, including by
    the power sector and labor leaders, who have asked EPA to leave
    the standards in place and effective. Also the House of
    Representatives has expressed bipartisan opposition to the 2018
    MATS proposal with the House Interior EPA funding for Fiscal
    Year 2020 having included an amendment that would have blocked
    the EPA from finalizing this proposal.
        I want to thank you again for your consideration of the
    MATS study proposal, and we look forward to working with the
    committee on this important matter.
        [The statement of Ms. Warner follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum [presiding]. So I will just ask a quick
    question of all three of you. We have things I looked at. I
    mean, some of this is appropriations, making sure that there is
    the funding to do the right analysis, the funding to do the
    right studies, the funding to do the enforcement. That is kind
    of the place we are at. And the amendments can come on the
    floor and be in order for some of the things. But do you have
    anything moving through Energy and Commerce in the
    authorizations committee that Mr. Joyce and I should be looking
    at to see whether or not there is a funding attachment to them
    and be aware of it?
        Dr. Khatri. I don't know that we have anything formally
    going through those committees. However, I think the clean
    energy sector certainly helps with improving our air quality.
    And so any collaborations we can make in that regard would be
    helpful. I think the lens through which I came with
    representing ALA is the fact that it is a broad issue, the air
    quality, and it doesn't even affect only those people with
    chronic lung diseases, but can develop it as well.
        Ms. McCollum. Right.
        Dr. Khatri. So I think knowledge is power is the key to
    this, and giving the communities the empowerment to sort of
    partner and change their environment, that is the lens through
    which I came. So perhaps that didn't come through as clearly.
        Ms. McCollum. No, no, it did. I was just wondering if you
    had any other, you know, we are not the only tool in the
    congressional toolbox that you are looking at to bring these
    issues either to awareness. You know, sometimes there is
    environmental justice bills going through. There are other
    hearings happening. I was just wondering if there was anything
    that I as a member should be talking to some of my counterparts
    in either Energy and Commerce or any of the other committees.
        Dr. Khatri. I can certainly get back to you on that.
        Ms. McCollum. You could get back to us. That would be
    helpful.
        Mr. Keogh. We do not have anything attached to any other
    legislation. Implementing the Clean Air Act is a pretty swim
    lane.
        Ms. McCollum. I think so.
        Mr. Keogh. And the State and local agencies have these
    category grants. So you are the dance partner that we come
    with.
        Ms. McCollum. With the dance.
        Mr. Keogh. So that is where we are at.
        Ms. McCollum. But for the grants, but for some of the other
    things.
        Mr. Keogh. Yeah, I am not aware of any advocacy work that
    we have in Energy and Commerce related to the mercury stuff
    that I talked about, but I am happy to follow up with you as
    well about that.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay.
        Mr. Keogh. Thank you for that question.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
        Mr. Keogh. Thank you for your time.
        Ms. McCollum. Absolutely. We have heard from the EPA clean
    air panel. Now we are going to hear from the EPA clean water
    panel. So if you would, and we won't count it against your
    time. Just take a moment and introduce yourself, and then go
    into your testimony. We will go through. We found out that that
    kind of saves time and gets people back on track. And you have
    waited throughout a vote, so we appreciate it, and we look
    forward to hearing your testimony. Please start.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                       ENVIRONMENTAL LAW & POLICY CENTER

                                    WITNESS

    ANN MESNIKOFF, FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, ENVIRONMENTAL LAW & POLICY
        CENTER
        Ms. Mesnikoff. Thank you. Good afternoon. I am Anne
    Mesnikoff. I am the Federal legislative director for the
    Environmental Law and Policy Center. ELPC is based in the Great
    Lakes region with offices in seven Midwest States and here in
    D.C. Thank you, Chair McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce, and
    Representative Kilmer for the opportunity to testify today in
    support of the popular bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration
    Initiative. We greatly appreciate the leadership of this
    committee that resulted in the program receiving $320 million
    for this Fiscal Year.
        The Great Lakes are a global gem and contain 21 percent of
    the world's fresh water. They supply 42 million people with
    safe drinking water. The Great Lakes support a $7 billion
    annual fishing industry, and recreation draws millions of
    tourists, who boost the economies of shoreline communities. In
    short, the Great Lakes are where many millions live, work, and
    play.
        I will make three points today. First, the Great Lakes
    Restoration Initiative is vitally important and successful. It
    is a model Federal program providing great benefits, and it is
    working well. As the GLRI's Third Action Plan notes, the GLRI
    has been a catalyst for unprecedented Federal agency
    coordination, which has, in turn, produced unprecedented
    results.
        Congress' recognition of the effectiveness of the program
    is reflected in the bipartisan support to reject the
    President's proposed budget cuts for this successful program,
    and instead restored funding for it for Fiscal Year 2018, 2019,
    and an increase in Fiscal Year 2020. Yesterday on the House
    floor, many members spoke to the benefits of GLRI across the
    Great Lakes, and my written testimony details a range of
    projects the program covers and highlights several examples of
    successful projects documented by our partners, Healing Our
    Waters Coalition. Importantly, GLRI projects bring together a
    broad array of partners to do the work to achieve GLRI's goals
    and create jobs. The program delivers significant regional
    economic value.
        Second, even as we applaud the success of GLRI, we need to
    recognize the new and evolving threats the Great Lakes face
    from climate change, the increases of harmful algal blooms, to
    this Administration's attack on the Clean Water Act. These
    combined threats mean we need to protect the Great Lakes more
    now than ever. Last spring, ELPC issued a report authored by
    top climate experts from Midwest universities, including the
    University of Minnesota and Ohio State University. The report
    found that climate change is causing significant and far-
    reaching impacts across the region. Among the impacts
    particularly relevant to GLRI is the finding that climate
    change is contributing to a more dramatic pattern of
    fluctuating lake levels compared to historic patterns. Annual
    precipitation in the Lakes region has increased at a higher
    percentage than the rest of the country, and more of this
    precipitation is occurring in unusually large events.
        The Lakes remain at dangerously high levels, bringing
    flooding, impacting infrastructure and increased polluted
    runoff. We need to recognize the role climate change is playing
    and will play across the region with attention to resilience,
    protecting shorelines, wetlands restoration, other projects
    that GLRI supports. Changes in precipitation patterns are also
    contributing to the growing challenge of algal blooms, which
    threaten public health, drinking water, and treatment costs,
    and impact recreation and fishing.
        In just the Maumee River Watershed, a priority watershed
    for GLRI, the estimated number of animals in the region tripled
    over the last 10 years. We used satellite imagery to count and
    measure CAFOs in the Maumee Watershed to estimate the number of
    animals the amount of manure these facilities produce, and
    concluded that in 2018 alone, CAFOs produced 3.5 million tons
    of manure, fueling Lake Erie's excess nutrient load. GLRI
    supports strategies to reduce this harmful runoff, but even as
    these programs are implemented, the number of animals and
    industrial farms is on the rise.
        Finally, the Lakes face new threats from critical rollbacks
    of rules intended to protect clean water. The recently-
    announced Navigable Waters Protection Act will leave rain-
    dependent streams and a large percentage of wetlands
    unprotected. EPA's own Science Advisory Board's draft letter
    was deeply critical of the analysis supporting the final rule.
    This rollback, along with the proposed changes to States'
    authority under section 401 of the Clean Water Act could also
    increase challenges to the Lakes.
        And finally, third, I need to make amendment to my written
    testimony because, again, as members spoke in support of GLRI
    yesterday, they also passed the GLRI Act of 2019. ELPC supports
    this bill and the important goal of funding GLRI at $475
    million. But given the urgency of protecting the Lakes, we
    request that this committee consider increasing funding for the
    program to that level for fiscal year 2021. This increase would
    be both a downpayment toward the implementation of the
    reauthorization and a recognition of the challenges the Great
    Lakes face.
        Thank you again for the opportunity to testify today in
    support of GLRI.
        [The statement of Ms. Mesnikoff follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

            UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, FLATHEAD LAKE BIOLOGICAL STATION

                                    WITNESS

    ERIN K. SEXTON, SENIOR SCIENTIST, UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, FLATHEAD LAKE
        BIOLOGICAL STATION
        Ms. Sexton. So thanks in advance for your time today.
    Thanks, Chairman McCollum, and Ranking Member Joyce, and
    Committee Member Kilmer. This is a first for me. So my name is
    Erin Sexton, and I am a senior scientist at the University of
    Montana Flathead Biological Station. I am here today to discuss
    the important issue of mine contamination from British Columbia
    flowing downriver into Alaska, Washington, Montana, and Idaho.
        I have spent the last 2 decades studying the impacts of
    large-scale mining in transboundary rivers. I live and work
    with my family just outside of Glacier National Park and live
    near two of these big transboundary rivers, the Flathead and
    the Kootenai watershed. Both of these rivers have their
    headwaters in southeast British Columbia and are underlain by
    some of the world's largest metallurgical coal deposits.
        I am here today because there is a critical need for
    Federal funding to address the issue of B.C. mining impacts to
    our downstream States.
        Ms. McCollum. For the record, B.C. is British Columbia?
        Ms. Sexton. Yes, I am sorry. British Columbia. British
    Columbia, Canada. This spending is an investment up front to
    ensure accountability so that our communities in Washington,
    Idaho, Alaska, and Montana do not pay the price for long-term
    damages from Canadian mines.
        Mines in British Columbia leeching into western States
    creates a unique problem for our State, tribal, and Federal
    Governments. We are collectively outside of the decision-making
    process and excluded from environmental assessments and mining
    permits that directly impact our rivers. In Montana and Idaho,
    mines owned by Teck Coal in southeast B.C. are right now
    delivering mine waste into our Kootenai River watershed, and
    they are already impacting water quality and fish. In
    Washington State, Imperial Metals seeks to build a giant copper
    mine in the headwaters of the Skagit River, and in Alaska,
    there are more than 12 operating and proposed mines that
    threaten some of our last remaining wild salmon rivers. All
    four States share the common problem of British Columbia mines
    jeopardizing downstream economies, water quality, fish, and
    communities.
        In years of working on transboundary mines and sorting
    through the environmental process in British Columbia, I have
    learned that we cannot trust their laws to protect our waters.
    In British Columbia, the mining company leads every aspect of
    the EA, from data collection, to assessment of impacts, to
    selecting the mitigation. In short, letting a mining company
    write their own environmental assessment is business as usual
    for British Columbia, but represents a substantial downgrading
    of our own environmental laws.
        Fifteen years ago when I started sampling water quality
    downstream Teck's Elk Valley mines in southeast B.C., I found
    significantly elevated levels of selenium nitrates and other
    contaminants, all well above healthy environmental thresholds.
    We saw evidence from fishing outfitters of fish with missing
    gills and birds with two beaks, common deformities resulting
    from selenium toxicity. Given these impacts and clear
    increasing contaminant trends, I expected to see a moratorium
    on new mines pending effective mitigations and regulatory
    enforcement. Instead, with this data in hand, British Columbia
    permitted the expansion of four open coal mines in the Elk
    Valley and Kootenai watershed. Rather than enforcing water
    quality guidelines, they rewrote the management plan,
    increasing water limits to accommodate rising contaminant
    levels.
        Teck Coal's mitigations have repeatedly failed, and we now
    have decades of mine waste leeching into Montana and Idaho over
    150 miles downriver from the mines. This year, USGS, USEPA, and
    the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho are trying to cobble together
    funding to verify those findings and expand their study.
        In Fiscal Year 2019 and 2020 with funding from Interior
    appropriations, USGS took a first pass at baseline data at the
    International Boundary of the States bordering British
    Columbia. They did this by installing higher-grade gauges at
    the International Boundary. To date, EPA has not received
    funding to address this issue despite being a lead entity
    across all four States and providing a critical link to our
    States and tribes.
        Data gathered with those initial dollars in Fiscal Year
    2019 and 2020 shows the need for a substantial long-term
    funding investment to our interior agencies. A conservative
    estimate would be $16 million over 5 years across Washington,
    Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. This funding will allow us to lead
    our own science, establish our own baseline, evaluate impacts,
    and proactively ensure protection and rehabilitation of these
    rivers. We can build a long-term strategy, which can include
    assessment of damages and assignment of accountability north of
    the border.
        The call for resolution on this issue has been loud and
    clear. Last year, eight U.S. senators from the four downstream
    States read a joint letter to B.C. Premier Horgan demanding
    action. The letter followed on a rising chorus from affected
    tribes expressing deep concerns about impacts to travel, treaty
    rights, and lands. The response from Premier Horgan was
    insufficient and notably lacked any mention of financial
    assurances or accountability to downstream States.
        A robust commitment to Federal-led science is imperative to
    U.S. efforts to achieve meaningful and lasting resolution to
    this issue, and ultimately to ensure that the cost of this
    contamination isn't paid by downstream communities of Idaho,
    Montana, Washington, and Alaska. Thank you for your time today.
        [The statement of Ms. Sexton follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                              ENVIRONMENT AMERICA

                                    WITNESS

    JOHN RUMPLER, SENIOR DIRECTOR, ENVIRONMENT AMERICA
        Mr. Rumpler. Good afternoon, Madam Chair, Ranking Member
    Joyce, Representative Kilmer. My name is John Rumpler, and I am
    a senior attorney and clean water program director for
    Environment America. Madam Chair, if I can indulge for just a
    moment, I just want to recall of all the elected officials that
    I have ever had the privilege to hear speak on the importance
    of clean water, when you when I shared a stage in March of
    2014, 200-plus people on a hearing on the Clean Water Rule in
    St. Paul, you were the one who better than anyone captured what
    clean water means for America, for our ecosystem, and our
    citizens. And I remember it to this day.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
        Mr. Rumpler. I am here to testify in support of dramatic
    increases that are urgently needed in the Clean Water State
    Revolving Fund and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. As
    a national organization working to protect the places we love
    and promote core environmental values, Environment America
    believes that we have to fund the water infrastructure that our
    environment deserves and our health demands. And as a citizen-
    based network of State groups in 29 States, we know the public
    agrees.
        Now, Congress nearly 50 years ago when we passed the Clean
    Water Act made a promise to the Nation that our waters would be
    safe for swimming. Yet here we are all these years later, and
    we still have billions of gallons of sewage overflows and
    runoff pollution plaguing Lake Erie, plaguing the rivers,
    including the Mississippi River in Minnesota, plaguing Puget
    Sound. Just to underscore, last summer in our report, ``Safe
    for Swimming,'' my researchers found widespread fecal bacteria
    contamination in beaches across America. And, in fact, health
    experts estimate there are 57 million instances of Americans
    getting sick each year from swimming in our waters:
    gastroenteritis, skin rashes, ear infections, et cetera. This
    is clearly not what we meant when we said let's make our waters
    safe for swimming right here in Congress with the Clean Water
    Act.
        Moreover, these problems are likely to get worse with
    climate change exacerbating storms and flooding. To give you
    one recent example, a sewage facility that was flooded in
    Nebraska has been releasing over a 1 million gallons of sewage
    every day since last spring because it has been knocked out of
    capacity. In addition to these challenges, we now have new
    challenges facing our wastewater infrastructure from PFAS, to
    micro plastics, to pharmaceutical waste. Now, I have to ask
    you, if the American Society of Civil Engineers has given our
    wastewater infrastructure a recent grade of D-plus, how on
    earth are we going to secure clean water if we don't step it up
    with dramatically increased funding?
        EPA estimates that to solve our wastewater problems, it is
    going to take an investment of $271 billion over the next 20
    years. Current levels do not even approach that, but
    Environment America, along with 20 other organizations, are
    urging Congress to triple the SRF level up to $6 billion per
    year so that we can have safe clean water. But it is not just
    our waterways that are at risk. It is also our drinking water,
    and let me talk primarily right now about the threat of lead
    contamination.
        Unfortunately, over the course of a century, we built our
    pipes and a lot of our fixtures with a potent neurotoxin that
    harms the way that our kids learn, behave, and grow. And now I
    have to tell you we have a national epidemic of drinking water
    contamination by lead. And I don't just mean in communities
    like Flint or Newark. Researchers have found lead in water at
    the tap in 2,000 water systems in all 50 States, rural,
    suburban. It is everywhere. We know that lead harms the way
    that our kids develop, so we have got to deal with this
    problem.
        To stop the toxic contamination, job one is removing lead
    service lines. These toxic pipes are the leading source of lead
    water contamination wherever they are. EPA now estimates there
    are 9.3 million of them out there. The price tag to remove them
    all, which health officials say we must do, is now estimated at
    approximately $45 billion. State and local rate payers are not
    going to be able to bear that burden alone. The longer we here
    in the Federal Government wait for a substantial investment,
    the longer our kids are going to be drinking water tainted with
    lead. And let me assure you that it is our kids because, in
    fact, our research through our Get the Lead Out Campaign has
    found it not just in our homes with service lines, but in
    schools across the country. A high percentage in Washington
    State, a high percentage in Ohio and States across the country.
    Lead contamination of drinking water in our schools is
    pervasive, and I can get you that data from about 20 States
    that have done various levels of testing so far.
        We need to help our schools get the lead out so that our
    kids can learn and grow up safely every day when we send them
    to learn and grow. How do we do that? Well, schools need to
    start removing old water fountains that have lead in them, and
    water fountains, and put on filters that are certified to
    remove lead. That is going to take a lot of resources, and
    schools that are, you know, strapped for their budgets are not
    going to be able to do it alone. So, again, this is going to
    require a substantial unprecedented Federal commitment to say
    we are not going to tolerate the contamination of our water
    with a potent neurotoxin that makes our kids sick.
        Now I should say lead is not the only problem that we need
    to face with drinking water. We have heard about PFAS, toxic
    chemicals and toxic metals getting into our waterways. EPA
    estimates overall there that we are going to $472 billion over
    the next 20 years just to maintain our current drinking water
    infrastructure.
        Ms. McCollum. Are you about done?
        Mr. Rumpler. I am just about to finish. I just wanted to
    add, Madam Chairwoman, if I can, that clean, safe water is the
    hallmark of an advanced society. And for too long, we have
    taken it for granted, and now America has fallen short. But if
    we can take this opportunity to make a historic investment in
    clean water, we can bring back the promise of clean water for
    all Americans. Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Rumpler follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                    ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAMS

                                    WITNESS

    RICH INNES, SENIOR POLICY DIRECTOR, ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL ESTUARY
        PROGRAMS
        Mr. Innes. Thank you. Is it okay to give you a couple of
    pictures?
        Ms. McCollum. We love handouts. [Laughter.]
        Mr. Innes. I am Rich Innes. I am the----
        Voice. What we got last time.
        Mr. Innes. Oh, that is right. You missed your stone.
        Ms. McCollum. It is an agate.
        Mr. Innes. My name is Rich Innes. I am the senior policy
    director of the Association of National Estuary Programs. My
    association with the NEPs goes back to when I was fortunate
    enough to be a staffer on the Senate Environment Committee when
    we were doing the 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act, which
    created the program. And I am sure that champions of the
    program at that time, including my boss, Senator John Chaffee,
    George Mitchell of Maine, and Pat Moynihan would be very proud
    of how this program has flourished.
        I want to particularly thank Representative Kilmer for
    inviting both the chair and the ranking member to see firsthand
    one of our premiere national estuary programs, the Puget Sound.
    And while I am sure you saw it is absolutely stunningly
    beautiful and breathtaking framed by Mount Saint Helena,
    surrounded by the lands that belonged to Chief Seattle, the
    ancestral lands, it is trouble underneath, and there are a
    world of problems that the National Estuary Program, together
    with many other partners, the Puget Sound Partnership, is
    addressing out there.
        The way that that started is the way that all of our
    estuary programs have started, and that is with the commitment
    and support of a few very strong, committed citizens. In this
    case, it was some of your former colleagues, then
    Representative and now Governor Jay Inslee; the chairman
    emeritus of this committee, who will always be Mr. Chairman to
    me, and that is Norm Dicks; my lifelong mentor and very dear
    friend, Bill Ruckelshaus, who passed recently; and the
    legendary tribal leader, Billy Frank, Jr. I hope you got a
    chance to see the Wildlife Refuge named in his honor while you
    were out there. It is beautiful.
        I am really so glad you got a chance to see that. That is
    being replicated 28 times around the country for the 28
    national estuary programs, and each one of them has its own
    story to tell with modest funding, which we greatly appreciate,
    from this committee, and not just this committee. This is
    generations of this committee that have been very supportive of
    this program. It has hit well above its weight. The examples
    here are too numerous, but I am going to mention a few of them.
    The Delaware NEP, where I spend a great deal of time, is
    bringing back the oyster, and it is appearing on tables and in
    restaurants, and it is also cleaning the Bay, which is a major
    accomplishment. The New York-New Jersey Harbor, one of our
    great economic ports, is degraded, as I think we all know. And
    the NEP there, along with many partners, is spearheading a plan
    to revive and resuscitate that great port.
        The San Francisco Bay NEP, that estuary suffered
    dramatically from the indiscriminate filling of San Francisco
    Bay for decades. And what the NEP now is doing is changing
    that. They are addressing it along with Save the Bay, along
    with many partners, in order to restore and recapture the
    beauty of that Bay. Casco Bay in Maine, I am sorry that Chellie
    isn't here, but it is doing incredible work up there to reduce
    nitrate and nitrite loadings into the Bay. And, of course, the
    Puget Sound Partnership, the NEP up there, is in the forefront
    of the governor's efforts to save the orcas. And I am sure you
    learned a great deal about that when you were out there. The
    iconic black and white fish, they are down to 72. They just
    lost another one within the last few days.
        So the red light is blinking there. I want to just take one
    moment to talk about a special one, Tampa Bay, just because it
    is such a poster child, and Tampa Bay was essentially dead in
    the 1980s. Eighty percent of the seagrasses were gone, and
    almost half of the wetlands were gone out of Tampa Bay. The
    National Estuary Program down there, again, I don't want to say
    that they did it by themselves. They didn't. It was a
    partnership that is the model that NEPs employ where they get
    citizens, businesses together in order muster the political
    will and the funding, which you have been so helpful with, to
    restore these places that we love and care about. Right now,
    Tampa Bay is considered a world-class model for estuary
    restoration, and it didn't come about easily. It took decades
    for us to get there. The work isn't done, but it is a stellar
    example.
        Yesterday, there was some very good news, as we heard some
    of it, the Great Lakes bill. Thank you for passing that. Also,
    a bill reauthorizing the National Estuary Program. H.R. 4044
    was approved overwhelmingly by this body, and we greatly
    appreciate that. Norm Dicks when he was chair of this committee
    lamented publicly in a hearing similar to this that the NEPs
    were doing so much with so little, and at that point I think we
    were getting about $400 per NEP. Now thanks to you, it is up to
    a little over $600,000. Yesterday's bill that passed on the
    floor of the House would increase the authorization amount to
    $1 million per NEP, and continue to put $4 million into a
    competitive fund used to address things like ocean
    acidification in Hood Canal, algae blooms, which, as you know,
    harmful algae blooms are a major, major problem.
        So anyway, I am going to end there. I just want to thank
    all of you for your continued support.
        [The statement of Mr. Innes follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Well, Mr. Joyce, you have gotten a
    lot of kudos for the Great Lakes bill, and people have talked
    about authorizing amounts. When our last bill that Mr. Joyce
    and I worked on left here at the House, it has $1.3 billion
    more dollars in it than when it came back from conference
    committee.
        Voice. Wow.
        Ms. McCollum. And so we are trying to do our level best to
    work with our authorizers and their suggested amounts because
    we all think that they are wonderful, but we don't have an open
    pocketbook here. So what we are trying to do is utilize you and
    the testimony today to ask our leadership for a bigger
    allocation, so thank you all for helping to do that.
        I would just like to throw something on the table here to
    just discuss briefly. One of the challenges that I find with
    water is everybody knows we need it. Everybody drinks it. Some
    people like to recreate in it. We eat food from there. Some
    people like to just enjoy a sailboat on it. But when you ask
    people what water is worth, they say it is priceless, but then
    when it comes to some of the runoff, when it comes to some of
    the pollution that you referred to, Ms. Sexton, we get into
    this cost benefit analysis. Oh, we need the minerals. We need
    this. And that is all very true, but I think we need to be
    conservative. And as you pointed out, Mr. Rumpler, everybody is
    for clean water. They are willing to pay for clean water.
        What are we missing is that there is still a disconnect
    that water has a significant important value to it, because
    when you don't value it, you will pollute it. And I grew up in
    a river town, the Mississippi River. When the stockyards first
    opened up, they just washed everything out into the river
    because the river would wash it downstream. You don't have to
    look at it. Dilution was the solution to the pollution, and
    eventually it choked off and killed that section of the
    Mississippi River. The stockyards are gone. We mourn the loss
    of the jobs, but we don't mourn the loss of the pollution when
    the river is making a comeback. There are also some other
    issues with our sanitary sewer system there, too.
        So any suggestions about what you are doing to raise public
    awareness that water has a value so that when people talk about
    water, they also have in the back of their mind a value to it
    besides just, oh, it is here, it is accessible, it is never
    going away.
        Mr. Rumpler. Madam Chair, I have two thoughts on that. One
    is I think the U.S. Water Alliance actually has a whole public
    education program called the Value of Water. So perhaps there
    would be some resources there about how to remind people that
    water has value. But I would say, although this is a little bit
    beyond the purview of the Appropriations Committee, that there
    is a direct relationship between our regulatory regimes to
    protect our waterways and prevent pollution versus how much
    money we have to spend on the back end cleaning it up. And as
    we all know, it is cheaper to prevent, right?
        So if we could maintain stronger Clean Water protections,
    for example, Federal jurisdiction over our wetlands and streams
    that provide drinking water to hundreds of millions of
    Americans, or 117 million Americans, I should say, we will have
    less cost on the back end to clean up pollution.
        Ms. Mesnikoff. And I will just add that ELPC has done
    polling in various parts where we operate in the Great Lakes
    region to asses show people are viewing the value of clean
    water and understanding some of the particular sources that
    affect their access to clean water in their area because it is
    different, you know, sources depending on where people are. And
    then using that to help educate people about the importance of
    clean water protection, clean water regulations. So we are
    doing that, and I can share that polling with you.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay.
        Mr. Innes. A major part of the mission of the National
    Estuary Program is environmental education, and it starts when
    folks are young, but it continues. One of the benchmarks of a
    successful plan is that it includes businesses and the general
    public in buy-in to these programs. We have seen the enemy. The
    enemy is us.
        The majority of pollution of water right now, as we know,
    is coming from non-point source pollution runoff. It is coming
    from the fertilizers we are putting on our lawns, from
    agriculture, from the cars we drive. It is no longer the big
    bad industrial polluter as it was when we first passed the
    Clean Water Act. And so that is going to involve all of us in a
    real public education campaign in how to value and cherish
    something as essential to human life as water.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay. I am just going to make one quick
    comment before I turn it over Mr. Joyce. I am dealing with an
    issue that is reverse flow than what you are dealing with with
    the Canadians, Ms. Sexton, because of the Laurentian Divide. So
    when you teach social studies, geography is part of it, so I
    have to get the map up, and in our part of the world, the water
    flows north. And so we are dealing with sulfur copper ore
    mining, and I am sure the Canadians don't want anything going
    into Quantico Bay, just as we don't.
        I want to work save their pristine waters. Waters in the
    boundary waters, we can literally put this glass in, take it
    out, and drink it. And all the mines, it just isn't one mine,
    all the mining permits that could go along in that area, and
    one mistake, and it is over. There is no going back. So I
    appreciate the fact you mentioned your challenge with the
    Canadians. I am planning on meeting with some of our
    counterparts in Canada, and one of the things that I have
    highlighted with the permitting of these mines is we need to be
    mindful of the 1908 Boundary Waters Treaty. I think it is 1909.
    I did have the date correct. And the water flows both ways on
    that, so you gave me some ammunition, and I will be using it.
    Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you all for coming here today and for
    providing us with this information. Erin, I thought you did a
    hell of a job for your first time testifying.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Kilmer.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thanks, Madam Chair. I want to thank all of you
    as well. And, Mr. Innes, thanks for highlighting the Puget
    Sound Partnership and the work they do. As you all pointed out,
    last year, we saw an increase in National Estuary Program
    funds. We saw an increase in funds for the Puget Sound
    Geographic Program. I want to thank our chairwoman for her
    leadership, and partnership, and advocacy in making that
    happen. The Puget Sound is just so vital to our economy, to our
    environment, and as you pointed out, it is beautiful, but sick.
    Talk about how increased funding will help us move the needle
    on recovery.
        Mr. Innes. So as you are well aware, Congressman, each of
    the NEPs develop something called a comprehensive management
    plan. In Puget Sound, it is called the Action Agenda, and it
    has a tremendous amount of buy-in, and this goes back to Bill
    Ruckelshaus, his shared strategy. So now you have got a very
    dynamic, very well-conceived plan for achieving the cleanup
    goals for Puget Sound, and there is no substitute for funding.
    And it isn't all Federal. I have to say that the State of
    Washington is putting in an enormous amount of money, more than
    the Federal contribution, and also private industry. We have
    got NGOs that are very engaged in this. The tribal contribution
    is enormous as well.
        We made a decision. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but
    the figures were so big and so staggering that good advice was
    don't put out there that it is going to take $2 billion to
    recover this because that might scare people, to make it more
    bite sized. But there is no substitute for some of the
    investments that be made. They are expensive. They are
    culverts, replacing culverts to restore streams. They are water
    treatment. Anyway, it is expensive. And I do have to say that
    in the NEPs in general and Puget Sound in particular, that
    investment is put to extremely good purpose and goes a long
    way. So thank you.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you. I yield back.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Well, we will have our next panel
    come up. Thank you so much.
        Ms. Sexton. Would you like some maps?
        Ms. McCollum. Oh, I love maps. Well, welcome. So you know
    the drill probably better than anybody else. You are the last
    panel, so I want to thank you so much for your patience, your
    due diligence, putting up with the vote, and we are anxious to
    hear your testimony. So, Ms. Murdoch, if you want to introduce
    yourself, we won't count that against your time.
        Ms. Murdoch. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. It saves time.
        Ms. Murdoch. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. And go into your testimony.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                                AMERICAN FORESTS

                                    WITNESS

    ALEXANDRA A. MURDOCH, ESQUIRE, VICE PRESIDENT OF POLICY, AMERICAN
        FORESTS
        Ms. Murdoch. Hello. My name is Alex Murdoch, and I am the
    vice president of policy for American Forests. Thank you very
    much for having us today. Chairman McCollum, Mr. Joyce, and Mr.
    Kilmer, thank you so much.
        I am here to talk with you today about our recommendations
    for U.S. Forest Service programs that are critical to achieving
    climate-informed restoration and reforestation of America's
    forests. So very particularly about our national forests and
    what they do for us with respect to our changing climate. We
    sincerely thank the committee for the Fiscal Year 2020 funding
    levels for the Forest Service. And I would also like to
    particularly appreciate the increase in funding that you
    provided for the Urban and Community Forest Program, and we are
    grateful to the committee for recognizing how important that
    program is.
        American Forests was founded in 1875 by citizens who were
    alarmed by the state of our forests. At that time, America was
    growing quickly, and we were clearing our forests to make way
    for new farms, towns, and railways. This development came at a
    price. In the 1600s, almost half of the United States was
    forested, and those forests provided clean water, and fish and
    game, and shelter and goods for those who lived near them. But
    by the start of the 20th century, we cleared over 25 percent of
    our forest land, and our drinking water was seriously at risk.
        Thankfully in 1911, Congress began to protect our forests
    and waters by authorizing Federal purchase of forested cutover
    or denuded lands to protect important watersheds. So today,
    national forest lands are the largest source of municipal water
    supply in the United States and serve 60 million people. Today
    we also know that our forests play an important role in
    regulating our climate. In Congress and the White House now, we
    see an emerging bipartisan recognition that forests and
    climate-informed forest management are an important strategy
    for mitigating climate change.
        At American Forest, we agree with that consensus. Today,
    U.S. forests and forest products annually sequester and store
    15 percent of U.S. carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels.
    New research suggests we could nearly double this natural
    carbon capture with the right actions. Managing and protecting
    our national forests in a changing climate is a critical piece
    of this climate puzzle. The good news is we can do this through
    existing programs if proper levels are provided.
        Foresters need good scientific data to manage our forests
    and changing climate. Increased investment in the Forest and
    Rangeland Research Program can provide the tools for foresters
    to identify, prioritize, and manage climate-driven risks to
    forests. Foresters need to restore an estimated 80 million
    acres of national forests with climate-informed management
    practices. To do this, they need to significantly increase
    investments in existing programs that improve forest carbon,
    adaptation, and resilience outcomes both on Federal lands and
    across boundaries. These programs include the Collaborative
    Forest Landscape Restoration Program, the Hazardous Fuels
    Reduction, and Vegetation and Watershed Management Programs.
        Over 1.2 million acres of national forests need
    reforestation, a backlog that grows with every catastrophic
    wildfire or infestation from pests and disease. After a
    catastrophic event, foresters need funding to implement post-
    fire reforestation treatments on lands unlikely to recover
    naturally, as well as increased reforestation practice
    investments.
        Healthy and resilient national forests can deliver critical
    power to close climate change. We are greatly heartened by the
    optimism and enthusiasm emerging in our country that
    reforesting America is an important part of the climate puzzle.
    Business leaders are playing an essential and growing role by
    funding millions of trees planted all across America, and
    pledging investment to the new Trillion Trees Initiative that
    was announced at the World Economic Forum in late January. But
    Congress has the power to activate the greatest single lever
    for quickly advancing large-scale forest carbon mitigation
    activities in the U.S. by significantly increasing climate-
    informed restoration and reforestation on our national forests.
    Thank you.
        [The statement of Ms. Murdoch follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Baker.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                         SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FORESTERS

                                    WITNESS

    TERRY BAKER, CEO, SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FORESTERS
        Mr. Baker. Good afternoon, Chairwoman McCollum, and Ranking
    Member Joyce, and also Representative Kilmer. My name is Terry
    Baker, and I am the CEO of the Society of American Foresters.
    Thank you for this opportunity to share how forestry, national
    resource professionals, and stakeholders can work together to
    ensure the sustainability of our Nation's forests through
    thoughtful investments and long-term commitment to active
    management, research, and partnerships.
        SAF is a professional society that represents over 10,000
    forestry and natural resource professionals across our Nation.
    SAF also produces two peer-reviewed scientific journals and
    critical natural resource programs at academic institutions
    across the Nation, and helps encourage professional excellence
    through credentialing and continuing education.
        Since our founding in 1900, forestry and foresters have
    evolved. Today's foresters are proud women and men who have
    devoted their careers to understanding forests and trees,
    enhancing benefits that they provide, and ensuring that they
    continue to thrive for generations to come. In our humble
    opinion, we are the original green job----
        [Laughter.]
        Mr. Baker [continuing]. That through commitment to science
    and innovation, we have continuously improved forestry
    practices and tools, lessening impacts to the land and
    improving outcomes to communities, wildlife, and society as a
    whole.
        With increasing threats and demands on our forests, no
    agency program or organization can do it alone. Partnerships,
    collaboration, and cross-boundary work is more important than
    ever. This is exactly why SAF wholeheartedly supports the
    Forest Service's shared stewardship strategy. Actively working
    to identify shared priorities and improved processes and
    procedures will benefit all stakeholders in the long run. We
    encourage you to support these efforts and tools that expand
    collaboration with rural communities, partners, and industry,
    such as the Good Neighbor Authority and stewardship
    contracting.
        We sincerely thank this subcommittee for its work in
    supporting and securing funding increases for the Forest
    Service and Bureau of Labor Management programs for Fiscal Year
    2020. These important gains would not have been realized
    without your leadership and dedication. For Fiscal Year 2021,
    we respectfully ask that you consider the continuing trend of
    investing in our forest resources, specifically through the
    Forest Service's forest and rangeland research, State and
    private forestry programs, and the Bureau of Labor Management
    forestry programs. Advancing forest science is integral to
    improving the health of U.S. forests and citizens, increasing
    the competitiveness of U.S. products in the global marketplace,
    and adapting to future challenges. Recent Forest Service
    research activities have developed innovative solutions to
    managing invasive species, improving smoke and fire management
    capabilities, and driving innovation and expansion of
    commercial applications for forest products.
        For Fiscal Year 2020, we appreciate that this subcommittee
    not only rejected the drastic cuts to Forest Service research,
    but also championed an increase. For Fiscal Year 2021, we urge
    you increase funding for Forest Service research to no less
    than $310 million, which includes $83 million for the Forest
    and Inventory Analysis Program, and $227 million for the
    remaining research and develop programs.
        As we all work to use resources more efficiently and
    effectively, State and private forestry programs provide a
    significant return on Federal investment by leveraging the
    boots on the ground and financial resources of State agencies
    to deliver to landowners, communities, tribes, and other
    Federal agencies. The President's budget for the last few years
    has proposed eliminating programs like Urban and Community
    Forestry and Landscape Skill Restoration. Again, we appreciate
    your efforts to continue these programs to secure much-needed
    increases for the entire five programs of the State and private
    forestry area.
        SAF recommends that these programs be funded at Fiscal Year
    2020 levels, and, if possible, above. In addition, we urge you
    to consider increasing urban and community forestry to at least
    $35 million and forest self-management on cooperative lands to
    $48 million. The Bureau of Labor Management plays an integral
    role in improving the health and productivity of our Nation's
    public lands. SAF asks this subcommittee to extend the
    authorization for the Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery
    Fund, which is currently set to expire this year. This fund
    specifically helps support management that improves wildfire
    resilience and other benefits for BLM and adjacent lands.
        In conclusion, we understand and appreciate the resources
    are finite, and that more money is not always the answer.
    However, our forests have been long been undervalued by society
    and underfunded by decision makers. Today, thanks to the
    growing and more sophisticated body of science, we know that
    forests and trees are key to mitigating climate impacts and
    improving the health, well-being and prosperity of our
    communities.
        Modest increases to the programs discussed today can yield
    incredible results for our forests. Please know that SAF and
    its diverse membership are always a resource to you. Whether
    you are looking for the latest science or insights from our on-
    the-ground practitioners, don't hesitate to reach out. Thank
    you again for your leadership and your recognition of the
    importance of our forests, forest management, research, and
    forestry professionals.
        [The statement of Mr. Baker follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Asher.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                             THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY

                                    WITNESS

    JONATHAN ASHER, DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, THE WILDERNESS
        SOCIETY
        Mr. Asher. Thank you, Chair McCollum, for having me today,
    and, of course, Ranking Member Joyce and Mr. Kilmer. I am
    Jonathan Asher. I am the director of government relations for
    conservation funding with the Wilderness Society.
        And I just want to start out by saying, you know, in
    particular thank you to you and your staff for working across
    the aisle, but also, you know, in particular, taking advantage
    of the increased budget cap and negotiating the increased
    budget cap last year, and then also a full-year bill. That is,
    you know, a huge benefit, I think, to all of our priorities. So
    thank you very much. I appreciate that.
        I just want to share with you some priorities of the
    Wilderness Society looking forward to this year. And in doing a
    quick time read of what I had written, it was like way over, so
    I am just going to kind of go through what I can.
        Ms. McCollum. We will have----
        Mr. Asher. There you go. Exactly. [Laughter.]
        Right. So, you know, the Land and Conservation Fund remains
    one of the Wilderness Society's top priorities because of its
    on-the-ground impact and value to actual conservation, and to
    local communities, and to our natural landscape. The increased
    funding level of $495 million last year was greatly appreciated
    and certainly acknowledged. I think, you know, as look forward
    to this year, noting that the program remains authorized at
    $900 million, we, you know, always continue to look for
    opportunities to increase that because of its value to our
    local communities, our natural landscapes, recreation, and, in
    particular, climate change.
        LCWF is one of the main on-the-ground tools that we have in
    addressing the impacts of climate change through adaptation
    efforts as exemplified in the Sierra Nevada and California,
    where the long history of kind of the patchwork of railroad
    ownership throughout the years has created kind of the
    patchwork ownership that makes it hard to fight wildfires
    efficiently. The State teamed up with the Forest Service,
    localities, land trusts, and other landowners to employ LWCF to
    undo some of that patchwork, and it is actually seen a visible
    increase in the ability to efficiently address wildfires in the
    State. So they are using LWCF there as a climate tool.
        Similarly, in New Jersey, there was a large wetlands
    project that was done as a natural storm buffer from hurricanes
    and, in particular, to mitigate against the impacts of climate
    change. A study of the insurance industry showed that with
    similar efforts, we saved upwards of, you know, several hundred
    million dollars with Hurricane Harvey. So, again, these natural
    solutions are really key to how we are looking towards the
    future of addressing climate change, not only for our natural
    landscapes, but also for local communities, in particular. So
    the Land and Water Conservation Fund is critical to that
    effort, and we certainly hope the committee will continue to
    increase its funding levels and support that critical program.
        Additionally, we pay attention to renewable energy
    opportunities on public lands. You know, while there is still
    authorizing legislation that is working its way through
    Congress, we know that several programs, several line items
    within the appropriations bill speak specifically to renewable
    energy to public lands, and we want to support those, and
    increased responsible development of renewable energy on public
    lands, again, as a climate solution.
        The Wilderness Society also pays particular attention to
    wildlife refuges and noting, in particular, funding for listing
    under the Endangered Species Act. We certainly support that and
    efforts to make sure that it doesn't get cut this year. We
    would like to, you know, continue to push for the legacy Roads
    and Trails Program to kind of be independent of the Capital
    Improvement and Maintenance Fund. And then, in particular,
    also, you know, a number of oversight provisions last year were
    great that we hope you will continue to support this year,
    including the boundary waters, including Chaco Canyon, and, you
    know, with the DOI reorg and the BLM headquarters move. You
    know, these are moves that the Trump Administration has made
    that are, you know, pretty aggressive with respect to
    congressional authority, and we hope that you will feel
    bolstered in your ability to continue those oversight
    activities.
        So with that, thank you again for a great bill last year.
    We really appreciate it and hope that you will keep up the
    progress this year.
        [The statement of Mr. Asher follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                            Thursday, February 6, 2020.

                         LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS

                                    WITNESS

    LAURA FORERO, LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE, LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS
        Ms. Forero. Good afternoon, Madam Chair, and Ranking Member
    Joyce. My name is Laura Forero, and I am the legislative
    representative for conservation and public lands with the
    League of Conservation Voters. As you know, the League of
    Conservation Voters is a national environmental nonprofit
    focused on protecting our planet and everyone who inhabits it.
    And along with our 30 State affiliates and the conservation
    voter movement, we work for a more just and equitable democracy
    where people, and not polluters, determine our future. So
    today, we want to thank you for the increased levels of funding
    in last year's Interior appropriations budget. We are also very
    thankful for the subcommittee's Fiscal Year 2020, especially
    because it did not contain any longstanding anti-environmental
    provisions, and we urge you to take this approach once again.
        Our written testimony does tell a lot of our full budget
    recommendations, but today I would like to highlight just a
    couple of those programs. So, first, I would like to talk about
    the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which in its 50 years of
    history has protected our public lands, increased accessibility
    to green spaces, and helped fuel our thriving outdoor
    recreation economy. What is more, we want to talk about the
    fact that LWCF also helps preserve our natural and cultural
    heritage. It helps tell the stories of diverse communities in
    our country and its support of green spaces in every single
    State and almost every county in the country. So we definitely
    appreciate that Congress last year provided a sizable increase
    to LWCF and that the subcommittee provided even more than
    Congress, that is, last year.
        So just to show how critical this program is across the
    country, I wanted to share the story of one of my colleagues,
    Barbara Hartzell. Barbara was raised Nuwu. Tribally, she is a
    Chemehuevi Paiute from the Chemehuevi Tribe of Lake Havasu,
    California and Las Vegas Indian Colony. Her grandmother was
    raised as an orphan and was forced into a residential school
    system that separated Indian children from their families and
    their culture and their heritage. Due to this, her grandmother
    lived her entire life with unanswered questions about her
    family, and Barb only got to know the stories of these women
    through oral history and seeing their names listed in the
    Indian Census rolls.
        The one vestige of the story that remains for her family is
    an old picture of her great, great, great grandmother at an
    unknown location. But as it turns out, it was taken at the Doll
    House at Kiel Ranch Historic Park in Las Vegas, and Barb, my
    colleague, came to this realization when she arrived at Kiel
    Ranch for an event. One thing that we really want to highlight
    is the impact on her family. When she took her mother to the
    park, her mother's eyes filled with tears, and her mother's
    words still haunt her. Her mother said, ``You mean they were
    real,'' meaning these people existed. Barb and her family were
    able to see the land their family lived on because of the Land
    and Water Conservation Fund and because of the money that it
    provided to the State of Nevada.
        So as my colleague said, when we talk about the Land and
    Water Conservation Fund, we are talking about the importance of
    the preservation of our lands, our water, and, more than
    anything, our heritage. The League of Conservation Voters
    supports full funding of $900 million in discretionary
    appropriations for LWCF in Fiscal Year 2021, and we also look
    forward to working with Congress to find a permanent solution
    for LWCF. So as Barb put it, we can focus on a new kind of
    conservation that centers on our voices, on our communities,
    instead of having to fight every year for these special places.
        In addition to that, I would now like to turn to a
    different program, the National Environmental Policy Act. NEPA
    is one of Nation's bedrock environmental laws that fosters
    government transparency and accountability. For 50 years, it
    has enabled the public to provide critical input on the
    environmental effects that Federal projects will have in our
    communities, public lands, wildlife habitats, as well as our
    health. But as you know, unfortunately, the Administration has
    recently proposed changes to NEPA. Those changes would severely
    limit public input and undermine the analysis of cumulative
    effects.
        More than anything, we want to highlight how gutting this
    process would have dire implications for mitigating climate
    change, and also to access clean air, land, water, and
    especially for those in low-wealth communities and communities
    of color, which are the most impacted by climate change and
    toxic pollution. Because of that, we also wanted to share the
    story of one of our members, Jose Archapa down in Texas, who
    has unfortunately been impacted through toxic pollution.
    Unfortunately, due to time, I might not be able to tell the
    entirety of his story, but we definitely just want to recommend
    that the committee support funding prohibitions on the Trump
    Administration's plan to gut NEPA. So thank you so much.
        [The statement of Ms. Forero follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. One thing that most people don't
    realize about our national forests is that they protect water,
    right? And the Superior National Forest where there is the
    proposed copper sulfate ore mine, it is 20 percent of the
    national forest water bank. And I appreciate the President's
    initiative to plant 1 million trees as we are losing trees to
    Asian ash borer, what is happening with the pine rust and the
    pine beetle, and everything. I could go on about gypsy moss. I
    could list a lot of little bugs that we don't want to have
    flying around in our forests and embedding themselves in our
    trees.
        But some of the things kind of going on with extraction,
    whether it be of minerals and national forests are impacted, or
    putting in roads in some of our public land areas. We need to
    have a real education understanding about forests are more than
    trees. They are also about water. And I know when we have our
    public/private forestry councils, those are the things that,
    you know, where we are sitting around the table, everybody
    learned from each other, and it took some of the tension out of
    the room, and some real opportunities to talk about what are
    our shared values, what should our goals be, you know. How do
    we make this work for individuals?
        Maybe just tell me a little bit about some of the things
    that your organizations are doing to kind of hit it home, that
    this is about protecting drinking water. And the forests also,
    when you replant, they need water, too, this water. So could
    you just maybe share a couple of things before we close up this
    panel on that?
        Ms. Murdoch. We work not only in the national forests, but
    to help this public/private stewardship between States and
    national lands. And also working in urban areas to make sure
    that they have forests for everyone and tree canopy for
    everyone in urban areas as well. And every single one of those
    projects and efforts all contribute to and have a nexus with
    drinking water.
        I came to American Forests from the Chesapeake Bay
    Foundation, and there I was also working on forests because
    forests and buffers are incredibly important to water quality
    in the Great Lakes and in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. And
    this overlap is incredibly strong, and it is something that
    across USDA, it is very important to help all of those projects
    work together in order to maximize their ability to contribute
    to clean water.
        And I don't know if that is helpful, but it is a broad
    perspective from the mosaic of Federal work and across with
    State foresters and State lands. It is complicated because
    there are so many, like, with the LWCF, so many actors and
    ownership lands. But water is absolutely one of the top
    priorities that we have to focus on to get interest, and buy
    in, and support for the forest work.
        Mr. Baker. That is a great question. Prior to coming to
    SAF, I spent almost 20 years with the U.S. Forest Service, so I
    am very familiar with this particular question, some of the
    challenges that come with it. I think overall, it is that
    infamous challenge. It is about balance. It is about all the
    different parts and pieces that come into play and the players.
    And so that aspect of how do we look across boundaries, as you
    mentioned, it is not just about the national forests. It is
    about the State landowner. It is about the private landowner,
    and it is also about the industrial landowner.
        And so when we look at all those lands married together,
    you know, where we do we balance out the uses that we have to
    have? If it is a mine, where is a place where it could be
    located where it has the least amount of impact? If it is
    actively managing a forest, where can that happen in a way
    that, one, there is either rules or regulations to require
    reforestation to meet those needs to maintain that water
    quality over time, versus not actively managing could put us in
    a place where we could have a catastrophic fire that would end
    up putting us in a much worst situation.
        And so it is really this piece of, as you mentioned, those
    public/private discussions around in a lot of cases, many of
    these things do have to happen. So how do we, again, allocate
    those finite resources in a way where they are the least
    impactful and the most beneficial both in the immediate time
    frame and long term? And so it really is all the folks around
    the table having a discussion and having to give a little bit
    to be successful.
        Mr. Asher. Yeah, and I would say, you know, being an
    appropriator from a funding perspective, for us it is valuable
    to look at, you know, what can we be doing to save costs and
    not just investing, you know, new money, but also ensuring that
    we are using the public resources in the most responsible way.
    And so, again, with the Land and Water Conservation Fund, you
    know, there are great examples of projects where we have
    conserved areas for water supplies that have actually saved
    money over the long term. Instead of going out and building
    really expensive infrastructure, we are going out and
    conserving natural areas that help to create, you know, clean
    water opportunities and forests.
        You know, I think if we are talking about climate change
    and things like the Trillion Trees, you know, Initiative, from
    the Wilderness Society, we are also looking at, well, you know,
    let's be saving trees now, too, right? So the Tongass National
    Forest----
        Ms. McCollum. I agree.
        Mr. Asher [continuing]. And, you know, Alaska is a place
    and the Roadless Rule are things that are very active right
    now, recognizing that in addition to building out the number of
    trees that we want to have over the future, there is an
    important role to play in conserving places now. So that also
    comes through, you know, not only in the LWCF, but also the
    Roadless Rule. And, you know, and other kind of, I think,
    elegant solutions that your committee put forth last year where
    conservation was in the interest of saving taxpayer resources,
    like with the Arctic Refuge, I think that was a very, you know,
    mindful way of addressing that. And we hope that your committee
    and staff will continue to find those, you know, elegant policy
    solutions to challenges that we face.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Anything you want to add?
        Ms. Forero. No, I think Jonathan actually articulated so
    much of what I believe we are here for as well.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, you guys were magnificent. What a great
    way to close out. Public lands, water, air, climate change,
    critters that we don't want to have invading our public lands.
    You did a fabulous job. I can't thank you enough because you
    are about a half an hour behind from what you thought your day
    was going to be, but it meant the world to us that you are here
    testifying.
        So with that, you get to help me conclude this afternoon's
    hearing, and we will stand adjourned until our next hearing,
    which is going to be public witness tribal programs on February
    11th, 2020. Thank you again. Meeting adjourned.

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

             TESTIMONY OF INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS

                                  ----------

                      NEZ PERCE TRIBAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

                                    WITNESS

    CHANTEL GREENE, SECRETARY, NEZ PERCE TRIBAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
        Ms. McCollum [presiding]. Good morning, and welcome to the
    first day of public witness hearings on tribal programs under
    the jurisdiction of the Interior, Environment Appropriations
    Subcommittee. And I am pleased to welcome my Native American
    sisters and brothers to discuss the needs and challenges facing
    Indian Country.
        For the second year in the hopes of having a more in-depth
    discussion of Native American issues and what you are
    experiencing on your tribal lands, we have organized witnesses
    according to the following topics: healthcare, land trust,
    national resource management, including climate change, public
    safety, justice, education, tribal government, and human
    services. Now, today we will begin hearing from witnesses on
    the healthcare needs and challenges before transitioning to
    issues related to climate change, land trust, and natural
    resources today.
        The United States government entered into treaties
    guaranteeing healthcare to Native Americans. A few months ago,
    I traveled to South Dakota, and I saw firsthand how centuries
    later, the government, our government, the U.S. government, is
    still not meeting its responsibilities. The need for investment
    in healthcare and related facilities is real, and we continue
    to do the best we can with the allocation we are given. Last
    year, Congress provided a $241 million increase to Indian
    Country health services. This is a 4 percent increase. It
    included additional funds to address 105(l) lease costs. As
    part of the bill, we directed IHS and BIA and OMB to consider
    whether these costs should be funded as an indefinite
    appropriation. I was pleased to see that the President
    recognized the importance of this issue and included such a
    proposal in the President's Fiscal Year 2021 budget request.
        In addition, last summer I had the opportunity to visit
    tribes in Minnesota, and Mr. Joyce I traveled to Washington
    State to visit tribes in Mr. Kilmer's district. We met with
    tribal leaders and learned more about climate change and
    impacts on health, safety, and cultural well-being in Native
    Americans, as well as some issues surrounding land and natural
    resource management. Future generations deserve clean air,
    clean water, drinkable water, but we must give these issues our
    fullest attention now.
        For Fiscal Year 2020, Congress included additional funds
    for BIA natural resource management programs and included
    increased funding for climate resilience, endangered species,
    and water resources. I was disappointed, but not surprised,
    that the President's budget request released yesterday once
    again ignores climate change. No one is immune from climate
    change, especially not Native Americans, who are at the
    forefront of experiencing the effects of increasing temperature
    rises and water rising.
        Your written testimony describes in very real detail the
    impacts of climate change is having on Native Americans.
    Melting permafrost in Alaska, the loss of traditional foods,
    presence of flooding, and it is happening right now in
    Washington and Oregon State, and I know that there have been
    tribal villages that had to be evacuated. Our hearts are with
    them, but yet, the President, Mr. Trump, looks the other way.
        Well, luckily, the President proposes and Congress
    disposes. So at the beginning of this Congress, I want you to
    also know that I introduced a bill, H.R. 1128, to authorize
    advanced appropriations for tribal funds. As we figure out to
    meet the needs of Native Americans, I will continue to work
    towards passage of this vital legislation. Most recently, I did
    write a letter to the Budget Committee requesting that hearings
    be held on this, and I know you are talking to members about
    this issue as well. I am eager, along with Mr. Quigley, to
    learn more about your priorities, and I look forward to our
    discussion on these issues because I believe it will help to
    inform us as we begin to develop the 2021 appropriations bill.
        Now, I am going to cover a few hearing logistics, and when
    Mr. Joyce comes in, if he has an opening statement, I will
    yield to him at that time. Anything you would like to say at
    this time, Mr. Quigley?
        Mr. Quigley. I am anxious to hear what you all have to say.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay. All right. So we have got the timer out
    here, and we already have our first panel of witnesses at the
    table. Each witness will have 5 minutes to present their
    testimony, and we will be using a tracker to track time. Don't
    worry, it is highlighted in here. I have read all your
    testimony. I am going to take notes on it. We all have it. If
    you run out of time, please know it is fully entered into the
    record. But when you see the light blink yellow, you have 1
    minute to close your remarks, and when the light blinks red, I
    will lightly tap with this gavel, which is made of buckthorn,
    an invasive species here. [Laughter.]
        To let you know that you need to stop your remarks so that
    the next witness can begin so that we are respectful of
    everyone's time here. And as I said, everybody's statement will
    be entered into the record. Don't feel any pressure. After we
    hear testimony, each witness on the panel and members will have
    an opportunity to ask questions.
        And I would like to remind those of you in the committee
    hearing room here today of the committee rules. They prohibit
    the use of cameras and audio equipment during the hearing by
    individuals without House-issued press credentials. So when
    this hearing concludes, we will reconvene at 1:00 for the
    afternoon hearing.
        And so with that, we found out a way to kind of save a
    little time. Rather than do double introductions, we are just
    having the panel introduce themselves, and that left more time
    for questions, which I really love to have. So I will let you
    start out, Ms. Greene.
        Ms. Greene. So we are introducing ourselves?
        Ms. McCollum. And just make sure that little----
        Ms. Greene. Okay. Good morning, or Ta'c meeywi. My name is
    Chantel Greene, and I am representing the Nez Perce Tribe, and
    I serve as the secretary officer currently.
        Ms. McCollum. No, go right into your testimony.
        Ms. Greene. Okay. Again, good morning, honorable chairwoman
    and members of the subcommittee. Again, my name is Chantel
    Greene, and I serve as the secretary of the Nez Perce Tribe
    Executive Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to provide
    this testimony on behalf of the Nez Perce tribe as the
    committee evaluates and prioritizes Fiscal Year 2021
    appropriations. I would also like to thank Chairwoman McCollum
    and Congresswoman Pingree for their letter regarding a mining
    project in the Nez Perce Country.
        Today I would like to emphasize the need for sufficient
    resources in areas such as the Community Health Aide Program,
    IHS, purchase referred care, contract support costs, special
    diabetes, mental health, and substance abuse programs. The CHAP
    was established over 40 years ago to help expand access to care
    in Indian Country in areas such as behavioral health, dental
    health, and community health. The tribe believes the CHAP model
    is an important tool for tribal health programs that should be
    provided the resources to grow as it increases tribally-based
    practice and knowledge that a culturally- and evidence-based
    holistic methodology offers abilities similar to wraparound.
        The tribe appreciates the committee's support of broadening
    the program by providing $5 million Fiscal Year 2020 for
    expansion. The tribe feels this successful program is needed
    and ready to be duplicated in the Northwest. As a result, the
    tribe supports the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health
    Board's effort to be designated a demonstration site by IHS so
    that certification of these healthcare assets can move forward.
    In that regard, the tribe recommends the committee provide $20
    million in Fiscal Year 2021 for continued expansion of CHAP.
        The Nez Perce Tribe with an enrollment of 3,500 operates
    the Nimiipuu Health on the Nez Perce Reservation and provides
    services to almost 5,000 patients each year. Our expenditure
    total of Federal funds in Fiscal Year 2019 was $18 million, an
    increase of $1.6 million from that in Fiscal Year 2018.
    Purchased/referred care costs for outpatient services in Fiscal
    Year 2019 totaled $5 million, which is an increase of almost
    $700,000 from Fiscal Year 2018.
        The tribe recommends, at a minimum, maintaining the $6.05
    million in funding enacted for IHS in Fiscal Year 2020. Please
    note that this amount does not keep up with medical inflation
    and population growth or limitation on prescription drugs. The
    tribe supports an increase of at least $20 million in funding
    for the PRC spending needs of tribal health facilities since a
    budget increase was not provided in Fiscal Year 2020. The tribe
    supports full funding for contract support costs in Fiscal Year
    2021 and the inclusion of bill language to classify this
    appropriation as indefinite. The tribe appreciates that
    Congress chose to fully fund contract support costs in Fiscal
    Year 2020 at $820 million as it should per any agreement.
        In addition, the tribe recommends permanent, mandatory
    funding of the SDPI at no less than $150 million per Fiscal
    Year. In that regard, similar levels of funding are strongly
    recommended for mental health and substance abuse treatment and
    SDPI for these type of services. Although the $10 million
    annual allocation for mental health and substance is very
    important, it falls well below the financial needs to provide
    adequate care and treatment on reservations.
        In conclusion, the tribe would like to express our support
    for the recommendations of the Northwest Preliminary Board,
    including, but not limited to, the recommendations of 105(l)
    lease costs, population growth, and medical inflation costs,
    loan repayment for Indian health professionals, small
    ambulatory programs, and funds for updating technology and
    patient files. Thank you for the opportunity to testimony
    today, and I am happy to answer any questions you may have.
        [The statement of Ms. Greene follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Just maybe as a guide, SDB
    programs, special diabetic programs, maybe the first time
    before we use the initials, some of us are familiar with it. We
    have other people who might be listening in on C-SPAN, and this
    is our opportunity to share and to share the educational
    meaning while you are here to inform the Congress. So thank
    you.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                   SAULT STE. MARIE TRIBE OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS

                                    WITNESS

    AARON PAYMENT, CHAIRMAN, SAULT STE. MARIE TRIBE OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS
        Mr. Payment. Boozhoo. My name Aaron Payment. I am the
    chairperson of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
    My tribe is located in the supper peninsula of Michigan and is
    the largest tribe east of the Mississippi with nearly 44,000
    tribal citizens. Our territory is 2,800 acres of trust, and our
    ceded territory is one-third of Michigan where we exercise our
    treaty rights, reserved rights, to fish, hunt, and gather. We
    administer 23 governmental divisions and departments and
    manages 75 Federal, State, local, and tribally-funded programs
    across the seven-county service area.
        We provide a full range of services for our citizens, like
    healthcare, education, elder services, law enforcement,
    housing, family and social services, and cultural programs. We
    also offer eight health clinics around our purchased and
    referred service area. We offer a wide range of services,
    including medical, dental, behavioral health, special diabetes,
    nutrition, pharmacy, wellness programs, and traditional
    medicine. We are proud of the healthcare delivery system, but
    we believe there is a void, and it is time to fill that void.
        The focus of my testimony today is to request that the
    Appropriations Committee examine how the IHS addresses
    healthcare facility needs throughout Indian Country. Of concern
    is the adherence to a facility priority list that was developed
    in the 1980s. Healthcare delivery has changed, and the
    illnesses and diseases that we seek to treat have changed, in
    some cases dramatically.
        Healthcare cannot be provided in isolation, but must be
    provided in a holistic and comprehensive way, grounded in
    traditional beliefs and practices. A team-based model of care
    is more adept in being able to combat our emerging top
    healthcare priority, which is alcohol and drug addiction,
    including the opiate crisis. Last February, we announced a
    collaboration with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation to expand
    our substance abuse use treatment and recovery services and
    enhance our integrated healthcare and wellness center to build
    a true team-based facility to support those in our surrounding
    native community.
        The Sioux recovery hospital and campus concept is provided
    in the tribe's tribal action plan, one of the first approved in
    the Nation. While creating our TAP, our people voiced the need
    for a recovery campus close to home, with traditional medicine
    at its core to combat the historical trauma outcomes that have
    plagued tribal communities as a result of Federal Indian
    policy. Our holistic plan is to heal those afflicted, as well
    as their families and communities. Only with family support and
    healthy living will we be able to defeat this crisis.
        Our new facility, when built, will be a one-stop shop for
    those struggling with addiction. We intend to start with detox,
    then inpatient treatment, with half-way, three-quarter way, and
    longer-term residential recovery environments. Intensive
    outpatient programming with supports like recovery coaches will
    follow. We intend to create a never-before comprehensive family
    reunification process built on our [Speaking native language]
    healing and healthy living.
        One of the biggest factors of staying sober is the person
    having a place to live or begin to return to life as a sober
    person. All too often, a person goes into treatment, only to
    come home to the same social dynamic they left to get well.
    This leads to relapse. We want our recovery campus to be a
    pathway, the good red road to success that can be recreated
    across Indian Country to combat the opiate and heroin crisis.
        At our recovery campus, those afflicted will have the
    access to drug treatment and behavioral healthcare that is
    informed by our traditional cultural healing. Immediate access
    to healthcare services will enable us to properly manage any
    medical health conditions that a patient might face. To
    effectively treat addiction, we have to treat the whole person
    and address each condition, be it physical, emotional, mental,
    or spiritual, that led him to self-medicate.
        We have been confronted by many who tell us this kind of
    facility has not, and will never be, built. But my ancestors
    overcame too much for me to simply give up because something
    has never been done before. I believe we can do it, and I am
    here to ask you to help us to make this a reality. We support
    Congress providing joint venture funding. We have identified a
    deficiency in the program, however. We think there should be a
    geographical diversity with regard to the joint venture
    selection process.
        It is time for Congress to provide $50 million to fund the
    Indian Healthcare Delivery Demonstration Project, which was
    intended to build facilities that are different than the
    clinics that we currently fund. The demonstration project was
    intended for facilities, like the Sioux tribe recovery hospital
    and campus, which we deliver in a different model and holistic
    model. I believe that my tribe's recovery model is exactly what
    Congress was considering when it created the Indian Healthcare
    Delivery Demonstration Project. It is beyond time for Congress
    to provide funding for this initiative, and we are willing to
    be that demonstration project. Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Payment follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                             CATAWBA INDIAN NATION

                                    WITNESS

    HON. WILLIAM HARRIS, CHIEF, CATAWBA INDIAN NATION
        Mr. Harris. Thank you, Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking Member
    Joyce, and members of the subcommittee, for the opportunity to
    testify on Indian healthcare needs for the Fiscal Year 2021
    budget. My name is William Harris. I am the chief of the
    Catawba Nation, the only federally-recognized tribe in the
    State of South Carolina. Let me begin by acknowledging the hard
    work of this subcommittee in protecting and advancing Indian
    Country interests in the Federal budget. The appropriations
    process is vital to fulfilling federal treaty needs and trust
    obligations, and we encourage you to continue to fight the good
    fight.
        For my testimony today, I would like to focus on the theme
    of prevention for Indian health. Preventive health saves lives
    and costs in the long-term, a situation that benefits all
    Americans. As a direct service tribe, the Catawba Nation
    depends on the IHS for the delivery of healthcare services. Our
    local IHS service unit, however, has restricted operating hours
    and services that impair access to care within the community.
    An investment in preventative health services is not a
    substitute for quality, comprehensive healthcare. It is a
    critical component of overall health that is often overlooked.
        Advanced appropriations. A central way for this
    subcommittee to support Indian health is through advanced
    appropriations for the IHS. Advanced appropriations would
    provide the IHS parity with other direct service Federal health
    agencies, provide funding stability across Fiscal Years, and
    show that the Federal Government is committed to its trust
    obligations. Invest in holistic healthcare. In response to
    shortcomings in IHS services, the Catawba Indian Nation has
    taken a proactive approach to community health. Our Wellness
    Warriors Programs uses health education, physical activity,
    nutrition, and tobacco cessation programs to help our members
    lay a foundation for lifelong health. Through prevention and
    education, we aim to reduce incident rates of disease, promote
    wellness, and alleviate burdens on the Indian Health Service.
    We urge this subcommittee to increase funding for the
    preventative health services account in Fiscal Year 2021.
        And build the infrastructure for access for healthcare. On
    an elementary level, no amount of investment in or quantity of
    preventative health services will benefit a community if the
    people cannot reach them. Roads in Indian Country are
    notoriously bad. Unsafe roads obstruct access to appointments
    and emergency services. They also damage vehicles, causing
    further strain on IHS and tribal resources. An influx of money
    into the BIA roads maintenance account is urgently need to
    build the infrastructure Indian Country needs for public health
    and safety.
        Quality health requires a quality environment. The EPA is a
    central agency fulfilling the Federal Government's trust and
    treaty obligations to protect Indian health. If our waters,
    air, and soil are polluted, our bodies will be as well. Quality
    human health requires the sustained presence of a quality
    natural environment. Our tribe and many others have utilized
    EPA resources to protect and promote tribal health. For
    example, we partner with the State to generate air quality
    forecasts for a three-county area, and for water quality, we
    established a water monitoring program using Clean Water Act
    funding. We urge you to maintain adequate funding for EPA
    environmental quality programs as a fundamental component of
    preventative health.
        And I thank you for the consideration of my tribe's
    testimony. I will be glad to ask any questions you answer.
        [The statement of Mr. Harris follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you very much.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

        SISSETON WAHPETON OYATE OF THE LAKE TRAVERSE INDIAN RESERVATION

                                    WITNESS

    HON. DONOVAN WHITE, CHAIRMAN, SISSETON WAHPETON OYATE OF THE LAKE
        TRAVERSE INDIAN RESERVATION
        Mr. White. Good morning, Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking
    Joyce, and Committee Member Quigley. My name is Donovan White.
    I am chairman of the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe, one of the
    seven great Sioux nations of the Midwest. For years, we have
    been working on building our community justice and
    rehabilitation center. We have been working on this for more
    than a decade. We need the justice center to combat the serious
    violent crime, drug crime that is plaguing our reservation.
    This center will also provide much-needed alcohol and drug
    treatment, as well as mental health, detox, transitional care,
    and inpatient/outpatient adult and youth services. We plan to
    build this center as a unified facility, but the end of
    earmarks and the IHS general counsel rulings limit our ability
    to build this unified center.
        SWO adult detention center. The urgency of building a
    community justice center intensified in 2016 when the BIA
    closed our outdated and deficient condemned jail without a
    replacement plan. This created many public safety problems on
    top of an already perilous situation on our reservation. As a
    result, we work very hard with our congressional
    representatives and with this committee to restore this
    detention construction funding in the BIA budget. Thankfully,
    under the Fiscal Year 2018 Interior Appropriations Act, the BIA
    awarded us $5.175 million to design and construct a 25-bed
    medium security adult detention facility. This is a major first
    step in developing our justice center. [Speaking native
    language.] A big thanks to this committee and to Congress.
    After a year of discussion with the BIA, our project is now
    underway. We signed our 638 contract and issued the RFP for an
    A&E firm. The BIA is also developing a model to construct an
    adult detention facility. This will guide our project, subject
    to modifications, to meet our site location and to reflect our
    Dakota culture.
        Adult high-security detention cell wing. Next, we need a
    high-security detention block as part of our new detention
    facility. We will need increased detention staffing. We
    urgently need to detain the most serious offenders in our
    highest-security setting, including those sentenced to a low
    enhanced security sentencing authority. In Fiscal Year 2020,
    the Senate directed the BIA to work with us to consider a high-
    security block and develop a cost estimate, and report back in
    60 days. We estimate that the $4 million will be needed to
    build a 20-cell high-security wing. BIA detention has not
    consulted with us yet, and we need an extra 30 days on the
    deadline for the report for them to consult with us.
        Inpatient drug and alcohol treatment center. We are also in
    dire need of an inpatient alcohol and drug treatment center. In
    the past year, we have had six fatal drug overdoses. That is 5
    times higher than the national average. In the past 2 months,
    six babies have been born under the influence of drugs. We have
    to stop this trafficking trend. In the mid-2000s, a
    comprehensive health planning effort identified behavioral
    health and drug dependency as a leading health problem on our
    reservation.
        We have a treatment center, and it was built in the early
    70s, and it is falling apart. We can only treat about 10 people
    at a time. And as you know, the opiate and the meth and now the
    fentanyl deaths have taken over. And I am off script here, but
    I don't need to read all of this, but meth, opiates, fentanyl
    is killing our people. Not only that, it is destroying our
    homes, you know. The meth gets made in the homes. So we have
    been very successful in the last 30 years with our gaming, but
    the leadership, we have let our people down, and we shouldn't
    have to come here, you know, to ask for money all the time. But
    we have been very successful, but now with new leadership, we
    need to move forward. Drugs are killing our people, and our
    babies are being born addicted to meth and stuff. And, you
    know, being a sociology major, you know, we pay now or we pay
    later, right, you know.
        So and we have problems with law enforcement, and it
    affects everybody. It affects the counties. It affects all of
    the cities because our people are being locked up, and all of
    the jails, prisons are full of our people. So we need long-term
    treatment, and we need help with funding with a long-term
    treatment center. And not only that, a lot of our people go to
    prison, right, or they get court ordered to treatment is when
    they usually go when they are court ordered, but we need long-
    term aftercare. You have got to support our people when they
    get out of prison or they get out of treatment. So we need
    that.
        So the drug epidemic is killing our people literally, and
    we have had six overdoses in the last year, so but it is
    everybody's problem, not just our problem. It is the counties
    and the cities. Their jails are full, too. So we have got to
    look at fixing the problem. And I am over my time, so
    appreciate you guys seeing me and listening to my testimony,
    and, you know, begging for assistance. So thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. White follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                            AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY

                                    WITNESS

    ROBERT MIGUEL, CHAIRMAN, AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY
        Mr. Miguel. Good morning, Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking
    Member Joyce, and members of the subcommittee. My name is
    Robert Miguel, and I am honored to serve as chairman of the Ak-
    Chin Indian Community and to give testimony to you today on our
    community's priorities.
        First, I would like to thank all of the members of this
    subcommittee for inviting me to testify today. Despite the
    Trump Administration consistently proposing cuts every year to
    the many programs that tribes utilize, this subcommittee
    increased funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the
    Bureau of Indian Education in Fiscal Year 2020 by $142 million
    over Fiscal Year 2019. This subcommittee also increased funding
    to the Indian Health Services by $243 million over the Fiscal
    Year 2019 enacted level. This increased funding will help
    tribal governments, including ours, provide quality health
    services to their citizens. Thank you for your continued
    dedication to the trust responsibilities of the Federal
    Government to tribes and for these increases in funding for
    Fiscal Year 2020. Thank you.
        Before I begin on our funding priorities, I would like to
    tell you a little about the Ak-Chin Indian Community. We are
    and always have been a farming tribe, and our name is directly
    derived from an O'odham word that refers to a type of farming
    traditionally practiced by the Ak-Chin people. Throughout our
    history, we have relied on subsistence and eventually
    commercial farming for sustenance. Today we own and operate the
    Ak-Chin Farms. We cultivate more than 15,000 acres of farmland,
    and the farms have been a central economic enterprise for the
    community since the 1960s.
        We are a small, but growing, tribe with 1,130 enrolled
    community members today, and as the area surrounding us
    continues to grow at one of the fastest rates in the Nation, we
    are committed to being good neighbors while also working hard
    to build a stronger future for the next generation of Ak-Chin
    community members.
        This is my fifth appearance before the subcommittee, and
    today I am here to testify on a number of important issues to
    the community, including funding for healthcare programs and
    tribal self-governance. My testimony today will focus on a
    handful of programs that our tribe utilizes for the benefit of
    our people. Although it is important for me to be here to speak
    on these issues today, we are advocating for funding for these
    and others programs every day that we deal with.
        As you know, the Indian Health Service and the Bureau of
    Indian Affairs are both on the Government Accountability
    Office's High-Risk List. We hope the subcommittee can address
    this and join us in supporting a budget that assists tribal
    communities in advancing sustainable tribal programs.
        Self-Governance. The Ak-Chin Indian Community is a
    compacted self-governance tribe with the BIA. The compact
    enables the United States to maintain and improve its unique
    and continuing trust relationships and responsibilities to the
    community through tribal self-governance for various programs,
    services, functions, and activities, such as our public safety,
    social services, courts, road maintenance, and various other
    vital programs.
        Currently, the community has a self-governance compact with
    the Indian Health Service for our Emergency Medical Service
    Ambulance Program and our Health Education Program. We are
    proud to provide these important services, but they are just a
    first step towards improving the healthcare options for our
    entire community. Ultimately, it is our goal to make informed
    decisions about which PSFAs to assume and the necessary steps
    to successfully support these programs.
        The community applied and received two tribal Self-
    Governance IHS Cooperative Agreements Grants under Planning and
    Negotiation. We are truly appreciative as this funding has been
    an asset while our community upgrades and modernizes our
    healthcare system. Because of the success of tribal governance,
    we ask the subcommittee to expand self-governance status to
    include any programs that tribes are eligible for both in IHS
    and DOI, Department of Interior, as well as being open to
    compacting under other Federal agencies. Our self-governance
    programs have been a model of success. If we have the
    opportunity to self-govern more of our programs, it will
    undoubtedly lead to higher quality services to our community.
        Advanced appropriations. As you know, advanced
    appropriations would ensure that funds are available in advance
    to alleviate the unfortunate circumstances so many tribes faced
    during the partial government shutdown last year. Currently,
    critical Federal programs at the Department of Education,
    Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of
    Labor, and Veteran's Affairs are all authorized for advanced
    appropriations. Funding uncertainty causes tribes to
    redistribute funds from other tribal programs just to continue
    to operate programs. Advanced appropriations would prevent
    future lapses in funding associated with potential funding
    delays and will help keeping critical services uninterrupted.
    We ask for your support for advanced appropriations BIA, BIE
    and IHS funding.
        In conclusion, again, there are a lot of other topics that
    we want to discuss, and you do have our testimony definitely,
    and we appreciate that. Again, I would like to thank the
    chairwoman and ranking member for holding this hearing and
    engaging in government-to-government consultation to hear our
    community's priorities. We hope the subcommittee will continue
    its good work and address the challenges we continue to face. I
    hope my testimony today has given you meaningful insights into
    these Federal programs and how they are positively impacting
    our community members. So, again, thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Miguel follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you, sir, and thank you for--I do have
    your full testimony--for mentioning Johnson O'Malley and the
    well-being that that plays for children, for healthcare, and
    for our communities. Mr. Joyce, would you like to make any
    opening remarks at this time?
        Mr. Joyce. Well, I would pass on an opening since I was
    late. I want to apologize for that. Our mutual friend, Mr.
    Bradley, who said to say hello to you, was making his case, and
    I told him that I was going to be held in contempt by you if he
    didn't stop and I did not make it here. I have one quick
    question for Ms. Greene.
        Ms. McCollum. Oh, please.
        Mr. Joyce. In your testimony, you mentioned that the local
    hospital has stopped taking the tribal insurance. What does
    that do to your budget?
        Ms. Greene. So, yes, I am told our current situation, which
    has just been recently resolved with both our insurances, the
    main insurance that we go through, which is Regents, and the
    local hospital, which is the state hospital with new
    leadership. And with their new leadership, they decided to not
    go into agreements with Regents Insurance, which includes our
    third party billing, so that hits our purchased/referred care
    very hard. So as of January 16th, we are going to be accepting
    under continuity of care a fuel level of care, such and cancer
    and those type of [Audio malfunction in hearing room]. As for
    the members, I would still need to get back to the members
    because they did just recently come under agreement, and they
    backdated that to January 15. So I am hoping that we won't see,
    I am sure, in our billing, in our purchased/referred care
    referral service, we are going to see some interruption, but
    they did backdate that to January 15. So as of right now, we
    won't be seeing too many issues there. So that was resolved.
        Having to look down the future, in our billing process so
    that we don't end up in this situation again, we are having to
    readjust our own systems and kind of start looking at some
    funding because, at the end of the day, we have to look out for
    overall health and well-being. And we can't be at the mercy of
    two other organizations and then be taking hits to our
    purchase/referred care budget. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Before I go to Mr. Quigley, I have a follow
    up on that.
        Mr. Joyce. Okay.
        Ms. McCollum. Do you know if that insurance company takes
    Medicare, Medicaid, and VA, now that we have some of the VA
    that people can do outside? Do you know if they take that? Can
    you find out?
        Ms. Greene. Yes, yes, we can, and we can follow up on that.
        Ms. McCollum. It would be interesting that they would take
    every Federal program, but one that has gone through the Bureau
    of Indian Affairs.
        Mr. Joyce.----
        Ms. McCollum. Yeah. Mr. Quigley.
        Mr. Quigley. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for all
    your service to your communities and for being here. Let me ask
    a related question because it impacts everything else. We hear
    of the national economic outlook on unemployment rates, how the
    economy is going. We don't have a lot of time in each of our
    segments, but could a couple of you give me a snapshot as how
    the picture looks in your own communities?
        Mr. White. I haven't seen a whole lot of change at all in
    our economics on the reservation within our boundaries. If you
    go to some of the bigger cities, like Watertown, there are some
    companies that have come in. But to the smaller communities, if
    you would ask the people, I would say it is probably going
    backwards. We think some of the help is the bigger factors into
    bigger towns, but on the reservation, I don't see that
    improvement at all.
        Ms. McCollum. Just identify yourself for the record.
        Ms. Greene. I am Chantel Greene of the Nez Perce Tribe
    again. Within economics, we are actually having to look at our
    own natural resources. I know I am on the healthcare panel. I
    am speaking specifically to that because there are aspects for
    the shortage of providers. That has been a major impact on
    healthcare as well. In Idaho, we just passed the Digital Health
    Aide Therapy through the Medicaid, Medicare, to get that
    program standing up.
        However, we are still seeing issues within the rulemaking,
    so making sure that we can provide adequate care when we don't
    have providers who want to actually be rural, so that has been
    our issue. So it is one thing to actually get the providers
    there, but because of the cost of living and the market values,
    and it is an area that they don't want to be in versus, in
    Idaho, it would be the Boise location, area.
        And so us looking at our holistic models for actually
    looking at our natural resources, and the climate change, and
    energy development. So we are trying to readjust to the
    circular economy, and utilizing our natural resources and
    developments in solar and small modular reactors. Those are new
    developments because we are pretty much maxing out our gaming,
    which also in the State of Idaho is a major impact. We are the
    third largest employer in the State, so our economic impacts to
    these States specifically is incredible. [Audio malfunction in
    the hearing room] tribes in Idaho, there would be a recession
    in Idaho.
        Mr. Harris. I am quite envious of the two statements prior
    to mine. My name is William Harris. I am the chief of the
    Catawba Nation. We do not have economic development on our
    small reservation. South Carolina has not yielded from the
    growth that has happened throughout the Nation, and I think we
    are one of the restricted settlement tribes as well.
        Mr. Quigley. Could you assess the unemployment rate within
    your tribe?
        Mr. Harris. It is double what is in South Carolina. So we
    are in double digits on the reservation, even though South
    Carolina itself is not. So grants are what sustain our
    community.
        Mr. Quigley. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Go ahead.
        Mr. Miguel. Robert Miguel, chairman of the Ak-Chin
    Community. First, fortunately for us, we are a small tribe,
    again, and we are about 40 miles south of Phoenix, Arizona. And
    so in our area, in Pinal County in Arizona, we are one of the
    fastest-growing counties in the United States. So we have been
    able to be fortunate enough to capitalize in that sense.
    Currently, our economic development in the enterprises we do
    have in the community, we have been fortunate enough to employ
    a little over 1,500 people at our casino, which is, I think,
    still number one as far as employment for Pinal County. And we
    have a little over 500 in our government operations for our
    community, and 400 overall for other areas.
        So, again, the employment that we have been able to offer
    for the area has been tremendous. It has been great. And we
    continue to grow, so we are looking forward to that. But,
    again, have overall we have helped Arizona, I believe,
    financially in being able to accommodate in different areas
    through our 12 percent, our compact negotiations that we give
    back to the State. And then we do other things that are
    unknown, so we have been able to provide a number of services
    in and just the opportunities for Arizona overall.
        Mr. Payment. So we are the largest non-government----
        Ms. McCollum. You want to be----
        Mr. Payment. Oh, I am sorry.
        Ms. McCollum. You want to be ``Dr.,'' ``Vice Chair,'' ``the
    Honorable''----
        Mr. Payment. Dr. Chair.
        Ms. McCollum. Dr. Chair. [Laughter.]
        Dr. Chair Payment.
        Mr. Payment. The honorable, of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe
    of Chippewa Indians. So we are the largest non-government
    employer in the upper peninsula of Michigan, next to prisons,
    sadly. We haven't really seen any change. In fact, we are the
    resiliency factor in rural communities that provide jobs when
    the economy is bad because people come to casinos whether the
    economy is good or bad, and we haven't seen any increase in
    people coming to casinos because of the expected trickle-down
    economic impact that is happening right now.
        But the bigger threat is the work requirement to the
    Affordable Care Act expansion because we increased our revenue
    by $10 million. Our AFAR IHS funding is $30 million. We
    increased by $10 million, so we increased it by one-quarter of
    our health delivery system because of the Affordable Care Act.
    That is at threat right now.
        CMS, and we have fought CMS and HHS because they were
    saying it was discriminatory, it is a violation of civil rights
    laws. All that was made up. There was no substance to that.
    They capitulated. Arizona pushed it, and they played a game of
    chicken, and Arizona won, and so now we can add it, but the
    damage is done because legislators put the work requirement in.
    Indians should be exempted from the work requirement. We are
    already the engine, and so at risk is $10 million dollars to
    our economy. That will be drastic, so.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Simpson.
        Mr. Simpson. No questions. I just apologize for being late,
    but I like hearing your testimony.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, thank you all. And I know it is a very
    busy 2 days for you, so thank you for making time and coming
    and sharing.
        Voices. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. We will have the next panel come up, please.
    We will be hearing from the National Indian Health Board,
    Southcentral Foundation, Riverside-San Bernardino County Indian
    Health, Inc.
        The other panel finished right on time, and so we are going
    to check outside if a few other colleagues who are going to
    join the panel are here. And if not, we will start right away
    with you, Ms. Sanchez. I think everybody is saying good morning
    to each other, which is good. You come to a conference, and you
    get to see people you haven't seen for a while.
        Good morning. I am going to have you introduce yourselves.
    We will go down, and we will start with the other end of the
    table, and you can go right into your testimony from that. The
    timer is set for 5 minutes. At 1 minute, you will see a yellow
    light, and then if you get into that yellow light a little bit,
    I will lightly tap the gavel. And when it is red, we ask you to
    please conclude your remarks. We have all your testimony in the
    record. Thank you. Do you need another second, or are you ready
    to?
        Voice. I am ready to go.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. And you need to push the red
    button down there, and they like it if the microphone is close
    so it can be recorded. Thank you. Good morning.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

              WINNEBAGO TRIBE OF NEBRASKA AND INDIAN HEALTH BOARD

                                    WITNESS

    VICTORIA KITCHEYAN, CHAIRPERSON AND GREAT PLAINS AREA REPRESENTATIVE,
        WINNEBAGO TRIBE OF NEBRASKA, NATIONAL INDIAN HEALTH BOARD
        Ms. Kitcheyan. Good morning. Good morning, Chairwoman
    McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce, and members of the
    subcommittee. On behalf of the National Indian Health Board, I
    am thankful to testify on the Fiscal Year 2021 Indian Health
    Service budget. My name is Victoria Kitcheyan. I am the chair
    and Great Plains area representative to the National Indian
    Health Board. I am a member of the Winnebago Tribal Council.
        And as we work together on the first IHS budget of the
    decade, let's reflect on some of the great successes over the
    past 10 years. We began the previous decade with a tremendous
    victory with permanent reauthorization of the Indian Healthcare
    Improvement Act. This was an incredible victory that ensured
    the foundation of the Indian health system will persevere.
    Because of this congressional action, we were also able to
    secure rightful and full funding of the contract support costs.
        Thanks to you, the 2010 enacted IHS budget was $4.02
    billion, and we ended in 2020 with $6.04 billion. During this
    same time span, we saw third party reimbursements from public
    and private payers reach over $1 billion for federally-operated
    healthcare facilities alone. Our people made dramatic gains in
    healthcare coverage, improving access to care, and revenue
    streams for our services and facilities overall.
        Overall, we continue to applaud the leadership and the
    partnership of this committee to help secure those successful
    legislations, but they have been achieved alongside great
    challenges, and the road in front of us remains long. Our
    members continue to live 5.5 years longer less than general
    population, and in the Great Plains where I am from, 20 years
    earlier. Our people continue to have the lowest health outcomes
    and the highest health disparities. For example, infant
    mortality continues to rise in our communities, while it is
    decreasing through the rest of the country.
        The fate of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act remains
    imbalanced due to legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act.
    Our public health infrastructure remains decades behind State
    and local entities. Our communities continue to be overlooked
    when new block grants or opportunities are introduced. Our
    hospitals remain 4 times older than the rest of America's
    hospitals. If one was built today, it would not be rebuilt for
    400 years. Provider shortages remain severe with chronic
    vacancies from physicians to behavioral health professionals,
    pharmacists.
        So in every year of the previous decade, there were delays
    in passage of the IHS budget leading to one continuing
    resolution after another. On four occasions, IHS was shut down
    because lawmakers couldn't agree on a final budget. The budget
    disagreements had nothing to do with Indian Country or the IHS,
    and our people suffered, nonetheless. Those shutdowns lasted
    from one day to the longest in history at 35 days. In each of
    those instances, are healthcare was shut down. Our people were
    endangered. Each of those such shutdowns violated the solemn
    responsibility of the United States to our tribes and people.
        Every year tribal leaders from across the country convene
    in Washington, D.C. to formulate the national tribal budget
    formulation recommendations for needs-based and fully-funded
    IHS budget. The recommendations reflect the national voice of
    tribal people. Every year we face limitations on this
    discretionary budget that only allows for marginal increases to
    the IHS budget. For example, we were thankful last year that
    the committee fought really hard for a 9 percent increase
    totaling over $530 million, and when that final agreement was
    reached, it was cut by half. So when you compound chronic
    underfunding and continuing resolutions, the inevitable result
    are pervasive disparities for our people.
        So where does that leave us? We ask you as we start this
    decade to just reimagine how we fund the Indian Health Service.
    We begin this decade with a monumental victory, and we can do
    that by passing advanced appropriations. We are very thankful
    to Chairwoman McCollum and Representative Young for introducing
    the latest legislation that would authorize advanced
    appropriations for our programs, and Ranking Member Joyce and
    others who strongly support that. We remain fully committed to
    working in a bipartisan way to pass the advanced
    appropriations. We have the momentum. We can get it done this
    year.
        We can begin this decade by passing an IHS budget that
    reflects the recommendations of the Tribal Budget Formulation
    Work Group calling for $9.1 billion for IHS in 2021. This
    decade must be where Congress fully lives up to its obligations
    to tribal nations, and this decade is where we receive a full
    and permanent needs-based budget for IHS and all of our health
    programs. This must be the decade where we look back and say
    this was a time when our treaties and obligations by the
    Federal Government were finally honored.
        So our dedication to this remains everlasting. We thank you
    for your commitment as well and look forward to working
    alongside you on this. And I thank you for the invitation to
    testify and happy to answer questions.
        [The statement of Ms. Kitcheyan follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
        Ms. Kitcheyan. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                            SOUTHCENTRAL FOUNDATION

                                    WITNESS

    APRIL KYLE, VICE PRESIDENT, SOUTHCENTRAL FOUNDATION
        Ms. Kyle. Good morning. My name is April Kyle, and I am
    from Southcentral Foundation. My tribe is Ninilchik. We are a
    tribal healthcare organization in the southcentral region of
    Alaska serving 65,000 Alaska Native and American Indian people
    in an area the size of Wyoming, so a really big service area.
        I want to share with you six things in 5 minutes. I will do
    them quickly. First, I want to talk about funding in general,
    and I want to say that we appreciate the increases to funding,
    until we see that health disparities between Alaska Native and
    American Indian people and other Americans are extinguished,
    the funding solution hasn't come yet. So we ask you to think
    about that as you are looking at the IHS budget. The second
    topic is 105 lease funding. We want to thank you for increasing
    funding levels to $125 million. We know that the IHS estimates
    the need as $150 million. We think that the need for that
    funding is great and hard to predict, and all we ask is for the
    IHS to consult with tribes, Congress, and the OMB to figure out
    the right appropriation level. We also think these funds should
    be reclassified as appropriated entitlement.
        Third, I want to talk about advanced appropriations. It is
    a topic you have heard about before, but certainly with
    government shutdowns it became very clear what the impact is
    for communities, and it puts people and families at risk. And I
    just want to remind you that the IHS is the only Federal
    healthcare system that does not have advanced appropriation.
    And at Southcentral Foundation, we appreciate that there is
    good movement on legislation to resolve this issue. We thank
    the co-sponsors, and we ask for your support.
        The fourth is behavioral health. So I serve as the vice
    president of behavioral services. I have been with SCF for 17
    years, so this is my actual topic of expertise. And at
    Southcentral Foundation, we are doing really good work in
    addiction treatment, working with kids, working with adults,
    working with folks in behavioral health crisis. I attend
    graduations, and I see people's lives change because treatment
    works and recovery is possible. But there is a big problem. The
    problem is the volume of services that we can deliver, the
    supply is so much smaller than the demand in our communities.
    And so we ask you to think about behavioral health, and we are
    looking for at least a 15 percent increase in behavioral health
    funding for the next budget cycle.
        Fifth topic is joint venture construction, a highly
    successful program. It benefits tribes. It benefits the IHS.
    And we would like to see an increase in joint venture projects
    to expand and grow more services across the Nation. My last
    topic, number six, is the VA Mission Act, and I know that is a
    little bit outside the scope of this hearing. We appreciate
    that $11 billion was appropriated to the VA to implement the
    Mission Act, and there is a piece of that which creates an
    opportunity for a medical residency pilot program in the VA
    where medical residents could be placed with tribal or IHS
    facilities for their medical residency. This is a win-win-win
    opportunity for tribes, for the VA, and for IHS.
        Our ability to deliver healthcare is often limited by our
    workforce. And so any opportunity we have to bring more doctors
    into our systems--that includes IHS, the VA, and tribal
    healthcare--the better that we will be able to deliver the
    services that are needed by our community. We know that is not
    exactly in the scope of this hearing, but any influence and
    support you have for funding for that residency program would
    be greatly appreciated.
        So in conclusion, in the time that I have had, I have
    spoken about the importance of funding, 105(l) leases, advanced
    appropriations, behavioral health, which is probably my
    favorite topic and the importance of truly meeting the needs of
    our community with behavioral health funding, joint venture and
    the VA Mission Act Residency Program. I thank you very much for
    your time.
        [The statement of Mr. Kyle follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

              RIVERSIDE-SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY INDIAN HEALTH, INC.

                                    WITNESS

    TERESA SANCHEZ, BOARD VICE PRESIDENT, RIVERSIDE-SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
        INDIAN HEALTH, INC.
        Ms. Sanchez. Good morning. I am Teresa Sanchez. I am a
    member of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. I am also on
    tribal council. I am the vice president of the board of
    directors for Riverside-San Bernardino County Indian Health.
    Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
        I want to start by saying that the Indian Health Service's
    105 lease program has been very beneficial in our Fiscal Year
    2019-2020 budget years. Our consortium puts the funding
    provided through this program to good use every day. Therefore,
    we strongly urge this committee to continue to support the
    tribes across the country on this critical funding issue by
    providing sufficient appropriations to fully fund IHS' 105
    lease obligations, and by reclassifying 105 appropriations as
    an appropriated entitlement.
        This is especially important for tribes in California
    because there is a general lack of funding for our California
    health facilities, and these 105 lease monies help offset the
    present inequities stemming from the lack of funding. Simply
    put, California tribes have not historically been funded to
    build clinics and hospitals in the ways that tribes outside of
    our State have. Needless to say, this lack of facility and
    staffing funds has been a thorn in our side for many years.
        The joint venture program, which provides money to help
    tribes build new clinics, still continues to disappoint
    California tribes. California has only had one joint venture
    program funded in the State since the inception of the program.
    In the recent 2019 application process, seven tribal systems
    from California applied for this funding. However, we have been
    notified that none of these tribal programs were asked to
    continue with the application process for consideration of the
    joint venture opportunity. This highlights another inequity
    issue for California. Although the current capital projects of
    all the Indian Health Services are projected to be funded over
    the next 25 years, California does not have any projects on the
    current capital project plan. This will challenge us to use
    other sources of funding to improve our health clinics.
        The joint venture program should be a strong tool for
    California tribes to address current and future needs, but IHS
    does not appear to be seriously considering any California
    joint venture proposals. We urge the committee to direct IHS
    toward addressing this problem.
        Four of the 12 IHS areas are designated PRC dependent,
    meaning they have little or no access to any IHS or tribally-
    operated hospitals and, therefore, must purchase all or a large
    portion of inpatient and specialty care from nontribal
    providers at a significantly higher cost. Our region, the
    California area, has no tribal hospitals. However, the current
    PRC formula disproportionately affects California because it
    allocates PRC and hospital funding to those other eight IHS
    areas. This funding inequity tends to then treat our clinics
    the same as those in the remaining eight IHS areas who receive
    both PRC dollars as well as hospital funding. This impacts our
    specialty care access.
        IHS does not have access to a care fairness factor meant to
    remedy the funding inequities to the four PRC-dependent areas.
    According to their own methodology, there are three levels of
    priority. Our access to care factor is at the lowest priority
    level of 3. Unfortunately, the PRC money has run out before the
    access to care fairness factor can be calculated and
    distributed to benefit our area. The result is our area rarely
    receives any access to care fairness to PRC monies and,
    therefore, falls further and further behind. We ask the
    committee to instruct IHS to move this access to care factor
    from the lowest priority level 3 to level 2 priority. We thank
    you for your time and consideration.
        [The statement of Ms. Sanchez follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. I am going to step up to the
    Agriculture Committee for a minute, which also deals, as you
    pointed out, other committees have jurisdiction over some of
    the programs that are important. And I leave you in the capable
    hands of the gentleman from the western part of the United
    States on the coast, Mr. Kilmer.
        Mr. Kilmer [presiding]. I will do my best not to mess it
    up, you guys, but no problems. Mr. Simpson, do you have any
    questions?
        Mr. Simpson. No, not right now.
        Mr. Kilmer. All right. Thank you for your testimony. All
    right. Let me invite up Maureen Rosette, president of the
    National Council of Urban Indian Health; Greg Abrahamson from
    the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board; Esther Lucero
    from the Seattle Indian Health Board; and Shaquita Bell from
    the American Academy of Pediatrics. Hey.
        Voice. Good morning. How are you doing?
        Mr. Kilmer. Welcome. I am glad you are here. Welcome. Do
    you want to kick us of?
        Ms. Rosette. Yes.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                    NATIONAL COUNCIL OF URBAN INDIAN HEALTH

                                    WITNESS

    MAUREEN ROSETTE, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF URBAN INDIAN HEALTH
        Ms. Rosette. Yes. Good morning. Hello, my name is Maureen
    Rosette, and I am a citizen of Chippewa Cree Nation, and I
    serve as the president of the National Council of Urban Indian
    Health, NCUIH. We represent 41 Indian healthcare organizations
    across the across the Nation who provide high-quality,
    culturally-competent care to urban Indians constituting over 70
    percent of all American Indians/Alaskan Natives. Thank you,
    Chairwoman McCollum, who just left, Ranking Member Joyce, and
    the rest of the committee for holding this meeting.
        NCUIH is appreciative for the subcommittee's strong
    leadership and continued bipartisan support for urban Indian
    health. We were encouraged to see Congress come together to
    pass a roughly $1 trillion Fiscal Year 2020 spending deal
    giving the IHS approximately $6 billion, an increase of 4
    percent above the Fiscal Year 2019 enacted level, and $138
    million above the President's budget request. Most noteworthy
    for us was the House bill that included $81 million to the
    Urban Health line item. We are confident that this was
    instrumental in getting an increase in the final budget to $57
    million, which allowed for a long overdue and increased
    urbanism health line of approximately $6 million. This provided
    over $115,000 to 39 urban Indian health organizations. We know
    that the lawmakers on this subcommittee have fought for more
    IHS guess funding, and NCUIH expresses our sincere
    appreciation.
        This subcommittee's recommendation last year set a high
    standard for the future of this line item, and we hope you will
    continue to push for the still-needed increases in Fiscal Year
    2021. For Fiscal Year 2021, NCUIH requests that the
    subcommittee meet the Tribal Budget Formulation Work Group
    recommendation of $106 million for the urban Indian line item.
    Additionally, we are asking for the IHS system to receive
    advances appropriations--I have heard a lot of that today--and
    encourage the subcommittee to sign on to Chair McCollum's
    bipartisan bill, H.R. 1128, Indian Programs Advanced
    Appropriation Act, which has 48 co-sponsors presently.
        We cannot express how dire the effects of a government
    shutdown are for this program. When funding is delayed or cut
    off during events such as government shutdown, there are
    devastating effects upon UIO's ability to provide healthcare.
    We also urge that the 100 percent Federal medical assistance
    percentage, FMAP, include UIOs through the Urban Indian Health
    Parity Act. Recently, CMS announced a plan to let States
    convert a portion of Medicaid funding into block grants. This
    will have devastating impacts on health reimbursement and
    Indian Country. It also violates the trust responsibility of
    the U.S. government to provide healthcare to our people.
        The amount of Medicaid service costs paid by the Federal
    Government is set by a law at 100 percent for IHS and tribes,
    but not for UIOs because UIOs did not exist in law when the law
    was written. Therefore, we ask that you correct this problem in
    Fiscal Year 2021 as the new block grant funding requirement has
    made 100 percent FMAP a more urgent need. We are thankful that
    the recent budget measure included a substantial boost of funds
    to cover the costs of the 105(l) lease obligations in the
    amount of $125 million, which is $89 million above the Fiscal
    Year 2019 enacted level. And we are hopeful that this funding
    continues to grow with need. UIOs are not eligible for IHS for
    these leases, yet IHS has taken $1.5 million from our funding
    for these leases. We respectfully request language that would
    restrict IHS to take you UIO-designated funds for their purpose
    that cannot benefit UIOs. Every dollar counts for UIOs, and
    their money must be reserved for them.
        We also urge the committee to support the reauthorization
    of this Special Diabetes Program for Indians, SDPI. SDPI is
    critical to urban native communities who experience a higher
    prevalence of diabetes, and a greater diabetes mortality rate
    than the general U.S. population in those areas. It is
    imperative that the SDPI be reauthorized before its expiration
    and May 2020.
        We, again, thank Chair McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce, and
    the entire subcommittee for your efforts towards prioritizing
    funding in Indian Country and for holding this hearing. NCUIH
    staff is available for any questions or other needs for this
    committee. Thank you.
        [The statement of Ms. Rosette follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

         SPOKANE TRIBE AND NORTHWEST PORTLAND AREA INDIAN HEALTH BOARD

                                    WITNESS

    GREG ABRAHAMSON, NPAIHB SECRETARY/VICE CHAIR SPOKANE TRIBE, NORTHWEST
        PORTLAND AREA INDIAN HEALTH BOARD
        Mr. Abrahamson. I will start off. I have got a little bit
    of a hoarse throat there, but I will give it the good old
    Northwest best we can there.
        Well, good morning, Chairwoman McCollum and Ranking Member
    Joyce, and thank you Subcommittee Kilmer, Simpson, and then
    Mrs. Watson. My name is Greg Abrahamson. I serve as vice chair
    for Spokane Tribe, and I am on a national tribal budget
    formulation work group, vice chair, direct service drives, and
    I serve a secretary for the Northwest Portland Area Indian
    Health Board. The Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
    works with 43 federally-recognized tribes in Idaho, Oregon, and
    Washington to advocate on specific healthcare issues. I thank
    the subcommittee for the opportunity to provide testimony.
        Within the past 40 years, Portland area tribes have made
    progress to improve the health status of our people, but there
    is not enough funding to address all the health disparities our
    communities are experiencing. We are grateful for the increase
    of the IHS budget. We request $37.6 billion for full funding to
    meet the trust and treaty obligations. We know this
    subcommittee has been supportive of increases every year, so we
    thank you for that, and especially funding for IHCIA and health
    education in Fiscal Year 2020.
        For Fiscal Year 2021, the IHS budget must be brought up
    $9.1 billion per the recommendation of the Budget Formulation
    Work Group. There must also be an annual increase to population
    growth and inflation estimated at $200 million. The increased
    cost of Section 105(l) leases will continue to cut into program
    increases for direct service tribes and tribal facilities, and
    we will not be able to maintain current services. Section
    105(l) lease costs must be made an indefinite discretionary
    appropriation.
        Other funding priorities for our area include mental,
    health substance use, purchased and referred care, HIV, HCV,
    Indian health professionals, CHAP expansion, and ITHR
    modernization for our youth, who are precious to our
    communities, and the carriers of our northwest traditions and
    culture. We want to ensure that they will have the services
    that they need to grow and develop into future leaders for our
    tribes. With the high rates of native suicide, substance use in
    our tribes has prioritized the need of youth residential
    treatment centers that provide aftercare, transitional living
    for both substance use and mental health. While there are two
    facilities in the Portland area, more are needed with expanded
    services.
        For Fiscal Year 2021, we request increases of $40 million
    to both substance use and mental health, and $150 million for a
    special behavior health program for Indians. This program was
    promised to the tailored and tribal specific programs that meet
    behavior health needs in our communities. As the program is in
    the pilot stage, it must be expanded beyond opioids and allow
    for the service of other substance use and mental health
    issues, and provide for an option for tribes to receive funding
    through compacts and contracts. Portland Area does not have an
    IHS hospital, so IHS and tribal facilities in our area must
    purchase all specialty and inpatient care. There no increase to
    PRC in Fiscal Year 2020, which is a loss in funding when
    medical inflation is not included. For Fiscal Year 2021, we
    request a $50 million for increase for PRC above the 2020
    budget.
        HIV and hepatitis C funding must also be included in Fiscal
    Year 2021 funding. For Fiscal Year 2021, Portland Area requests
    $25 million for the ending of HIV epidemic and $25 million for
    hepatitis C treatment so that IHS can begin providing
    lifesaving treatment for American Indians/Alaska Natives within
    the IHS system. Provider shortages is another concern. The
    Indian Health Professionals Program is critical to support the
    workforce development needs through loan repayment and
    scholarships. For Fiscal Year 2021, Portland Area Health
    requests a program increase of $10 million for Indian
    professions.
        We thank the committee for funding the Community Health Aid
    Program, CHAP, at $5 million in Fiscal Year 2020. RAA has made
    great progress in setting the framework for CHAP expansion. We
    have 12 dental health aide therapists that have finished an
    Alaska training program, one more will graduate from the DI
    program this year. We have two in the health aide training
    program with six more ready to start. Our area has already
    launched a DHAT education program in Fiscal Year 2021, and is
    developing a behavioral health aide program with two of our
    tribes.
        In Fiscal Year 2021, I request $290 million for
    continuation of the national CHAP expansion, with $5 million in
    the Portland Area, to continue work to establish a
    demonstration project. Our area has also been advocating for a
    regional referral specialty center. A study was in 2009. This
    would address our area needs related to the specialty care
    since we have no IHS hospitals. This program can be funded
    through ICEA Section 143 demonstration authority. We also
    support funding under the Small Ambulatory and Joint Venture
    Programs. Lastly, IHS implements the first phases in the IT
    modernization project. It must continue to conduct travel
    consultation to ensure all areas are represented. Portland Area
    recommends funding at $25 million for Fiscal Year 2021.
        Thank you for this opportunity to provide recommendations
    on the 2021 IHS budget. I look forward to working with the
    subcommittee on the requests, and we thank you for holding this
    hearing.
        [The statement of Mr. Abrahamson follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you. You stuck the landing. Ms. Lucero,
    welcome. Sorry. We are ahead of schedule.
        Ms. Lucero. I know. [Laughter.]
        And that doesn't happen often.
        Mr. Kilmer. I know. I am going to ask really slow questions
    when we get to questions.
        Ms. Lucero. And it is raining outside. People are behaving
    like they are driving in Seattle, so.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                          SEATTLE INDIAN HEALTH BOARD

                                    WITNESS

    ESTHER LUCERO, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SEATTLE INDIAN HEALTH BOARD
        Ms. Lucero. Ya'at eeh abini, everyone. I am Esther Lucero.
    I am Dine and Latina, third generation in my tribe to be raised
    in an urban environment, which is why urban Indian health is
    super important to me. I am always privileged to sit at the
    table with these folks, you know. These are our partners,
    especially our tribal partners out in Washington, and so it is
    really amazing to see all of you again. This is now my fourth
    year, so it is exciting. I feel like we are building relations
    at this point.
        So I really want to start off with just thanking you all. I
    think that last year's budget recommendation at $87 million is
    the highest we have seen come out of this committee. And I just
    want to say I am incredibly grateful for that, for the urban
    Indian line item. Along with our tribal partners, we have
    established a funding mechanism to get IHS to full funding
    within 10 years, and so we really align with our tribal
    partners, and so this year's ask is aligned with $106 million.
    And I want to be clear: this isn't about taking dollars from
    our tribal partners. This is about increasing the whole pie. It
    is very important that we don't focus on percentages, but that
    we are focused on dollar amount.
        The other thing I would like to thank you for is that we
    saw $1 million increase going into the tribal epicenters,
    right, and so if you will recall, the Urban Indian Health
    Institute is the research arm for the Seattle Indian Health
    Board and produced the ``Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
    Report.'' Now, I will tell you, with a little investment into
    the tribal epicenters, those are the kind of results you will
    see, right, actually initiating a national response to this
    crisis. And so having in $1 million increase is really
    beneficial. And I will have to tell you, if our 12 tribal
    epicenters were able to get to a $2 million operating budget
    per year, we would see significant changes within our
    community. So our ask is a $24 million ask to go specifically
    to the tribal epicenters. Let's make sure that we make that
    investment there so that we can fill the data gaps that you all
    need to make really important financial decisions. So that that
    is where I am on that.
        I think the other thing that we have to understand is that
    as an urban Indian health program, we kind of rose from the
    social justice movements of the late 1960s, early 70s, and that
    means our buildings are getting pretty old at this point. Urban
    Indian health programs have never had access to facilities
    dollars, and, again, we don't want to take anything from the
    tribal partners. Many of our tribal partners are still waiting
    on, you know, facilities dollars to address their
    infrastructure needs. But I will tell you that we actually had
    an assessment done, and it was my second year, so that would be
    about 3 years ago. And IHS actually came out to our facility
    and they said they were doing an assessment on the needs of
    urban health programs from an infrastructure perspective. We
    actually haven't seen the results of that report. My ask to
    this committee, for the subcommittee, is to ensure that we get
    the results of that report, and that we get to understand what
    the cost is of making a true infrastructure investment in urban
    Indian health programs.
        Now, I will tell you, HRSA actually did something for the
    past couple of years where, as part of their mental health
    expansion grants, they actually added facilities and
    infrastructure dollars to that. That is something I would like
    to see IHS do is really invest in what it takes to increase our
    capacity both from an infrastructure perspective as we move
    towards integration, but also capacity in regards to our
    providers, you know, so that we can meet those needs.
        And I will give you a specific example on this. So our
    Thunderbird Treatment Center, we are actually having to
    relocate that site because our building is so old that our
    infrastructure needs became so significant, and they are very
    challenging dollars to acquire. And we want to expand our
    services to provide services to the women, pregnant women,
    women with children. And so we are actually selling that
    building to be able to use those resources to move, but this is
    a testament to the fact that we have not invested in
    infrastructure. And now our organizations, our urban Indian
    health programs, are going to have to address those needs in
    whatever way we can. So I want you to know that we are doing
    our part in creating community partnerships, right, leveraging
    our local and State resources, and still it is necessary for
    IHS to invest in infrastructure.
        And then lastly, I would ask you to continue to support the
    work on missing emergent indigenous women. You will hear from
    my colleague, I believe, tomorrow a little bit more on that
    work. And to me, this is where that synergy between both, you
    know, resources, research, and also policy work go hand in hand
    to support the program needs, because our communities are
    struggling with the trauma that these experiences have caused.
    And so now, programs like ours from health and human services
    perspective are really in need of providing resources and
    support. And so I would ask that we think about that when we
    are investing in this year's funding.
        And with that, it is always an honor to see all of you. It
    is really a privilege, and I am sorry that I got a little bit
    rained out and was a little bit late. No disrespect, I promise.
    So thank you.
        [The statement of Ms. Lucero follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                 AAP COMMITTEE ON NATIVE AMERICAN CHILD HEALTH

                                    WITNESS

    SHAQUITA BELL, M.D., FAAP, CHAIR, AAP COMMITTEE ON NATIVE AMERICAN
        CHILD HEALTH
        Dr. Bell. A tough act to follow. No notes. That is
    impressive. [Laughter.]
        Greetings, Representative Kilmer, Coleman, and Simpson. So
    honored to be here. My name is Dr. Shaquita Bell. And I am
    Cherokee and black. I am a pediatrician in Seattle where it
    wasn't raining when I left, and I heard it was raining here
    before we left. We didn't bring the rain.
        I am so honored to be up here with the urban Indian
    programs. I was a child in Minneapolis who received my care
    through an urban Indian program, the Minneapolis Health Board,
    and so it is such a pleasure to be here. I am the pediatrician
    in the room, so a lot of my testimony will be pretty kids
    focused, but I could not agree more with what everyone has said
    today. I am here on behalf of the American Academy of
    Pediatrics. I am the chair for the Committee on Native American
    Child Heath, and I am also very grateful for our Federal
    Affairs Office, who helped me with this testimony.
        We at AAP support the IHS full funding that we can get. We
    recommend the largest possible funding increase. And we are
    also really interested in strong funding, and we really feel
    like advanced appropriations would be the most helpful thing
    for IHS. So we also agree with that and strongly recommend it,
    and we appreciate the efforts of this subcommittee to get to
    that.
        I like to use stories to tell my desires for funding, and
    so I am going to use a story, but I am going to call this
    patient ``Robert.'' Robert is a young adolescent who would
    rather play videogames than listen to me talk about veggies and
    eating healthy. He struggles with his weight, and my clinic was
    able to partner with a local pool. And after exploring his
    interests, he signed up for swimming lessons and met a group of
    friends, joined a hip hop dance club, which apparently is cool
    as long as I don't talk about it, and has found a really unique
    way to become physically fit and gain a better sense of
    identity, which really helps protect his mental health. It is
    one of the strongest protective factors is a sense of identity.
        And when we think about mental health and behavioral health
    in Indian Country, we know that we have really vast unmet
    needs. We continue to have waits as long as 4 to 6 months for
    acutely anxious patients and depressed patients. I have a young
    girl who hides under the table at school and cries herself to
    sleep every night because she is so scared of school, and I
    can't get her in any sooner than that. So I really urge us to
    think about how we can address this unmet need in our
    communities.
        Once those kids of mine grow up and become students, I love
    to have them shadow at clinic and mentor them into their
    careers. And one of the things that really makes a difference
    in choosing your future career is loan debt. And so we really
    strongly appreciate the value of the IHS Health Professions
    Scholarship Program and the Health Professions Loan Repayment
    Program, but we really wish it could be tax exempt. That would
    really help us meet a lot more of the need and recruitment and
    retention of health providers in our communities, and would
    take a burden off of students when they are considering this
    job.
        So once they become pediatricians--hopefully they all do--
    then we encourage them to come and work in IHS, or in urban
    health programs, or in tribal clinics. And then they get to
    meet the Federal government. It is a real barrier to hiring
    talented physicians. I have a friend right now who accepted a
    job in IHS about a year ago and is still working on the
    paperwork, and has sold a house and is trying to move to that
    community, but can't qualify for a loan because they don't have
    proof of employment. It is just a vicious cycle. And if we
    can't recruit talented professionals, we are going to continue
    to have issues with the type of care that we are able to
    deliver.
        Kind of thinking about that quality care that we want to
    deliver, I am very thankful to this committee for helping IHS
    to hire, encourage IHS to hire, the maternal child health
    coordinator, Dr. McKernan. We are thrilled to be partnering
    with her. She has attended some of our meetings and is already
    getting on the ground with emergency services. So really thank
    you for that.
        Just in closing, every year as part of our committee, we
    get to visit an IHS site, one of the regions, and then we pick
    four sites in that region, and I was fortunate enough to visit
    the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley. And they told
    us about a really exciting job skills program where they take
    youth and teach them skills that they can use for the rest of
    their life. And it makes me think of Robert. It makes me think
    of all of the stories that I have told so far of how we can
    engage youth with really simple interventions that tie them to
    their identity, tie them to their roots, and lead to a very
    successful happy and healthy life.
        So with that, I will close and just thank you all. And I
    would be happy to take any questions.
        [The statement of Dr. Bell follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you all for your testimony. Mr. Simpson.
        Mr. Simpson. Always more thoughts than questions. Always a
    complex problem. Ms. Rosetta, in addition to an increased
    budget line item for urban health, your testimony mentions a
    number of authorizing issues outside of this subcommittee's
    jurisdiction. So are you making any progress with the
    authorizing committees, because at some point in time, it
    always comes down to us to do authorizations, and people hate
    that, so.
        Ms. Rosette. Not that I am aware of, no.
        Mr. Abrahamson. No.
        Ms. Lucero. No.
        Mr. Simpson. We need to be working with those authorizing
    committees, so I appreciate that. And, Ms. Lucero, you
    mentioned that in your testimony, the Seattle Indian Health
    Board's budget has increased by 80 percent in the last 4 years?
        Ms. Lucero. That is correct.
        Mr. Simpson. Which is kind of surprising. At a time when
    urban Indian organizations are struggling, what is happening in
    the Seattle area that has enabled your budget to grow so
    strongly?
        Ms. Lucero. Yeah, thank you for that question. We are
    actually very proud of that. So I have been in my position for
    4 years now, and for us, we were able to see kind of the low-
    hanging fruit in places that we hadn't invested. And, quite
    frankly, an investment has been largely in behavioral health.
    So we were able to access other grant funding sources to be
    able to supplement that work, coupled with the fact that we
    have done a significant investment in our infrastructure to
    support increased revenue through third party billing. That, of
    course, is threatened constantly when we hear things like block
    grants that come into the States that would actually capitate
    Medicaid dollars.
        So thank you for that. Yes, we are proud of that. Yes, it
    has taken a year where we have had revamp our entire IT system.
    We have had to improve our electronic health record system. We
    have had to access grants and increase staff to be able to
    support that work. So we are looking at our IHS dollars to
    maintain our cultural integrity. You know, we can work with
    these other systems, absolutely, but this is what allows us to
    serve in a culturally-relevant way. And, quite frankly, our
    success is grounded in our indigenous knowledge informed
    systems of care, so centered on traditional medicine. Thank
    you.
        Mr. Simpson. Thank you. Congratulations on that also. Dr.
    Bell, just out of curiosity, and it wasn't part of anybody's
    testimony. But I was curious, are we making progress in
    diabetes with the Native American population? As you know, they
    have the highest rate of diabetes of anybody.
        Dr. Bell. So I am a pediatrician.
        Mr. Simpson. The doctor. [Laughter.]
        Dr. Bell. I would say that we have definitely seen impacts
    from SDIP. I think the specialty diabetes project, what it
    really does or what the funding does is allow us to build
    culturally-relevant programs, like exercise, diet, nutrition,
    things that meet people where they are. The other thing that is
    really cool about SDIP is that it allows people to be creative.
    So you don't have this, you know, just, okay, everybody with
    diabetes gets X, Y, and Z. You get to tailor it to the
    community you are serving, and that is why it is so important
    that each of those communities can take that money and build a
    program that is specific to their needs, to their people, and
    to their rates of diabetes specifically.
        I would have to say across the board, native or non-native,
    we have a problem with diabetes, and that is not native
    specific. I think that is a reality for all of America.
        Mr. Simpson. I noticed when we have traveled out to some of
    the reservations and so forth, one of the programs has always
    been to try to get people back on traditional foods.
        Dr. Bell. Yes, absolutely.
        Mr. Simpson. And the thought was that that would help with
    reducing the rate of diabetes and so forth. And I was just
    wondering if we have any positive successes in that that we can
    relate to.
        Ms. Rosette. If I can answer.
        Mr. Simpson. Sure.
        Ms. Rosette. From what we have learned in the last year is
    that the mortality rate for natives obviously is lower. But
    actually with the SDPI Program, we have increased by 1 year, so
    we have gained 1 year, so that is one success for us. And that
    has taken over 20 years to achieve, so that is why we need the
    continued funding for the SDPI Program.
        Mr. Simpson. Thank you all.
        Mr. Kilmer. Mrs. Watson Coleman.
        Mrs. Watson Coleman. Thank you. I don't really have a
    question. I just wanted to thank you for your testimony, and to
    let you know that this discussion about the access to
    healthcare, about access to mental healthcare, about cultural
    competence and services and programs, is something that I hear
    in other specific communities, and it is something that in
    general we need to pay better attention to. I thank you for the
    information you have shared with me. Maternal health issues and
    all of those issues are things that I have encountered in other
    meetings, so I was very interested in hearing it. Thank you.
    Thank you. I yield back.
        Mr. Kilmer. First of all, thank you for your testimony, and
    thank you for the important work you do. I wanted to touch on,
    several of you in both your testimony and your written
    testimony, referenced the impacts of shutdowns and referenced
    the potential value, as our chair has led the way on doing
    advanced appropriations. I think it would be helpful if you
    could just paint the picture, though, of when there is a lapse
    in funding. What does that mean in terms of access to care,
    quality of care? Help us tell the story to our colleagues. What
    do you see when that happens? You know, and I will say up front
    I think there is agreement certainly by the members on this
    committee that trust responsibilities and treaty obligations
    should not be treated as discretionary. They are not
    discretionary. But when you see this lapse in funding, paint
    the picture for us.
        Ms. Rosette. Well, last year, I know that in the Boston
    area, they had to shut down, and, in that process, they had a
    couple of people who overdosed, and so that is just there. And
    then particularly for us, for the native project, we were
    looking at the potential of having to reduce hours, which means
    you have to have less services and less access to the care. So
    obviously we were more prepared for it, I would say, but not
    all of our urbans were prepared for it. I know Boston was one
    of the ones most affected by it, and they saw deaths because of
    it.
        Mr. Abrahamson. So within our area there, we didn't shut
    down, but some of them were contemplating on shutting down
    there. And, I believe, we did lose one provider in the area
    there, and, as you guys know, the lack of recruit/retention
    that we have in the systems there on direct service tribes. So
    on the average, we are 33 percent of lack of professions in the
    field there and stuff there. So losing professionals is really
    critical for us, because just being able to recruit them and
    get them there. And as we heard on testimony here, too, that it
    takes so long to go through the process of getting them there,
    but it has made an impact on bringing professionals there and
    stuff there, so.
        Mr. Kilmer. Yeah, thank you.
        Ms. Lucero. For us, we actually had to develop a furlough
    strategy. And, you know, we always have looming threats both on
    the community health center side and the IHS side. But for us,
    we actually had to shut down our Saturday clinic, and we also
    had to cut back for our Elders Program, which is largely
    dependent on our Indian Health Service funding. Additionally,
    all of our traditional Indian medicine services are funding
    through Indian Health Service. Those are all the pieces that go
    away when we have to respond to a shutdown.
        And so, yes, I have always been a proponent of advanced
    appropriations. From my perspective, we have already paid this
    debt, right? We have already paid this debt, and it is up to us
    to make sure that we help heal the communities that we serve.
        Dr. Bell. Can I share a story that will be very poignant
    for you to pass on to your colleagues? So one of the privileges
    of being chair of the CONACH is I get to connect with
    pediatricians and pediatric providers all over the country. And
    so when the shutdown happened last year, I sent out an email
    and just asked how people are doing, and I heard from a
    pediatrician in the southwest who were lacking basic medical
    care for children. So when a baby is born, we check their
    oxygen level to see if they have a cardiac defect. They could
    not afford the probe to check the oxygen entry, right, because
    all funding stopped.
        Ms. McCollum [presiding]. Explain what the probe is.
        Dr. Bell. The probe is literally, it looks like a piece of
    tape that goes to a machine that tells you what your oxygen
    level is. Like, if you have ever been to the doctor, they check
    it when you check in. So they couldn't get any more of those,
    so they couldn't screen babies for congenital heart disease,
    which means until they are seen in their pediatrician or family
    medicine clinic, we don't know if that child has a heart
    condition. And that happened, how long were we closed, a month?
    I mean, a month of babies who were impacted by this, and they
    were desperate. There were people who were buying supplies for
    their clinic out of their own pocket.
        So it was a very, I don't like to use the word
    ``devastating,'' but there was a very real impact. As far as I
    know, no babies passed away, but if you can imagine as a
    parent, you would want to know if your baby's heart was okay.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you. I yield back.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay. Well, thank you very much, and we will
    have our next panel come up, and thank you for your testimony.
    I have read it and highlighted it through the book. So thank
    you.
        Dr. Bell. Sorry I didn't get to tell my Minnesota joke.
    [Laughter.]
        Ms. McCollum. We are running about 10 minutes ahead of
    schedule, so we want to make sure that we don't miss anybody
    coming in. So we will just take a few minutes and take our
    time. Thank you.
        Would anyone like any water or anything? You are all good?
        So good morning. Before we start the panel on climate
    change, I am going just going to repeat myself about something
    that I said earlier this morning in the opening statement. For
    Fiscal Year 2020 Congress, we included additional funding to
    BIA, natural resources management programs, including increased
    funding for tribal climate resilience, endangered species, and
    water resources. And I was disappointed, but not surprised,
    that the President's budget request yesterday once ignored
    climate change.
        No one is immune from climate change, especially not Native
    Americans, who are at the forefront of this experience with the
    effects on increasing temperatures and rising waters. Your
    written testimony and other tribal members' who spoke on other
    issues also alluded to what was happening with climate change,
    described melting permafrost in Alaska, the loss of traditional
    foods, concern about traditional and cultural practices. And
    then we know about the unprecedented flooding that is happening
    in Washington and Oregon. And yet, unfortunately, the President
    looks the other way.
        But as I said, the President proposes, and Congress
    disposes. So this testimony that you are about to give on
    climate change is something that we will be looking at very
    seriously on how we can work with you for resilience and other
    issues that are being affected by climate change.
        So I am going to have you introduce yourself and then go
    right into your testimony. Just a little reminder, 5 minutes.
    Your testimony is fully entered into the record now, so don't
    feel rushed. Don't feel you have to cover everything if
    something comes to mind when you are testifying. The light will
    go yellow at one 1 minute. When you go a little beyond that 1
    minute, I will kind of tap with the gavel, and then at 5
    minutes, it will go red, and we would ask you to conclude your
    remarks.
        So with that, I would very much like Ms. Nelson to lead us
    off. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                          SHOALWATER BAY INDIAN TRIBE

                                    WITNESS

    CHARLENE NELSON, CHAIRWOMAN, SHOALWATER BAY TRIBE
        Ms. Nelson. Madam Chairman and all the subcommittee here, I
    thank you for being here to listen to us. I thank you as a
    chairwoman. I am chairwoman of the Shoalwater Bay Tribe. I am
    also a steward, and that is a steward of the ocean and what is
    happening to it now. I speak for tribal members all along the
    Salish Sea. We are in danger, and also the whales, the salmon,
    all the things that live in the sea are affected by what is
    happening. There is climate change. I am 80 years old, and I
    have seen climate change. And at first, it is just part of
    life, and then all of a sudden, you realize something is
    happening.
        Our reservation, Shoalwater Bay Reservation, is right on
    the edge of the sea. We are 6 feet above high level of the
    tide. If there is a storm, generally comes up. We work to
    protect our land. We work to protect the land of the people
    around us. There are no fences. If somebody needs help, we do
    help because that is what you do. I look at what we face, and
    we are working at trying to go uphill. It is expensive to go
    uphill. We have bought the land, but to get there is going to
    be a challenge because the road that is strong enough to carry
    the equipment goes over a wetland, and you have to mitigate for
    a wetland. So we are doing that. We are working on doing this.
        This December, 5 days before Christmas, we were protected
    by a berm, a sand berm out in front of us, and that berm
    breached, or very close to a breach. I can't call it a state of
    emergency, 5 days before Christmas. And the next morning, the
    Army Corps of Engineers was out there, and there are boots on
    the ground day and night to save. They are great. I mean, they
    have just helped us so very, very much, and giving us advice
    and good things like that. Coming to meetings because we hold
    meetings not only for our tribe, but we include the county, the
    State, and all the people around us so that we are working
    together because you can't just fix a piece and stop a piece.
    You have to stop our work on it all, seeing it as a whole,
    because that is what it was made as, as a whole. Right now, we
    actually had another storm Friday night. We have drones or one
    drone that flies over it so that after a storm, as soon as it
    calms down enough that we can use it, we send that drone out.
    So we are keeping all the time what is happening.
        Anyway, as far as reservation lands we are working on,
    well, what we did is we purchased from someone else wetland,
    more wetland, and we are working on doing a wetland bank. Part
    of this, to begin with, is the ghost dike, which we will, once
    we are able to, and we have been working on this from 2017--I
    call it government to government--sat down with everybody, and
    that is what you do. You sit down because you are pulling
    together if you are sitting down, and you are listening. We
    showed them, actually took them out in the rain and wind to
    show them just exactly what we were talking about. It made a
    difference. We have been moved up in the queue, and actually we
    were notified about 1 week ago we will be able to apply and
    start work on the first one, which is a ghost dike.
        When we reach this, the saltwater will come back in. The
    saltwater was there before, before the owners that, you know,
    in the 30s possibly, maybe the 40s, is built a dike right on
    the ocean side. So that will bring an estuary, which is
    important for salmon. Again, we are stewards. We need to look
    after what we have been given as a tribe. And all the tribes
    around us talk about traditional food. Traditional food is
    salmon in our area.
        I in my life have been a commercial fisherman, a teacher,
    and now I am tribal chairwoman. It is challenge all the time.
    You keep moving. You keep doing what you like to do no matter
    if you get to be 80, which is a gift. But we look at if a
    tsunami hits, that can happen any time. People say, oh no, it
    won't happen. We know what happened in Japan. We set up a
    command center, and we were ready to go uphill if we had to go
    uphill. We are working on a tsunami tower. The tower is where
    the middle of the peninsula is. The only place that people
    there can get in time is to that tower. It is open to
    everybody. It is our tribal members. It is anybody who is down
    there. Get there as fast as you can. Well, we are working on
    that because we found out there is some wetland under that. We
    are working with FEMA with this, and it is important. We want
    to get that built.
        We need wetland credits in order to do that, so we are
    getting that wetland credits we hope with our bank or the ghost
    dike bank, and we can move up, start to move uphill. We have
    got the plan for the road. We just can't get the money yet or
    the road. And we have put our own money into doing what we have
    been doing. And by the way, I am blind in my right eye, and I
    am using my left eye to try to look at people, and I see I am
    red.
        So anyway that is where we are. We are working, and I
    always think we go in and we say we are going to look at this,
    we are going to make a plan. When is it too late? When is too
    late? And I want to get there and do something before it is too
    late. Masi. ``Masi,'' by the way, means thank you.
        [The statement of Ms. Nelson follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Greene.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                               MAKAH INDIAN TRIBE

                                    WITNESS

    TIMOTHY GREENE, SR., MAKAH TRIBAL COUNCIL CHAIRMAN, MAKAH INDIAN TRIBE
        Mr. Greene. Thank you. Chair Nelson. Mr. Chair, members of
    the committee, it is an honor to be here today. For the record,
    I would like to apologize to Congressman Kilmer. I missed the
    10 most enlightening minutes of my life this morning
    apparently. He gave a speech over at the NCAI, is my
    understanding. Sorry I couldn't be there.
        Mr. Kilmer. You really missed out. [Laughter.]
        Ms. Nelson. Yeah.
        Ms. McCollum. We will get you a copy.
        Ms. Nelson. All right. Well, I am T.J. Greene. I am
    chairman for the Makah Tribe, and I will be testifying on
    changing ocean conditions and the severe water shortage that we
    have on our lands, and tsunami relocation efforts, oil spill
    response and prevention, as well as coastal erosion, some of
    the things that that was already discussed here today.
        And the Makah Indian Tribe, we are located at the
    northwestern tip of Washington State, right where the Pacific
    Ocean meets the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Real beautiful area,
    and the ocean means everything to us. It is what our treaty is
    built around, and it is what defines us as a people. Tribal
    fisheries or vital for Makah culture, subsistence, and our
    economy. The impacts of changing ocean conditions on our
    fishery is a priority for the Makah Tribal Council. We are
    already experiencing warm ocean waters, increased hypoxia,
    harmful algal blooms. Ocean acidification along our coast is
    putting our treaty resources and our community at risk.
    Continued funding for Federal programs like BIA's Travel
    Resilience Program and EPA's National Estuary Program is
    crucial to addressing climate change and protecting our
    community and livelihoods.
        In this past decade, Makah has experienced three fisheries
    disasters due to changes in the marine environment. Fisheries
    disaster hit our community particularly hard, and delays in
    disaster relief funds compound these effects. We appreciate
    that they do eventually come, but the delays in the process are
    critical to our fishermen. You know, I think we can do that a
    little bit better.
        We urge Congress to continue to designate funding to the
    national fisheries disaster account as it has done in Fiscal
    Years 2018 and 2019, and to expedite fisheries disaster relief
    in this process. Over the past 2-and-a-half years, we have
    trapped over 2,200 invasive European green crabs on the Makah
    reservation. My backyard, which you have been to, Congressman,
    is one of the sites that is being infested by these green
    crabs. We are the only entity monitoring the outer coast of
    Washington. Limited available resources are targeted in the
    Puget Sound. We need increased Federal funding to address this
    infestation through monitoring programs on the outer coast,
    possibly under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Aquatic
    Invasive Species Program. These crabs compete with some of the
    habitat that is critical to the Dungeness juvenile crabs that
    are very important to Washington State, and we think that is
    important.
        We have severe water shortages on the reservation due to
    limited groundwater storage capacity. The Makah Tribe
    experiences chronic and severe water shortages every summer,
    which are exasperated by climate change. Water shortages
    restrict our tribe's ability to provide sufficient housing for
    our community and limit economic development and relocation
    efforts. We request Federal funding increases for programs,
    like IHS and BIA, to address water shortage issues on tribal
    reservations. We also would like tsunami relocation efforts to
    be funded, the Makah Village, including 60 percent of our
    population, our schools, clinic, and all of our critical
    infrastructure, including water treatment and sewage treatment
    facilities, are in the tsunami inundation zone. We are
    developing a comprehensive relocation plan for our community,
    but planning and implementation is restricted and limited by
    water supply and lack of funding. We want to work with programs
    like IHS, HUD, BIA, and others, to identify solutions and
    funding opportunities to address this imminent threat and move
    our community to safety.
        Oil spill preparedness prevention infrastructure is
    something we have been involved in heavily for years. Since the
    1970s, over 1-and-a-half million gallons of oil have been
    spilled within the Makah treaty area, which is vital to our
    fishing resources, the staple of our economy. The Strait of
    Juan de Fuca is a high-risk area for vessel traffic where ocean
    and weather conditions are often severe. Vessel traffic is
    increasing, and climate change further complicates spill
    response on the remote outer coast. Because of these risks, the
    Makah Tribe is highly engaged in oil pollution, vessel traffic
    safety, and climate policy forums supported by EPA's Natural
    Estuary and Brownfield Programs. It is essential that these
    programs continue to fund and prioritize tribal engagement in
    this area.
        The Port of Neah Bay is home to an emergency response
    towing vessel, ERTB, which has made over 70 saves since its
    stationing, preventing oil spills across the outer coast of
    Washington and British Columbia. The tribe has already invested
    $13 million of its own funding for infrastructure in the Port
    of Neah Bay. And coastal erosion is threatening two primary
    areas in our territory: Hobuck Resort, which is an economic
    employer to the community, and the Ozette coastline, which is
    vital to our cultural resources. Th4ere is a significant amount
    of erosion that is going on in those areas that are at risk,
    and we are looking for programs to help mitigate those risks.
        Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
        [The statement of Mr. Greene follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Thank you very much. Mr. Williams.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                             AKIAK NATIVE COMMUNITY

                                    WITNESS

    HON. MICHAEL WILLIAMS, CHIEF, AKIAK NATIVE COMMUNITY
        Mr. Williams. Yeah. My name is Michael Williams. I am
    currently the chief of the Akiak Community in western Alaska.
        Impacts on Alaska Natives and American Indians. Climate
    change is undermining the social identity and cultural survival
    of Alaska Natives and American Indians. As we watch our ice
    melt, our forests burn, our villages sink, our sea level rise,
    our temperatures increase, our oceans acidifying, and our
    animals become diseased and dislocated, we recognize that our
    health, our traditional ways of life are at risk.
        Our elders, in particular, are deeply concerned about what
    they are withholding. In Alaska, unpredictable weather and ice
    conditions make travel and time-honored practices hazardous,
    endangering our lives. According to the U.S. Corps of Engineer,
    at least three tribes must be moved in the next 10 to 15
    years--Shishmaref, Kivalina, and Newtok--while, according to a
    GAO report, over 100 communities are at risk. Currently, Newtok
    has begun to move finally.
        Everything is changing so quickly. Lakes are drying. New
    insects are appearing. Permafrost is melting. Bays are
    disappearing. Storms are fiercer. Animal populations are
    changing. Our fish are rotting on drying racks. Polar bears are
    drowning and dying. Because of massive record-breaking forest
    fires, our youth and elders are having trouble breathing. Our
    ice is so much thinner, or entirely gone, and our coastlines
    are eroding, washing away ancient artifacts from our ancestors
    as well as modern infrastructure. Throughout the Nation, in
    Indian Country, traditional foods are declining. Local
    landscapes are changing. Real infrastructure is being
    challenged. Soils are drying, and the lake and river levels are
    declining. Tribes are experiencing droughts, loss of forests,
    fishery problems, and increased health risks from heat strokes
    and from diseases that thrive in warmer temperatures.
        If climate change is not addressed, the impacts on Alaska
    Natives and American Indians will be immense. Models and the
    best scientific data and traditional knowledge indicate that if
    we do not reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the entire icecap
    will melt, endangering the culture and subsistence needs of
    America's indigenous people. Furthermore, erosion, flooding,
    sea level rise, storm surges, and greater storms will endanger
    my people, the Yupiaq Tribe in Florida and elsewhere.
        Hotter temperatures threaten all indigenous people,
    especially in southwestern Florida, where we often do not have
    adequate means of escaping the heat. Increased climate change
    will also endanger salmon in the Pacific Northwest, even in our
    lands that we witnessed this past summer, which are crucial to
    the tribes there, as well as in Alaska. Finally, on almost all
    tribal lands, enhance climate change will threaten our sacred
    waters essential to our physical and cultural survival.
        Clearly, climate change presents one of the greatest
    threats to our future and must be addressed by Congress and the
    Administration as soon as possible. We cannot afford to wait
    any longer. We cannot put our head in the sand right now. And
    we have so much opportunities that we can initiate now with
    economic development, other than the fossil fuels that we
    depend on. We can get economic opportunities without depending
    on fossil fuels anymore, and we at Alaska tribes and
    corporations have passed resolutions indicating our impacts on
    our oceans and our rivers.
        Alaska Federation natives, NCAI, and I had an opportunity
    to listen to you this morning, and thank you for those
    comments, Mr. Kilmer. But anyway, throughout the Alaska Nation,
    we are in peril from climate change. For the sake of our
    children and grandchildren, seven generations and beyond,
    Congress must take meaningful action to address this issue
    right now. Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Williams follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Than you, Mr. Williams. Ms. Sigo.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                                SUQUAMISH TRIBE

                                    WITNESS

    ROBIN SIGO, TREASURER, SUQUAMISH TRIBE
        Ms. Sigo. Thank you, Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking Member
    Joyce, and honorable members of the committee. My name is Robin
    Little Wing Sigo, and I serve as the treasurer of the Suquamish
    Tribe. Thank you for the opportunity to testify about the
    tribe's funding priorities.
        The Suquamish name comes from the traditional word
    [Speaking native language], which means ``place of the clear
    saltwater.'' The tribe is a signatory to the 1855 Treaty of
    Point Elliott. Our reservation, which is located west of
    Seattle across the Puget Sound, encompasses approximately 7,600
    acres, including 12 miles of Salish Sea shoreline. The
    Suquamish people have lived in the Puget Sound area since time
    immemorial. The tribe relies on its abundant wildlife and
    plants to meet our economic, nutritional, and cultural needs.
    These traditional foods are found on our dinner tables and
    featured during our travel gatherings. Today, 20 percent of the
    tribe's members help support their families by earning income
    from the harvest of fish and shellfish.
        For such strong ties to our environment, the Suquamish
    Tribe is experiencing the growing impacts of climate change.
    The tribe is on the front lines of this battle, and one which
    is disrupting our daily lives. In order to aid tribes facing
    climate change, the Suquamish Tribe requests the subcommittee
    increase funding for the BIA's Tribal Resilience Program, or
    TRP. Despite the tribe's best efforts, we are facing an uphill
    battle against climate change. We feel stronger Federal
    investment in programs, such as TRP, is needed.
        Over the last several years, the tribe has received
    multiple funding awards through TRP. With this funding, the
    Suquamish Tribe conducted a project that provided us with
    valuable data on the temperature and stream flow of the Chico
    Creek watershed. For generations, my family has lived on this
    watershed, and we have witnessed the decline in returning
    salmon. Thanks to the TRP funding, the tribe is now able to
    monitor future changes of the watershed, which may cause long-
    term impacts on our salmon population.
        Another TRP program was centered around engaging our
    troubled youth in understanding the impacts of climate change
    at a scientific and cultural level. By laying the groundwork of
    knowledge for our youth, we are providing them with the best
    tools to continue this battle against climate change. The TRP
    has proven to be an effective program to help tribes fight
    against the ever-increasing impacts of climate change.
    Therefore, the tribe urges the subcommittee to consider a
    substantial increase to funding for TRP.
        The tribe's second request is for continued funding for the
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Tribal Wildlife Grants. The
    Suquamish Tribe has been active in the recovery of the sea
    cucumber population in the Puget Sound. Due to our over
    harvesting, many areas where the sea cumber once thrived are
    now struggling in population number. The sea cucumber is part
    of the Puget Sound's rich community of organisms, and the tribe
    is committed to ensuring all wildlife within it thrive.
        The Suquamish Tribe received a Tribal Wildlife Grant to
    help protect future generations of sea cucumbers. With this
    important grant funding, the tribe partnered with several
    organizations to start a sea cucumber restoration program. The
    project focuses on over-harvested areas in the Puget Sound and
    created a hatchery program. This funding will help to
    reintroduce sea cucumbers from the hatchery to some of our most
    over-harvested areas. And I have gotten to go visit those
    little baby sea cucumbers, and they are really cute, and they
    just keep getting bigger. And, you know, some of our elders go
    out and look at them also because that is an important part of
    it as well. The Suquamish Tribe urges the subcommittee to
    continue to increase funding for the Tribal Wildlife Grants,
    and also expand it to include more pilot programs.
        And finally the tribe's final request is for continuing
    funding for the EPA's Puget Sound Geographic Program. The EPA's
    Puget Sound Program provides funding to tribes to address
    environmental and human health risks as well as tribal capacity
    building and project implementation. Despite the effectiveness
    of the Puget Sound Geographic Program, the EPA's Fiscal Year
    2020 budget request calls for its elimination. Considering the
    proposed elimination of the program, the Suquamish Tribe was
    pleased to see the program increased to $33 million. However,
    the Puget Sound Program has suffered a drastic reduction in
    funding from the $50 million it previously received. Therefore,
    the tribe encourages the subcommittee to continue funding and
    increase the funding available for the EPA's Puget Sound
    Program account.
        Thank you for this opportunity to testify. This work here
    is more than just food. It is also about our culture. It is
    also about the whole world. And I am available to answer any
    questions.
        [The statement of Leonard Forsman follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Ms. James.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                             QUINAULT INDIAN TRIBE

                                    WITNESS

    GINA JAMES, 1ST COUNCILWOMAN, QUINAULT INDIAN TRIBE
        Ms. James. Good afternoon, Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking
    Member Joyce, and members of the subcommittee. My name is Gina
    James, and I am the first councilwoman of the Quinault Indian
    Nation Business Committee. I want to thank the subcommittee
    holding this hearing to hear from tribes on the importance of
    these Federal programs.
        Before getting into the specific requests I have, I would
    like to thank the subcommittee for increasing funding for the
    Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education in
    Fiscal Year 2020 by $142 million over Fiscal Year 2019. The
    subcommittee also increased funding to the Indian Health
    Services by $243 million over the 2019 enacted level. Thank
    you.
        The Quinault Reservation is located on the southwest corner
    of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State and abuts the
    Pacific Ocean, and has over 3,000 enrolled tribal members. The
    lands and waters of the Quinault Reservation consists of
    207,150 acres beautiful forest lands, mountains, rivers, Lake
    Quinault, and 25 miles of relatively undisturbed Pacific
    coastline. My testimony today focuses on three priorities.
        Funding requests for the Taholah Village relocation
    project. There are two major villages located within the
    reservation, the villages of Taholah and Queets. Tahola is
    located in the southern portion of the reservation at the mouth
    of the Quinault River on the Pacific Coast, and consists of two
    locations known as the Upper Village and the Lower Village, the
    latter of which is located below sea level and is the original
    village of Taholah, signers of the Treaty of Olympia.
        Our nation had models prepared by the Washington Department
    of Natural Resources that show a potential of tsunami
    inundation of 40 to 50 feet in depth in most of the lower
    village of Tahola. And that is where I live. A comprehensive
    2017 report was contracted by QIN and two other tribes, the
    Quileute and Hoh Indian Tribes, to understand the effects of
    climate change and impacts to the homelands and treaty
    resources of our coastal tribes. The report entitled, ``Climate
    Change Vulnerability Assessment for Treaty Tribes of Olympia,''
    found that the combined effects of thermal expansion of ocean
    waters, vertical land deformation, e.g., tectonic movements,
    melting glaciers and ice fields, and seasonable water surface
    elevation changes due to local atmospheric circulation effects
    will result in sea level increases, substantial increased flood
    risk in the lower village of Tahola. By 2050, sea level is
    projected to increase by up to nearly 20 inches under the high
    scenario.
        The report further noted that changes posted by climate
    change include increased winter precipitation, soil saturation,
    and flow into the Quinault River will compound and increase the
    coastal flood risk to the lower village of Tolah. The nation
    applied and received a grant in 2013 from the Administration
    for Native Americans, U.S. Department of Health and Human
    Services, to prepare and plan to relocate the village to higher
    ground, and it resulted in the Taholah Village Relocation
    Master Plan.
        We will need assistance from our trustee, the Federal
    Government, to continue implementation of the master plan, and
    to ensure that our citizens are safe and our government
    operations continue. We request the subcommittee in the Fiscal
    Year 2021 appropriations bill direct the BIA and the
    Environmental Protection Agency to prioritize funding for
    tribes who are dealing with reservation loss and displacement
    due to climate change. We also urge the subcommittee to include
    report language that mandates funding criteria that will allow
    our tribe and others dealing with the negative impacts of
    climate change to address the needs described above.
        Along with the climate change and the more rain in winter,
    another funding request is for additional roads to access
    Quinault's Village of Taholah. Exit and entry access to the
    Village of Taholah is limited to a single highway. Access to
    the village is cut off during natural disasters and weather
    events, such as downed trees, mudslides, floods, that make the
    roads impassable. In December 2018 and January 2020, very large
    mudslides shut down the single highway for a number of days.
    When this access is cut off, emergency vehicles are unable to
    reach or leave the Village of Taholah, except by a treacherous
    logging road known as BIA Road 29, or McBride Road. It takes an
    additional 45 minutes to get through that road. That
    significantly increases response times for emergency services.
        We thank the subcommittee for funding the BIA Road
    Maintenance Program at $36 million in Fiscal Year 2020. We ask
    that the subcommittee increase funding for this program to $50
    million to meet the current high demand of tribes. We also urge
    the subcommittee to include report language giving funding
    priority to tribes with safety and emergency access concern.
    And my last request was the Housing Improvement Program.
        Ms. McCollum. We have that, yeah.
        Ms. James. QIN has utilized this program for many years.
    HIP is a home improvement and home replacement program that
    assists tribal members who have substandard to deplorable
    housing. Cutting this funding would be devastating to the
    people that need it the most. We thank the subcommittee for not
    following the Administration's request to zero out and cut this
    program, and for funding it at $11.7 million in Fiscal Year
    2020, an increase of $2 million for Fiscal Year 2019. Because
    there is a continued need for this program at Quinault and
    through Indian Country, we ask the subcommittee to increase
    funding to $50 million for Fiscal Year 2021.
        Thank you for allowing me time to comment on our nation's
    needs and other native nations.
        [The statement of Ms. James follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. It
    was heartfelt and disturbing. Mr. Kilmer.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thanks, Madam Chair. And I actually just want
    to start by thanking our chairwoman and our ranking member for
    coming out to our neck of the woods this last summer, and
    seeing some of the challenges that you spoke to. We had,
    Councilwoman James, the Quinault hosted four of the coastal
    tribes for kind of a roundtable discussion around some of the
    challenges facing frontline communities. And we got to go down
    into the lower village, and, you know, it is one thing to hear
    about it. It is another to kind of put eyes on how close the
    ocean is and to be below sea level, and to actually see the
    risk of climate change on your village.
        We heard from the Makah Tribe about some of the challenges
    faced by climate change, not to mention the threat of tsunami.
    One of your neighboring tribes, the Hoh Tribe, spoke to the
    fact that while they had secured space to move to higher ground
    and have built a fire station, the only supplies they were able
    to secure at this point were body bags, which was a pretty dark
    statement.
        I thought it was a good thing that Chairman DeFazio in the
    infrastructure proposal or framework that he put out had a
    section that was focused on resiliency. Personally, I think
    that we should have a section that is dedicated to tribal
    communities, and, specifically, to frontline communities that
    are going through what you are going through right now, that
    are facing the need to potentially move to higher ground. And I
    was hoping that you could just elaborate a little bit on what
    are the big hurdles that tribes are facing.
        When you talk about moving to higher ground, you know,
    there is a lot, and, Chairwoman, you spoke about, you know, the
    road problem and dealing with wetlands. You know, it is a lot
    to think about just in terms of basic infrastructure, like
    water systems, and sewer, and all of that. Can you just speak
    about what are some of the barriers that this committee should
    be thinking about when it comes to moving to higher ground?
        Ms. Nelson. I think you said it already. One, money to do
    these things. The infrastructure, when we get up there, and we
    are planning that, but we don't have money enough to do it for
    sure. Time is getting shorter, and I know that all of our
    fellow tribes have the same problem. We don't have enough money
    to build the house, do the infrastructure like it should be
    done because we want to do it. So we are environmentally, you
    know, taking care of the environment, and we are doing as much
    as we possibly can for the people around us to keep them safe,
    too.
        Mr. Williams. Yeah, in Alaska, Mr. Kilmer, right now in my
    village, we have are relocating six homes right now, and we are
    struggling to get funding. And we appreciate all of the
    contributions that we had because of the disastrous nature of
    these, what we are facing. And many of the communities are
    falling into the river, because of the permafrost melting. And
    a lot of the roads and a lot of the buildings are tilting and
    falling down, and a lot of our graveyards are sinking through
    the tundra.
        And I think FEMA and Federal agencies need to come
    together, Army Corps of Engineers. Everybody has to come to aid
    the communities that are being impacted by the climate change
    that we are facing. It is not our fault that we are living in
    these conditions. It is the emissions. It is what is going on
    in other parts of the world that are affecting the Arctic, and
    it is not going to be the same anymore. And we definitely need
    Congress and the Administration to help give us the relief
    right now. We really appreciate it.
        Mr. Greene. Congressman Kilmer, if I could just add that,
    you know, some of the wetland mitigation is an issue for Makah
    as well, and then also, you know, the funding to be able to
    access some of these areas out there where we live. The places
    we need to relocate to are not easily accessible. There is no
    infrastructure in place in terms of roads, water, sewer. Those
    sort of issues are not there. The tribe has invested, you know,
    over $7 million in the last 10 years to move to some of these
    areas and put housing developments in some of these areas,
    relocate part of its health facilities there, and is planning
    to relocate the rest of the housing facility that is going to
    be about another $7 million investment by the tribe that we are
    going to do.
        You know, we are moving forward with it, and so, you know,
    those are some of the challenges. And to keep in mind that
    every time we do that for Makah, we are having to take timber
    out of revenue cycle. We are a timber tribe that relies on that
    for our budget, and every time we have to dedicate this land
    for other uses, it takes that away from our economy. Thank you.
        Ms. James. I would just like to reiterate the point about
    the infrastructure and the cost for us to move up the hill.
    Because our reservations are heavily allotted, we might have to
    get permission from 200 landowners to buy an 88-acre allotment
    to build a housing development on an allotment. So it takes a
    lot of time, a lot of calling and visiting and trying to
    convince people to sell their allotments. And the nation has
    put money into buying some allotments, but the infrastructure
    is the biggest cost. And basically moving the ancestral village
    up to the upper village is going to be hard because that is
    where our foundation lies and where our people originally
    signed our first Quinault River Treaty before the Treaty of
    Olympia was signed with the other two tribes.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. I yield
    back.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you all for being here, and I apologize
    for coming in a little late. I went over to the National
    Congress at American Indians Summit, and have returned. I
    appreciate your coming here today and advising us so we can
    make better decisions on your behalf. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Ms. Pingree.
        Ms. Pingree. No, thank you, Madam Chair, but thank you so
    much. I am sorry I had to come in late, but such an important
    topic, and we really appreciate your giving us some insights
    into how to help.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Stewart.
        Mr. Stewart. No, I would just thank you for coming.
        Ms. McCollum. I appreciate you pointing out the
    interdependency of the Federal agencies working together,
    whether it be Army Corps, FEMA, and disaster mitigation. And
    one of the things that we are going to try to figure out is how
    we do a whole-of-government approach to what you need to have
    happen, and to really get a cost and a handle on this, because
    as the other panel pointed out, we are under funding healthcare
    as it is right now, and you are going to have hospitals and
    clinics that are going to have to move, through no fault of
    your own. And we need to start getting real about having a plan
    about what this is going to cost, how we are going to pay for
    it. You know, there is just a lot of work to do and time is
    wasting.
        But on a different note, this gavel is made out of an
    invasive species called buckthorn, and I am curious about what
    these green European crabs, I mean, so don't want buckthorn. I
    don't want gavels made out of it. I want it to go away totally.
    Mr. Joyce and I deal with Asian carp. They don't appear to be
    good for much of anything, maybe fertilizer eventually. What
    happens with them? I mean, is there anything that you can do?
    Can they say they are sorry in any way possible for being
    there?
        Mr. Greene. Currently, there is no use for them right now.
    Our fisheries program, you know, is analyzing those questions.
    If they are going to be there for the long term, you know, is
    there a use for them? We don't have that answer yet, so we are
    trying to develop that, and, you know, certainly, you know,
    these invasive species can be devastating.
        Ms. McCollum. And so you are monitoring on your area, and
    you asked for more funding for fish and wildlife for invasive
    species. But is anybody else monitoring, or are there whole
    sections where no one is really surveying or even paying
    attention to what is happening with them?
        Mr. Greene. Our understanding is that there are whole
    sections that aren't being monitored right now, and that there
    is some monitoring going on in the Puget Sound. I don't know
    the exact levels of that, but, you know, we feel that it
    certainly needs a little more attention, especially in light of
    the importance of, you know, that region's dependence on the
    Dungeness crab fishery. I don't know if that is a risk or not.
    I guess the science will tell us whether that is not.
        Ms. McCollum. And then I am going to take the prerogative
    of being the chair and ask you one more question, and if the
    rest of you have timber, please chime and say anything. With
    climate change, what keeps you up at night about being able to
    sustain your economic development? Is it with the climate
    change invasive species coming in? Is it water? Is it drought?
    Is it fire? What is it?
        Mr. Greene. For us, it is the health of the ocean for
    Makah. I mean, the ocean is a big driver in climate, as we
    know, and our whole livelihood is built around the ocean. And
    that is what keeps me up at night, Madam Chair, is, you know,
    we depend on that for everything. It is our spiritual identity.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay. Well, thank you. Thank you all. We will
    have the next panel come up. Well, good morning, and this is
    our last panel before we will take our break, and it is on land
    trust and natural resource management. And I think some of you
    were in the room as the other panel went forward. So quickly,
    please introduce yourself, go right into your testimony. You
    have 5 minutes. We have your full testimony in front of us, so
    don't feel rushed or that something won't be covered because it
    will be read, and it will be used to formulate questions as the
    other panelists that we will be asking the bureaus about Indian
    health education, and some of the Department of Interior
    issues. So you are helping us prepare questions from Indian
    Country when we have those testimonies moving forward.
        Yellow light means you have 1 minute left. Red means please
    wrap it up. And we will let you start, sir. Introduce yourself
    and go right into your testimony. Good to see you again.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                            SHOSHONE-BANNOCK TRIBES

                                    WITNESS

    LADD EDMO, CHAIRMAN, SHOSHONE-BANNOCK TRIBES
        Mr. Edmo. Good morning, Subcommittee. [Speaking native
    language.] It is good to be here with you all. My name is Ladd
    Edmo. I am the chairman of the Fort Hall Business Council and
    the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Southeast Idaho. The Shoshone-
    Bannock Tribes thank Representative Simpson for being our
    friend.
        For almost 70 years, the health and environment and safety
    of tribal members have been subject to toxic contaminations
    caused by Simplot and FMC Corporation from mining and
    processing of phosphates on the reservation and on are ceded
    lands. This has resulted in two Superfund site. At the Eastern
    Michaud Flats Superfund site, Simplot currently operates a
    phosphate facility that contaminates over 2,500 acres. After 30
    years, FMC and Simplot have not cleaned up the site.
        Because of chemical and radioactive contaminants, we cannot
    drink water, we cannot eat fish, and we cannot swim in the
    rivers and streams, and recent tests show that our aquifers are
    contaminated. This must be cleaned up. This past year, the
    tribes developed air and water quality standards with the EPA.
    It is critical the EPA approves these standards. We ask the
    committee's assistance in funding with full implementation. The
    Idaho National Laboratory has evaluated this site and
    determined that there are viable treatment options. FMC removed
    and shipped some of their waste offsite after years of saying
    it was not possible.
        We ask the committee's assistance in working with EPA to
    require actual cleanup and also funding a pilot project for
    cleanup of each site. Simplot mined an open pit phosphate
    operation across 7,000 acres for over 45 years at the Gay Mine
    Superfund site on the reservation. It closed in 1993. Since
    then, the site has not been cleaned up. In 2010, EPA conducted
    a remedial study under CERCLA, which found that the soil,
    vegetation, and surface water remains contaminated with
    arsenic, mercury, uranium, and other heavy metals. We remain
    concerned that these contaminants will leech into the ground
    water. In addition, the site has approximately 158 open pit
    mines ranging from 10 to 20 acres, some having high walls over
    50 feet, making the area unsafe. We appreciate Representative
    Simpson's leadership in bringing together the Federal agency,
    Simplot, and the tribes to work collaboratively on this. We
    request the committee's assistance to fund a long-term
    strategic plan for the tribes to return the land to its natural
    state.
        I want to highlight our other priorities. We request your
    support for advanced appropriations for BIA IHS programs to
    uphold treaty rights and trust responsibilities, and to protect
    tribal programs during shutdowns. We thank the committee for
    last year's support language on the National Park Service
    proposed rule on the National Register because it would harm
    our efforts to protect our cultural resources and our Federal
    lands. We request that the committee ensure that NPS conduct
    meaningful consultation with the tribes before there is a final
    rule.
        We are very concerned that CEQ's proposal regarding NEPA--
    the tribes rely on NEPA--to understand the impacts of natural
    and cultural resources. We ask the committee require meaningful
    tribal consultation before CEQ does anything else. We need more
    funding to offer safe, affordable transitional housing, to aid
    our efforts to help tribal members recovering from substance
    abuse. Our BIE schools lack adequate funding to hire qualified
    teachers. Entry level teachers are offered $10,000 less than
    surrounding schools. We ask for competitive teacher salaries at
    BIE.
        We lack sufficient funding for utility systems, for roads,
    housing, community buildings, and broadband internet, which are
    important to our future economic success. We urge the committee
    to provide increased funding for all infrastructure programs in
    Indian Country, and to ensure there are tribal set asides.
        Thank you for having me, Subcommittee. It is an honor to be
    here speaking before you.
        [The statement of Mr. Edmo follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Ms. Dana.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                                PENOBSCOT NATION

                                    WITNESS

    MAULIAN DANA, AMBASSADOR, PENOBSCOT NATION
        Ms. Dana. Good morning, and thank you for allowing me to
    testify today on behalf of the Penobscot Nation. I am Maulian
    Dana. I serve as the ambassador. I want to thank Chairwoman
    McCollum and Ranking Member Joyce for continuing to hold these
    tribal witness days. It is nice to see you. I also want to
    thank Ms. Pingree for being a tireless advocate for the tribal
    nations in Maine. Our relationship with the Federal Government
    is complicated, and you have really been a huge help in
    educating your colleagues about that relationship and
    advocating for our unique funding needs. Thank you.
        My testimony today will focus on the need to increase
    funding for the BIA's fish and wildlife management programs.
    The Penobscot Nation continues to practice our traditional
    sustenance lifestyle. Our people continue to hunt moose, deer,
    bear, and fish for medicinal and cultural purposes. We also
    rely on access to traditional plants. Every tribal member has
    the right to acquire one moose per year, and this animal can
    feed an entire family for much of that year, and is
    supplemented with other game and fish. So having access to
    these traditional foods cuts down on the cost of groceries
    significantly, and reduces health disparities, such as type 2
    diabetes, amongst our people.
        Given this, the proper management of our lands, wildlife,
    fish, and waters is critical to our health and longevity. We
    have over 123,000 acres and land holdings. Although our lands
    historically covered much of what is now the State of Maine,
    our land became substantially reduced and scattered after
    enactment of a land claims settlement act between us, Maine,
    and the Federal Government in 1980. Our various territories can
    be a 3-hour drive from each other, and our land base also
    includes about 100 islands located within 80 miles of the
    Penobscot River. So most of our land is undeveloped forest land
    best use for hunting.
        We have limited economic resources and are not able to
    conduct gaming like many other tribes, so we really rely on the
    Federal Government to meet its trust responsibility to us by
    providing funds for our natural resource, water, and land
    management programs. We rely on BIA funding for these programs,
    in particular, because those funds are recurring each year. Our
    current unmet need for our fish and wildlife management
    programs is approximately $360,000 annually. Additionally, we
    have been short one full-time game warden for several years now
    due to lack of funding.
        As I previously mentioned, our lands are scattered, and
    most of our citizens rely on hunting and fishing for
    sustenance. Proper management of our wildlife and lands is
    crucial to our ability to continue to hunt. Game wardens also
    play an essential role in ensuring that our wildlife is not
    over harvested. They are also the only law enforcement on a lot
    of these lands and play an important public safety function for
    hunters who may get lost or injured. We need funding for game
    wardens to be increased. Unlike many other tribal nations, our
    Settlement Act requires that all of our trust lands be managed
    pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination Act.
        Thank you so much. I have a sore throat. I have been
    fighting a cold. That is so nice of you.
        All right. Let's talk about self-determination contracts.
    So the Indian Self-Determination Act, which means that we are
    required to enter into self-determination contract with the
    Federal Government for management of our lands and natural
    resources. For almost every other tribe, these contracts are
    voluntary versus mandatory. So for us, they are mandatory, and
    this means we cannot retro-cede management of our lands and
    resources back to the Federal Government if the BIA fails to
    fund our programs properly. This puts us at a disadvantage in
    negotiations with the BIA on our annual funding agreements. We
    believe that Congress owes us a unique obligation to better
    fund our self-determination contracts because of our Settlement
    Act. Self-determination contracts are funded through the tribal
    priority allocations line item, and we ask that funding for
    them be increased.
        I would like to wrap up my remarks today by providing the
    committee with an update on the opioid epidemic that Penobscot
    Nation has been facing for several years now. This issue
    continues to be our number one health and safety risk. With the
    support of this committee, the BIA has been able to hire a drug
    investigator focused on supporting the tribal nations in Maine.
    This has helped a lot, and we thank you for getting this to
    happen.
        Our biggest need for combating this epidemic is funding for
    tribal court, and, particularly, our Healing to Wellness Court.
    When we are able to get individuals into the Healing to
    Wellness Court Program, we make substantial progress in getting
    them off opioids and back on track to being productive
    citizens. But our court is overwhelmed right now, and we need
    additional resources to build up to our capacity. We ask that
    the committee increase BIA funding for tribal courts.
        Thank you again for the water and for allowing you to
    provide remarks today.
        [The statement of Ms. Dana follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Frank.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                                NISQUALLY TRIBE

                                    WITNESS

    WILLIE FRANK, III, COUNCIL MEMBER, NISQUALLY TRIBE
        Mr. Frank. Good morning, Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking
    Member Joyce, and honorable members of the subcommittee. My
    name is Willie Frank, III. My Indian name is [Speaking native
    language] given to me by my grandfather, Willie Franks, Sr.,
    who lived to be 104, and I have the honor of serving as a
    council member for the Nisqually Indian Tribe. I am humbled to
    speak today and continue my father, Billy Frank, Jr.'s,
    lifelong fight to save our salmon, waters, and the environment.
        In 1854, the Nisqually Tribe and the United States signed
    the Treaty of Medicine Creek. Through this treaty, the tribe
    secured the perpetual survival of my people, our traditions,
    and our culture. We also reserved the right to use our
    homelands and access the natural resources that have been
    central to our existence since time immemorial. However, the
    salmon of the Nisqually River have dramatically decreased in a
    number of years, with two species listed as threatened under
    Endangered Species Act, the Fall Chinook salmon and the
    steelhead trout. Two more species are candidates for future
    listings.
        Our tribe was able to fish 8 months of the year on the
    Nisqually River, but by 2015, fishing time was constrained to a
    mere 8 days to conserve the diminishing resources for future
    generations. Eight days is not using our homelands and water as
    promised. Eight days is not practicing our culture and our
    traditions. Eight days is not honoring the promises contained
    in the Treaty of Medicine Creek.
        First, the Nisqually Tribe would like to request an
    increase in funding for the BIA Western Washington Program. The
    Department of Interior established the Rights Protection
    Implementation Program to uphold the Federal Government's
    treaty obligation. This initiative includes the Western
    Washington Program, which provides tribes with Federal funding
    to protect and restore for wild salmon and for fishery
    management. The Nisqually Tribe has used this vital funding to
    protect our precious fish resources and to build a strong and
    dedicated natural resource program.
        The tribe has over 50 staff and eight different programs.
    However, the funding levels for this program are not sufficient
    to face the current challenges. The tribe is putting all its
    efforts into the survival of our fisheries and stretching every
    dollar. Unfortunately, the Federal resources have failed to
    fully support the proper management of our treaty-protected
    rights.
        The Nisqually Tribe's second request is for increased
    funding for EPA's Puget Sound Program. The Puget Sound
    represents the promise of a clean, healthy, and vital
    environment that is central to our lives in western Washington.
    However, the Puget Sound is in dire need, and it suffers. So do
    our salmon. The plight of the salmon is the plight of my
    people. Losing our promised and generational connection to the
    salmon, the river, and our traditional practices has long-
    lasting impacts on our communities. Our physical, emotional,
    and spiritual health is directly and permanently connected to
    our river and salmon. Saving the salmon is saving our people.
        We are not alone feeling the impact of disappearing salmon
    runs. Our brothers, orca of the Puget Sound, are salmon eaters
    like us, and they are now listed as threatened under ESA, and
    are slowly slipping away into extinction. As go the salmon goes
    the orca and the Nisqually people. Under EPA's Puget Sound
    Program, the Nisqually Tribe receives funding to conduct
    research and implement programming to revitalize salmon
    populations. This funding allows our scientific researchers to
    understand the underlying issues impacting the Puget Sound.
    Once we have an understanding of the cause, we can deploy the
    best measures to protect the salmon. The Nisqually Tribe
    requests that this subcommittee ensures the Puget Sound Program
    remains this year and into the future.
        Finally, the Nisqually Tribe requests increased for the BIA
    Tribal Resilience Program. Climate change is real, and it is
    having a dramatic impact on our people and the resources we
    depend on. As a result of rising sea levels, we are seeing
    changes to the Nisqually delta in ways that are impacting
    salmon survival. The culturally-important plant species that we
    use for our food, medicine, and crafts are becoming scarce as
    the range is being reduced with rising temperatures and changes
    in timing and magnitude of rainfall. We have invested a
    tremendous amount of time and resources to protect and restore
    our watershed, but the changes are occurring in a pace that is
    challenging to match with our efforts alone. We all need to
    increase the magnitude of our efforts while working on
    solutions to the climate change that threatens the very
    resources that we care for and are dependent on our very
    survival.
        In conclusion, I want to thank the committee for listening
    to my testimony today. And I am a fisherman on the Nisqually
    River. I fished with my father. I fish with my brother in the
    same areas where my grandfather fished. And for us, being on
    the river, that is medicine for us as a native people, and the
    importance of the salmon are sacred to us. I compare it for us
    to going to church. When we are able to set our nets on
    Sundays, that is medicine for us. That is a way to express our
    treaty rights, our tribal sovereignty, and our way of life.
        And at 82 years old, my father, he was still fishing with
    us on the Nisqually River. So the importance of salmon are very
    near to the Nisqually people, and we will continue to fight and
    protect our treaty resources and tribal sovereignty, and we
    look for support in funding. I thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Frank follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Cawston.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE COLVILLE RESERVATION

                                    WITNESS

    RODNEY CAWSTON, CHAIRMAN, CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE COLVILLE
        RESERVATION
        Mr. Cawston. Good morning, Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking
    Member Joyce, and members of the subcommittee. On behalf of the
    Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, I thank you
    for the opportunity to provide testimony today. I know that you
    have the testimony that was submitted, but I did make some
    changes last night, and so I am going to read that today.
        The CCT, the Colville Tribe, recommends that the
    subcommittee, one, provide a $10 million increase through the
    Bureau of Indian Affairs forestry account for reforestation and
    additional foresters; two, include report language directing
    the Secretary of the Interior to prioritize tribal requests for
    wild land and preparedness funds; three, and this is the
    change, to provide a $50 million increase through the BIA
    forestry account to award grants to tribes in the northwest
    region to develop forest health strategic plans; and four,
    include report language directing the Secretary to consult with
    stakeholders, including Indian tribes and tribal organizations,
    and report to the committee on the potential benefits of using
    very large air tankers in fire suppression activities.
        Although now considered a single Indian tribe, the
    Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation is, as the name
    states, a confederation of 12 aboriginal tribes from
    northcentral Oregon to British Columbia, Canada. That is an
    edit that I added. The Colville Reservation encompasses
    approximately 1.4 million acres and is located in northcentral
    Washington State. The Colville Tribe has nearly 9,500 enrolled
    members, making it one of the largest Indian tribes in the
    Pacific Northwest. About half of our tribal members live on or
    near the Colville Reservation.
        One, provide a $10 million increase to the BIA forestry
    account for reforestation and additional foresters. The
    Colville Tribe joins the Intertribal Timber Council in our
    request that the subcommittee increase the BIA forestry
    projects for its development line item by $5 million for
    replanting and thinning, and, two, increase BIA forestry PPA
    line item by $5 million to better enable Indian tribes and
    tribal organizations to hire additional foresters. In 2015, the
    Colville Tribe endured the most destructive fires on an Indian
    reservation in recorded history. The North Star and Okanogan
    complex fires collectively burned more than 255,000 acres on
    the Colville Reservation, nearly 20 percent of the
    reservation's total land base. Approximately one-fourth of the
    commercial timber land on the reservation was burned or
    severely affected, totaling 788 million board feet of timber.
        And then I added this as well. In August of 2019, the
    Colville Tribe experienced the largest wild land fire in the
    United States during its time. The Williams Flats fire burned
    over 45,000 acres in a designated game reserve on the Colville
    Reservation. This wild land fire was unusual because the
    Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team reported that a
    flash flood occurred during the fire with large amounts of rain
    and flooding occurring, creating hazardous conditions, and
    washed out many roads in the area, leaving them impassable.
    This posed a new challenge for firefighters and those working
    to move heavy equipment out of the area. Sixty-four
    firefighters were caught behind the flash flood.
        Funding of the forest projects development line item funds
    the necessary replanting and reforestation activities that will
    continue to take place on the Colville Reservation for years in
    response to both fires. The BIA has a statutory obligation
    under the National Indian Forest Resources Management Act to
    replant Indian forest land. Currently, the BIA's average annual
    burned area rehabilitation budget, however, is approximately
    $3.2 for tribes nationwide. The BIA's entire $320 budget for
    fire rehabilitation would cover planting and restoration of
    less than 11,000 acres nationwide. At current funding levels,
    this would mean that hundreds of thousands of acres of forest
    that was burned on the Colville Reservation in 2015 and 2019
    may not be replanted for decades, if ever.
        Acres that were not replanted or where failures occurred
    from record-setting lack of summer precipitation will be added
    to the already existing backlog of forced development
    activities. Unplanted acres diminish the tribe's ability to
    sustainably manage forest resources for both economic and
    ecosystem benefits.
        Equally important is additional BIA funding for foresters,
    which are essential personnel to increasing the tribal timber
    harvests. The BIA remains responsible for a wide range of
    critical forestry functions in its capacity as trustee. These
    functions include environmental clearances and approval and
    oversight for timber and salvage log sales. Without additional
    funding, the lack of forestry staff to perform these and other
    important trust functions will continue to directly constrain
    tribal timber harvest levels. Two, include report language
    directing the secretary to prioritize tribal requests for fire
    preparedness funding. The Colville Tribe suggests that the
    subcommittee include language in its Fiscal Year 2021 spending
    bill that directs the Secretary of Interior to prioritize
    tribal requests for wildlife preparedness funding.
        In early August of 2017, the Colville requested $16,250 in
    severity funding to prepare for what weather reports predicted
    was going to be a severe lightning storm on the Colville
    Reservation. These funds were requested from the BIA's
    northwest regional office in Portland Oregon. The tribe's
    timely request would have covered use of additional bulldozers,
    personnel, and equipment to prepare areas of high risk of fires
    from lightning ignition. The BIA unfortunately denied the
    tribe's request. The lightning storm arrived as forecasted, and
    on August 7th, 2017, a lightning strike ignited the Bridge
    Quick fire near the Town of Keller on the Colville Reservation.
    The Bridge Quick fire ultimately burned 4,500 acres and was not
    fully contained until the following month. Suppression costs
    for the Bridge Quick fire exceeded $16 million, the bulk of
    which was drawn from the Department of the Interior.
        The wild land fire management account. Had the Colville
    Tribe's initiative $16,250 request been approved by the BIA,
    the Bridge Quick fire would have been contained much sooner and
    at a significant cost savings to taxpayers. Tribal forest
    managers are in the best position to assess danger and risk to
    on-reservation tribal forests. Tribes rely on their forest
    resources for many uses and purposes, including cultural uses
    and economic development. Tribes, therefore, have a motivation
    to protect their forest resources from wildfires in ways that
    other Federal land managers do not. For these reasons, the
    committee should direct the BIA and the DOI generally to honor
    tribal preparedness requests to the maximum extent possible.
        Three, provide a $50 million increase to the BIA forestry
    account to award grants to tribes in the northwest region to
    develop forest health strategic plans. The Colville
    Confederated Tribes has a forest health crisis. We are seeing
    large catastrophic fires, more disease, insect infestations,
    and dying forests, which threaten our communities and fill our
    summer skies with smoke. The Colville Tribe request that the
    subcommittee increase the BIA forestry projects forest
    development line item by $50 million to award grants to tribes
    northwest region to develop forest health strategic plan.
        The grant program allocated by the legislature would be to
    implement projects that seek to restore forest health, protect
    watersheds, promote the long-term storage of carbon and forest
    trees and soils, and minimize the loss of forest carbon from
    large, intense wildfires. Project activities may include forest
    fields, reduction prescribed fire pest management,
    reforestation, biomass, utilization. And I thank you for
    allowing me to testify.
        [The statement of Mr. Cawston follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. And we have got the report language directing
    the Secretary to consult with stakeholders and report to the
    committee the potential benefits of using very large air
    tankers and fire suppression. So I know you wanted to get that
    in, too.
        Mr. Cawston. Okay.
        Ms. McCollum. Ms. Pingree.
        Ms. Pingree. Well, thank you all very much for your
    testimony. Really very helpful and helpful that you had so many
    details. And thank you for the last testimony. I think that is
    such a striking example about how the $16,000 invested might
    have saved $16 million. And so I hope that is an area where we
    can be more supportive, and certainly it raises a lot of
    concerns. If there is not sufficient money to reforest lands
    where we have had forest fires, not only is it lost income to
    you, but certainly on the last panel, talking about climate
    change. We need to keep those forested lands.
        And I share your concerns certainly about the salmon. I
    represent Maine, so I am the opposite side, but we have been
    very concerned about native fisheries. And Mr. Kilmer has been
    a huge proponent of the Puget Sound Program, and I know the
    President eliminated it in this budget we just received. But I
    feel this committee will be very strong in a bipartisan way of
    keeping it there.
        The only question I had around that, and I really
    appreciated you talking about the important of salmon
    fisheries, is it a declining population just because of all the
    reasons we are all experiencing, or are there other people
    accessing the same fisheries?
        Mr. Frank. So I think that it is everybody is experiencing
    the change.
        Ms. Pingree. Right.
        Mr. Frank. It is not just tribal fishery. It is not
    commercial fishery. It is not just sports fishery. Two years
    ago was the first time that sports fishermen and the commercial
    fishermen came to the tribes and said let's work together, and
    the State of Washington, to do this. And so you are seeing it.
    You are seeing the concern. I always tell people I don't want
    to be that generation that goes to a museum to see a salmon.
    You know, I am a fisherman, and I don't want that to happen for
    the future generations and for the kids.
        You know, I think we need more funding committed to the
    Puget Sound cleanup, and, of course, climate change is a big
    issue, especially in the Nisqually.
        Ms. Pingree. Right.
        Mr. Frank. In 2015, we had temperatures get up to almost 70
    degrees in the Nisqually. It is unheard of because it comes
    straight from Mount Rainier. It is glacier water. So that
    should never happen, but everybody wants to do what they can to
    protect our salmon.
        Ms. Pingree. Yeah, and that is an important point. I mean,
    we have severe ocean warming in the State of Maine, and salmon
    are cold water species. It is very hard to keep them there, and
    those are bigger problems than just what you guys can handle.
    And, of course, Ambassador Dana, thank you so much. It is a
    real privilege to work with you and the other tribes in Maine.
    And I appreciated you attempting to describe, we would have to
    have like about five hearings in a row for people to understand
    the complexity of the Settlement Act.
        Ms. Dana. Right.
        Ms. Pingree. But it was helpful to hear a couple of
    specific things, like self-determination contracts and the
    tribal courts, just in terms when we can be helpful in such a
    massive issue. And I am just so happy to hear that the tribal
    courts continue to be beneficial, so I hope we can enhance the
    funding there so this very complex problem, we can help. I am
    using up my time, but thank you all very much. Thank you for
    your testimony. It is really beneficial to have you all here.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you all for being
    here, and I truly appreciate your testimony because it is what
    we need so we can make intelligent decisions going forward. I
    have had the opportunity to visit some tribes. I am continuing
    to visit as many as I can so I can see firsthand some of the
    issues that you have been discussing. But again, thank you for
    being here today.
        Mr. Frank. You are always welcome to come to Nisqually.
        Mr. Joyce. Let me know when those days are. [Laughter.]
        Ms. McCollum. I wanted to go back. You mentioned about the
    teacher salaries, and one of the challenges that we have been
    having in Indian Country is getting professional staff
    workforce training and scholarships for youth to go on and get
    their training and, you know, return back home, but, you know,
    wages, it something everybody cares about. So beyond almost
    $10,000 discrepancy in wages, are you also having struggles, if
    you can comment, on housing for teachers when you do have them
    available to you? Sometimes it is a whole package where there
    is a problem. Is your problem just salaries, or do you have
    other problems in recruiting and retaining teachers?
        Mr. Edmo. Thank you for the question, Betty. Basically,
    housing for our teachers is not an issue because the housing
    problem we have is for tribal membership. We do have agreements
    and MOUs with the local university and Idaho universities for
    reduced tuition to help to alleviate some of this. But it has
    just started, so we do have a few students returning home to
    work at the schools, but the wages are not just competitive
    enough. And so our school system fails on the reservation
    because of the wage. So if there was a better wage in our
    school, our local school there, high school. Actually it is a
    junior-senior high school, and we just can't compete with the
    other schools.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, I used to teach high school myself. I
    saw the salary and went, oh. It is kind of tough. One other
    thing. So you mentioned the Superfund cleanup. Is there
    anything else? I mean, you have quite a few different sites in
    your testimony. You have the Michaud Flats, and then you also
    have the Gay Mine Superfund site. So those are two different
    Superfunds, if I read this right?
        Mr. Edmo. That is correct. The Gay Mine was mined on the
    reservation. That is the 7,000 acres I told you about. And then
    the Michaud Creek Flats is adjacent to the reservation right
    next to the Portneuf River, and the City of Pocatello. So those
    are our concerns that they are contaminating the area within
    our permanent homelands, and we take that as a serious matter
    that we are going to be there forever, and the city could up
    and move whenever they want if that is what they choose to.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay.
        Mr. Edmo. Can I make a comment on the fish?
        Ms. McCollum. Yeah.
        Mr. Edmo. So you talked about the fish. So in Central
    Idaho, those fish there that you are talking about, they have
    to make it all the way up 700 miles upstream. And when you talk
    about warm water conditions, that's even worse the further up
    you go. And we have to rely on some of them fish for our
    sustenance fishing. Last year, we were only able to fish three
    salmon per tributary. That is a major reduction in what our
    harvest limits were, and this year we are looking at the same.
    And we do have fisheries, and we try to manage fish. We have a
    fisheries department, so and we have been buying properties to
    help us to enhance the fish. But for them to travel that far,
    their health and their condition is not the best, but that is
    what we get. We get what we get. And since time immemorial,
    also those fish used to be plentiful up there just as they were
    anywhere else. Now they are a mere drop in the bucket compared
    to what it used to be.
        So I would just like you let you know that those fish have
    to travel almost 900 miles to get to their spawning grounds,
    and yet we can't just go out there and slaughter them before
    they spawn either. So we have to have good fishing practices.
    And I also am a fisherman, and my technique is not the same as
    the gentleman here, but we all have and share in common those
    basic subsistence needs. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Ms. Dana, I wanted to ask you
    about, because you talked about fish, and I want to also talk
    to you about the health of the four-legged population you
    mentioned, especially moose. Chronic disease, we had a hearing
    on that. That is something that we are dealing with. Maybe talk
    about climate change and how your moose population is holding
    up. We are very concerned about ours in Wisconsin and
    Minnesota, and I know our Canadian first nations are concerned
    about this issue as well.
        Ms. Dana. Yeah, for sure. I mean, climate change, I think,
    for all of us, it should be a number one priority probably. And
    I think for indigenous nations, it is woven into everything we
    do, every part of our lifestyle. So with our moose population,
    we have definitely seen an impact from climate change, and we
    have the ticks that are just devastating moose up in Maine. I
    know that we have had some restrictions on our hunting. Some
    areas are bulls only. We can't hunt cows anymore. You know, I
    talked about the game wardens being important, you know,
    getting adequate coverage on these lands, making sure we are
    harvesting in the right way, making sure others aren't hunting
    on our lands because that population is so delicate.
        So, yeah, I think you would be hard pressed to find an
    indigenous person that wasn't completely consumed with worrying
    about Mother Earth and climate change, so thank you for that
    question.
        Ms. Pingree. Can I add one thing, Madam Chair?
        Ms. McCollum. You certainly can.
        Ms. Pingree. I wasn't able to attend the chronic wasting
    hearing, but I know that the scientists in the State of Maine
    are watching very closely. We haven't been as impacted, and
    certainly the ticks have been a huge problem, so we kind of see
    it around the corner. And the other thing I was thinking about
    when you were asking about the impact on the forests, I know I
    have talked to several of the basket makers in Maine about the
    decline of the ash. So ash has been such a critical species,
    not only for baskets, but for a whole variety of things. And
    the ash borer has been moving north, and I know people sort of
    see that as almost gone already. But, you know, we have still
    ash trees, but they can kind of see the end of it, and that was
    certainly a huge impact.
        Ms. Dana. Yeah, the temperature swings and kind of
    unpredictability, it affects the sweet grass, the birch bark,
    the ash for sure. So it is definitely having a big impact on a
    lot of things.
        Ms. McCollum. I was just at an exhibit in the Minnesota
    History Center, and it is on the first indigenous in the
    Minnesota area. And one of the contemporary modern Native
    American artists had made the shape of a coffin woven out of
    ash. And it was the way that artist kind of describing the
    death of the ash and what it could mean to the culture and to
    so many things. And it was really moving to see it because I
    walked up to it, and I said, that looks like a coffin, who
    would do a coffin in ash? And then I just kind of stepped back
    for a minute, and it was so very powerful. Then as you walked
    around the rest of the exhibit kind of studying the scene.
        Mr. Frank, thank you so much for your testimony, and I know
    someone is looking down with a big smile on their face. And one
    of the first times I served on this committee was hearing your
    predecessor speak, so thank you for doing that. And I actually
    know, and probably Chellie does, too, about getting the scooper
    tankers and it going. We have to take a really serious look,
    especially along the northern border because so many of our
    States and the Canadian provinces, we have memorandums of
    understanding to help each other out. But with the intensity
    and the frequency of these fires, if we don't really look at
    the big picture for what our fire response is, we might find
    that we have huge holes in it that we are not even aware of. So
    thank you for bringing that to our attention, and I think we
    need to talk to States, talk to our Canadian counterparts,
    including first nations, to make sure we have really got it
    covered. I am concerned we possibly don't have it covered with
    how long and how severe these fires are burning. And you had
    one in California, and pretty soon another part of the United
    States, and all the resources are gone.
        Anything you want to add before we close?
        Mr. Cawston. Can I add a comment about fish?
        Ms. McCollum. Oh, sure. We love fish here. We love to eat
    them, too.
        Mr. Cawston. Well, I can talk to you about wildlife, big
    game. We have a large reservation. We have a lot of issues with
    that. But, you know, but on the Colville Reservation, you know,
    you talk about fish die offs in 2015 because of warming
    temperatures in the Columbia River. Two hundred and fifty
    thousand Sockeye died in the river.
        Ms. McCollum. Wow.
        Mr. Cawston. You know, so, you know, we also have two dams
    that were constructed on our reservation, the Grand Coulee Dam
    and the Chief Joseph Dam, which are blockages to Chinook salmon
    going up into the upper waters of the Columbia and into Canada.
    And, you know, other tribes, there is a 14-tribe coalition that
    have been working to restore salmon to the upper Columbia, and,
    you know, that blocks thousands of miles of habitat.
        And, you know, there are many issues, you know, endangered
    and threatened species of salmon impacting orca, as Willie has,
    you know, talked about this morning. But one of the best ways
    to increase the abundance of Chinook, because Chinook is the
    primary diet of orcas, is to allow for fish passage above those
    two dams. We have been reading through the Columbia River
    system operations environmental impact statement process. They
    have told us they are not going to include reintroduction into
    the EIS or the preferred alternative. And also we have been
    working with the Columbia River Treaty negotiation, which they
    have also said and informed us recently they are not going to
    include reintroduction in the treaty language.
        You know, there was a large coalition of tribes and other
    stakeholders who put together the Northwest Regional
    Recommendation, which includes reintroduction of salmon. So I
    just wanted to let you know that that is something that we have
    been working very tirelessly on.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, thank you. Thank you for your
    testimony. We had a fabulous morning hearing from people. Lots
    of questions to ask the bureaus when they are in front of us.
    Lots of ideas on funding. Mr. Joyce and I just need a bigger
    allocation. We could certainly put it to good use.
        So with that, this hearing that we are having will stand in
    recess until 1:00.
                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                               AFTERNOON SESSION

                                  ----------

                             TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION

                                    WITNESS

    HON. NED NORRIS, CHAIRMAN TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION
        Ms. McCollum [presiding]. So good afternoon. We will start
    the panels for this afternoon here, and I would like the first
    panel to come up--the name plates are up--and take your seat,
    please.
        So I welcome you to our second public witness hearing part
    of today covering tribal programs under the jurisdiction of the
    Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee. This
    morning we heard about critical healthcare issues facing Native
    Americans both on and off the reservation. This afternoon, we
    will be focusing on issues relating to land trust, natural
    resource management, including climate change. And once again,
    we will hear testimony from distinguished tribal leaders, who
    are truly experts on this issue, so we thank you for being
    here.
        This afternoon's issues components of native culture of
    religion are integral to the very survival of individual
    Indians who rely on the resources for substance as well as
    economic activity. Indian Country lacks the tax base enjoyed by
    other governments, so funding provided by the Federal
    Government is essential to their economic development. So we
    are happy to have you here. We are going to start taking
    testimony. I will just go over a couple of things.
        Only pictures and recordings are taken with individuals
    that hold press credentials, so we have noticed everybody for
    that. And we have a timer here. We have 5 minutes for your
    testimony. We are going to have you introduce yourselves
    because we found out that gave us a little bit of extra time.
    Introduce yourself. Go right into your testimony. We will not
    count your introduction against your time, so Janet, she is
    ready to go. When the light turns yellow, there is 1 minute
    left. When it turns red, we will ask you to wrap up your
    testimony.
        We will have a series of votes this afternoon probably in
    about a half an hour, so we should be able to get through all
    of your testimony with that. And then votes could go half hour,
    45 minutes, I am hearing, Mr. Stewart.
        Mr. Stewart. Yes.
        Ms. McCollum. You are hearing the same thing?
        Mr. Stewart. Yes, ma'am.
        Ms. McCollum. And after that happens, I will be going over
    to speak at the National Congress of American Indians, so Ms.
    Pingree will be filling in as vice chair as chair for me while
    I am gone. So let us start out with Mr. Norris. Please
    introduce yourself, and then go right into your testimony.
    Thank you for being here. Thank all of you for being here.
        Mr. Norris. Thank you for the opportunity. Good afternoon,
    Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce, and distinguished
    subcommittee members. I am Ned Norris, Jr. I am the chairman of
    the Tohono O'odham Nation, a tribe with more than 34,000
    members in southern Arizona. Our reservation is one of the
    largest in the country, encompassing more than 2.8 million
    acres. We share a 62-mile border with Mexico, which is the
    longest southern international border of any tribe in the
    United States. Thank you again for this opportunity to testify.
        So, first, I would like to address our roads. The BIA Roads
    Maintenance Program is chronically underfunded. The nation has
    735 miles of BIA, the sixth largest total mileage in Indian
    Country. Many of these roads shows are badly damaged and poorly
    maintained by the BIA. Monsoon rains, and flooding, and heavy
    usage by the Border Patrol vehicles have resulted in terrible
    reservation road conditions. During monsoon season, flooding
    washes our bridges, isolates communities, strands our children
    on school buses, and prevents access for emergency vehicles.
    Congress has failed to provide adequate funding for BIA
    reservation roads. We urge the subcommittee to increase funding
    to address this serious safety issue.
        To address the damage to our roads done by Border Patrol
    vehicles, the Fiscal Year 2018 appropriations law provided for
    the transfer of funds from Border Patrol to BIA for repair of
    reservation roads. Some of that funding is currently being used
    to repair one of our roads heavily used by the Border Patrol,
    which will protect tribal and Federal law enforcement and
    tribal members. We are grateful to the subcommittee for
    addressing this critical issue and for including similar
    language in Fiscal Year 2019 and 2020. But many of our roads
    need work, and we ask that language permitted the BIA to accept
    funding from Border Patrol be included in the Fiscal Year 2021
    Interior appropriations bill.
        Next, our water settlement. The nation faces a serious and
    imminent water crisis because the nation's Southern Arizona
    Water Settlement Act is not being funded. The act authorized up
    to $32 million to pay for delivery of water to the nation, and
    directed Interior to tell Congress how much funding would be
    necessary to implement the settlement. Interior has never
    requested any of the funds. As a result, reclamation estimates
    that our settlement may run out of funding in the very near
    future, forcing closure of tribal farms, employee layoffs, crop
    loan defaults, and breach of related agreements. We urge
    Congress to provide for a long-term stable funding source for
    Indian water settlements. A long-term funding source will
    provide tribes with fiscal certainty and ensure timely
    implementation of water settlements.
        Next, law enforcement. The nation faces unique law
    enforcement and public safety challenges. Tribal police patrol
    remote areas that are difficult to access, and radio
    communication with other law enforcement agencies is
    unreliable. Our officers face serious and unnecessary safety
    risks. A significant amount of the nation's limited law
    enforcement resources are dedicated to border security. The
    nation has a longstanding relationship with Border Patrol and
    other Federal law enforcement agencies, but we still spend
    millions of our own dollars, a third of our police department
    budget, every year to help meet Federal border security
    responsibilities.
        The nation's police regularly investigate immigrant death
    and pay for costly autopsies with no Federal assistance. We
    also incur costs from border-related damages to our
    reservation, including removal of abandoned vehicles and
    control of wildland fires caused by illegal activity. Our
    correctional facility is too small to hold the detainees our
    police apprehend. We urge Congress to provide increased Federal
    funding for tribal law enforcement programs to improve
    communications, hire and train additional officers, purchase
    vehicles, meet border security obligations, and improve tribal
    correctional facilities.
        Finally, healthcare. The nation's hospitals one of the
    oldest IHS facilities, and it is inadequate to meet our needs.
    We waited more than 20 years for IHS construction funding. In
    the last 2 years, we began to receive funding for a replacement
    hospital, but in Fiscal Year 2020, no additional funding was
    provided. Substantial increases for IHS facilities construction
    budget are needed in Fiscal Year 2021.
        Thank you. The nation appreciates the subcommittee's
    efforts to provide Indian Country with much-needed resources in
    this challenging fiscal time. I am happy to answer any
    questions.
        [The statement of Mr. Norris follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Thank you. Sir.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                         UTE TRIBE OF UNITAH AND OURAY

                                    WITNESS

    HON. SHAUN CHAPOOSE, UTE TRIBE OF UNITAH AND OURAY
        Mr. Chapoose. Good afternoon, Chairwoman, and subcommittee
    members, and representatives from State of Utah. My name is
    Sean Chapoose. I am a council member of the Ute Indian Tribe,
    also a member of the Ute Indian Tribe representing the
    Uncompahgre Band.
        So we appreciate the work to defend funding for Indian
    programs. These programs are based on our treaties and the
    United States trust responsibility to Indian tribes. The
    subcommittee and Congress are responsible for making sure that
    the United States lives up to its words and laws of the land.
    The Ute Indian Tribe asks that the subcommittee increase
    funding for Indian energy development, justice systems, and
    healthcare. These are some of the most important programs on
    our Unitah and Ouray Reservation and across Indian country.
        Indian energy development provides stable, long-term
    economic resources. Energy development funds our tribal
    government and the services we provide our members. It creates
    thousands of good-paying jobs and supports the development of
    infrastructure on our reservation. Our reservation is located
    in northeastern Utah. It is the second-largest reservation
    United States. We use cutting-edge technologies to develop our
    energy resource and manage our lands and resources. By being
    proactive, we can be a major energy producer while also
    protecting our environment and homelands.
        Using our management techniques, we have about 7,000 wells
    producing 45,000 barrels of oil a day. We also produce more
    than 900 million cubic feet of gas per day. We have been
    producing oil and gas for more than 70 years. Meanwhile, we
    also protect our homelands, and are one of the first tribes to
    develop a management plan for endangered species on our
    reservation. The President should be supporting our proactive
    management efforts, but every year he proposes cutting funding
    for every program needed to approve energy permits. The
    subcommittee must reject his proposal and increase funding for
    Indian energy programs.
        The President is also trying to consolidate or eliminate
    important programs that support in Indian energy development.
    For example, there is a proposal to move the Office of Indian
    Energy and Economic development within BIA. We oppose this
    move. The Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development is
    not a permitting agency like BIA. The office provides funding
    and technical support to tribes. The office works at the
    assistant secretary level and is able to move funds and staff
    quickly to address the needs of tribes and changing market
    conditions.
        For example, just a few years ago, the RBI agency was
    buried under an energy permitting backlog. This backlog limited
    our ability to produce oil and gas and limited our revenues. To
    solve the problem and get permits flowing, the office provided
    teams of energy experts that were able to reduce BIA backlogs.
    BIA should focus on its core mission of processing energy
    permits. BIA needs staff and expertise in its agency offices to
    support permitting on the ground. BIA also needs full funding
    for its Indian Energy Service Center in Denver. BIA has a
    different mission than the Office of Indian Energy and Economic
    Development.
        Finally, we ask that you protect funding for the Department
    of Energy's Tribal Loan Guarantee Program. The President keeps
    trying to eliminate this program. This is the only Federal
    program that helps tribes access capital for commercial-scale
    energy projects. In my remaining time, I want to stress the
    importance of funding for tribal justice systems and
    healthcare.
        We have done our part. We have used $36 million of our own
    funds to build a new justice center. We also revised our law
    and order code to get tough on gangs and drugs, but we can't
    enforce our laws because BIA lacks the funding to fully staff
    the justice center. Instead, BIA uses Federal funds to put
    offenders in county jails. Even worse, BIA tells our tribal
    judges to slow enforcement of warrants because BIA is running
    out of money to put offenders in county jails. This means they
    are released back into our communities.
        We have a similar problem in the area of healthcare. Again,
    we are being forced to use tribal revenues to contract or
    construct a new village and dialysis center. There is a little
    visual for you to look at.
        Ms. McCollum. Bring it up on up here so----
        Mr. Stewart. I am sorry. This is where?
        Mr. Chapoose. It is on the reservation. It is an elder
    dialysis center because we are funding that ourselves. IHS says
    it is authorized to do dialysis center treatment, but Congress
    is not providing the funds. Instead, IHS uses referred care
    funding to send tribal patients the non-Indian dialysis
    centers. We estimate the cost, $43,000 per patient per month.
    In addition, our dialysis staff are forced to spend time
    transporting patients rather than caring for them. This makes
    no sense.
        Congress must provide the funding needed for tribal justice
    systems and healthcare. Congress should also direct agencies to
    use Federal funds at tribal facilities not in border towns. The
    Ute Indian Tribe asks the subcommittee to focus its efforts on
    funding Indian energy, justice system, and healthcare. We need
    your support in each of these areas. Thank you for the
    opportunity to testify. I am willing to answer any questions
    you may have.
        [The statement of Mr. Chapoose follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Thank you. Please go ahead.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                      STOCKBRIDGE MUNSEE MOHICAN COMMUNITY

                                    WITNESS

    HON. SHANNON HOLSEY, PRESIDENT, STOCKBRIDGE MUNSEE MOHICAN COMMUNITY
        Ms. Holsey. Good afternoon, Chairwoman McCollum and ranking
    members of the subcommittee. My name is Shannon Holsey. I am
    the president of the Stockbridge Munsee Community. It is my
    pleasure to be here today to provide testimony on behalf of my
    people with regards to the need for mandatory appropriations
    for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and certainly the critically
    important process of taking land to trust.
        As many tribal governments, mine is no different in regards
    to our membership, which largely relies upon the combination of
    Federal funding and gaming dollars. For my community, the
    Stockbridge Munsee, our tribal government budget comes from
    gaming dollars, and the funding source allows for not only
    expansion of services for healthcare, our police department,
    our emergency responders, and also funding for our memberships
    for education and training opportunities. This is why time is
    of the essence for the funding from the Federal Government that
    will allow our tribal governments to invest in a diversified
    economy. Being able to plan years in advance due to stable
    Federal Government funding of its trust responsibilities to
    tribes allows tribes to engage in long-term planning and
    financial stability that is crucial for a successful,
    diversified economic project.
        In 2019, I don't need to tell you the government shutdown
    was the longest in the United States history, and it is only
    the most recent example of Federal budget processes that
    jeopardize not only our health, safety, and well-being of our
    tribal citizens. Tribal nations must regularly overcome
    uncertainty when planning and providing services to the
    citizens because of the political impasses related to Federal
    special spending. For instance, since 1998, there has only been
    1 year, in 2006, in which the Interior, Environment, and
    Related Agencies appropriations bills has been enacted before
    the beginning of the new Fiscal Year. Often, the partisan
    debates affecting the appropriations process has an outsized
    impact on the daily lives of our people, who already face under
    funding healthcare, education, backlogs of physical
    infrastructure, all of which all fall under the Federal trust
    responsibility.
        Congress must prevent political impasses from jeopardizing
    the provision of adequate quality services in tribal
    communities, such as healthcare, law enforcement, and child
    welfare, by passing legislation authorizing advanced
    appropriations for Indian Health Services and the Bureau of
    Indian Affairs. And I also want to thank Chairwoman McCollum
    for the proposed current legislation, the Indian Programs
    Advanced Appropriations, which I think will play a significant
    role in stabilizing our government. Also, the Health Services
    Advanced Appropriations, which is much needed for the
    appropriations of Indian Health Services and our Indian health
    facilities accounts.
        The best way Congress, and, specifically, the community can
    assist in driving diversified economic development in Indian
    Country is by you all doing your part with the extraordinary
    job of finding many years and many ways to provide funding for
    our tribal needs, often exceeding the Administration budget.
    This is very much appreciated, and it is clear that you all
    recognize the need that we have and the trust and treaty
    responsibilities of the United States. Unfortunately, the
    pressures of the Federal discretionary budget are great and
    increasing, and will the impact the necessary funding we need
    to stabilize our tribal governments.
        To illustrate the need for this, we need adequate
    appropriations, but, most importantly, the land-into-trust
    application, which can obviously be very, very cumbersome,
    especially as it relates to the regulations currently outlined
    in separate processes for on-reservation and off-reservation
    applications, as well as the administration appeal that can at
    least take two levels of administration. I feel the
    appropriations of this fee-to-trust process must be mandatory,
    specifically because the Federal Government has a trust and
    treaty responsibility, but also because of the time constraints
    that are associated with this. Ideally, it takes 1 to 2 years,
    but in our instance, it has taken sometimes from 9 to 10 years
    in most instances because of the two application fee-to-trust
    process, which also gives the validity of the local
    municipalities and townships to weigh in with the appeal
    process that causes pending implications to that.
        So I will say this. I shared the background specifically
    because of the complexity of it, and also because of the
    multiyear process need to create consistent appropriations, not
    only for the purposes of the tribes, but also to ensure the
    staff has the necessary time and attention that is needed for
    the Federal Government to fulfill their obligations. We also
    need funding and adequate staffing of trained Federal employees
    at all levels of the fee-to-trust process to keep it moving
    smoothly and quickly. For example, we suspect the processing of
    fee-to-trust applications was slow at our agency because of
    current staffing issues or limitations to staff. We had
    previously two employees working now. They have been vacated
    and they have moved to a new region.
        So with that said, I thank you very much for your time and
    your consideration.
        [The statement of Ms. Holsey follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Fox.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                        MANDAN, HIDATSA, ARIKARA NATION

                                    WITNESS

    HON. FRED FOX, COUNCILMAN, MANDAN, HIDATSA, ARIKARA NATION
        Mr. Fox. Good afternoon, Chair McCollum and ranking
    members. My name is Fred Fox. I am elected councilman on the
    governing body of the Tribal Business Council of the MHA
    Nation, serving as the representative for the White Shield
    segment on the three affiliated tribes of Fort Berthold
    Reservation. Our chairman, Mark Fox, could not travel to be
    here today, so he asked me to testify on his behalf and behalf
    of MHA Nation.
        Our good news at MHA Nation has also created bad news. The
    MHA Nation has experienced an explosion of economic activity on
    our reservation in recent years from oil and gas production.
    That growth has brought with it an explosion of our reservation
    population, combined with our phenomenal growth, has completely
    stressed our reservation infrastructure beyond its breaking
    points. Years of BIA neglect of our roads, bridges, and public
    safety programs is now compounded by the pressure of rapid
    growth. We not only need to replace our old transportation
    facilities, we also must expand the transportation system to
    accommodate our growth.
        The MHA Nation is in the middle of the Bakken formation
    with one of the most active and productive oil and gas
    formations in the United States. Much of our infrastructure
    needs to come from the pressure of the heavy equipment traffic
    necessary for oil and gas work. The intense congestion on our
    poorly-designed roadways poses an increasing threat to our
    reservation highway safety. In the next decade, we estimate the
    MHA Nation will need $3.6 billion to repair our transportation
    system and keep pace with our projected growth.
        We need to increase Federal funding to support reservation
    public safety at Fort Berthold. Our tribal law enforcement
    officers already handle 14,000 calls each year, and our crime
    rate is growing as fast as our economic development. Without
    more funding from Federal law enforcement resources, we cannot
    handle the influx of unsavory characters and drug dealers that
    are flooding our reservation as our economy expands. We built
    our own drug treatment facility, but need operational funding
    to go along with additional funding for many more police
    officers, investigators, drug counselors, and equipment to
    support their work.
        The solution is not just mere Federal money. The MHA Nation
    has committed much of its new resources to building our
    reservation and making it a safe and healthy place for our
    people. But our capacity to help ourselves is hobbled by the
    dual taxation that keeps our tribal government from realizing
    the fair and full benefit of all this economic development
    activity on our lands. The State of North Dakota taxation of
    our reservation resources diverts our reservation money away
    from solving our reservation challenges. It is long past time
    for the Congress to change Federal law that now allows the
    State of North Dakota to place a dual tax, in addition to the
    tribe's own tax, on the development of energy resources within
    the Fort Berthold Reservation.
        So long as this Federal law stands unchanged, our efforts
    at solving our problems will be sharply limited, and you will
    find our reasonable request for additional funding unbearably
    high. We ask you to work with other committees of Congress,
    including the Ways and Means Committee, to eradicate this
    mistake in Federal policy that permits North Dakota to impose a
    dual tax on tribal resource development as North Dakota piles
    up billions of dollars in its legacy and rainy day funds. That
    tribal money should be left with our tribe to spend on our
    reservation roads, law enforcement, healthcare, housing, and
    other infrastructure so critically needed by our citizens.
        If the subcommittee invests now in additional Federal
    funding and simultaneously compels the Congress to end dual
    taxation, our MHA Nation will be able to make our reservation a
    safer place to live. It will also significantly reduce our need
    to keep coming back to you for more Federal funding in the
    future. Thank you for this opportunity to testify.
        [The statement of Mr. Fox follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Stewart.
        Mr. Stewart. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, and for all of
    you, thank you for being here. It is, I think, a great panel.
    You bring up different issues, and many of the others have, at
    least in the time I have been able to be here. And, Mr. Fox, I
    am going to say something very quickly to you, then you will
    forgive me, Mr. Chapoose, I want to spend the primary amount of
    my time with you both of us coming from Utah and the Ute Tribe.
        Tell me, you know, you sit on, as you said, one of the
    largest oil fields in the United States. You talked about this
    has been a good thing, but a bad thing that has brought its
    challenges. On the whole, has this been good for you, and what
    has it meant to the tribes? You know, you talked about some of
    the challenges, but what has it meant in a positive fashion as
    well
        Mr. Fox. The positive fashion is not only have we, you
    know, have increased, I guess, activity and crime and road
    damage, you know, to our Federal roads, we have also had really
    good resources put into education. We have built several new
    schools on our reservation. Our reservation had schools built
    back in 1957 and 1958 when we were flooded by the Pick-Sloan
    Act. And our schools were probably 60 to 70 years old at the
    time, and so most of our communities have had the opportunity
    to have new schools in----
        Mr. Stewart. Do you have trouble recruiting teachers and
    staffing your schools?
        Mr. Fox. That is one of the bigger problems because a lot
    of the teachers would like school housing, and we are not able
    to offer that housing to give them. But we are slowly getting,
    you know, ahead on the game trying to provide that housing,
    but, you know, it is a long time coming, so.
        Mr. Stewart. Yeah. Yeah. Shaun, if I could, you said
    something about dialysis, for example. You talked about some of
    the medical needs.
        Mr. Chapoose. Yes.
        Mr. Stewart. And I think you said it is $43,000 a month per
    person? Is that true?
        Mr. Chapoose. Per person, yes.
        Mr. Stewart. If you were to provide your own facilities,
    what do you think it would cost you then? How much could you
    save by doing what you guys would hope to do that in?
        Mr. Chapoose. Well, I don't think you are going to save
    nothing. It is just that Federal dollars right now that
    normally would be infused to help the tribe itself, they are
    being spent off reservation. So with our tribe, in particular,
    you know, we are in a position where we are going to commit our
    own dollars to build this facility.
        Mr. Stewart. Yeah.
        Mr. Chapoose. But if you don't fund the Federal side of it,
    it is kind of like you have got the greatest building in the
    world, but you have no way of operating it, right?
        Mr. Stewart. Yeah.
        Mr. Chapoose. And that kind of goes along with, you know,
    like I stated before, we built a justice center, you know, a
    $38 million justice center, state of the art. But it still
    requires----
        Mr. Stewart. And you did that facility with your own
    internal dollars.
        Mr. Chapoose. Yes, we have always because, you know, we
    understand the need and, you know, our tribe, we are fortunate,
    you know. We are an oil and gas tribe.
        Mr. Stewart. Yeah.
        Mr. Chapoose. But we have also realized that, you know,
    sometimes we are not going to get that assistance from the
    Federal Government, so we have an obligation as tribal leaders
    to use our resources. And so we do that with the understanding
    that, you know, we are going to come back here to the Federal
    level, and they are going to help at least provide staff for
    the agreement they made with us. But when it comes down to it,
    what happens is usually them funds are cut first. They take
    them off.
        Mr. Stewart. Yeah.
        Mr. Chapoose. So we are committing our own dollars to
    fulfill the obligation that we created when we ceded our lands
    and stuff, and it is frustrating, but at the same time, we know
    it is important. But we rely on you guys at this level, you
    know, to remind them that tribes are putting forth the effort,
    you know, and you have your responsibility on your side to at
    least provide them services and quit cutting them.
        Mr. Stewart. Yeah. I appreciate that, and I want to clarify
    one thing. In this facility, you showed us a map. Did you have
    some dialysis rooms in that building?
        Mr. Chapoose. Yeah, this particular one actually goes
    beyond just the dialysis center. It is an elder facility and a
    dialysis center.
        Mr. Stewart. Yeah.
        Mr. Chapoose. And so when we do it, because, you know, when
    you start spending them type of dollars, you know, addressing
    one need doesn't solve your problem, so when you have the
    opportunity, you attempt to, you know, capture all of it. And
    what you will find is most of the dialysis patients happen to
    be the elderly people on the reservation.
        Mr. Stewart. Sure.
        Mr. Chapoose. And I think this is a real important
    discussion is, the healthcare system isn't designed to actually
    keep them healthy. It is designed to keep them alive, if you
    want to be truthful.
        Mr. Stewart. Yeah.
        Mr. Chapoose. And so a lot of the diabetes that we are
    starting to encounter on reservations is due to the inadequate
    health service itself.
        Mr. Stewart. Yeah.
        Mr. Chapoose. So we are trying to address the elder
    population as well as the diabetes and other programs in that
    one facility.
        Mr. Stewart. And let me do one more very quickly if I
    could, and I think it mostly concerns some tribes in southern
    Utah, but it may be some of your band as well, and I don't know
    the answer, and maybe you can help me understand that. But in
    southern Utah, we had EMS services, helicopter services, that
    were, you know, providing rescue and emergency evacuation to
    the tribal territories. But, I mean, my gosh, it was a long way
    to go, and, in some cases, the only way they could get someone
    who was an emergency and just didn't have time to go over the
    roads and others. And they have had to cut back just because,
    as I think you probably know, some of the reimbursement rates
    just weren't sufficient for them, and that was, again, through
    BIA. Have you experienced those same problems? I think in
    northern Utah, you probably haven't, but I just want to confirm
    that hasn't been a thing for you.
        Mr. Chapoose. I don't think we have the same problem
    because you are talking more like the Navajo Nation down in
    that rural are where, you know, they are still running----
        Mr. Stewart. In the Four Corners area.
        Mr. Chapoose. Yeah, they still have got the unimproved road
    system.
        Mr. Stewart. Yeah.
        Mr. Chapoose. But we feel the same impacts, not the same
    way they do. But the simple fact is the cost associated with
    providing service has not kept up with the economics of the
    service. And so what happens is they have limited dollars, and
    so they kind of pick and choose what meets the criteria under
    the pot of money they have, so somebody gets lost in the
    cracks. And then when you expend dollars, like if our tribe was
    to put money out, then we have to fight tooth and nail to
    actually recover what we have put out. So, you know, it is
    interesting how you are still operating or trying to provide a
    service, but cutting the dollars that provide it and not taking
    into account the costs associated with it, so.
        Mr. Stewart. Yeah. All right. Thank you. I yield back,
    Madam Chair.
        Ms. McCollum. I have got a couple of different ones. Could
    I ask both you and Mr. Fox about the Administration's proposed
    removal of the Division of Energy and Mineral Development, to
    put it under the BIA? I should assume that you were consulted
    on that. You are shaking your head no. I mean, obviously you
    know why it is not going to work, and you are supposed to be
    consulted.
        Mr. Chapoose. Well, I will go first. The consultation we
    received was we went to a listening session yesterday.
        Ms. McCollum. Oh, yesterday.
        Mr. Chapoose. Yeah, actually the first word I heard about
    it was yesterday. I was at the NCI thing, so there was a
    listening session. Well, you know as well as me, listening
    sessions aren't consultation. So they proposed it. They had
    their great plan in front of us, and then they proceeded to
    tell us, but by the way, we have all these scheduled
    consultations in various locations, and if you really feel the
    need, you need to attend them here. Well, the dilemma with that
    is Indian Country is big. We all know this, right? And like a
    consultation location, the cost for me to attend that and then
    get in a room where you have got everybody in the room, the
    chances of actually getting something forward, it don't go
    nowhere.
        And so we constantly stress this, that true consultation
    from the agencies needs to occur at the tribal level. They need
    to go to each tribe, you know, because we are not the same. We
    have different, you know, issues and stuff. But they really
    need to take the time to go to the tribes themselves and have
    true and formal consultation. But the only thing, like I
    stated, was I went to the meeting, and the way they peddled it
    to me was more or less it was a done deal. We were just there
    for the show, so.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay. Mr. Fox.
        Mr. Fox. That office, the Office of Energy, I guess it was
    one of our main offices for having a petroleum engineer. And
    when we have petroleum engineers inside that office, it gives
    us access to many, you know, maps. And I guess their views on
    our reservation on development, and where it is going, and how
    they can give us their expert opinions, and giving, you know,
    that resource that is much needed in Indian Country, is we
    don't have that availability to hire petroleum engineers and
    all these staffing on our reservation. And not every petroleum
    engineer is going to say, hey, I want to work in Fort Berthold.
    I want to work where----
        Ms. McCollum. Right.
        Mr. Fox [continuing]. You know, there is no housing. So it
    is tough for us when we are losing, you know, an office with
    petroleum engineers and other technical staff, and then put it
    under the Bureau of Indian Affairs where it gets pretty much,
    you know, swept under the rug. And a lot of times, you know, it
    is a major office that we are losing, and with the reservation
    with 1,700 wells that were developed in the last 5 years, it is
    a major, major hit to us.
        Ms. McCollum. I wish I could say it is surprising, but it
    is not. We went through this with the Department of Interior
    reorganization. I am sure you were not consulted on what is
    happening now with BLM with their relocation. And this
    committee has made it very, very clear to the Administration
    when they are here, they are to follow the law, which is
    consultation. Recently they figured out just, they just do it.
    They just move things on their own and move money around on
    their own, and we are trying to put a stop to that because we
    want the law to be followed. And when we appropriate money in
    certain accounts, especially in Indian Country, we expect that
    that is where it is going to go after hearing from their
    testimony. So thank you for that, and as I had mentioned
    earlier, one of the reasons why I like doing this at this time
    early is so that when the Administration is before us and
    defending the President's budget, we can pass on your
    questions, concerns, and comments.
        Mr. Norris, I wanted to ask you, it appears to me you have
    got a real good handle on how much it is costing you to
    supplement. You are supplementing what Customs and Border
    Patrol is not doing. It wouldn't be a good thing for the tribe
    if you stopped it from not happening, but if you weren't there
    doing it, Customs and Border Patrol would have to do it, would
    they not?
        Mr. Norris. Well, I would expect----
        Ms. McCollum. I mean, if you were to say to them we are
    going to give you access to BNLI to carry out your mission, but
    we are not going to do it, you know. I am trying to figure out
    how to get the funding back to you because you shouldn't be
    supplanting Federal U.S. Customs and Border. It should be
    transferred back, and Congress has kind of talked about it
    doing it, but it appears it is not happening, a 30-year police
    force, the roads, other things like that. So you have got a
    pretty good handle on the accounting on that?
        Mr. Norris. Yes, we do, and at least for law enforcement,
    we are, like I said, spending about a third of the law
    enforcement budget, which is about $1.6 million annually. The
    autopsies that we are having to deal with are about $2,600 per
    autopsy, and there could be a variety of autopsies in one
    particular month. You would expect that, we would expect that,
    the Border Patrol would assume a lot of that responsibility. My
    experience has been, and I have worked for my nation for over
    40 years now, and this is my third term as tribal chairman
    dealing with this. And it is sort of like if they don't have a
    physical body, a live body, to deal with, or if they have got
    migrants that are needing medical attention, they basically
    take them to the Indian Health Service hospital and basically
    leave them there. And then we are obligated to provide the
    medical care attention to those migrants.
        As far as the autopsies, you know, if they have got a
    deceased migrant out there that they have recovered the body
    on, they don't assume any of that responsibility. And many
    times, it is important to put some closure to whether it was a
    medical issue, whether it was an exposure issue, or whatever
    the cause of death was. And so many times, if not always, those
    debts are turned over to the nation's responsibility.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, you have given me food for thought. I
    want to find out if the border States, in fact, are beginning
    to reimburse back, or if the States are absorbing the costs,
    because if, and I don't know this. I don't serve on that
    committee. They are right next to door to us. I am going to
    find out. If the States are reimbursed, if they are reimbursed,
    you certainly as a tribal nation under sovereignty, you should
    be reimbursed.
        Mr. Norris. And the whole issue with regards to the roads,
    the road conditions, I mean, the Border Patrol has increased
    significantly on our tribal reservation, and there are pros and
    cons about that.
        Ms. McCollum. Right.
        Mr. Norris. You have got members that accept it and those
    that haven't. But for the most part, they are the primary user
    of our BIA roads, and they wear and tear the roads more so than
    our own tribal members. And so part of the question was a legal
    question because we were trying to do what we could do to work
    with the Border Patrol to try and fill potholes, to try and do
    some maintenance on the roads. And many times the Bureau would
    come back and say, well, you are creating a liability for us,
    for the Bureau because this a Federal Indian reservation road.
    And if we as a tribal entity try to do some maintenance, it is
    creating the liability.
        But we have always known that they are not going to have
    the resources necessary. So even if we try to work out, and we
    have in the past, an arrangement with the Border Patrol where
    maybe the nation's community would buy the asphalt, and the
    Border Patrol agrees to fill the potholes, that is still a
    liability that is created. And so it is kind of a catch 21. We
    are danged if we do, and we are danged if we don't.
        Ms. McCollum. Mm-hmm.
        Mr.Norris. And so one of the ways was when the language was
    put in the Fiscal Year 2018 budget, which basically allowed for
    the Border Patrol and the BIA to receive some of those fundings
    to help maintain the roads, that has helped out quite a bit.
    But the problem is much more significant. We are only
    addressing one road, one Federal route at this point. We got
    735 miles of Federal BIA roads. And I would say that the
    majority of those roads are being traveled and used by the
    Border Patrol themselves, which damage the road and create this
    problem for us.
        Mr. Stewart. Would the chairwoman yield for a moment?
        Ms. McCollum. Yeah.
        Mr. Stewart. I agree with her contention on this
    reimbursement. I am wondering, have you requested
    reimbursement, and what has been the response?
        Mr. Norris. We have raised the concern. We have spoke
    before different committees, we have spoke before our
    congressional delegation, and we just haven't gotten anywhere
    until the Fiscal Year 2018, which helps a little bit.
        Mr. Stewart. Yeah.
        Ms. McCollum. Mm-hmm. Anything you want to add?
        Ms. Holsey. No, and I appreciate the fortitude of this
    committee and the members. Thank you for joining us this
    morning at NCAI. We understand the good work that you are
    doing, so whatever we can do. I appreciated the questions you
    asked about quantification because it is the economics of
    things oftentimes, and so the questions you asked the panel
    with regards to that is very helpful. So whatever we can do to
    quantify or extrapolate that information is very helpful for
    us, too.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Amodei.
        Mr. Amodei. Thank you, Madam Chair. President Holsey, you
    were talking about from trust to fee and all that, so that is
    something that the folks in my neck of the woods have had a
    problem with, with real estate.
        Ms. Holsey. Right.
        Mr. Amodei. And the problem that they have had is it is,
    like, okay, you have paid, you know, your deal off, and so you
    are waiting for it to be conveyed.
        Ms. Holsey. Right.
        Mr. Amodei. And you are waiting.
        Ms. Holsey. And waiting.
        Mr. Amodei. And you are waiting, and it is like, well, it
    is your property supposedly, but I can't go get a loan on it if
    the title is not in my name.
        Ms. Holsey. Right.
        Mr. Amodei. And so my question is, if anybody can pipe up
    here, but I want to start with you since some of this is about
    land, is, I mean, we have had lag times from 5 to 10 years, and
    this is a simple lot.
        Ms. Holsey. Right.
        Mr. Amodei. This is not large amounts, casinos, anything
    else like that. It is just, hey, I now own a piece of ground
    that I can build a home on.
        Ms. Holsey. Right. Well, it creates an infrastructure
    problem because of that delay or delayed response to that
    because it is the multifaceted, multi-analysis of putting fee
    to trust. So with that said, you continue to pay the taxes on
    that land until it becomes trust. So there is still the
    economics of it, so----
        Mr. Amodei. So what is your time frame, though, in your----
        Ms. Holsey. Ours on average is 10 years because we have the
    local municipalities that oppose and appeal, so there is an
    appellate process that continues on for years. And then, of
    course, you know, when you have vulnerability within the agency
    because there is either lack of staff to do it, to process it,
    or they have moved.
        Mr. Amodei. So when you say ``the agency,'' so my people go
    through Phoenix and Albuquerque.
        Ms. Holsey. Our regional office is in Ashland, but then,
    you know, but----
        Mr. Amodei. So it is not different in that neck of the
    woods than it is in mine.
        Ms. Holsey. No, but they have just shifted. There has been
    a significant shift of the staff. For example, we had a
    regional agent. She is a tribal member named Kim Bouchard. She
    was with our agency since she started. Now they have moved her
    to the national region. But I am under the auspice that perhaps
    it is intentional because then it creates more chaos. It takes
    more time, and there is not the continuation that once existed
    or the relationship working with your agency partners in order
    to facilitate that, because, you know, in the rulemaking
    process, they have that ability to appeal, you know. And we
    keep telling them we are not sub-sovereigns to the State or a
    local municipality. We are sovereigns, so there is always that
    issue or challenge associated with it.
        So you are talking about, you know, you can't really make
    any plans because you figure if it is 10 years, I can't create
    or deem it for agricultural purposes, for economic development,
    or anything else because----
        Mr. Amodei. You paid for it, but you don't own it of
    record.
        Ms. Holsey. Absolutely. Absolutely.
        Mr. Amodei. So is it fair to say that you are experiencing
    the same problem in your region or whatever?
        Ms. Holsey. It depends. There are some tribes, based on the
    municipality or the county they live in----
        Mr. Amodei. They do their own?
        Ms. Holsey. Yeah.
        Mr. Amodei. Yeah. There are some in southern California.
    How about the rest of you chairmen here?
        Mr. Norris. I would just like to comment that we are not in
    a predicament right now that has been described. But I can
    share with you that even under mandatory acquisitions where you
    have got a settlement, a mandatory settlement, and the language
    is that you shall take the land into trust, even in our first
    settlement acquisition of land, that process where the language
    was ``you shall the land into trust, and it shall be deemed a
    Federal Indian reservation for all intended purposes.'' Our
    first acquisition under our settlement law took 10 years, even
    though it was a mandatory acquisition.
        Mr. Amodei. Okay.
        Mr. Norris. So, you know, I am not sure why it took so long
    for that first acquisition to take place, but that was our
    experience.
        Mr. Amodei. Yes, Chairman.
        Mr. Chapoose. We have been dealing with the land-into-trust
    issue forever, and it does take forever. I mean, children are
    born before it happens, right? And what happens is for like our
    tribe, for instance, you know, a large tribe, we have a mineral
    ownership below. We purchase the surface. So you are trying to
    consolidate. You are trying to make yourself whole, right? And
    in Utah, what you always got to remember is you got
    jurisdictional issues that are created over ownerships. So you
    are trying to consolidate land to define boundaries so that we
    have law enforcement and stuff. But because the land-into-trust
    process is so cumbersome, it just takes one person out of the
    blue to throw a wrench into gear. And then tribes who are
    limited on resources to begin with, right, I mean, some of them
    are spending a lot of money to acquire these acreages because
    they are in critical locations.
        And so our experience has been it is a mess, right, and it
    was always written into law, you know, in 1934 actually, you
    know, the land-into-trust policy existed. And we are one of
    them tribes that was part of that, so you are thinking, well,
    you got a clear route, but it does not exist, and you just run
    into roadblock after roadblock.
        Mr. Amodei. And I appreciate----
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Amodei, I will let Mr. Kilmer question
    before we leave.
        Mr. Amodei. Just one real quick. When you referred to the
    briefing you got about oil and gas, who was briefing you?
        Mr. Chapoose. Actually it was some people from, I think it
    was the EMD-side.
        Mr. Amodei. Of Interior?
        Mr. Chapoose. Yeah, and I think what is funny is because I
    think people forgot, when that was introduced, our tribe was
    one of the pivotal writers to try to create this quick
    permitting system.
        Ms. McCollum. Right, I remember.
        Mr. Chapoose. So we figured this all out, and now they are
    reinventing the wheel, and then we will wind up going back. And
    then to move archives and the technology that he is talking
    about, you know, all you are doing is delaying the process even
    more, so.
        Ms. McCollum. Mm-hmm.
        Mr. Amodei. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Yeah, I agree. Mr. Kilmer.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay. Well, the hearing stands adjourned
    until the call of the chair after the last votes. Oh, I am
    sorry, recess. That is right. We are not adjourned. We are in
    recess until the last vote and the chair comes back. Thank you.
        [Whereupon, at 1:45 p.m., the committee recessed subject to
    the call of the chair.]
        Ms. Pingree [presiding]. We will come to order, and we will
    start with our second panel for the afternoon. Welcome. Thank
    you all for waiting. I know we are a little delayed because we
    had votes, so we will try to get going and keep moving. And we
    are not going to going to introduce anybody this afternoon. We
    will just have you go ahead and start, and give us your
    testimony, and talk about yourselves, and that will save a
    little time from me talking about all of you. You can talk
    about all of you.
                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

        FOND DU LACK BAND OF LAKE OWGIBWE TRIBE OF LAKE SUPERIOR INDIANS

                                    WITNESS

    HON. KEVIN DUPUIS, FOND DU LACK BAND OF LAKE OWGIBWE TRIBE OF LAKE
        SUPERIOR INDIANS
        Mr. DuPuis. [Speaking native language.] Hello, everybody.
    Thank you for this opportunity. In our language, we are always
    taught to speak in our language when we introduce ourselves,
    and I believe that everybody has what Fond du Lac has sent in.
    So I am not going to talk what is on the paper because I think
    everybody has the time to read that and review that. I want to
    talk about the real issues that are there, not just the things
    that are on paper.
        First I want to talk about CWD, chronic wasting disease. It
    has severely affected the State of Wisconsin, all over
    Wisconsin. It is moving into Minnesota now, which that
    definitely affects our 1854 ceded territory. Minnesota is
    broken up into ceded territory all the way across the State,
    the 1854, the 1855, and the 37 which goes into Wisconsin.
        We have spent a lot of money to deal with our issues within
    our natural resource department. This is another pot of money
    that we are going to have to spend to maintain testing, to do
    testing, to find a way to get rid of the carcass of these
    animals. But, most importantly, I want to address this issue.
    If this were beef cattle, chickens, turkeys, or whatever it
    would be, Federal law says you have to wipe out the entire
    population. So I am asking why an individual farmer who owns a
    deer farm or elk farm in CWD, it is found in that, why are they
    not wiping out that entire population? It is affecting our way
    of life, and we here as tribal leaders raise our hand to our
    people and make a vow to our people. And we can't protect our
    people if the United States government is going to allow double
    standards on issues in this manner, which it affects everybody.
        The question was we didn't know what CWD really was. We
    brought in the experts. They sat down with us and told us what
    CWD is. And for the ones who don't know what, take an
    understanding of a parvo that affects dogs, right? It is a
    disease that stays down dormant in the ground up to 7 years.
    Same thing with same thing with CWD.
        It is our way of life. If we can't eat the animals the
    Creator gave to us, then we cease to become who we are as human
    beings, as Anishinaabemowin. This has to be addressed. It has
    to be looked at on the other side of it. There has to be
    regulations put into place. Who is going to take care of this,
    and why are these independent farms are not wiped out
    completely? If you have a disease that we don't know how it
    affects humans, or if you end up with infections because the
    only way they can test it when the animals dead, that is a
    serious issue.
        We don't know about the birds of prey and the other animals
    that feed on these dead animals and travel throughout our
    communities and through the ceded territory. I was a trapper
    since I was 5 years old. I can't trap him anymore. I can, but
    you are worried about it because you don't understand what this
    is.
        We are giving the deer and other animals to eat from the
    Creator, and if we can't eat these animals, it is like rice. If
    we can't eat the rice, one of my arms leaves. If we can't eat
    the animals, the other arm leaves. If we can't drink the water,
    one of my legs leave. If we can't take the stuff that grows in
    the woods that the Creator gives us, my other leg leaves. I
    cease to exist as a human being. And these are very, very
    important things that exist within us right now.
        It is a big concern that we have. I can't speak for another
    band or tribe, but it is a concern, and it is a concern in a
    manner that we ask why CDC is involved. The question and the
    answer was if this would be a beef cattle farm, if this would
    be a turkey farm, if this would be chickens or whatever it is,
    domesticated that they sell in a store, CDC would be involved.
    But since they don't sell these animals in stores, the CDC
    isn't involved.
        Well, there is a trust obligation from the Secretary of
    Interior down within the structure of the United States
    government. My question is, where is the Secretary of Interior
    to ensure that our treaty rights are being upheld? This
    directly affects the ones who have treaties and established
    treaties with the United States government. And the ones who
    have that ability and that right to hunt fish and gather as
    they choose, this is affecting in that manner to all of us, and
    it is a big concern for Fond du Lac and the Minnesota Chippewa
    Tribe.
        So the six collective bands that belong to the Minnesota
    Chippewa Tribe, and Fond du Lac is one of them, and I believe
    all the way to Michigan actually, we have that right to hunt
    fish and gather all the way to Michigan. And I am in fear that
    if it gets to a point where I think it is going, we are not
    going to be able to eat the deer. And when my family is hungry
    or another family is hungry, I can't go get them an animal
    because they are not able to eat it.
        One of the other things I want to talk about in simplicity
    is the Clean Water Act. In Minnesota, everyone understands what
    the Federal allowed is, 10 parts per million. It is not being
    exercised in the State of Minnesota, and there are always ways
    that people are trying to change this regulation. It is simple.
    If I can't drink the water, nobody can drink the water. If I
    can't eat the fish, nobody else can eat the fish. How hard is
    that to understand, and why we are having so many problems to
    get in this fix and get in the order the way it is supposed to
    be?
        Whereas tribal leaders come and we talk, and we write
    things down, or we have attorneys write things down, and the
    same thing comes over and over, I am here today to just talk to
    one simple thing. If it is that simple, and it is, why hasn't
    it changed? If you can't drink the water, I can't. If you can't
    eat the fish, I can't. So why is this so hard to understand
    that we are all human beings. We have a right to eat. We have
    the right to drink fresh water, and we have the right to
    breathe clean air.
        Again, sorry. Megwitch.
        [The statement of Mr. DuPuis follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree. Thank you very much.
        Ms. Dana. Thank you for your time.
        Ms. Pingree. No. Thank you. Ms. Grussing.
        Ms. Grussing. It is Grussing. Thank you.
        Ms. Pingree. Grussing. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

           NATIONAL TRIBAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

                                    WITNESS

    VALERIE GRUSSING, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL TRIBAL HISTORIC
        PRESERVATION OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
        Ms. Grussing. Valerie Grussing, executive director of the
    National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers,
    NATHPO. We are based in D.C. here representing a diverse
    membership across the country.
        I want to talk to you about just really one of the things
    that is in my written testimony, and briefly, first, I do want
    to mention an item that we have added new this year in addition
    to BLM's reorganization, which has already been mentioned here,
    was not consulted on. I have recently learned that of the 12
    State offices, each of which are supposed to have a tribal
    liaison position, 10 of those are vacant. And in addition, the
    headquarters tribal liaison position has been vacant so long,
    it has been removed from the org chart. So one of the things we
    are requesting is money to backfill those vacant positions.
    That is part of the problem with what we are seeing with that
    agency, just a part.
        But primarily, I want to talk to you about what our members
    do. Tribal historic preservation officers, THPOs, they are an
    exercise of tribal sovereignty. They are appointed by their
    governments, and they have an agreement with the Department of
    Interior where their funding comes from to assume a Federal
    compliance role of the State historic preservation officer on
    tribal land. And also they are available to be consulted on
    places off tribal land. They do this under the National
    Historic Preservation Act, and so this funding is in the
    historic preservation fund, which comes from oil and gas
    revenues, right, and it has never been fully appropriated at
    the level that it should be.
        They are, as I mentioned, an exercise of sovereignty, self-
    determination. The plans that they have to get their funding
    from the Park Service, it is a grant that they have to apply
    for to get their apportionment. They are founded and grounded
    in traditional knowledge and cultural values, and, of course,
    they touch on everything that happens in Indian Country. They
    are first responders when a sacred site is threatened, when the
    ancestors are disturbed--we all know about that in the news
    recently--and they are often also responsible for their tribe's
    oral history programs, any museums or cultural centers that
    they may have. And they lead in the revitalization of
    traditions and languages and many other functions in Indian
    Country. And a lot of times, like myself, they happen to be a
    one-person show. If they have funding from additional sources,
    they may have a second staff member.
        NATHPO, my organization, we are a non-profit membership
    association. THPOs may choose to become members, and this is
    one of the primary functions that we perform, elevating their
    voice within Washington, D.C., and then coordinating, helping
    them coordinate among each other, and getting any education and
    training that they may feel they need beyond what they already
    have. There are 195 THPOs out of 574 federally-recognized
    tribes.
        The main thing I want to talk about is funding. So the
    first year that they received this funding was in 1996, and the
    average amount that each THPO received was $80,000. Last year,
    we received the biggest increase ever from the HPF, and that
    was $2 million total in the appropriation. That works out to
    about $5,000 more per tribe. There are more THPOs every year.
    So as opposed to that, $80,000 in 1996, 185 THPOs last year got
    $70,000. So we are going in the wrong direction, even though we
    have the total appropriated amount increasing. And I have a
    chart in my testimony that I have here in color for you to see
    as well, and the important line is the red one. Both the
    appropriation and the number of THPOs is going up, but if the
    appropriation doesn't go up much more than it is, then we have
    got the total amount that each THPO gets is flatlining. Seventy
    thousand dollars is not even an entire staff person.
        So this is the gap that we are talking about starting to
    close, and there are two primary talking points that I want to
    make, and one is about the importance of the work that the
    THPOs do. The epidemics that we see rampant in Indian Country
    are the symptoms of the cause of historical trauma. When you
    have people that are systematically disconnected from who they
    are as people from their heritage, then this is what we have.
    This is the work that THPOs do. They rebuild that framework.
    And the other thing is that if this Administration is truly
    interested in streamlining required environmental and historic
    review processes, and they are still required, then there has
    to be somebody there to pick up the phone, and that is THPOs,
    and they need funding.
        We are reminded recently of the importance of place by the
    ongoing atrocities at Tohono O'odham, literal destruction of
    ancestors. History, culture, identity, survival are grounded in
    place. Our members are charged with protecting those places,
    but they need support from you in the form of funding to
    continue the work that they do. Thank you for considering our
    testimony.
        [The statement of Ms. Grussing follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.Pingree. Thank you very much.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                          CHEYENNE AND ARAPAHO TRIBES

                                    WITNESS

    HON. REGGIE WASSANA, GOVERNOR, CHEYENNE AND ARAPAHO TRIBES
        Mr. Wassana. Good morning, Chairman McCollum and
    distinguished members of the Committee on Appropriations,
    Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. I
    am Reggie Wassana, governor of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.
    We are 1 of 39 tribes in the State of Oklahoma. I appreciate
    the opportunity comment on our land trust and natural resource
    management. Today I would like to discuss land and trust
    issues.
        In general, it is my feeling that the land and the trust
    program still does not act expeditiously in the conversion of
    land held in other-than-land-trust status by tribes or
    individual Indians into trust status. I am here today because
    my tribe has been far less fortunate. Under the Medicine Lodge
    Treaty of 1867, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes were assigned a
    total of 4.3 million acres of land. Today we only own about 15
    million acres, and of this amount, less than 11,000 acres are
    100 percent owned by the tribes. This greatly limits our
    opportunity for economic development, cultural preservation,
    and self-sufficiency.
        The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are under the BIA Southern
    Plains Region, more specifically, the Concho agency, and it is
    important to note that we are the only tribe in the Concho
    agency's jurisdiction. Research going back 40 years has shown
    that the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes have never successfully
    placed 1 acre of land into trust.
        While the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes now work
    cooperatively with the BIA Concho agency and the Southern
    Plains Region agency, still the trust application process has
    proven to be burdensome due to unnecessary and unrealistic
    demands in the land description review portion of the
    application. The Cheyenne and Arapaho trust applications are
    frequently and significantly delayed and then returned because
    of standards applied by the Bureau of Land Management surveyor,
    and the rules for land into trust are not enforced uniformly.
        Over the past several years, the Cheyenne and Arapaho
    Tribes have purchased or acquired several properties in fee
    status that are within our original reservation boundaries,
    specifically, the tribes on prime tracts of land along
    Interstate 40 in Oklahoma and Towns of Gary, Oklahoma, El Reno,
    Clinton, and Elk City. Additionally, we own two different
    tracks in the northwest part of our original reservation in
    Woodward, Oklahoma, as well as other properties in fee status
    throughout our original reservation boundaries. Although our
    tribe has been unsuccessful at placing any land in a trust, the
    Department of Interior recently allowed the Shawnee Tribe of
    Oklahoma to place a 103-acre parcel of off-reservation land
    into trust on land that is contiguous our original reservation
    boundaries, and land that is 400 miles away from their actual
    homeland.
        Specifically, these four properties that range in 49 acres
    in Elk City, 91 acres in El Reno, a 1-acre lot block in Gary,
    Oklahoma, and 18 and Clinton, Oklahoma, have been denied and
    returned for further corrections, such as name of the tribe,
    legal description, purpose of use of land, tax concerns,
    possibility of contamination, four-tenths of a mile away from
    one property for instance, but not a report with cites
    reflective of such a case. We were made to pay back taxes when
    not required because none were assessed, but BIA required it
    being done. The solicitor in Tulsa agreed with the tribes that
    we did not have to pay that. This process in the meantime cost
    the tribes tens of thousands of dollars to fulfill.
        In conclusion, the Trump Administration has gone through
    great lengths in deregulation efforts to roll back red tape
    that has burned Americans and stifled economic growth. Today I
    am asking that the same effort of deregulation also be geared
    towards land-into-trust process. By making the land-into-trust
    process burdensome for Indian tribes, it is still stifling our
    economic growth. Many of our tribal nations are in rural parts
    of the country. Easing the burden of tribes placed in land into
    trust and protecting tribal areas will provide an economic boom
    for not only Indian tribes, but also for the rural communities
    that are near and within the tribe's reservation areas.
        At this time, I would like to thank all of you for allowing
    me to speak before you as governor of the Cheyenne and Arapaho
    tribes and as a tribal member. So I appreciate it graciously.
    Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Wassana follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.Pingree. Thank you very much. Mr. Newland.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                           BAY MILLS INDIAN COMMUNITY

                                    WITNESS

    BRYAN NEWLAND, PRESIDENT, CHIPPEWA OTTAWA RESOURCE AUTHORITY, BAY MILLS
        INDIAN COMMUNITY
        Mr. Newland. [Speaking native language.] I would say
    Megwitch to the chairman over here for reminding me of the
    importance to introduce ourselves in that way. And I want to
    co-sign everybody's comments before the committee, and thank
    you, Chairwoman and members, for allowing me the opportunity to
    testify.
        So I presently serve as the chairperson of the Bay Mills
    Indian Community, which is one of the five member tribes of the
    Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority. Together, our five tribes
    were the signatories to the 1836 Treaty of Washington. That
    treaty ceded nearly half of the lands that comprise the State
    of Michigan today, and the signing and ratification of that
    treaty in 1836 paved the way for Michigan statehood just 1 year
    later in 1837. But in exchange for the big cession of our
    homelands, we reserved the right to hunt and fish throughout
    the ceded territories and throughout the ceded waters in the
    Great Lakes.
        Despite enjoying the benefits of that treaty for many
    years, the State of Michigan did not always respect the rights
    that our tribes expressly reserved in those treaties, which, as
    the members of the committee note, constitutes the supreme law
    of the land under the United States Constitution. In
    particular, the State of Michigan failed to protect our tribal
    citizens from violent attacks just for exercising the right to
    fish, and they even went so far as to arrest and prosecute our
    tribal members for exercising that treaty right to fish.
        So before I was born in the 1970s, the United States sued
    the State of Michigan to vindicate and protect our treaty
    rights, and the tribes, together with the United States Federal
    Government, prevailed in that case in 1979. It was the United
    States v. Michigan. Ever since that case, we have negotiated a
    series of settlement judgments together with the Federal
    Government to manage and regulate the exercise of our treaty
    rights, first, in 1985, then again in 2000, 2007, and we are
    going through the process again of working on another consent
    judgment.
        These judgments impose an obligation on the tribes with
    respect to how we manage and regulate our hunting and fishing
    rights under our treaty throughout nearly half the State of
    Michigan. So we have to cover a lot of grounds when we fulfill
    our responsibilities under those agreements. Now, Congress
    funds our obligations every year through a line item in the
    Interior budget known as RPI, rights protection implementation,
    and I want to make sure that I emphasize that the acronym, you
    know, we are in D.C., so a lot of acronyms get thrown around.
    But that acronym is important because it signals that the funds
    are to implement and protect the treaty rights. This funding is
    critical to ensure that our treaty rights, or our treaties
    themselves, excuse me, retain vitality for all of the parties,
    including the United States. And I do want to express the CORA
    tribes' appreciation for the committee and the Congress to work
    in a bipartisan way to continue to provide and protect this
    funding.
        CORA is asking that Congress increase CORA's share of the
    rights protection implementation funding by $1 million to $7.3
    million in the coming Fiscal Year and thereafter. I also want
    to make sure that I state that CORA understands that there are
    other tribes in different parts of the country that have
    similar treaty rights cases regarding fishing and hunting. And
    some of those folks are representatives who will be testifying
    today, and indicate that we also support their request that
    Congress meet their funding needs.
        The extra money that we are requesting going forward will
    work out to $200,000 per year per tribe. That will fund staff
    to enforce the regulations that we have to abide by under our
    settlement agreements in the U.S. v. Michigan case. It will
    also fund staff and research that protect the Great Lakes
    themselves. Without a healthy Great Lakes, there won't be any
    fish to harvest, and without any fish to harvest, the bargain
    in the treaty itself is hollow. So that research funding
    through the RPI line item will help us monitor invasive species
    and contaminants. It will monitor the fisheries themselves. It
    will also allow us to work directly with tribal fisheries in
    the exercise of their treaty rights.
        So, again, I want to say Megwitch. Thank you to the
    committee for allowing us to come today and testify on this
    important issue.
        [The statement of Mr. Newland follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree. Thank you all very much for your testimony and
    for taking the time to come and speak with us here today. Mr.
    Kilmer, any questions or thoughts?
        Mr. Kilmer. No.
        Ms. Pingree. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you all for being here. Certainly, Kevin,
    I appreciate your comments and understand exactly what you are
    saying. Certainly CWD isn't limited to your lands. It is
    something we are fighting in Ohio as well, and I wish we would
    get some answers to it. We are going to continue to fight CWD
    on all fronts. Bryan, I understand that there has been a
    consent decree that has been worked out over the years. Is the
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service continuing to be helpful? Are
    they being constrained by their present budget in helping you?
        Mr. Newland. I can't speak to whether they feel
    constrained. I mean, really our goal----
        Mr. Joyce. Do you feel they are helping?
        Mr. Newland. Actually, to their credit, in the current
    process of working through the next iteration of management
    plans in this case, they have been helpful so far. I always
    make sure to include that qualifier, but really our goal is to
    work hand in hand with other agencies, including the State of
    Michigan and Federal agencies, to co-manage the resource
    because it is shared. But, you know, first and foremost, as a
    sovereign tribal nation, our goal is to do it well enough to do
    it alone if we had to, and so that is really what we continue
    to push for with this funding.
        Mr. Joyce. Again, thank you all for being here. I yield
    back.
        Ms. Pingree. Mr. Amodei.
        Mr. Amodei. Thank you, Madam Chair. President Newland,
    thank you for your presentation. Very well spoken. I really
    appreciate the fact that part of it was reminding those of who
    were born in the 50s that you were born in the 70s. [Laughter.]
        Mr. Newland. The 70s were before I was born, Congressman.
    [Laughter.]
        Mr. Amodei. Thanks for putting an exclamation mark----
        [Laughter.]
        Mr. Amodei. I can see there are some things that there are
    no cultural differences about. [Laughter.]
        Governor Wassana, you have talked about land. You included
    some stuff in your testimony, and I am just wondering if maybe
    one of the things that those of us that represent districts in
    the West where the United States government owns a lot of
    ground, occasionally we resort to a thing called the Lands
    Bill. And since none of this is happening very fast, which is
    not unusual for Indian Country, and we talked about the last
    panel about that, so I won't put you through that again.
        But I am wondering if perhaps maybe your tribes would be a
    good test case for this committee to say give us the stuff that
    you think has been in the hopper for however long. Give us the
    legal descriptions. Tell us what estate you want, and let's do
    a lands bill, and if that one works, there is probably some
    interest for some other sovereign nations. And so even if it
    took 5 years to get through, it would be faster than the
    present trajectory. And so I am spit balling it here, but, I
    mean, it might be something to say, hey, basically, if Congress
    says we are conveying it to you, you get it in a specific bill.
        And so, and let me tell you why I am doing this. It is not
    because I am a smart guy. It is because I am a guy who shares
    the frustration in terms of how long it takes the Federal
    Government to act sometimes even if they agree with you, and so
    maybe it is something that is worth a try. And I certainly
    won't speak for the chair, the vice chair, or the ranking
    member, but it is like, hey, you know, you mentioned the four
    towns, and this one is 91 acres and that, it is like, mmh, what
    the heck? I am guessing if it was written the right way, you
    might get it through, and then we will just see who supports
    Indian Country and who doesn't. But anyhow, food for thought.
        Madam Historic Preservation Officer, when you were
    referring to those number of tribes and spots and stuff like
    that and that weren't being funded, who was it that you were
    referring to that wasn't funding them? Was it Parks? Was it
    BIA? Who was that?
        Ms. Grussing. The dedicated funding for tribal historic
    preservation officers comes from the historic preservation
    fund.
        Mr. Amodei. Okay.
        Ms. Grussing. Which is in the Interior bill.
        Mr. Amodei. Okay.
        Ms. Grussing. It is a----
        Mr. Amodei. So it is the Park Service.
        Ms. Grussing. Yeah, Park Service. It is a division of that.
    So state historic preservation officers also get----
        Mr. Amodei. So if we wanted to do something about that, we
    would go to the Park Service and go, here is this for that.
        Ms. Grussing. The total amount appropriated for the
    historic preservation fund comes from here. So there are civil
    rights grants. There are historically black colleges. There are
    State historic preservation officers. There are a number of
    pieces of the pie, but it has gotten, I will be honest with
    you, disproportionate in the amount of competitive grants. And
    no one is going to say that something like civil rights grants
    need less money, but they don't need a 75 percent increase. And
    then also there is a new pot this year of civil rights grants
    for all Americans instead of just African-Americans. Our
    members don't have time to apply for additional competitive
    grants. They just don't. They need an operating budget, and
    that is what this is.
        Mr. Amodei. Well, because I got to tell you, I mean, we
    have got a lot of tribes in Nevada, and we have got a State
    historic preservation officer in Nevada, and I am not blaming
    any of them. This is the first time I have heard of a tribal
    historic preservation officer. So if we want to help you----
        Ms. Grussing. Right.
        Mr. Amodei [continuing]. That is where we go. Okay.
        Ms. Grussing. When THPOs get funded, it lessens the burden
    on CHPOs.
        Mr. Amodei. Got you.
        Ms. Grussing. It is less work for State historic
    preservation officers when tribes can do their own work.
        Mr. Amodei. Thank you. I yield back, Madam Chair.
        Ms. Pingree. Thank you all for your presentations. I have
    learned a lot from you today, and I concur with everything my
    colleague said. I am on the Agriculture Committee, so we think
    a lot about diseased animals, and you brought up a lot of good
    questions. We don't have chronic wasting disease yet in Maine.
    We have a terrible problem with ticks in our moose and deer,
    and certainly fully understand the issues that you are talking
    about, so I am happy to do a little more work on that. And
    thank you for filling us in more about the lack of funding for
    historic preservation.
        I am extremely sorry about what happened on the border wall
    and the, devastation there, and I am increasingly interested
    about this topic. I think we should all be. And I have heard
    more people discussing it in my home State about who owns
    tribal artifacts, how to appropriately take care of them in
    museums. And there are an awful lot of questions that I think
    should be discussed. So I won't ask you all of them today, but
    maybe I will give you a call since you are here in Washington,
    D.C. So thank you both for your articulate testimony. I hope we
    figure out a way to get that land back.
         Voice. I like the idea, though.
        Ms. Pingree. Yeah. No, it is a good one. And we will
    dismiss this panel. Thank you very much for being here today.
        Voice. Thank you.
        Ms. Pingree. Okay. We will keep going, and very grateful to
    have all of you here today. So we will just go ahead with Mr.
    Johnstone. We will start with you.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                     NORTH WEST INDIAN FISHERIES COMMISSION

                                    WITNESS

    ED JOHNSTONE, TREASURER, NORTH WEST INDIAN FISHERIES COMMISSION
        Mr. Johnstone. Thank you. Thank you, Chair. I want to
    acknowledge my congressman from the 6th District of Washington
    State, the 6th District where my grandfather was born in 1877
    on Dungeness Spit, Makkalum Indian, with an English father from
    Victoria. In that year 1877, his folks, his mom and dad both
    perished, and he was raised by his aunt. 1877 was 12 years
    before statehood in the State of Washington, and thankfully the
    United States had a vision of the West. But they learned after
    they came to this country on the shores of the East Coast and
    the contact by these people that came to these shores, they
    were treated, you know, in a good way. But that westward
    expansion history of the United States is not very good towards
    our people.
        And when they came to the West after Lewis and Clark in
    1804 and 1805, they figured they had to do it a different way,
    and there were still a lot of terrible things happening, and we
    signed treaties in 1854 and 1855. Isaac Stevens was sent out to
    do that, and the date and time really resonates with me because
    of my grandfather's birth in 1877. And Billy Frank, Jr., who
    sat at this table many times, and others talked about the
    treaties and what it means to us, and told us at different
    times that the treaties were signed so that there could be a
    State of Washington, that there could be cities and counties,
    there could be municipalities, there could be colleges and
    universities. But they forgot about us, us Indians, as Billy's
    words are always in my ear and in my heart.
        In this committee right here, we have done a lot of work
    over the times, and I was proud to say that I worked with
    Congressman Norm Dicks for the 6th, and that we saw great
    changes in the way we would do business around here. And we
    prevailed in some very tough times in these different
    Presidents and different congresses. And very happy and proud
    to say that this committee has stood with Indian Country, stood
    with us when we looked at the quiet crisis and the broken
    promises, the renewal of the quiet crisis in December of 2018
    that my congressman had a voice in. And your support is very
    much appreciated.
        To the degree that you came out to our homelands and this
    committee visited us, the chair, and the ranking member, and
    others came to our villages, to our homelands, and witnessed
    what we put on paper, this valuable testimony that we write,
    what you heard from CORA, what you hear from the Great Lakes,
    what you hear from our tribes. You know, sitting here for a
    couple of hours, your heart just pours out in crisis for our
    people, for our food, for our burial grounds, for our
    subsistence, subsistence that is wound into our request here in
    our written testimony. Complicated agreements between the
    United States and Canada, Pacific Salmon Commission. A lot of
    what we do is heavily laden with technical work that needs to
    be done, and I am talking about the Pacific Salmon Treaty. I am
    talking about the young man that talked about rights
    protection, you know. You are going to see rights protection in
    here in a couple of places in our testimony.
        Pacific Salmon Commission. You are going to see in our
    written testimony we talked about hatcheries. Hatcheries are
    more important than ever with the demise of our habitat,
    hatcheries, habitat, in order for us to have harvest. We get
    deep into the weeds of management because we are the co-
    managers of the resource, the co-owner with the State of
    Washington that those treaties, the United States said here to
    you, your designation document when you became a State in 1889.
    That relationship requires us to heavily, heavily regulate it
    right down the line.
        And, you know, what we put in the request is threaded with
    all these different places that you would see us in U.S. Fish
    and Wildlife, and Parks, and you would see us in Interior BIA.
    And, you know, I think what we have learned over time is when
    you look at the staffs that you employ and the relationships,
    when we come through and talk to you, it is about how do we
    work together to relay that information. How do we tell our
    story, as Billy Frank would say, to connect this, you know, to
    give you the information where you can stand up for the work
    that you do in this committee for us Indians, us that rely on
    that assistance?
        I don't have much more of a message from that. You know, I
    go through these talking points, and I talked about the pools
    of monies. That is so important: EPA, geographic funds through
    EPA for Puget Sound. The mass marking, you know, requirements
    under the treaty with Canada, and assessment work that we can
    tell what is happening out here where our salmon go to
    eventually come home, which is really burdened now by the ever-
    changing conditions of that habitat. And those things are
    really troubling where you see that in these documents when
    they talk about climate.
        And I appreciate your time. I really respect everybody that
    works so hard for us. Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Johnstone follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree. Thank you. Mr. Red Star Wolf.
        Mr. Wolf. Jeremy Wolf.
        Ms. Pingree. Jeremy Wolf.
        Mr. Wolf. Red Star is my Indian name.
        Ms. Pingree. I see it is either Jeremy Wolf or Red Star,
    yeah. Go ahead.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                  COLUMBIA RIVER INTER-TRIBAL FISH COMMISSION

                                    WITNESS

    JEREMY RED STAR WOLF, CHAIRMAN, COLUMBIA RIVER INTER-TRIBAL FISH
        COMMISSION
        Mr. Wolf. I am the vice chair of the Umatilla Tribe, also
    the chair of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission,
    and I wanted to thank you for assembling this panel. The Treaty
    Resource Commission's Inter-Tribal Commission, we have long
    histories together, and I want to continue those collaborations
    into the future.
        So as the CRITFC tribes, it consists of the Umatilla, the
    Yakima, the Nez Perce, and the Warm Springs tribes. So the
    tribes, we are active managers in an area equal to size of
    State of Georgia, spanning across 3 time zones, so it is quite
    an endeavor, a challenge that we take on. Collectively, we work
    obviously on fisheries, but in a more overall sense, it is for
    our first foods. And we identify our foods with water, fish,
    deer, roots, and berries, and those also have animals and
    species that fit underneath them categorically. And there is
    water which serves as the life food for everything, the fish
    which are the aquatic species, the deer which are the
    terrestrial species that live above the ground, and the roots,
    the plants to grow underneath the ground, and then the berries
    which survive above.
        And so those take us in time and space, and we address
    those not only culturally and throughout the seasons, but we
    address those scientifically. So we have been able to identify
    how these are affected, and that goes into climate change
    resilience. And how we address these things is not only
    expressed throughout our culture and how we gather these things
    in time and space, but how we can define it and communicate
    that to the contemporary world as well.
        Another collective goal that we have is workforce
    development for our people. So we have over 700 members, 700
    tribal employees between the tribes, and it is something that I
    think goes to say a lot towards what we are trying to
    accomplish, not only for the employees, but our youth that are
    up and coming. We want to make sure that we are training our
    youth as they come up, training our youth not only in the
    workforce, but we also have a salmon camp that we have every
    year for the middle school. So that is something that we are
    trying to address so we can speak on these first foods, speak
    on the things that are important to us.
        So BIA's Columbia River fisheries management budget
    supports the core fishery program efforts of CRIFTC and our
    member tribes, which span across 3 time zones, as stated. We
    request an increase of $5 million over the current levels of a
    new program at a base budget of $10.7 million. This increase
    will prioritize support for enforcement, harvest monitoring,
    implementation of our four primary agreements, including the
    negotiations to modernize the Columbia River treaty. The
    Columbia River treaty is something that I am specifically
    delegated to as far as CRIFTC goes, and my Umatilla Tribe has
    been asked to be a part of the most recent Cranbrook
    negotiations as a technical advisor, and was able to express
    the first foods that I just briefly described; but also what we
    have deemed through the regional recommendation, which is a
    recommendation addressed through not only State, but Federal
    and tribal, entities.
        Fifteen tribes are identified, U.S. tribes identified as
    Columbia River treaty tribes, also working with the First
    Nations. But I think it is really important that the tribes
    themselves be a part of this negotiation as we were not a part
    of the original negotiation. So that is something that is
    really important that we move forward because that is going to
    be the lifeblood. It is going to be the water flows that are
    necessary in a very unnatural system for the returns and all
    that we have invested as far as the fish coming back.
    Ecosystem. Proper ecosystem flows is going to be really
    important.
        So also I am going to just touch on a few things here, but
    climate change resilience is something I think that is very
    important for us moving forward. It goes right along with our
    first foods concepts that we have. And we have had some issues
    recently concerning first foods, but one thing I guess I wanted
    to kind of get into is the people that are being affected. And
    one of the things that goes along with that is the treaty
    fishing access sites that we have underneath. I want to thank
    the Congress themselves for Public Law 1699. It is the Columbia
    River In-Lieu Treaty Fishing Site Improvement Act. So with
    that, we will be addressing the sites and O&M funding. We
    recently talked to the BIA about where those would fit and
    where those funds would best be allocated. But we also want to
    ensure that the operating and maintenance monies are addressed
    as well.
        So with that, I also wanted to, with the time running out
    here, I just wanted to say that our chair, Cath Brigham, who
    was supposed to be here tomorrow, just wanted to say that she
    gives her regards, but she is not able to make it. We recently
    had some devastating floods in the Umatilla River, unforeseen
    in recorded history, so we have a lot of homes that were lost.
    We had one lady who lost her life in the community. But she
    will not be able to attend, but we did provide our written
    testimony for that. But it does go to say that it is a part of
    the changing climate that we have and why we need to ensure
    that we are adequately funded to address those issues.
        Tribes have proven to be at the forefront of all these
    issues, so I just want to thank you for your time.
        [The statement of Mr. Wolf follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree. Thank you very much. Mr. Isham.
        Mr. Isham. Isham.
        Ms. Pingree. Isham.
        Mr. Isham. The nuns would say it that way, but I never
    corrected them, so. [Laughter.]
        Ms. Pingree. You can't mistake me for a nun.
        Mr. Isham. I was scared of them.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                 GREAT LAKES INDIAN FISH & WILDLIFE COMMISSION

                                    WITNESS

    MICHAEL ``MIC'' ISHAM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GREAT LAKES INDIAN FISH &
        WILDLIFE COMMISSION
        Mr. Isham. [Speaking native language.] Greetings, Madam
    Chair and committee. My name is Michael ``Mic'' Isham, Jr. I am
    a citizen of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior
    Chippewa Indians, and I am currently serving as the executive
    administrator of the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife
    Commission, or GLIFWC for short. And I want to thank you for
    the opportunity to testify on behalf of GLIFWC.
        For those of you who may not know us, GLIFWC is a natural
    resource agency that represents 11 member Ojibwe tribes, these
    areas here in what are now known as Wisconsin, Michigan, and
    Minnesota. GLIFWC represents over 43,000 tribal citizens, and
    GLIFWC, with our Federal and State partners, co-manage the
    resources in over 32-and-a-half million acres of land this
    land. This land encompasses 60,000 square miles of our
    ancestral homeland where we continue to hunt, fish, and gather
    as we have for thousands of years.
        And in the mid-1800s, the GLIFWC member tribes entered into
    several treaties with the United States of America. Our tribes
    entered into military alliance treaties, not against, alliance,
    and still to this day we are in the armed forces in large
    numbers. Besides the military alliance treaties, we also
    entered into a lot of cession treaties. And in cession
    treaties, we sold many things to the United States of America,
    such as billions of board feet of timber, minerals, ports,
    gravel, and eventually millions of acres of land, which added
    to, and continue to add to, the United States Treasury. In
    those treaties, however, we did not sell, and, in fact,
    specifically retain those rights to use the land as we always
    have--hunting, fishing, gathering, as you have heard from the
    other treaty commissions--and also to maintain our traditional
    life ways, and we never sold our sovereignty.
        However, for hundreds of years or so after the signing of
    these treaties, and as the States became more established, the
    opposition to the exercise of our off-reservation treaty rights
    grew. It took court action in the 70s, before chairman was born
    in the 70s there, 80s and 90s to get our rights reaffirmed. The
    Gerno case on Lake Superior, the Lac Courte Oreilles v.
    Wisconsin case, and the Mille Lacs v. Minnesota court cases all
    were decided in favor of the tribes. The courts all agreed that
    the tribes' right to hunt, fish, and gather off reservation was
    guaranteed by treaty.
        Another thing the courts all agreed on was that these
    resources are now shared resources, which also other people had
    touched on. And so the tribes, along with our State and Federal
    Partners, must work together to ensure both State and tribal
    harvest occur in a manner that does not deplete the resources,
    and that decisions relative to the land use to be done together
    as well. This is why GLIFWC was formed.
        GLIFWC assisted our member tribes in implementing those
    treaty-retained rights consistent with all those court decrees,
    such as working with our State and Federal partners on harvest
    quotas and season parameters, along with land use decisions
    that will help keep those subsistence harvest free from
    environmental contaminants. For 35 years since GLIFWC was
    formed, you, Congress, specifically this committee, has
    supported GLIFWC and the other treaty commissions with funding
    through a rights protection implementation line item. On behalf
    of my family, on behalf of my tribe and all the tribes and
    families that I represent, I want to thank you all for that
    support. [Speaking native language.] Big thank you.
        Good science and culturally-based natural resource
    management with a goal of clean and plentiful harvest does not
    just benefit the tribal citizenry. The people of the North
    Woods also should be up here thanking you because those
    programs that GLIFWC administer benefit them as well. The Great
    Lakes Restoration Initiative, or GLRI, is one program I wanted
    to specifically thank you for. The GLRI is a very important
    program for our member tribes, and the congressional language
    that provides for a distinct tribal program will help ensure
    that tribes have the flexibility to develop the programs that
    are highest priorities to their own communities.
        This bipartisan effort by Congress to protect and restore
    the Great Lakes will not get much news, although it probably
    should because obviously the fighting is what gets the news.
    But, again, certainly it should get some news. Now, before I
    left for Washington, D.C., we have a tribal Facebook page, and
    there was a recent post on there with at tribal harvest of
    walleye, and the heading read, ``We will be eating well
    tonight.'' And what was most encouraging in that picture was
    the fact that it was a grandfather, a father, and a daughter
    that participated in this harvest. The intergenerational aspect
    of this activity, coupled with the knowledge gained from our
    GLIFWC biologists that it is a safe and clean harvest and they
    can eat it, shows the success of our collective efforts.
        Our success is your success, and with continued support our
    RPI line item, the success will hopefully continue for seven
    generations and beyond. Megwitch [Speaking native language].
    Thank you for listening to me.
        [The statement of Mr. Isham follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Pingree. Thank you very much. Thank you all very much.
    Mr. Kilmer, do you have any questions?
        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you, Madam Chair, and, Mr. Johnstone, I
    want to thank you and the North West Indian Fisheries
    Commission for your terrific leadership in protecting treaty
    rights in our region, and for the time you spent with Ranking
    Member Joyce and with Chairwoman McCollum when they came out to
    the district. The work you are doing is just so vital in
    recovering our salmon populations, and I actually do want to
    thank our chair and ranking member for taking the time to come
    out and really take the time to understand some of the
    challenges we face. In your written testimony, you wrote about
    the salmon and Steelhead Habitat Inventory and Assessment
    Program, and I was hoping you could just take a second and talk
    about how that helps to inform the recovery efforts that the
    Indian Fisheries Commission is taking the lead on.
        Mr. Johnstone. Thank you, Congressman, especially for
    mentioning the North West Fish Commission, which I failed to do
    when I opened up this panel. What it does is it is a shop that
    is housed at the North West Indian Fish Commission, and it is
    tied directly with our GIS programming. And, you know, the
    dynamics of that, you know, I can tell what the outcome is, but
    the inner working is we do an assessment on those watersheds. I
    mean, that is what that inventory talks about, and salmon and
    steelhead. And so that gets into the basic ecology piece of
    those individual streams.
        And then we take that into our shop, and we use that GIS
    programming and we use our planning, and put it together. It is
    called the ``State of the Watershed.'' It is a document about
    this, and we are just about ready to roll out the third
    iteration. And in our Puget Sound area in the coast is the
    document, now that the State agencies, the WDFW, ecology, so
    forth. In the Federal Government, it is the bible. We have done
    the work, you heard Mic say, and Jeremy, and others that our
    work is top notch. And once that is assembled and we put out
    that document, others don't even try to do it anymore. That is
    the go-to document. Real critical, and you see that in that
    request.
        And we had a little bit of trouble maintaining that, and
    now we have got it well placed in BIA. And, you know, it is
    very important, and we appreciate that we are on kind of firm
    ground right now.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you. I will also just thank you for
    referencing the great leader, Billy Frank, Jr. I have a
    painting that is just of his face that is in my office, and I
    am conscious that he is watching us, so thank you. I yield
    back.
        Ms. Pingree. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you all for being
    here, and, Mic, thank you for your support on the Great Lakes
    Restoration Initiative. I was wondering if you could tell us
    how GLRI has helped the tribal community there, how the funds
    are allocated, and who makes the decisions.
        Mr. Isham. Some of it is capacity, so we can----
        Mr. Joyce. Also whether you are happy with the process.
    [Laughter.]
        Mr. Isham. We are happy with the process. Some of it is
    capacity money, which allows us to hire some experts that, you
    know, can work on Great Lakes issues. It also helps us get to
    the table where decisions are made. You heard talk about
    consultations earlier or listening sessions. When you are
    actually at the table when the decisions are being made, that
    helps a lot. You know about the project up in Michigan, the
    Buffalo Reef restoration project. We have a lot of money
    invested in that from our budget, but the biologists and people
    that work on it we kind of fund with some GLRI money.
        Now, the new language, the congressional language that is
    in there talks about a distinct tribal program, and so although
    it is not up and running yet, we are working on it, and
    hopefully that funding will allow us to kind of tweak the
    program to kind of fit our own needs instead of trying to fit
    into what the EPA needs are. You know, all the lakes are
    different. We are up in Lake Superior, and it is pretty clean
    up there, so how do you get funding when things are clean? You
    got to mess it up to restore it, so we pushed for protection
    and things like that, but we will see where it goes. We are
    very hopeful with that new language in the bill.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you all for coming.
        Ms. Pingree. Mr. Amodei.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you all for coming, and I appreciate your
    time.
        Mr. Amodei. Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. Isham, I appreciate
    you answering that question because some of our colleagues
    accuse my colleague here from Ohio of being a one-trick pony
    for the Great Lakes, in good fun. And so now I can help protect
    him to say, well, I have been in a hearing where, by gosh, you
    know, blah, blah, blah. So I appreciate your helping him out a
    little bit on that. And beyond that, I have nothing of more
    substance than that. So, Madam Chair, I yield back.
        Ms. Pingree. That is great. Well, I just appreciate all of
    your testimony. Thank you so much for talking about issues that
    are so vital to all of us and for acknowledging the committee's
    support. I think you would find on both sides of the aisle we
    are very concerned about all of the issues that you brought up
    with us today, and look forward to working with you. Thank you
    very much.
        Voice. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum [presiding]. Perfect. Thank you for coming. I
    think we have all the paperwork in order now. Welcome, and
    thank you. This is our last panel of the day, and so I am sure
    you heard Ms. Pingree when she was chairing. I just remind
    people we have a timer, and it is for 5 minutes. And when it
    goes yellow, you have 1 minute remaining, and so if you start
    thinking about wrapping things up. And then when it is red, and
    I want to thank you for your patience and everything because
    with the votes and all that, I know you waited a while to
    testify. So thank you so much for that.
        So with that, to speed things up a little bit, I will let
    Mr. Whitehead introduce himself and go right into his
    testimony, and then we will go right down the line. Mr.
    Whitehead?
                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                ASSINIBOINE AND SIOUX RURAL WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM

                                    WITNESS

    BILL WHITEHEAD, BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CHAIRMAN, ASSINIBOINE AND SIOUX
        RURAL WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM
        Mr. Whitehead. All right. Madam Chair and members of the
    committee, my name is Bill Whitehead. I am the chairman of the
    Board Assiniboine and Sioux Rural Water System created by----
        Ms. McCollum. We are going to turn your mike on there.
    Thank you, sir.
        Mr. Whitehead. I hope I don't have to repeat that.
    [Laughter.]
        Ms. McCollum. You are good.
        Mr. Whitehead. Okay. Yes, we were recruited by the Fort
    Peck Tribal Council. I am also joined by the general manager of
    the project and our general trainer, Major Russell. Our project
    was authorized by Public Law 106 in December 2000. We are
    completely fixed with running of the project. We are on budget
    and close to the finish line. Our project will be the first in
    the Nation of a reauthorized rural water project to finish
    construction. I have been informed that our project is highly
    regarded by the Bureau of Reclamation due to it adherence to
    budgets, schedules, Federal rules, and quality of construction.
        Actually, my board will oversee all the functions of the
    project within Fort Peck Indian Reservation. We operate a safe
    and reliable drinking water system for 31,000 residents of
    northeastern Montana in an area larger than New Jersey, and
    just smaller than Massachusetts, which also covers four
    counties in northeastern Montana.
        When completed, our water treatment plant will deliver
    water through 3,200 miles of pipeline on the Fort Peck Indian
    Reservation and throughout the adjoining Dry Prairie Rural
    Water System. The project uses our water rights in the Missouri
    River as confirmed by a water compact with the State of Montana
    in 1989. Dry prairies are operated and they have been with us
    for 25 years. Together we have improved the understanding of
    our cultural differences, and we work hand in hand in a
    historic relationship for a common purpose.
        I always maintained that our water project through our
    treaty rights enables us to provide water for Indians, non-
    Indians, Democrats, and Republicans----
        Ms. McCollum. Great.
        Mr. Whitehead [continuing]. You know, in one of the most
    cooperative manners that I have ever experienced. Dry Prairie
    shares in the cost of operating state-of-the-art facilities in
    rural communities to secure funds for the project. We meet
    quarterly on project construction and operating issues. Rural
    Water is very committed is very committed to maintaining the
    state-of-the-art infrastructure, which is held in trust by the
    United States. When Dry Prairie is delivering drinking to a
    joint system valued at $350 million to meet our responsibility
    to the Assiniboine and Sioux Rural Water Supply System, employs
    19 highly-skilled tribal members, including certified operators
    for the water treatment plant and the pipeline district niche
    system.
        All Federal and State standards for water quality are
    consistently met. We [Audio malfunction in hearing room] to
    ensure there is no disruption in service and are proud of that
    record. As a community organizer for the last 50 years, I
    recognize and applaud the example our employees are setting for
    your young people on the reservation where opportunity has been
    wanting. Our employees are reliable, dedicated, and highly
    skilled with modern technology. They are advancing the hopes
    and dreams of our community's next generation.
        The project is a success at every level, and we have a
    responsibility to keep it that way and make perpetual
    improvements for the benefit of the tribal members and other
    residents of northeastern Montana rely upon this all-community
    approach we need for continued success of the project. We were
    never short of funds thanks to the work of this committee. In
    2021, the amount needed $3.2 million. We thank you for
    recognizing our needs for the past 10 years of operation and
    for the time you are spending with us.
        I would be remiss if I didn't mention that upon this
    successful attaining of funds that you have helped us with, our
    congressional delegation, we have evolved to a point of
    understanding. When we first started 20 years ago, we didn't
    recognize that Keystone pipeline was coming along, and we are
    very concerned about that when you take in consideration the 13
    schools, four hospitals, and the 30,000 people there. It may
    not seem like much when you live in an urban area, but out
    there where we live at, it is so valuable. And I just wanted to
    put that on record that we are concerned about whatever
    happens. You know, pipes will break, and I just wanted to leave
    that with you. Thank you very much.
        [The statement of Mr. Whitehead follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Francis.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

          UNITED SOUTH AND EASTERN TRIBES SOVEREIGNTY PROTECTION FUND

                                    WITNESS

    KIRK FRANCIS, PRESIDENT, UNITED SOUTH AND EASTERN TRIBES SOVEREIGNTY
        PROTECTION FUND
        Mr. Francis. Good afternoon, Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking
    Member Joyce, and my home State congresswoman, Ms. Pingree. It
    is great to see you again. My name is Kirk Francis. I am
    currently serving as the president of the United South and
    Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund representing tribes
    from Maine to Florida to Texas. I am also the chief of the
    Penobscot Indian Nation.
        We are here today, as we are every year, with the Federal
    Government's failings in delivering upon the obligations to
    tribal nations and native people. This failure has persisted
    regardless of changes in Administration or Congress despite
    numerous reports, investigations, recommendations, and
    consistent advocacy from Indian country, and, of course, the
    great work of people like that around this committee.
        In 2003, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights issued ``The
    Quiet Crisis Report,'' which found that, ``Measured by honor of
    funding commitments, none of the agencies reviewed met its
    obligations to tribal nations.'' In 2003, Congress and the
    Administration had that information and the opportunity to
    reverse course, yet the ``Broken Promises Report'' issued in
    December 2018 by the commission found that, ``The funding of
    the Federal trust responsibility and obligation remains grossly
    inadequate in a barely perceptible and decreasing percentage of
    agency budgets.'' By some measures, since 2003, we have
    actually lost ground on tribal sovereignty and self-
    determination.
        This is not a question about addressing poverty and needs
    across Indian Country. Our relationship with the United States
    is ultimately about honor, fulfilling commitments and its
    promises. So when will we truly pay the debt to tribal nations
    owed in perpetuity for the extensive lands and resources ceded
    by our ancestors? Deep and chronic failures require bold,
    systematic changes.
        The solutions we offer involve a fundamental shift in
    Federal Indian policy and funding. They will allow Indian
    Country to realize its great potential and create lasting,
    positive change for tribal nations and our people.
    Additionally, an appropriately strong and just domestic
    investment into Indian Country benefits America as well.
        It is critical that the Administration propose and Congress
    demand budgets containing full funding for all Federal Indian
    agencies and programs. Given our history and unique
    relationship, this funding can no longer be subject to the
    instability of discretionary spending. In the short term, we
    are urging the passage of legislation providing advanced
    appropriations for IHS and BIA. In the long-term, we must
    achieve full and mandatory funding for all Federal Indian
    agencies and programs.
        The processes under which OMB develops budgets and policies
    that impact us also require reform. We believe a strong tribal
    affairs office should be created at OMB. In concert with this
    office, OMB must be required to produce a full, detailed
    accounting of the funding distributed to Indian Country,
    including only what tribal nations access, not what funds were
    technically available for them. As are other agencies, OMB must
    also be subject to the consultation requirements. As Congress
    once again discusses an infrastructure package, it must include
    the rebuilding of tribal nation infrastructures and economies
    similar to the U.S. investment in rebuilding post-world War II
    Europe in the Marshall Plan. The legislative and executive
    branches should commit to the same investment to rebuild tribal
    nations given that our current circumstances are a direct
    result of the acts and policies of the United States.
        Regarding our priorities for Fiscal Year 2021, we urge the
    prioritization of the trust obligation in the 302(b) allocation
    for Interior. For BIA, our region's funding priorities are
    included in our written testimony. We continue to be frustrated
    by the Administration's refusal to include a calculation of
    BIA's unfunded obligations in the budget formulation process.
    In addition, we join others throughout Indian Country in
    advocating for funding within the Interior and CJs bills for
    risk management measures to protect tribal sovereign immunity.
        For IHS, again, our regional priorities are in our written
    testimony. We are working with other tribal advocates, though,
    and the IHS to calculate the true unfunded obligations of the
    Agency. We are projected to be far lower than the current
    figure of approximately 50 percent. Finally, we urge the
    subcommittee in the strongest possible terms to provide
    separate and indefinite appropriations for 105(l) leasing. Our
    healthcare should not suffer due to the Agency's inability to
    accurately predict these costs.
        So in closing, it is time for a comprehensive overhaul of
    the trust relationship and obligations, one that results in
    promises kept to tribal nations. Keeping promises starts with
    ensuring that Federal spending better reflects trust and treaty
    obligations. I want to thank you all again for having me here,
    and on behalf of our organization, we are happy to answer any
    questions.
        [The statement of Mr. Francis follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Carlson.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                          INTERTRIBAL BUFFALO COUNCIL

                                    WITNESS

    ERVIN CARLSON, PRESIDENT, INTERTRIBAL BUFFALO COUNCIL
        Mr. Carlson. Good afternoon, Madam Chair, honorable members
    of the Committee and the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment,
    and Related Agencies. My name is Erwin Carlson, and I am member
    of the Blackfeet Nation and president of the InterTribal
    Council. I am here today to respectfully request an increase of
    $12,600,000 in funding for the Tribal Buffalo Restoration and
    Management. This amount added to the current funding level of
    $1,400,000 will increase funding for Fiscal Year 2021 to $14
    million.
        Buffalo are sacred to American Indians. Historical records
    can indicate that American Indians relied heavily on buffalo
    for survival. Buffalo provided us food, shelter, clothing, and
    essential tools. In the early 1800s, the buffalo population in
    North America exceeded 30 million, and the American Indian
    population was near 7 million. By the turn of the century, only
    500 Buffalo survived, and the Indian population was reduced to
    250,000. With confinement of Indians to reservation lands,
    Indians lost their primary food source, lifestyle, and
    independence.
        Recovery from this devastation began in earnest in 1991
    when a handful of Indian tribes organized the InterTribal Bison
    Cooperative, now the InterTribal Buffalo Council. To begin
    restoration of buffalo with the Indian tribes, today the ITCB
    is comprised of 69 tribes with populations totaling 1 million
    tribal members across 19 States with 55 buffalo herds,
    collectively, the largest herd in the United States. ITBC has
    received Federal appropriations since 1992 in the form of
    earmark, inclusion in the President's budget, or through DOI
    administrative action. Funding has been stagnant for many years
    now with $1 million for herd development grants and $400,000
    for administration. Actually for the past 10 years.
        The Bureau of Indian Affairs has had discretion over the
    actual amount of funding allocated to ITBC from various line
    items in the BIA budget. ITBC has worked to create a permanent
    buffalo restoration and management program within the Bureau of
    Indian Affairs with an authorization for an annual
    appropriation. Representatives Don Young, Deb Haaland, Tom
    Cole, and Norma Torres introduced the Indian Buffalo Management
    Act, and the hearing was held last week before the House
    Resources Subcommittee for indigenous people. The
    Administration testified that it agreed with the authorization
    for an annual appropriation for buffalo restoration and
    management.
        At the request of, and I must say, at the request of the
    Department of Interior, ITBC compared its funding with other
    wildlife programs, and primarily the fish commissions, exceed
    $140 million from various branches of the Federal Government
    last year. This level of funding is largely based on the well-
    known Boldt decision that awarded co-management over salmon to
    tribes and States, and that declared the security of ending
    fishing rights. A review of the Boldt decision supports all
    American Indians having a right to their traditional foods,
    including the return of buffalo to tribes.
        ITBC seeks Federal Government commitment through
    meaningful, full funding for tribes to restore, manage, and
    consume buffalo. Additionally, the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868
    guaranteed tribes access to buffalo so long as buffalo may
    range. Meaningful funding for buffalo restoration and
    management provides an opportunity for the Federal Government
    to honor this treaty provision. Recently, the United States
    Supreme Court upheld another provision in the Fort Laramie
    Treaty regarding hunting rights in the Herrera case. Increased
    funding will enhance ITBC's herd development grants to tribes
    for tribal infrastructure, including job creation, fencing
    corrals, handling facilities, and supplemental feed, all to
    provide buffalo to a larger segment of the Indian community.
    The act will also allow ITBC to enhance technical services to
    tribes, create marketing opportunities, and for ITBC to serve
    as a more meaningful partner with other Federal agencies in
    national buffalo management issues.
        For tribes, the restoration of buffalo signifies much more
    than simply conservation of the national mammal. Tribes restore
    buffalo to counteract the near extinction that was similar to
    the tragic history of American Indians. The killing of the
    buffalo was an effort to exterminate the Indians. However,
    buffalo survived, and we are still here. The he Indians are
    still here.
        Now we need meaningful funding for the Buffalo to again
    provide food and economic opportunities for Indian tribes. And
    I thank you for allowing me once again to testify in front of
    you for buffalo and increased for them. Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Carlson follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Desautel.
                                  ----------

                                            Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

                           INTERTRIBAL TIMBER COUNCIL

                                    WITNESS

    CODY DESAUTEL, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, INTERTRIBAL TIMBER COUNCIL
        Mr. Desautel. Good afternoon, Madam Chair and members of
    the subcommittee. I am Cody Desautel. I am the natural resource
    director for the Colville Tribe, also a member there. And I am
    here to speak on behalf of the Intertribal Timber Council, who
    represents tribes across the United States and Alaska. It is a
    44-year-old organization that represents 18.7 million acres of
    woodlands and tribal forests.
        So from the outset, the ITC appreciates the committee's
    recognition of the importance of tribal force management. Your
    investment in Indian forest management directly improves the
    lives of Indian people in every region of the United States.
    Specifically, Indian forest management creates $3 for every
    dollar of Federal funding invested. It employs nearly 20,000
    people and manages wildlife habitat, provides clean water and
    air, and provides sources of culturally-important food and
    medicine for Indian people. Management of Indian forests also
    generate significant revenue for tribal governments to fund
    essential government search services, such as healthcare, law
    enforcement, and education. For example, my tribe specifically
    generated $15 million from stumpage revenue a couple years ago,
    so a significant amount of money.
        You might be surprised that 80 percent of all timber
    produced from the Department of interior lands come from Indian
    forests, yet this harvest level is only half of the sustainable
    annual target set by tribal governments. Imagine what tribes,
    big and small, would be able to do with twice the revenue and
    economic activity they see from current funding levels.
        Indian forestry literally multiplies investments from
    Congress and makes lives better. Chronic underfunding, however,
    limits the social, environmental, and economic potential of
    Indian forestry. Indian forests are funded at one-third of the
    per acre level of the U.S. Forest Service. As such, tribes have
    forgone over $700 million in stumpage revenue since 1991. For
    several years, this committee has made modest, but much-needed,
    increases to BIA forestry. Last year, the committee
    recommended, and Congress enacted, $118,000 reduction BIA
    forestry funding, and yesterday the Trump Administration
    released its Fiscal Year 2021 budget justification, which
    recommends a $1.3 million reduction in Indian forest
    management. ITC is concerned about the change in funding
    direction.
        Our full funding requests are in the written statement, so
    I will just mention a few highlights here. The BIA forestry
    account is divided into two parts: the tribal priority
    allocation and forest projects. We recommend a $5 million
    increased each of those. For TPA, a $5 million increase could
    hire 67 new foresters and increase tribal timber harvests by up
    to 295 million board feet, creating about 15,000 jobs based on
    our current harvest levels. For BIA forest projects, a $5
    million additional investment could reduce the backlog of
    forest thinning and reforestation that plagues Indian lands.
    These backlogs deprive Indian communities of vitally-needed
    jobs and income and forest health.
        I can personally tell you that large wildfires and
    subsequent replanting will add to the thinning backlog over the
    next 15 years. At Colville, we had, as our chairman stated to
    the committee earlier today, we burned 255,000 acres just on
    our 1.4 million acre reservation in 2015. So substantial forest
    fires investment are needed now. Reforestation. The BIA reports
    it has a backlog of 263,000 acres. But talking with the chief
    forester and staff, they are not completely confident in that
    number, so the number may be more. Every acre that remains on
    this backlog detracts from the tribe's ability to sustainably
    manage its forest for ecosystem services and revenue. Indian
    forests are also impacted by large wildfire suppression and
    recovery priorities. Tribes have historically struggled to
    obtain funds fast enough to rehabilitate their forests after
    wildfire. There is generally a 5-year window to replant after a
    fire. If that doesn't happen, those lands remain unproductive
    and become part of the reforestation backlog I just mentioned.
        ITC recommends a $10 million set aside within the
    Department of Interior for burned area rehabilitation,
    specifically for Indian forests that are burned. Again, as my
    chairman mentioned earlier, that pot is about $3.2 million
    nationally now. In just Washington and Oregon, Idaho, in 2015,
    we saw what was projected by the Department of Interior to be
    about a $55 million need for that year alone. For RTRL, the ITC
    also supports increasing DOI fuels management to $206 million.
    The Administration's for Fiscal Year 2021 budget justification
    appears to request a $35 million increase that would bring the
    fuels account to $228 million. Within this program, the ITC
    supports the continuation of the Reserved Treaty Rights Lands
    Program. Tribes use these funds for proactive fuels and forest
    health projects on neighboring Federal lands. To make this
    program more flexible, we would request that these funds to be
    usable on both Federal and trust lands.
        And in conclusion, I want to thank the committee, and you
    personally, for the attention you have paid the Indian forest
    management, and its potential to improve the lives of Indian
    people across the Nation. Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Desautel follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Thank you very much. Ms. Pingree, I know you
    have a meeting coming up. Do you want to take the first
    question?
        Ms.Pingree. Thank you very much. Thank you all for your
    testimony. You are all talking about resources that I think we
    feel committed to support, and I hope the chair and ranking
    member will pull in a considerable amount of money so we can
    fund more of these things. And I particularly appreciate Kirk
    Francis, Chief Francis, being here today. Thank you for the
    great work that you do in Maine. And I really enjoyed hearing
    your testimony because you didn't hold back, and you were there
    in the strongest of terms about all of the obligations that we
    are not meeting at this point. And we know the devastation and
    damage that does. So I think we will work very hard this year
    to see what we can do, and thank you again for being here.
        Mr. Francis. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you all for being here, and, I, too,
    President Francis, appreciate and am curious about your
    commentary on reforming the OMB. You probably have some friends
    up here on the panel who agree with you on that proposal.
        Ms. McCollum. Yeah.
        Mr. Joyce. I was just wondering how you think we can make
    them account for the funding to show that they are being fair
    to Indian Country? Maybe an annual GAO report would be helpful,
    but I am curious to hear your insight on this.
        Mr. Francis. So, you know, one of the things we have been
    trying to do at USET is work very hard on, you know, just trust
    modernization, but also being able to quantify what is exactly
    getting into Indian Country. How are the resources you all are
    working hard to appropriate, how are those being used? And when
    you look at the $3 billion BIA budget, for example, and we have
    an Interior right now that refused to participate and doesn't
    think it is their responsibility to show that they are
    impacting tribes in a positive way, or meeting their treaty
    obligations, trust obligations rather. So that is concerning in
    not being able to understand where the unfunded need are and
    all of that.
        But to your question, at OMB, we will get a cross-cut from
    them that will say $21 billion went to Indian Country, for
    example. That is not really reflective of exactly what is
    getting to Indian Country because you might have $3 billion of
    that that went to States in block grants or other things that
    tribes didn't know about. Now, in our region at USET, this is
    prevalent because relationships in the northeast with states
    and tribes is one that is growing still. And so I think tribes
    may not even understand those resources are in the State, so
    they may not be getting access to those.
        So we would just like a more detailed accounting from them
    of exactly what tribes are accessing, not what they were
    eligible for. And their stance on consultation is the executive
    orders don't apply, and so it has been challenging to sit down
    and really get that kind of accounting. And so I think we need
    more focus on exactly, and I am sure the committee would be
    concerned about between BIA and IHS, you know, where is the $9
    billion going. We know it is not enough, but we need to know
    exactly how you are spending it to meet the needs of Indian
    people, and that is not happening right now.
        Mr. Joyce. Well, I wholeheartedly agree with you that we
    need to have better oversight of how the money is being spent,
    and I think we can find some agreement here that we would like
    to work with you and the OMB in trying to get some bottom lines
    so we can better analyze where the money is going and how it is
    being spent. Thank you all again for being here.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Whitehead, I just have to admire your
    suit coat there. My grandfather had one, but it was black, and
    used to take me perch fishing up and around Fort Peck. So thank
    you for being here, and congratulations on all the work that
    you have done in the community to provide water for not just
    tribal nations, but for your neighbors. And we see your needs
    list here, so thank you for that.
        And I think, Mr. Joyce, you kind of summarized what I was
    going to say to Mr. Francis here. We know if your allocation,
    for example, our subcommittee's allocation, doesn't get any
    bigger this next year, we are going to be fighting just to keep
    on what we have and that we don't get cut. And that is not
    something that makes the members on this committee, as you
    know, both Democrats and Republicans, very happy because we
    want to see progress moving forward. The idea of really putting
    numbers down and seeing where they are going, I think, would be
    very helpful to this committee as well, too. When we ask
    questions, when we ask for school lists, when we ask for
    construction projects, we find ourselves not receiving the
    information we have requested. And then consultation as well,
    too. I am not a big fan of executive orders either, so I share
    your pain with those.
        Mr. Carlson, you are adding more school lunches with the
    buffalo. Congratulations.
        Mr. Carlson. We are trying to do that and get it out to
    [Audio malfunction in hearing room.]
        Ms. McCollum. I do my share of eating buffalo when I am
    back in Minnesota. We had a hearing on chronic wasting disease,
    and right now it does not seem like it is affecting buffalo
    herd. But just knowing that it is in Minnesota kind of going
    west, is that anything that you feel that more research or
    anything needs to be done on?
        Mr. Carlson. Well, you know, I think it would really help.
    It would really help, you know. You know, it hasn't affected
    any of our animals yet.
        Ms. McCollum. Right.
        Mr. Carlson. But you never know. I mean, it is moving west,
    and it would be a concern, you know, and be a devastating
    effect if it got into our herds.
        Ms. McCollum. So far, so good. None in buffalo, but as we
    know, sometimes these diseases sometimes all of a sudden will
    spring a surprise on you and cross over.
        Mr. Carlson. Yeah.
        Ms. McCollum. One of the things that I asked some of the
    other people on forestry is climate change is a concern.
    Climate change and invasive species sometimes go hand in hand.
    Sometimes it is just invasive species on their own. What you
    brought up with fire, I think, was a little surprising to me. I
    am going to look more into the backlog on that. So could you go
    over again what happens, you have got 5 years to replant, and
    then it goes into a backlog? What is special about those 5
    years that it didn't go into a backlog right away?
        Mr. Desautel. So BIA has allocated a certain amount of
    funding for burn area rehabilitation, but you are only eligible
    for that funding for 5 years past the containment date. If it
    isn't accomplished during that 5 years, then it just gets added
    to the BIA backlog, and that can be reforestation or thinning.
    But we have seen across the West, and it compounds every year,
    so if you have a big year like you did in 2015, there is $3.2
    that were allocated for that year, but the BIA speculated that
    there was a $55 million need. And if you look at that $3.2
    million over the next 5 years to support that, you still would
    not have had enough money, and that assumes you don't have any
    fires over those next 4 years.
        So what we tend to see is a compounding of unmet needs in
    Indian Country, and for those forested acres that were forested
    and don't see post-fire rehab, they tend to come back to
    something else other than forest, and they just don't
    contribute to the natural resource goals of many tribes. They
    want those to be perpetually productive forests, providing
    clean water, clean air----
        Ms. McCollum. Right.
        Mr. Desautel [continuing]. Cultural plants, all the things
    that are important to tribes.
        Ms. McCollum. That is good to know because the fire effects
    part of what we want to do is fix some of the other things that
    the Forest Service kept borrowing from. And as you know,
    forestry has a bit of a foot in this committee and also on the
    Ag Committee, so Ms. Pingree and I on the Ag Committee, as
    well, too. So we will be watching to see how that balances out.
    Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I didn't realize
    that. So that is what I love about these hearings. I always
    learn something.
        So thank you all for coming. Thank you again for your
    patience. It is not fun waiting around while we are off on the
    floor voting. So this concludes the afternoon hearing, and we
    stand adjourned until tomorrow morning begins at 9:00 a.m.
    Thank you.

                                          Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

             TESTIMONY OF INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS

                                  ----------

             AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE PUBLIC WITNESS DAY 2

                                   WITNESSES

    TERRY RAMBLER, CHAIRMAN, SAN CARLOS APACHE TRIBE
    TIMOTHY NUVANGYAOMA, CHAIR, HOPI TRIBE
    MICHELLE DEMMERT, CHIEF JUSTICE, CENTRAL COUNCIL TLINGIT AND HAIDA
        INDIAN TRIBES OF ALASKA
    TAMRA TRUETT JERUE, NATIVE VILLAGE OF ANVIK
        Ms.McCollum. Good morning, and welcome to the second day of
    public witness hearings on tribal programs under the
    jurisdiction of the Interior, Environment, and Appropriations
    Subcommittee.
        Once again, in the hopes of having a more in-depth focus on
    issues facing Indian Country, we have organized witnesses
    according to the following topics: healthcare, land, trust,
    national resource management, including climate change, public
    safety and justice, education, tribal government, and human
    services. Yesterday we heard from witnesses about the urgent
    need for healthcare and the important issues facing and
    impacting land, trust, natural resources, and climate change.
    This morning, we will begin with panels on public safety and
    justice issues, and conclude with witnesses on educational
    issues. This afternoon, we will welcome native leaders to
    discuss tribal government and human service issues.
        I welcome today's distinguished elected tribal leaders and
    non-elected tribal leaders, all who play an important role in
    educating others on native issues and challenges. The issues we
    will be hearing about this morning, once again, are part of
    treaty and trust obligations that the United States owes to
    Native Americans. Although the subcommittee has been focusing
    on increasing funding for public safety and justice issues, we
    know how much more is needed to address the unique challenges
    facing Indian tribes, such as being in rural, isolated areas,
    insufficient staffing, and salary challenges, and inadequate
    buildings. This morning, we will learn more about these needs.
        Unfortunately, the situation is the very same when it comes
    to education. We have a responsibility to provide a quality
    education and safe buildings to all students, and this is not
    happening in Indian Country with dilapidated buildings, teacher
    recruitment, and retention challenges, and, I might add, roads
    that are so bad, they cause delays, longer bus rides, and
    damaged equipment. These are just a few of the examples
    creating challenges to the education of Native American
    children. And similarly, tribal colleges have unique challenges
    compared to other colleges and universities. Yet these schools
    continue to operate and successfully graduate students, native
    and non-native, despite the obstacles they face.
        So I am eager to learn more about your priorities today
    along with the rest of the committee. We look forward to our
    discussions on these issues because I believe it will help
    inform us as we begin to develop our 2021 appropriations bill.
        Mr. Joyce will be joining us shortly, and out of respect
    for the people who have testified, he wishes for us to start so
    we don't delay people. And I thank Mr. Joyce for that courtesy
    to the committee and to all of you.
        So here are some logistics. I will call each panel of
    witnesses to the table. We have our first panel of
    distinguished witnesses already here. Each witness will have 5
    minutes to present testimony, and we will use a tracker to
    track the time. So when the light turns yellow, you have 1
    minute left, and when the light blinks red, I will lightly tap
    the gavel and ask the witnesses to conclude their remarks so
    the witnesses can begin. And I do mean lightly. I was maybe a
    little too light yesterday. So when you hear that, that is the
    light ``tap, tap, tap.'' I don't want to swing it down hard and
    cut you off mid-sentence as you are closing.
        Each witness, your full statement is in the book. We have
    access to it. We thank you for that, and I know sometimes you
    elaborate on other things important to your tribe and your
    region. We thank you for that information as well. So don't
    feel pressured to cover everything, and you are going to be
    getting some questions from us, too.
        I would like to remind our guests in the hearing room that
    committee rules prohibit the use of cameras and audio equipment
    during the hearing by individuals without a House-issued press
    credential. So when this morning's hearing concludes, we will
    adjourn. No, we will recess.
        Voice. We will adjourn.
        Ms. McCollum. We are going to adjourn? Okay. We got into
    this whole thing about recess and adjourning yesterday. I want
    to get it right. We are all in agreement. We are going to
    adjourn. We are going to adjourn and reconvene and 1:00 p.m.
    for the hearing this afternoon. With that, I am happy to yield
    to Mr. Kilmer, who says he wants to get right into testimony,
    so we will do that. We will not have any votes this morning, so
    that is why we won't be recessing. We will go straight to
    adjournment at 1:00 when we are done. So that is fabulous news
    for all of us.
        We will start with Mr. Rambler to introduce yourself. We
    won't count that against your time, and then we will start,
    just after your introduction, start right into your testimony.
    We found we gained time, and we didn't run as far behind rather
    than doing a double introduction with me doing one and then you
    doing one. Is that okay with everybody? Okay. Great. Mr.
    Rambler, will you lead us off?
        Mr. Rambler. Okay. Good morning. My name is Terry Rambler.
    I am the chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe located in
    Southeast Arizona. We are about 16,900 tribal members strong,
    and we are located in Gila and Graham and Pinal Counties. Our
    environment is very unique in that half of our area is desert
    environment and the other half is pine country, so it is very
    unique.
        The current size of our reservation is 1.8 million acres. I
    appreciate this opportunity to testify. My verbal testimony
    focuses on the following: one, the dire need for BIA to replace
    Building 86, which house our police department and tribal
    courts before BIA condemned it in 2009 without an adequate
    replacement. Two, the need to increase funding for BIA public
    safety and justice operations. Three, the need to support
    education for juvenile detainees. And four, the need to ensure
    that IHS can demolish its old hospital on our reservation
    without appropriations language preventing this.
        The BIA built Building 86 in the 1970s to house our police
    department and courts. The BIA owns Building 86 and had the
    responsibility to maintain it. In 2009, the BIA condemned it
    and tried to hand us the keys. BIA renovated a nearby Federal
    building and moved its investigators there. However, BIA left
    our police department and courts in this condemned building.
    Six years later, BIA finally moved our police department and
    courts into a modular building with the promise to permanently
    replace the facility. The BIA modular is not functional. The
    electricity and A/C go out consistently. The water and sewer
    doesn't work. The doors don't lock, and the walls and floors
    are flimsy. Here is a picture of our police officers in front
    of the modular building.
        Ms. McCollum. If you could move it a little closer. I thank
    you for bringing it.
        Mr. Rambler. I would ask you to walk in their shoes. What
    would you do if you and your staff had to work in 120 heat with
    no air conditioning, no running water, disgusting port-a-johns,
    and little workspace? What would you do if your constituents,
    including elderly and children, had to also deal with these
    conditions at the facility when they are already going through
    traumatic situations? We request an increase in funding for the
    replacement of public safety facilities in fiscal year 2021,
    and continue direction to BIA to replace condemned non-
    corrections facilities, including Building 86.
        Our committed law enforcement personnel risk their lives
    daily. Last year, the San Carlos Police Department handled
    almost 54,000 dispatch calls resulting in 32,000 calls for
    service and 3,000 arrests. Police patrolled over 323 miles. Our
    police officers work 12-hours shifts and overtime regularly.
    They endure extreme situations made worse by the lack of an
    adequate facility. To give you a sense of the conditions our
    officers face, here is a picture of our police officers
    blocking off a major road while working to contain a gang
    shooting, which also involved drugs and a hostage situation.
        We request an increase in funding in Fiscal Year 2021. The
    volume of law enforcement needs increases every year as we face
    countless rising costs. On our own, we provide classroom
    instruction for our most at-risk youth and have made much
    progress on a shoestring budget. Thank you for providing BIA
    with funding for juvenile detainee education. BIA has told us
    that it will only provide this funding to direct service
    tribes, not 638 tribes like us, who have worked to improve our
    self-governance on detention needs. We seek the committee's
    assistance so that we can access this funding. There is another
    picture there, an example of what can be done to turn young
    lives around. Here is a photo of a young man who earned his GED
    at the detention center. We are proud of how far he has come.
        IHS built a hospital on the reservation in 1962. Over time,
    this facility became antiquated and needed to be replaced. It
    took 30 years, but a replacement healthcare facility finally
    opened in 2015. Here is a picture of the old hospital. The old
    hospital is centrally located in a busy area and has sat vacant
    for over 5 years. It poses safety hazards, and we are worried
    about the potential for criminal activity there. IHS planned to
    demolish the old hospital this year. However, the final Fiscal
    Year 2020 appropriations package contain a sentence that
    prevents IHS from proceeding with demolition projects that cost
    over $500,000.
        IHS reports that the demolition of the old hospital will
    cost more than that given the size of the compound, a remote
    location, and rising costs. We request the committee support
    for IHS' efforts to demolish the old hospital, and that
    language preventing IHS from doing this does not make its way
    into the final appropriations bill.
        In closing, my elders have instructed me to remind the
    committee that we are not here asking for welfare handouts.
    Instead, we are here asking the Federal Government to honor its
    obligations to my people under our treaty of 1852 for the many
    things done to my people. And I thank you for your time.
        [The statement of Mr. Rambler follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Good morning, sir.
        Mr. Nuvangyaoma. Good morning. Let me get that going. Okay.
    There we go.
        Ms. McCollum. I forgot to----
        Mr. Nuvangyaoma. And I just read the instructions, and I
    overlooked it, so it is my fault. [Laughter.]
        Good morning. My name is Timothy Nuvangyaoma. I am the
    chairman of the Hopi Tribe, and we are located in northeastern
    Arizona, and I am glad to be here to offer testimony this
    morning.
        And good morning, Chairwoman McCollum, Congressman Kilmer.
    My name is Timothy Nuvangyaoma, and I have the honor of serving
    as chairman of the Hopi Tribe. My testimony will focus on the
    needs related to the Hopi Arsenic Mitigation Project, the Hopi
    Detention Center, and the Hopi Unified School District.
        First, the Hopi Tribe requests the subcommittee provide
    funding for the completion of the Hopi Arsenic Mitigation
    Project, or HAMP. During my testimony before this subcommittee
    last year, I discussed the issue of arsenic contamination in
    the Hopi Tribe's water supply. The water for eight of the
    tribe's villages is contaminated with high levels of naturally-
    occurring arsenic, levels that exceed the EPA's safe drinking
    water standards by as much as 3 times the allowable
    contaminants. This troubling situation led the tribe to create
    the HAMP, whose mission is to find a solution to the arsenic
    contamination. Since I appeared before the subcommittee last
    year, there have been some positive developments. First, the
    tribe greatly appreciate the subcommittee staff, along with
    Indian Health Service's representatives visiting us to tour
    HAMP. We are pleased to report that HAMP is now ranked as a
    priority project by IHS and the EPA. This designation provides
    full funding for Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021 through Safe
    Drinking Water Act Program allocations. However, those funds
    are contingent upon receiving the respective annual budget
    appropriations.
        In addition to HAMP, we are working with the BIA on the
    Hopi Regional Water Expansion Project. This project would
    extend the HAMP water system to schools, residences, and
    institutional facilities. The estimated project construction
    cost is approximately $7.5 million. The tribe is also working
    with the Bureau of Reclamation on a regional water master
    planning project. These critical water safety projects are not
    funded beyond the planning phase and are dependent on future
    congressional support.
        The Hopi tribe's second request may also be familiar to the
    subcommittee; that is, to help ensure timely completion of the
    permanent Hopi detention center. In response to the abrupt
    condemnation and closure of the Hopi detention center in 2016,
    the BIA worked with this subcommittee to identify and
    ultimately approve $5 million for the construction of a
    permanent detention facility, quoting a July 17 letter from the
    Interior Department to the subcommittee. ``Once initiated,
    project completion could be accomplished within 7 to 9
    months.''
        As of today, 2-and-a-half years after that letter, there is
    still no shovel in the ground. The BIA was supposed to install
    a pre-fabricated building because it was the quickest to
    deploy. However, without consulting the tribe, the BIA switched
    to a design build. Currently, an architect is designing a new
    detention center, but it is unclear when any actual
    construction will begin. To say that the tribe is frustrated is
    an understatement. Even yesterday, the BIA informed the tribe
    it was changing the size of the facility from 80 beds to 60
    beds. This was a unilateral decision by the BIA without
    consultation. We cannot wrap our heads around the fact that
    this subcommittee approved the $5 million 2-and-a-half years
    ago, and we have no broken ground, only a broken promise.
        Finally, the Hopi Tribe is asking for the subcommittee's
    support as we work to unify our seven tribally-controlled
    schools under a single school district. Our seven schools were
    originally operated by the BIE and the BIA. From 1991 to 2014,
    the Hopi Tribe gradually took over management of these schools
    under the Tribally-Controlled Schools Act. However, the schools
    remain individually operated by local school boards with little
    communication between the schools, our students struggled to
    achieve academic success.
        In order to address this issue, the tribal council enacted
    a new Hopi education code in August 2019. The code creates a
    new unified Hopi school system that will improve collaboration,
    consistency, and educational services within our schools. As we
    transition to a new unified Hopi school system, we will need
    assistance for several components of this undertaking,
    including funding to manage the transition and construct the
    central administration office. We have already identified the
    site for the administration building, and estimated total
    construction costs will be $2 million. Two, funding for new
    school construction. Four of our schools, including the nearly
    100-year-old Hopi Day School, are in very poor condition.
        And finally, more flexibility. Under the Tribally-
    Controlled Schools Act formula, once the tribe is under a
    unified school system, application of the current formula would
    reduce our administrative cost grant by 25 percent. This will
    result in the annual loss of over $1 million to Hopi schools.
        The Hopi Tribe appreciates any support the subcommittee can
    lend to this positive transformation of our school system. I
    want to thank you for the opportunity to testify, and I am
    happy to answer any questions.
        [The statement of Mr. Nuvangyaoma follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Ms. Demmert.
        Ms. Demmert. Good morning. My name is Michelle Demmert. I
    am a citizen of Central Council, Tlingit and Haida Indian
    Tribes of Alaska, and I am the elected chief justice of our
    supreme court. I am also the violence against woman co-chair
    for the National Congress of American Indians.
        So today I would like to speak to the public issue safety
    issues in Alaska, which suffers as a result of the complex
    jurisdictional structure, the vast geographic challenges, and
    Public Law 280 issues. In addition, I will be making a
    suggested amendment to an appropriations statute from the 90s
    regarding legislating background checks. We desperately need
    this amendment for all of Indian Country.
        The 2013 Indian Law and Order Commission issues the report,
    ``A Road Map for Making Native Americans Safer,'' and devoted a
    chapter to the unique issues in Alaska. The report found the
    absence of an effective State justice system has
    disproportionately harmed Alaska native women who are
    continually targeted for all forms of violence. Alaska Native
    women are overrepresented in the domestic violence victim
    population by 250 percent. They comprise 19 percent of the
    State population, but are 47 percent of reported rape victims.
    The report further stated that decentralized law enforcement
    with the State puts women at risk? Why is decentralized law
    enforcement? Because of Public Law 280.
        In the September 2019 report, Alaska ranked first as the
    State with the highest homicide rate among female victims
    killed by male offenders, 3 times the national rate. In the
    victims murdered, 40 percent were Alaska Native or American
    Indians. These staggering statistics have to stop. There are
    many barriers that make it difficult for Tlingit and Haida to
    adequately protect our Alaska Native women residing in what are
    often remote villages. The crux of the problem is that Alaska
    is a mandatory PL 280 State, which, in the 1950s, required the
    State to assume criminal and civil jurisdiction in matters
    involving Indians, an unfunded mandate.
        The National Institute of Justice has observed the impact
    of PL 280. The act violates tribal sovereignty by giving States
    concurrent criminal jurisdiction. The act is often cited as a
    rationale for denying PL 280 tribes funding for law
    enforcement. Public Law 280's impact on crime is largely
    unknown. This is because crime in an associated jurisdiction is
    often underreported or not reported at all. Forty percent of
    our communities in Alaska lack any law enforcement whatsoever.
        Legal scholars point out the issues. Although data is
    difficult to obtain from the BIA, we did determine that for
    Fiscal Year 1998--this is how long ago they have even looked at
    this issue--mandatory Public Law 280 tribes receive less than
    20 percent per capita of what non-Public Law 280 tribes
    received. So we need direct funding to tribes who are providing
    the solutions in their communities. We need regular funding for
    this effort that we can count on from year to year.
        In addition, funding barriers regarding domestic violence
    programs. While U.S. DOJ has attempted to direct funding
    towards domestic violence and sexual assault, many Federal
    programs do not allow us to spend money to serve perpetrators.
    If we can't get our perpetrators healthy, then we are setting
    them up for failure and more abuse of our women and children.
    Finally, we need equal access to the National Database for
    legitimate governmental purposes. In 2015, DOJ created the
    Tribal Access Program, also known as TAP, which provides
    eligible tribes with access to the Criminal Justice Information
    System.
        There are two issues with this access. One, we need a
    dedicated funding stream created for expanding the TAP Program
    and making it available to all interested tribes. Two, we need
    an amendment to what was originally an appropriations statute.
    Public Law 92-544 has been codified in 34 U.S. Code 41101. This
    statute allows States to legislate for legitimate governmental
    purposes to access the criminal database. We need to be
    included in this statute and need a technical fix. Right now,
    we can only access the database through a State or Federal
    purpose. We cannot legislate for our needs. Tribes have the
    same legitimate governmental needs for access to these records
    for possible elected official background checks, a person
    overseeing the tribe's finances, or caretaking for our elders.
    We need to be able to create these laws and put them in place
    to ensure the safety and health of our communities like any
    other sovereign.
        Instead, tribes have to use FBI channelers, non-
    governmental agencies who have access to these databases, for
    these legitimate governmental purposes. Tribes should not be
    prejudiced. I have copies of the proposed fix with your staff.
    It is two amendments with three words, and I am told that the
    Department of Justice supports this amendment.
        So in summary, fully fund all tribal governmental needs,
    regardless of whether a tribe is located in a Public Law 280
    State. Expand grant programs that take into account the unique
    circumstances of Alaska tribes. Direct DOJ to create funding
    for perpetrators of gender-based violence, and amend 34 U.S.
    Code 41101. Gunalcheesh Haw'aa. Thank you taking the time to
    listen to our concerns. We look forward to the results of this
    committee.
        [The statement of Ms. Demmert follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Good morning.
        Ms. Jerue. Good morning. My name is Tami Truett Jerue. I am
    a citizen of the Anvik Tribe on the lower Yukon in Alaska. We
    are a Deg Hit'an Athabascan tribe, extremely remote. [Speaking
    native language.] I have just recently actually moved out of
    Anvik and moved to Fairbanks recently to take over the
    direction of the Alaska Native Women's Resource Center that I
    am also the executive director of.
        The Anvik Tribe has asked me to speak today regarding the
    following House appropriations considerations: support of the
    authority of the Alaska Native tribal governments to design and
    carry out local, culturally-relevant solutions to public safety
    and justice by appropriating funds, and specifically for Alaska
    tribes; develop and strengthen tribal law enforcement and
    judicial responses.
        For the past 3 years, we have seen new Department of
    Interior Office of Justice Services tribal justice support
    appropriations for tribes in Public Law 280 States. In the past
    year, there was a $10 million appropriation regarding tribes
    and tribal courts in Public Law 280 States. We thank the
    committee, and we ask that you continue funding this program
    and consider an increase, and support comprehensive tribal
    justice services as defined by the Alaska Tribes Beyond Funding
    Only Tribal Courts.
        Provide dedicated Federal funding through the Department of
    Justice and Department of Interior's various laws enforcement
    programs for Alaska tribal law enforcement; training officers
    for Alaska Native tribal governments since the State of Alaska
    has seriously underfunded and actually cut State funding for
    the VPS, Village Public Safety Officers, to ensure the greatest
    accountability; continue appropriating increased tribal funding
    under 42 U.S.C. Chapter 110, the Family Violence Prevention and
    Services Act, within the Department of Health and Human
    Services for lifesaving shelter and supportive services to
    ensure adequate shelter services are accessible in the villages
    for native women.
        Current appropriations for the tribal governments are 10
    percent funding stream, plus the $7 million that was
    appropriated. Thank you very much for that extra appropriation.
    Continue appropriating dedicated tribal funding under the
    Victims of Crime Act to support much-needed tribal crime victim
    services designed and managed by tribal governments. I think
    that is imperative, designed and managed by tribal governments.
        The Anvik Tribe is a Deg Hit'an Athabascan community with a
    rich history. We are located on the west bank of the Yukon
    River in the interior of Alaska. We are an isolated tribe with
    378 enrolled members, with only 100 members living on our
    tribal traditional lands. Access to Anvik is by small plane,
    boat, or snow machine, depending on the season. With permission
    and support of the Anvik Tribal Council, I am here today to
    testimony on the harsh realities that we fact every day.
        When we talk about public safety and justice for Alaska
    tribes, it is a very complex discussion. Chapter 2 of the 2013
    Indian Law and Order Commission report to Congress and the
    President documents very well our challenges and barriers. Like
    over half of Alaska's tribes, Anvik does not have law
    enforcement and continues to not have law enforcement. This
    absence of law enforcement, combined with other challenges
    facing Alaska tribes, results in an unacceptable lack of public
    safety and justice.
        Lack of resources, such as safe shelter, sexual assault
    advocacy, crisis services, jails, treatment, and other
    interventions continue to impact victims, survivors, and their
    families, their community, and the perpetrators. My home has
    often been the safe house in our community in many instances.
    For victims and their children of violence, some villages have
    these safehouses, and some do not have that opportunity. My
    husband was a former chief for 28 years, and other tribal
    citizens who are the intervenors in basically in anything that
    happens oftentimes in terms of crisis, including the dangerous
    ones. Given the lack of law enforcement and resources, we
    respond to violence, search and rescue, medical emergencies,
    and deaths.
        Is there law enforcement? Not law enforcement as defined by
    the State or Federal Government, but tribal citizens have had
    to maintain order as best they can to keep women and children
    and other safe. This is a common occurrence in our rural
    communities in Alaska, and unfortunately has become a normal
    part of village life. At this point in time, Anvik does not
    have law enforcement, again. The only other law enforcement
    options are the Alaska State troopers, who are located in
    Antiak, a hub community that is an hour-and-a-half by airplane
    away from the community, and their responsible for 46 other
    remote and rural communities, and they take two week on, two
    week off, so there is never more than two troopers at the post
    at one time.
        Anvik often has impassable weather for days, leaving
    victims vulnerable and crimes neglected. This seems like an
    unending complaint, but in reality, we are repeating ourselves.
    To help understand the unique conditions that exist in Alaska
    and all over the U.S., demand that we become creative and
    resourceful in our ability to provide that response. As I just
    shared, there has been a consistent pattern in adequate State
    law enforcement response and a lack of Federal appropriations
    for tribal justice responses, including the lack of
    comprehensive systemic infrastructure to address safety and
    accountability for the extreme levels of domestic and sexual
    violence in Alaska's villages.
        Please review the findings and recommendations from the
    U.S. Commission on Civil Rights 2018 briefing report titled,
    ``Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for
    Native Americans.'' I will go ahead and cut this short a
    little. I do want to repeat a quote that my daughter----
        Ms. McCollum. I am doing that because I was going to pull
    it out and made sure you read it. Please.
        Ms. Jerue. My daughter had the opportunity to provide
    testimony at the 2019 Annual Violence Against Women Government
    to Government Tribal Consultation. She said, ``As a young girl,
    I had never imagined that I would have to be here today
    pleading to have adequate funding and assistance to protect my
    sisters, my aunts, and my cousins. I had sworn that I wouldn't
    get into this line of work because I saw the toll it took on my
    mother and my family. I have seen how hard our advocates work
    with little resources that they have. I have seen how hard our
    people are trying to make a change. I am honored, but I am also
    saddened that I am here as the next generation to provide my
    testimony on the realities that we face day in and day out."
        And as her mother, of course, I am very proud of her, but I
    really am not proud that she has to continue telling this same
    message. Thank you.
        [The statement of Ms. Jerue follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Thank you. And thank you for sharing that.
    That was very powerful when I read it. I have read it twice.
    And when we do our final vote on the passage for Women Against
    Violence Act, I am going to submit that as part of my statement
    to the record. Thank you for sharing that. Thank your daughter
    for her work. My daughter has been in similar lines of work,
    but not facing the same challenges that you and your daughter
    and your sisters are facing. So thank you.
        Ms. Jerue. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Kilmer, do you have a question, concern?
        Mr. Kilmer. No. Thank you for your testimony.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Joyce, welcome. I told people you wanted
    us to get going so that we didn't hold anybody up. Thank you
    for your professional courtesy.
        Mr. Joyce. Well, I appreciate your moving forward. I
    apologize for being late. I was at a breakfast with tribal
    members that Congressman Cole was hosting, and even though I
    said I was getting out on time, we kept chatting. So I
    appreciate the opportunity for all of you being here. Chairman
    Rambler, I missed your testimony, but I know that you have a
    very interesting initiative on juvenile justice. Could you
    explain why the BIA is refusing to fund that?
        Mr. Rambler. On that issue, what we have learned is that on
    the juvenile detainees is that in spite of the services being
    in our scope of work within our 638 contract, in spite of that,
    the BIA is only funding direct service tribes and not 638
    tribes like us. You know, Congress intended us to grow as a
    people to empower ourselves and to enhance our sovereignty by
    providing this opportunity to contract through the Self-
    Determination Act. So that what is we have done. And it seems
    like we are being penalized to enhance our growth, and these
    funds are just reserved for the direct service tribes. And
    whatever is there, I know it is not sufficient as it is, too.
        Mr. Joyce. I am sorry to hear that. Maybe it is something
    we could talk about further.
        Ms. McCollum. Mm-hmm.
        Mr. Joyce. I look forward to working with you all, and
    thank you all for being here and your powerful testimony.
        Ms. McCollum. Chairman Rambler, the language that you
    referred to with a cap is something that we sought to remove on
    the House side. If you would talk to our colleagues in the
    Senate, I think that is something that we are hopeful could be
    removed. It is awkward to say, but I am going to say it. I
    don't think the Senate understood the impact of that language.
    We do, and if you could share that with either their counsel or
    with some of the members both on the Appropriations or the
    authorization, think we can see that go away.
        Mr. Rambler. I sure will.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay. The EPA under the President's budgets
    had severe cuts in the Clean Drinking Water Program. That was
    the President's, you know, he proposed that. We are going to
    protect clean drinking water out of this subcommittee. We did
    last Congress, bipartisan. We will do it again this Congress.
    So we hope to be able to see your project move forward, so
    thank you for sharing with that.
        And then, you know, this time and time again is very
    frustrating for us. We make it very clear that we expect the
    BIA, Department of Interior, the Bureau of Indian Education,
    IHS, we expect all of them to do meaningful, deliberate,
    thoughtful, fully participatory consultation. And it is a great
    frustration to all of us when they hear that they are not doing
    that. And we have been trying to get their attention, and we
    are going to have to maybe figure out a way to really make sure
    that we have their attention. And I know this is something that
    our Senate colleagues feel frustration with, too. Repeating a
    broken promise to us on consultation is something we don't want
    to hear. We want to heart that, so thank you for sharing that.
        The public laws that you, who spoke on behalf of our
    sisters, whose lives are under, you know, threat and
    intimidation, they have to go through either the authorizing
    committee. Maybe we can start either in the justice committee
    or we can start in the authorization for natural resources. We
    would like to work with you on that because they are not even
    public laws that I on this committee with my colleagues, you
    know, directly are involved with. For us to put something like
    that in an appropriation bill could be a fool's errand because
    it could end up coming out on the floor because of
    jurisdictional issues. And then I don't want to start down a
    road that is not going to have a good ending for us. So we
    would like to work with you to resolve that, but that is
    something at this time that we would find very difficult.
        The TAP funds, I will bring that up to our colleague, and I
    know Mr. Joyce will bring it up with the ranking member of that
    appropriations committee, too. And thank you for sharing that,
    though, because they don't have the public witness for Native
    American improvements the way that we do, so this gives us an
    opportunity to have a conversation with our colleagues.
        So thank you all for your testimony. We took lots of notes,
    and we look forward moving together to make sure that Indian
    Country has the justice it deserves. Thank you.
        Voices. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. If the second panel would please come up, and
    we will switch out the nameplates.
                                  ----------

                                          Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

        AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE PUBLIC WITNESS DAY 2--PANEL 2

                                   WITNESSES

    RODNEY BORDEAUX, PRESIDENT, ROSEBUD SIOUX TRIBE
    DAVID BEAN, CHAIRMAN, PUYALLUP INDIAN TRIBE
    RICHARD PETERSON, CHAIRMAN, RED CLIFF BAND OF LAKE SUPERIOR CHIPPEWA
    TRACEY TREPPA, VICE CHAIRPERSON, HABEMATOLEL POMO OF UPPER LAKE
        Ms. McCollum. Good morning. So once again, the green light
    will start after you start your testimony, so please introduce
    yourself. Start your testimony. The light will go on for 5
    minutes. The yellow will mean 1 minute remaining, and then the
    red means please conclude. So if you would lead us off, sir.
    Thank you, and welcome.
        Mr. Bordeaux. Good morning, Chairwoman McCollum and members
    of the committee. My name is Rodney Bordeaux. I am president of
    the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. I want to thank you, Chairwoman, for
    coming out to Rosebud last October. We appreciate it, and we
    were glad to host you.
        The Rosebud Sioux Tribe is amongst the top 10 land-based
    tribes in the United States. Our land consists of approximately
    1 million acres. We have close to 35,000 enrolled tribal
    members, 30,000 of which live on or near our reservation.
    Through our 1851 and 1868 treaties with the United States, we
    have ceded millions of acres of land, and remain steadfast and
    resolute in our pledge of peace in exchange for the U.S.
    agreeing to ensure that our lands will remain livable and
    peaceful.
        A key responsibility of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and the
    U.S. is provide public safety and justice services to our
    tribal members, others living and working on our lands, as well
    as the general public visiting and traveling through our
    reservation. Some of our main priorities are our adult
    correctional facility and the juvenile detention center. Our
    ACF, which is adult correctional facility, is a 220-bed
    facility and houses 130 inmates on the average. Eighty-nine
    percent of the population is meth related, I mean, in terms of
    arrests. The facility is in need of $600,000 in additional
    funding for personnel, food, transport, training, and
    counseling services. Our JDC, juvenile detention center, has 21
    employees and has a need for 30. This facility has a lot of
    structural problems, and we basically need a new facility.
        Our law enforcement services covering the 1 million acres
    responds to 22,000 service calls every year. We only have 25
    officers and four criminal investigators, so we need an
    additional 20 officers at a cost of approximately $1 million,
    and we need to acquire 20 additional police units at an
    approximate cost of $800,000. To give you an idea of the
    magnitude of our meth problem, last week, our officers
    confiscated and busted a young lady, and we recovered 3 pounds
    of meth, marijuana, and opioids. The street value of the meth
    alone came to about $240,000. So we are really aggressive in
    our busts, and we are leading all the tribes in our area in
    regard to busts.
        So despite our funding levels, we are working with local
    counties, sheriffs departments, city officers, and we are
    developing memorandums of agreement. We are also working within
    southcentral South Dakota. We are working with Cherry County in
    Nebraska law enforcement, and we have good relationships with
    them. We share information, and we are going forward. And those
    departments are vastly underfunded as well, so they don't bring
    nothing to the table, just sharing information and working
    together. So despite that, we are building a good relationship.
        Although we are opposed to the Keystone XL pipeline that
    will be coming through our territories, there is a likelihood
    that it may begin construction in August 2020. With that comes
    the man camps, so we must protect our women and children, and
    we support the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization with
    enhanced tribal jurisdiction. Our tribal courts, we have a
    current budget of $1.5 million with BIA and other grant
    funding. The grant funding is conditional. It is very limited.
    So we request another $500,000 to keep our current level of
    funding. A new courthouse. It is a facility built in the 80s,
    and it is just seen its day, so we need a new courthouse
    facility. And we working with an A&E firm on trying to get some
    figures in that regard.
        Another big service that provides needed ambulatories are
    our ambulance service. It was founded in 1968, and it was first
    American Indian ambulance service in the country. It serves
    over 30,000 tribal members 24 hours a day and responds to 6,000
    calls on the average per year. It remains chronically
    underfunded, and the Indian Health Service does not provide any
    funding for medical transports. Mental health patients, it is
    kind of dangerous for our crews, so we are working with IHS to
    resolve that issue, and it is their job to do that, and they
    don't provide the funding for that.
        So in conclusion, we need a detox facility, a new JDC
    facility, a new courthouse/justice center, and a new ambulance
    facility as well as increased law enforcement and court
    personnel costs. We would like for you to explore options to
    combine public safety-related funding from the Interior, Health
    and Human Services, and the Justice Department, that would
    allow tribes on a need-based criteria. Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Bordeaux follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Bean. [Speaking native language.] Good day, honorable
    friends. Thank you for this time on the floor. My name is
    [Speaking native language] My English name is David Bean, and I
    am the chairman of the Puyallup Tribe. The Puyallup Tribal
    Council is responsible for providing for our 5,500 members and
    25,000 Native Americans who live within our service area. We
    provide healthcare services, educational services, social
    services, public safety services, and a myriad of social
    service programs to people in or community. People in our
    community rely on the continued resources and support through
    Federal appropriations, which reflect the trust responsibility
    and treaty obligations to American Indians and Alaska Natives
    and tribes.
        Today I am going to talk about the tribe's top priority:
    public safety. Keeping citizens safe and secure is the most
    basic of duties for any government. This is no less true for
    tribes. My focus today on public safety is the result of this
    past summer that none of us ever want to relive. There were a
    series of shooting on or near our reservation resulting in
    seven people being hospitalized and three dead. Our staff, they
    felt terrorized. Our council struggled between balancing the
    concerns and safety of our staff with providing services to our
    community. This occurred in the height of summer when people
    are outside enjoying the warm sun, enjoying the beautiful
    northwest, you know, a time when our communities are
    celebrating one another. This occurred in a place where our
    families are supposed to feel safe, where our employees are
    supposed to feel safe in their work environment, where our kids
    are supposed to play outside without fear of any stray bullets.
        Our law enforcement staff, they work 12-hour days, 6 days a
    week. They are tired. They tell me that this escalating
    violence is associated with a resurgence of gang violence. At
    one time, we identified 28 gangs within our reservation. We
    worked collaboratively with our neighboring governments and
    fellow partners to address this gang problem. Unfortunately,
    what we now know today is that the gangs did not go away. They
    moved. The gang activity that they are involved in--drug
    trafficking, human trafficking, weapons sales, and turf wars--
    moved with them. They moved blocks away from our administration
    and our housing community, our tribal housing developments.
    They moved within blocks of our administration, our elder
    center, and our health facility.
        We are in the middle of a deadly game of whack-a-mole. What
    we are lacking is dedicated Federal resources needed to combat
    this problem. Our officers, like I stated a moment ago, are
    working numerous hours of overtime. And when we reached out to
    the BIA, we were told that they had no resources to help us.
    The BIA's response was simply inadequate. It was irresponsible.
    It left me wondering how the BIA found the resources to send
    multiple law enforcement agents to set up a command center to
    monitor and arrest people who were engaged what was one of the
    most historic and positive gatherings in Indian people in a
    generation at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. But they
    could not find even one officer to send to help us during our
    time of crisis, during our time of fear, during a time of
    terror.
        Apparently, oil pipelines are more important than our
    tribal health centers and our elders' care centers. In short, I
    said it once, and I will say it again, our officers are tired,
    and they need reinforcements. We ask that the subcommittee
    provide increased funding for tribes like Puyallup, who are in
    PL 280 States and have received minimal directed law
    enforcement funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
        A critical part of our law enforcement program is our
    detention facility. We have a 28-bed adult correction facility.
    We work closely with the OJS to develop and agree upon
    operating costs of $2.7 million. Sadly, the BIA only provides
    26 percent of the need to operate the facility. We appreciate
    the $105 million that Congress provided for additional
    correctional detention centers. We know this is not enough to
    keep pace with inflation. This is not enough to make the
    Puyallup Tribe whole for the job that we are doing on behalf of
    the United States government. This is equally true for our
    tribal courts and programs.
        As I conclude my remarks, I do want to express the tribe's
    strong support for our natural resource programs. As we work to
    make our communities safer, we must work to make it healthier.
    This means strong support for our natural resources programs,
    which are critical to our culture, our lifestyle, and our
    diets. We also want to emphasize the need for increased funding
    for BIE and for our Chief Leschi School. And finally, I would
    be remiss if I did not join my fellow tribal leaders in calling
    for increased funding for Indian Health Service. We support the
    comments and testimony of the Northwest Indian Fish Commission
    as well.
        Thank you for this time on the floor.
        [The statement of Mr. Bean follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Peterson, before you start, we
    have a group of young Native American leaders, the future, walk
    into the room. And if one of you would come forward and
    identify what group you are with, that would be terrific, and
    thank you so much for being here. Just press the little red
    button there.
        Ms. Owens. Good morning. My name is Tyler Owens, and I come
    from the Gila River Indian Community. Here we have three
    members of our Akimel O'odham/Pee-Posh Youth Council that has
    been going for over 25, 30 years. And we are one of the
    longest-standing tribal youth councils that takes place in the
    U.S., as well as we have our Junior Miss Gila River, and myself
    as Ms. Gila River, here. Thank you for having us.
        Ms. McCollum. We are so welcomed to have you here, and we
    look forward to you taking good care of not only Indian
    Country, but the United States, our future leaders here. Thank
    you for coming. Thank you.
        Thank you, Mr. Peterson, for indulging.
        Mr. Peterson. Is it working? [Speaking native language.] My
    name is Rick Peterson. I am the tribal chairman of the Red
    Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in northern Wisconsin.
    Well, first, I want to thank Chairwoman McCollum and the
    committee for allowing us to come and voice our concerns. I was
    here last year and another time before, and what I am here for
    echoes the testimony of my fellow tribal leaders since I have
    been sitting in this room.
        I have two issues today. Again, I bring back the issue of
    the need to increase the funding for tribal police departments.
    Our police department, well, the drug epidemic, as we know, the
    meth, especially, our community is under assault by the meth,
    and the funding that we get from the BIA is totally inadequate.
    Our budget that we submitted was for over $500,000. We have a
    five-member police force. We were awarded $160,000.
        Multiple times we have put in for end-of-year funding for
    equipment. Our police chief, he had the newest vehicle, and his
    vehicle was 12 years old. We, again, put in for end-of-year
    funding last year, and we were given some, but police equipment
    was not part of it, vehicles. I want to tell you a little story
    about what we had to do to get new police vehicles. We reached
    out to another tribe in Wisconsin and asked if they would help
    fund two new police vehicles for us. That is a travesty. It
    really is. We thank the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe of
    Wisconsin for funding that. They gave us enough money to get
    two new police vehicles.
        But this is an ongoing problem. This is something that not
    only our tribe faces, but tribes throughout Indian Country
    face. We are doing our best to fight these issues, these drug-
    related issues. With the drug-related issues, our police
    department is increasingly stretched. ICW. Our cases have
    increased tenfold, and every time ICW staff has to go to a
    house, it requires a police officer to be there, and they are
    so inadequately funded. And, you know, I come back to the table
    again asking that the Appropriations Committee increase the
    base-level funding. We need to depend on that money year in,
    year out. Right now we don't. You know, every year, you know,
    we ask ourselves are we going to be able to support this police
    department a year from now, and that is a question that we
    can't plan around.
        The second item I am here for is the need for the BIA to
    increase the funding for tribal roads department. Our tribal
    roads department, I will read a statement here, it says, ``The
    Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has reached a critical
    impasse in its ability to effectively maintain BIA roads within
    the reservation boundaries. This is due to the practice of
    deferring maintenance due to the lack of funding provided in
    self-determination contracts with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
    All reasonable attempts have been made to secure additional
    funding to meet the needs of the programs, including U.S. and
    Wisconsin Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban
    Development, BIA programs, to provide new equipment and
    maintenance facility.''
        With that statement I want to wrap up. I am running out of
    time here. Right around Thanksgiving, we had a storm where we
    had 3 feet of snow overnight. Our community was shut down for 5
    days. Every piece of equipment we had broke down. Our grater is
    25 years old. There was an emergency call in the middle of the
    night. The ambulance got stuck in the middle of the road for 2
    hours. Community members had to come out with their trucks to
    plow him out. Again, as I mentioned with the police vehicles,
    this is a travesty, and it is a health and safety issue now.
    Miigwetch. Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Peterson follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Please.
        Ms. Treppa. Good morning, Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking
    Member Joyce, and honorable members of the subcommittee. Can
    you hear me okay? My name is Tracey Treppa. I am the vice
    chairperson of Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake. We are located
    in a rural county just northwest of Sacramento.
        Like most tribes, we have had a complicated and often
    tragic relationship with the Federal Government. My people
    survived the U.S. Army's attack during Bloody Island Massacre.
    We persevered through termination. We have overcome the loss of
    our lands, and today we are still here and committed to
    building a better tribal nation for the next general of
    Habematolel children. We have just under 300 tribal members and
    a land base of 11.24 acres. The tribe's executive council is
    working to restore our lands, provide for our children, and
    build a robust tribal legal system to protect the rule of law.
        Today I want to discuss two funding priorities that are
    absolutely essential to the rule of law in fostering healthy
    and safe communities. The first is tribal court funding for
    tribes in Public Law 280 States, and the second is funding for
    private safety training. I will address those priorities now.
        Tribal courts are essential to the effective exercise of
    tribal sovereignty. Tribal courts administer justice in our
    communities, provide a forum for tribes to receive child
    welfare cases, and ensure that law and order is upheld and
    protected. Unfortunately, for years, tribes located in Public
    Law 280 States have not had access to Federal funding to create
    and sustain tribal court systems. This lack of resources
    hindered my own tribe's ability to create a court. For years,
    the BIA prioritized tribes in non-Public Law 280 States since
    the Federal Government was primarily responsible for criminal
    jurisdiction in Indian Country there. That left tribes in
    public States, such as California, with no Federal support to
    create or sustain a tribal judiciary. They Habematolel
    advocated for change and pleaded with Congress to provide us
    with the same tribal court funding support as tribes in non-
    Public Law 280 received.
        Fortunately, in 2015, Congress acted and required the BIA
    to quantify how much it would cost to provide tribal court
    funding to tribes in PL 280 States. The BIA sent a report to
    Congress, which found that it funded tribal courts in non-PL
    280 States at a mere 6.814 percent of the true cost of
    operating and supporting the court. Further, the report
    estimated it would cost $1.69 million to fund tribal courts in
    Public Law 280 States at the same level. The BIA's report noted
    that while----
        Ms. McCollum. We are fine.
        Ms. Treppa. Okay. $16.9 million would not be widely viewed
    as robust, or perhaps even adequate. It would match existing
    levels of funding in non-PL 280 States, which reflect a
    constrained physical environment. Congress took the BIA's
    report and acted quickly to appropriate money for tribes in PL
    280 States. In the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act,
    Congress made $10 million in tribal court funding available to
    tribes in PL 280 States. This was the first time that ever
    happened.
        After this law was passed, our tribe submitted a funding
    request to the BIA to help us create a tribal judiciary. The
    BIA awarded us $72,000 to begin the work on the system. This
    may not seem like much, but our tribe has made a significant
    difference. It allowed us to cover the startup costs that
    previously had hindered our ability to create a judiciary. The
    tribe used the funds to develop a judicial code, court rules,
    bench book, child welfare code, and conduct site visits to
    other tribal courts.
        I am proud to say that now the legal infrastructure has
    been created to support our judiciary. We will be looking to
    retain our first judge and begin hearing cases within a year.
    This would not be possible without the support of the
    subcommittee in funding direct to tribal courts in PL 280
    States. I strongly urge you retain this funding and expand upon
    it.
        The second priority I want to discuss is funding for public
    safety training. The tribe strongly supports the mission of the
    BIA's Office of Justice, or OJS, and its support for training
    opportunities in Indian Country. The tribe received funding
    from OJS in 2019 to host a jurisdictional training in our
    homelands. The training took place in February of last year.
    This intergovernmental event convened tribal, State, local, and
    Federal Governments and governmental agencies.
        The training covered PL 280 jurisdiction, Violence Against
    Women Act, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and the opioid crisis.
    It was great to see the different governments and government
    agencies come together to learn how each of our jurisdictions
    interact and impact the others. The event was one of the
    biggest and most diverse intergovernmental trainings to ever
    take place in Lake County.
        We have seen a noticeable positive impact in our
    coordination with neighboring jurisdictions. The tribe
    appreciates Congress' commitment to fund these training
    opportunities, and we strongly encourage the subcommittee to
    maintain and expand these training funds.
        That concludes my testimony. Thank you.
        [The statement of Ms. Treppa follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Kilmer.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thanks to each of
    you for your testimony. Chairman Bean, I want to thank you for
    your testimony. Your words are important. Your work is really
    important, too. You appropriately called out just how big a
    role the tribe plays in employment in our region and providing
    services in our region, natural resource leadership. And I know
    this is a public safety panel, but I want to just have you
    speak a bit to the work that the tribe is doing around natural
    resources and how important those issues are from a treaty
    rights standpoint, from the standpoint of the economics and
    culture of your tribe.
        Mr. Bean. Thank you, Congressman. That is a great question.
    And, you know, when we signed the Medicine Creek Treaty of
    1854, that treaty guaranteed our right to fish and hunt and
    gather, as we have done so since the beginning of time. And,
    you know, we are partners with the Federal Government in
    protecting the natural resources, and that extends to
    protecting the habitat that provides nourishment and protection
    for our natural resources, be it fish, elk, roots, and berries.
    You know, it is a part of our way of life. It is a part of our
    culture. It is part of our DNA. And so it is vitally important.
        These natural resources are under attack by natural threats
    and manmade threats, and we need our Federal partners' help in
    protecting the habitat and continuing to raise fish in our
    hatcheries that benefit not just tribes, but non-native
    fishermen throughout the State of Washington. It is vital to
    the economy in the State of Washington. It is vital to tribal
    economies. It is vital to our culture and our traditional ways.
        You know, we are taught that we are connected to Mother
    Earth, and that, you know, being salmon people, we are taught
    that when our salmon go away, then we cease to exist. And, you
    know, for the first time in many years, our fishermen are
    sitting on the banks of the river. There are no fish for our
    fisherman to catch, you know. We are having ceremonies, and
    when we open our ceremonies, there are no fish to open our
    ceremonies, and that is something we have never seen before. So
    we need our Federal Government to help in protecting our salmon
    and our natural resources. So thank you for that question.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you all for coming
    today and for your testimony. Chairman Bean, I want to go back
    to you. I heard you talking about how you do get some funds
    from BIA, and then you supplement those funds with your own
    funds, but I don't believe I heard you discuss the Department
    of Justice or any of the grants that are available through DOJ.
    Is there a reason?
        Mr. Bean. We turn over every stone, and we apply for every
    grant available, and it is quite simply the funding is not
    there.
        Mr. Joyce. So do you think it might be better if the
    Department of Justice moved that money to the BIA and let them
    award it in the grant programs?
        Mr. Bean. I would love to see, you know, some additional
    funding in whatever form----
        Ms. McCollum. Yeah.
        Mr. Bean [continuing]. In whatever form because, for
    example, with limited time, I didn't get to talk about, you
    know, our law enforcement program is a $5 million budget. The
    BIA provides 10 percent of that, which means the tribe is
    carrying the water for our Federal relatives, and carrying the
    trust responsibility to not just our Puyallup tribal community,
    but the 25,000 natives that live in and on and around our
    reservation, on top of our non-native neighbors. You know, we
    are we are doing our best to stretch the resources. So however
    Congress sees fit to, welcome expanded funding because the need
    and what is actually provided to meet that need is vastly
    different.
        We are working with our neighboring jurisdictions. You
    know, we are thankful for the City of Tacoma Police Department,
    Pierce County sheriff, and then the State patrol. You know,
    they came and they responded during the gang violence this
    summer. And we are having to partner with them, and we are
    having to share resources. So when Congress sends money to
    tribes or States, it is not just benefiting one over the other.
    It is benefitting the region. So we welcome expanded resources
    however we can get them, sir.
        Mr. Joyce. Great. Thank you.
        Mr. Bean. Thank you.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you all for coming.
        Ms. McCollum. People are leaving. I'm going to ask a
    question.
        Voice. Oh. [Laughter.]
        Ms. McCollum. So one of the things that I heard, and I'm
    glad that you brought it up, especially with what is happening
    in Rosebud, is meth is still a problem. And there has been such
    a focus on opioids, and rightly so because pharmaceutical
    companies, through deceptive marketing, hooked, you know,
    millions and millions of Americans in Indian Country and
    throughout the country. But meth is still a huge problem, and
    it presents different challenges for law enforcements and for
    communities in general. So I am assuming that you are seeing if
    someone is cooking and manufacturing meth in a house, all of a
    sudden you lose housing on a reservation.
        Mr. Bean. Yeah.
        Ms. McCollum. That is correct. Thank you for pointing that
    out. So the whole issue about, you know, grants kind of looking
    at each other, I think one of the challenges and frustrations
    that I have had is tribal nations have to have you know, like
    full-time grant writers, and that costs money out of the tribal
    budgets to begin with. And then if you are applying to a
    Department of Justice grant and a BIA grant, and one comes
    through, but the other one doesn't come through, you don't have
    a holistic approach that you need. Mr. Cole and I have been
    kind of working together on kind of consolidating some of the
    healthcare needs. We are not there yet, but at least we are
    having those discussions.
        So I want you to know I am going to reach out, along with
    Mr. Joyce, to our colleagues on the other committees that you
    apply for grants. Do you have any anything that, you know, Mr.
    Joyce, and Mr. Kilmer, and I should kind of keep in the back of
    our head of when we talk to our colleagues about what would a
    grant application look like if you are applying to different
    agencies to solve a problem? If you can give me one or two
    things I should be thinking about as I have a conversation with
    my colleagues.
        Mr. Bean. Thank you for raising that issue. Just to be
    clear, I want to make sure that tribes, we do our best to leave
    no stone unturned. So lack of funding, it is not for a lack of
    effort, you know. They are highly competitive, and there are
    complex formula. So if you simplify the formula, it is just
    competitive. If you have a larger population, guess what? Then
    the funds follow the larger population into a small tribe. You
    know, how do we compete with tribes with larger populations?
        And so I think that is one thing to be mindful of because
    while we are 5,500, we serve a native population of 25,000. The
    City of Tacoma is a part of the Federal relocation efforts that
    has resulted in these large populations of natives from over,
    you know, 200 tribes across the United States. Now, if we go up
    against a tribe, let's say, for example, has, you know, 50,000-
    , 60,000-member population or a quarter million population, the
    competition is just not there. We are considered a small tribe,
    but we provide for a lot of people much larger than the size of
    our enrollment.
        Ms. McCollum. That is a great point to make. And, Mr.
    Peterson, I know what you mean about our rural communities
    being extraordinarily isolated. I have been in your part of
    Wisconsin, and you are very isolated, whether it is a blowdown,
    a tornado, a snowstorm. And not to have the right equipment to
    get in, it can take hours, and, as you said, days to take care
    of people. You can lose electricity, and then you are not
    charging your cell phone. I mean, it is a whole cascading
    effect. So when you look at doing equipment grants, life,
    health, and safety really isn't one of that the factors that
    comes into it when you are applying for road maintenance help,
    for graders and things like that, is it?
        Mr. Peterson. No, it is not at all. And that would
    definitely, you know, adding that aspect to any sort of a grant
    application, even if it was a single question, I believe would
    open the eyes of, you know, the reality of the situation that
    we face. Our equipment, like I said, every piece of major
    equipment that we had failed. Our grader is 25 years old. Our
    trucks are zip-tied together, and I don't say that
    sarcastically.
        We are not by any means a wealthy tribe. We had to take
    money that we don't have, and we had to hire private
    contractors to come in and clear Federal roads and take away
    the snow. We actually had to, yeah, get construction companies
    to come in and remove this snow because our equipment was all
    down. That is the reality of what we face.
        Ms. McCollum. You know, I am from Minnesota. Certain
    weather events can trigger a natural disaster response, FEMA,
    other kinds of help. But snow-related events and extreme cold
    weather events don't qualify for that, only under very, very,
    very few circumstances. And by the time the help gets there,
    you know, people have really suffered. So thank you for
    bringing that up, and that is what is so great about having
    such a diverse panel. Yes, did you want to add something?
        Mr. Bordeaux. Yeah. I would like to add in regard to Public
    Law 102477, I think there is a good model for DOJ to work with
    the Department of Interior and the tribes to create a good
    model for that funding.
        Ms. McCollum. Yeah.
        Mr. Bordeaux. We talked about, you know, CTAS and all of
    that coming over to the bureau. I think if you can call on
    Interior to develop a plan for that, I think that will really
    work for us.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, we want Interior to develop a plan, but
    also do a consultation.
        Mr. Bordeaux. Definitely.
        Ms. McCollum. And congratulations on moving forward in
    California. Thank you all for your testimony and your time.
        Voice. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. And if our next panel on public safety and
    justice could come forward to the table, please. So we will
    wait for a second for the door to close and for the other panel
    to leave.
                                  ----------

                                          Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

        AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE PUBLIC WITNESS DAY 2--PANEL 3

                                   WITNESSES

    KEVIN ALLIS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN
        INDIANS
    JAMIE HENIO, RAMAH NAVAJO COUNCIL DELEGATE, RAMAH NAVAJO ABIGAIL ECHO-
        HAWK, DIRECTOR, URBAN INDIAN HEALTH INSTITUTE
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you all for being here. Five minutes to
    testify. Your introduction does not count against those 5
    minutes. Yellow light, 1 minute remaining. Red light and then I
    have to start thinking about lightly tapping with the gavel.
    Good morning, sir, if you would please lead us off.
        Mr. Allis. Good morning, Chairman McCollum, Ranking Member
    Joyce, members of the committee. My name is Kevin Allis. I am
    an enrolled member of the Forest County Potawatomi Community in
    Wisconsin. I am very proud to hear that my tribe assisted a
    neighboring tribe with their situation. I am also the CEO of
    the National Congress of American Indians.
        Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce, and members of
    the subcommittee, thank you again for holding this hearing and
    tribal appropriations priorities. My name is Kevin Allis, an
    enrolled member of Forest County Potawatomi Community, CEO of
    National Congress of American Indians. And I will say I have 10
    years as a Baltimore City police officer, so I was on the front
    lines of law enforcement and criminal justice, and know what
    happens to communities when the resources and the personnel
    aren't there to make it happen.
        NCAI's requests are rooted in the treaties and agreements
    that our tribal nations made with the United States government.
    However, as you know, a recent assessment by the U.S.
    Commission on Civil Rights found that Federal funding for
    Native American programs across government remains grossly
    inadequate to meet the most basic needs the Federal Government
    is obligated to provide. Tribal leaders and citizens have known
    for decades, and we urge Congress to fully fund the U.S.
    government's treaty and statutory obligations. Before talking
    about our specific request, I would like to address the
    significant challenges tribal nations must contend with due to
    persisting uncertainty in the Federal budget process.
        Last year's government shutdown was a particularly
    prominent example of the negative effects of breakdowns in the
    Federal budget process, but tribal nations also must regularly
    contend with uncertainty when planning and delivering services
    to their citizens because of Congress' reliance on short-term
    continuing resolutions. Basic healthcare provided by IHS and
    essential services, like law enforcement and emergency response
    provided by the BIA, are regularly impacted. NCAI for years has
    urged Congress to provide advanced appropriations for IHS and
    BIA to protect tribal programs from further uncertainty, and I
    thank the leadership and members of this subcommittee for your
    support of this legislation.
        As we did last year, NCAI chose public safety and justice
    programs to focus on today because it is one of the most
    fundamental aspects of the Federal Government's trust
    responsibility. The BIA was required to submit an unmet needs
    report in this area every year, and, based on past assessments,
    to provide minimum base-level service to all federally-
    recognized tribes. One billion is needed for law enforcement,
    $1 billion for tribal courts, and $222 million are needed for
    tribal detention. At about 40 percent of the need, tribal
    courts receive about 5 percent of the need, and law enforcement
    is only receiving about 20 percent of the need. We will not be
    able to address crime and ensure safety in Indian Country until
    our tribal justice systems are adequately funded.
        Ten years ago, DOI established an initiative to reduce
    violent crime by at least 5 percent over 24 months on four
    reservations with high rates of violent crime. All four
    received an increase in base funding to support additional
    sworn officers. The additional resources help close the
    capacity gap by bringing the staffing-to-population ratios
    closer to the national standard. It worked, producing a 35
    percent decrease in violent crime across four states. Funding,
    similar to what States and the Federal Government gets in this
    area when given to Indian Country, has been proven to work in
    the past.
        Equitable funding for tribal nations leads to success. We
    need sufficient resources to put our tools to work so tribal
    nations can protect women, children, and families address
    substance abuse, rehabilitate first-time offenders, and put
    serious criminals behind bars. Accordingly, NCAI requests a
    total of $83 million for tribal courts, including those in
    Public Law 280 jurisdictions. NCAI also recommends an increase
    of $200 million for BIA law enforcement for a total of $573
    million.
        I would like to add that the inadequacy of BIA-based
    funding forces tribal nations to see short-term competitive
    grants to try to make up a portion of the shortfall. I don't
    think any of our tribal nations will agree with a premise that
    when we entered into treaties hundreds of years ago and ceded
    millions of acres of land, that funding and adequate care for
    these things would be through grants, a competitive grant
    program, between the different tribes. That wasn't part of the
    deal.
        Short-term competitive grants cannot be viewed as a
    substitute for base funding. We must have long-term stable
    funding to address the public safety challenges our tribal
    nations confront. We respectfully request both honorable
    fulfillment of the trust and treaty obligations as well as
    budget certainty for both IHS and BIA through advanced
    appropriations. The increase NCAI is requesting will be an
    important incremental step towards providing the resources
    necessary for tribal nations to ensure public safety on their
    lands. We only ask for what was promised to us and owed to us
    when tribal nations entered into treaties in exchange for acres
    of land so settlement could ensue.
        Thank you very much, and we would be happy to answer any
    questions you have.
        [The statement of Mr. Allis follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Please, sir.
        Mr. Henio. [Speaking native language.] Chairwoman McCollum,
    and Ranking Joyce, and honorable members of the subcommittee,
    my name is Jaime Henio, and I am a member of the Navajo Nation
    Council, and also chairman of the budget and finance committee
    for the council. And I also represent the Ramah Navajo
    Community, which is located in New Mexico. And so our community
    is a political subunit of the Navajo Nation, and what we have
    enjoyed is 30-plus years of 638 Public Law funding to contract
    different services for our communities, such as law
    enforcement, real estate, aid to tribal government, and, most
    recently, the roads department.
        So, therefore, we are here is to talk about four areas that
    we feel are very important. And the first one is the inadequate
    funding for tribes that are operating 638 programs, and where
    we should be funded to equally with the BIA-operated programs.
    The second one is a lack of funding when it comes to
    distribution of funds when they are untimely and late. And the
    third item I would like to talk about is public safety, and the
    last item is road maintenance.
        So the first one I would like to expound on is public
    safety. As expressed earlier by other tribal leaders, public
    safety is important for our community. We operate a police
    department that is different from the Navajo Nation police. We
    have our own police department, which consists of six officers
    that patrol the area of 15 by 25 miles, which is about roughly
    400 square miles of land there. But the land is checkerboarded,
    meaning that it is trust land, allotted land, and also State
    fee land.
        So our police officers, they are required to be federally
    certified and commissioned by the tribe, and also State police
    officer certified, too. And so when we pick up young recruits
    and we take them through the process of taking them through the
    Indian Police Academy, get them fairly certified, then they
    also are required to go through the New Mexico State Police
    Academy, and they become State peace officers certified.
        So in the eyes of the New Mexico State Police, Albuquerque,
    the county, this is a prized officer right here. And,
    therefore, what happens, they are recruited to the other police
    agencies, and we end up losing thousands and thousands of
    training dollars training these young officers for better pay,
    better packages. So, therefore, what we are asking here is for
    the BIA to fully fund the police department in our area so,
    therefore, we are competitive in pay and benefits, and so we
    retain our police officers.
        And, of course, equipment is another big issue, too. If you
    were to compare that BIA police unit with a Ramah police unit,
    you would see a big disparity where you would see the BIA
    police officer unit with a lot of antennas, and with the Ramah
    police officer with just one antenna, meaning that they have
    hardly any equipment in the police unit. So that is one of the
    biggest things that we are asking here.
        The other one is to have BIA treat the 633-funded programs
    equally. When it comes to funding distribution, what we are
    looking at is that BIA decides that well, let's feed ourselves
    first, give ourselves a biggest part of the pie, and then
    whatever crumbs are remaining, let's send them out to Ramah,
    and Zuni, and Laguna, and other tribes that are doing 638
    programs. So that is what we are asking the Appropriations
    Subcommittee is they put a little bit of pressure on BIA to get
    their act together, so to speak, because of the fact that we
    did provide direct services there at the local community. And
    just as Mr. Allis stated earlier, I spent 10 years as a police
    officer in the rural communities, out there, too, so I know
    what it is like to be there by yourself late at night with no
    backup. And so I understand what our police officers are going
    through there in the rural communities.
        And the last point I wanted to make was road
    transportation. As we speak, right now, we have, like, 5 inches
    of wet snow back in our community, and we have a three-member
    road crew in our community working almost 24 hours a day
    cleaning the roads as we speak right now. So, therefore, when
    we contracted the road maintenance contract, also it came with
    inadequate funding. And, therefore, we are asking subcommittee
    to take special note to have BIA provide us adequate funding so
    we could take care of our roads because roads the big issue
    across the United States, Indian Country. Everywhere we go,
    roads is one of the biggest infrastructure that we have.
        So, therefore, we are asking that we be fully funded to
    build a sustainable community and future for our children.
    Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Henio follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Thank you. Good morning.
        Ms. Echo-Hawk. Good morning, Madam Chair, and Ranking
    Member Joyce, and members of the subcommittee of the committee.
    I am so excited to be here today. My name is Abigail Echo-Hawk.
    I am a citizen of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, and I am the
    director of the Urban Indian Health Institute and the chief
    research officer at the Seattle Indian Health Board. I am here
    specifically today to talk about the tribal epidemiology
    centers, which I direct one of. There are 12 nationally. We are
    under the Indian Health Service. We were established as public
    health authorities under the Affordable Health Care Act.
        The Urban Indian Health Institute, which I direct, is
    unique. Out of the 12, we are the only one with a national
    focus that looks at the urban Indian population. Urban Indians
    are tribal people currently living off tribal reservation land,
    village lands in urban areas, yet we are tribal people
    regardless of where we live. And so as we look to ensure the
    health and well-being of our people, the tribal epidemiology
    centers were established by tribal leadership to ensure that
    there was quality data for decisions that could be made both at
    the tribal level, the urban Indian level, and also State and
    Federal. Without us, that data doesn't exist.
        And I want to provide you an example: the SDPI Program,
    which has had such an incredible impact across Indian Country.
    My organization works every year and provides reports for the
    urban Indian programs, 31 of them across the country, on the
    outcomes of their SDPI funding every single year so that they
    can see where they need to direct their efforts. And we know
    from a paper that was published in 2017 that the largest
    decrease in end-stage renal failure as a direct result of
    diabetes is in the American Indian and Alaska Native
    population. And we know from that paper and the data that came
    out of that, that that is a direct result of the programs like
    SDPI and other Federal efforts to halt diabetes within our
    communities. And we are doing better than the rest of the
    country now in decreasing those numbers.
        With my program, one of the things we do is allow those
    programs to begin to direct and understand where they need to
    on a yearly basis direct their efforts. However, with the
    funding that I received from the Indian Health Service to do
    this, I don't even have the money for the one person who does
    this for 31 organizations. And so I supplement her funding with
    other fundings. I can't even print these reports anymore that I
    give them. I used to have money to do that, but it keeps
    decreasing. I can't even print them off to give them to these
    organizations. And we have to figure out how to get them their
    reports in a way that is usable to them. It is one of the
    hardest things to do is to tell them I can't even simply print
    what they need, yet we know this program is so integral to
    ensuring the health and well-being of our communities.
        The tribal epidemiology centers do this for a variety of
    different things, and I am going to switch over now to talking
    about one of the reasons that I am so excited to hear all of
    the tribal leadership today talking about public safety. The
    urban Indian community is deeply impacted by this also,
    specifically within the missing and murdered indigenous women
    and girls. When I look at the funding that I get from the
    Indian Health Service, we are looking for an increase for the
    tribal epidemiology centers because my organization has been
    the one that has produced the data on missing and murdered
    indigenous women and girls with three reports that started in
    2018. Out of those reports, we have seen significant
    legislation passed both at the local, the State, and the
    Federal level.
        Efforts are being made to change this outcome for missing
    and murdered indigenous women and girls. I self-funded those
    projects. I had no money to do that. At this point in time,
    through the tribal epidemiology center funds, I provide
    technical support to tribes and urban Indian organizations,
    which means they give me a call, and I say, you could do it
    this way, but I can't help you because I don't have the
    resources to give you the expertise to do this. So we help them
    to the best of our ability. We are asking for $24 million
    increase for all of the tribal epidemiology centers to be split
    across us to be able to provide this support, because we need
    to gather this information on this crisis of violence against
    our women, and be able to get that to our tribal leadership so
    they can make these decisions.
        And we also have to look at the services that are provided.
    So urban Indian population, we receive less than 1 percent of
    the overall Indian Health Service budget. We do not want to
    touch the tribal dollars, but we need an increase in the urban
    Indian line item, and we are asking for a hundred and six
    million dollars to do this. And I think to this grandma who I
    met recently. Her daughter was murdered in front of her three
    young children. She was shot in the head. It took that grandma
    4 months to get her grandchildren out of the foster care system
    because that county that she lived in, she was not living on
    tribal lands. That county did not apply the Indian Child
    Welfare Act, and they put those children outside of her home,
    outside of the family, and outside of the tribe. It took her 4
    months to get those babies back, and those children witnessed
    the murder of their mother. And she cannot find them
    culturally-attuned care to treat the psychological impacts that
    are happening to those young babies.
        And we know that kind of trauma is why we have an opiate
    crisis. It is why we have a suicide crisis. Unless we address
    this kind of trauma at the ages when it happens, we are not
    going to be able to solve any of these things. We will be
    sitting at this table 10 years from now. So we have to increase
    the investment both for the tribal epidemiology centers, and,
    in addition, to the urban Indian programs, and to all programs
    through the IHS that serve our people because we cannot
    continue to let this trauma continue for our young ones.
        [The statement of Ms. Echo-Hawk follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Kilmer.
        Mr. Kilmer. First of all, Ms. Echo-Hawk, I just want to
    thank you for your leadership on the issue of missing and
    murdered indigenous women and girls. Your comments about making
    sure that not only do we have the data, but we also have to
    have the action to address the issue. So thank you for your
    leadership.
        Mr. Allis, you referenced in your remarks, and, again, I
    know this is a public safety and justice panel, but you
    mentioned the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights ``Broken
    Promises'' report. And you talked about some of the substantial
    funding shortfalls and the failure of the Federal Government to
    step up, specifically in the area of public safety. I want to
    just give you the opportunity. Obviously that report touched on
    a whole lot of other areas that the Federal Government is
    coming up short. As a leader in NCAI, I wanted to just give you
    the opportunity if you wanted to speak to any of those
    shortcomings as well. I just think it is important.
        Mr. Allis. Well, thank you for that question. They are so
    interconnected, right? I mean, one of the important things for
    the safety, and I will link this to public safety, is
    infrastructure, right? Our roads, our road system. It is the
    lifeblood of the tribal economy and safety. In that same
    report, you know, enormous shortfalls and the backlog of work
    that needs to be done. When I speak to some of my tribal
    leaders in the Great Plains and other parts of the country,
    where their roads are impassable, and they can't get to people
    to the grocery store, let alone try to get them to the hospital
    or try to respond to some, you know, law enforcement situation.
    It is really.
        And in most of these cases, it is not only the low levels
    or lack of adequate funding, as I mentioned, in the grant, it
    is how it is funded, right? And a lot of these short-term
    programs that are gap fillers, if you will, and then are
    scattered across numerous different agencies. Also filtered
    throughout that report, it speaks also to the lack of
    coordination between the different agencies that provide these
    services which, you know, moving in the 477 program to try to
    coordinate and have tribes have more of an impact, we need a
    lot of work there, too, as well to try to bring that together.
        So we could talk about question for hours, but I thank you
    for bringing it up because healthcare, infrastructure, law
    enforced public safety, all linked together.
        Mr. Kilmer. I feel like it should be mandatory reading for
    every member of Congress. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you all for being
    here today. Ms. Echo-Hawk, touching on this horrible issue, I
    am part of a panel where we did a hearing on sexual violence,
    and we now have some members of Congress who are Native
    Americans, who brought forth some of the issues. It is just
    heartbreaking that we don't use what we have in place in local
    governments and tribal justice systems to be able to go after
    these offenders, because one of the most sickening comments I
    heard was where else would these people go to pray except for
    where they know they are going to get help. There is nobody
    really chasing after them, and there is no backup, SANE nurses,
    and cataloging the DNA to go after these folks. It is something
    we need to continue to address, and I appreciate the fact that
    all of you are standing up for the justice that needs to be
    done on your reservation. So thank you very much for your time
    here today.
        Ms.McCollum. I just want to put a statistic out there:
    $9,726 average per person in the United States spent on
    healthcare, $9,726. Four thousand seventy-nine dollars on
    average per person spent on healthcare in Indian Country. I am
    going to round it up. It is almost a $6,000 discrepancy. That
    is why we have healthcare disparities in part, so thank you for
    sharing that. And then your story, Ms. Echo-Hawk, which is
    repeated time and time again of children witnessing horrific
    acts of violence. It affects their school, even how they are
    going to eat and their nutrition for their growing bodies,
    their mental health. It impacts them, and we need to have
    intervention with specialists who are culturally appropriate in
    the area.
        And so that is something that is not addressed as fully as
    it could be in the Violence Against Women Act, and that is
    something that even before it comes up for reauthorization,
    something we should be focused on. And I know that their
    support in the Native American Bipartisan Caucus, as Mr. Joyce
    was pointing out, to do more, to do more in that. If you added
    mental health into the numbers that I just gave, it would even
    be more out of balance.
        The Affordable Care Act, I just want to also point out,
    which is in court right now, it would eliminate the permanent
    reauthorization for Indian health, and I don't think that that
    gets mentioned often enough. And what we need to do to make
    sure that that is protected. I want to protect the Affordable
    Care Act in its entirety, plus some of us worked very hard to
    get the permanent reauthorization as part of that.
        And I think because you talked about after a woman, and men
    are assaulted, too, the first thing that they usually want to
    do is try to wipe away the crime, wipe away the violence. Could
    maybe the three of you just talk in your own perspective what
    it means, and to your point, when you are training officers and
    then you can't compete with salary and they go some other
    place, how important it is to have that whole of public safety
    for the person who is there for witness protection and the
    rest. And if we keep training people and we can't keep up with
    the salaries, whether it is witness protection, and I know how
    little that pays in the private sector.
        I can't hardly imagine what it pays in the tribal areas,
    how we are not going to be able to really address crime. You
    know, is it equipment? Is that wages? Is it both? Should we be
    taking the training dollars out of the way that it is funded
    and look at a more holistic way of funding it, because other
    people and other communities, and you don't blame them, take
    advantage of the training and the resources that you have put
    into what you are doing. And I am not trying to diminish the
    importance of this conversation, but if you could just take a
    minute so the other panel could get started. But give me some
    more food for thought as I have this discussion with my
    colleagues.
        Mr. Allis. Chairman, I think you hit on something that is
    not only relevant for Indian Country, but the training, and the
    environment, and the equipment, and what the officer will be
    faced with every day they come into the office, right? They
    have enormous challenges when they go out on the street and
    they go out on the reservation, they go out on the roads to
    combat crime and deal with crime. If the police cars and their
    equipment are substandard stuff, it makes it that much more
    difficult. And certainly, whatever training they get in, and if
    it is a higher level of training, they will go to another
    jurisdiction because they just won't stay there similar.
        It is similar to educational systems. You got to create an
    environment from the minute they walk into the door to the
    second they get in that patrol car, and when they go home and
    be able to take care of their own families. It all has to come
    together in a way where they will stay there and you will have
    a consistent workforce and strategy. So funding, if we are just
    talking about law enforcement officers, the training needs to
    be there and the funding needs to be competitive with other
    jurisdictions, or they are just going to roll. They are just
    going to go somewhere else.
        You see it in Indian Country, and you see it in
    metropolitan areas, going to different county police
    departments that are nicer, you know, pay more money, you know.
    What you see outside of Indian Country around criminal justice
    is the same stuff that is happening Indian Country, but just on
    steroids, okay? It is just the delta is that much bigger.
        Ms. McCollum. Anything you would like to add?
        Mr. Joyce. The same thing with nursing. It is tough to get
    nurses, let alone retain them.
        Mr. Henio. Thank you for the question, Chairwoman. When it
    comes to funding and the contract, it allows for the 638
    officers to be paid at the same level as a BIA police officer.
    For example, a BIA makes $20 an hour. Our officers should be
    making $20 an hour, too. But when it comes to funding
    distribution, our officers are given just enough money to
    possibly even make $13 an hour or $14 an hour, while the BIA
    officers enjoy what they are making right now.
        So what we are asking is that the subcommittee ask the BIA
    to fully fund their contract obligations when it comes to 638
    contracts. And it is true that equipment is important. We need
    equipment out there in the rural areas. Sedans will not cut it.
    We need 4 by 4's and with adequate equipment to cover the rural
    parts of the Navajo Nation as we speak right now. And like I
    said earlier, there are 4 inches or 5 inches of wet snow, so,
    therefore, what happens after the snow melts? A lot of muddy
    roads, and we need policing that will cover those muddy roads
    in order to respond to emergency calls. So that is what we are
    asking. So equipment and salary is what we are asking, but at
    the same time, to be treated just as equally as what BIA
    officers are making through our 638 contract.
        Ms. McCollum. Ms. Echo-Hawk, I know how important it is to
    have the non-police be part of the solution for everything from
    witnesses to survivor help, to what you spoke to wit children.
        Ms. Echo-Hawk. Yeah, absolutely, and particularly as we
    talk about, and you brought up SANE nurses, so sexual assault
    nurse examiners. And in my testimony, one of the things I
    shared was of a young woman, and this was in an area where she
    could have possibly accessed either an urban program or an IHS
    program, but neither of them on that weekend had a SANE nurse
    available. And so she was not comfortable going anywhere else,
    and so instead of getting that rape kit done, they said you can
    wait and not shower, after being raped multiple times, until
    Monday, or you can just take your shower now, which is what she
    did. And now evidence of those rapes has been washed away.
        And so when we look at these services, it is integral. And
    one of the things when we look at particularly how VAWA dollars
    flow into the counties that are then dispersed across
    organizations, are then used across the counties, they very
    often do not reach the organizations like the Seattle Indian
    Health Board and other tribal organizations. They are held in
    the county. And we also know that there is no access to data
    because they are not gathering at those levels that say how
    many victims that they have that are American Indian/Alaska
    Native.
        So I currently have an effort happening in King County, one
    of the largest counties in the country. I am excited to say
    that we have partnered together, and I am working with them to
    redo the way the prosecutor's office collects data from victims
    of crime, particularly sexual assault and domestic violence.
    And I am going to be training their officers and all of the
    prosecutors to do that differently. We are going to use that as
    a national toolkit that could be used across counties, across
    Federal agencies, because we can't wait for somebody else to
    create the solution for us.
        And I am very fortunate to be in King County and to have
    them working with me to do that. But I will say that I am doing
    this at night in my other office called Starbucks. [Laughter.]
        Ms. Echo-Hawk. And I would like at some point in time for
    somebody at the county levels, the State levels, the Federal
    level to say, you know what? Native women are important. We are
    going to make sure that you get the funding that you need so
    you can have the resources that you need, because my
    organization is going to create the national framework, and you
    will see it in about 6 months, and we are just going to do it.
    We need the resources to do it well, and I could do it faster
    if I had the resources.
        Ms. McCollum. And that the misclassification that you are
    talking about.
        Ms. Echo-Hawk. Yes, data misclassification.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you so much for your testimony, and
    thank you both, sir, and Ms. Echo-Hawk, for serving people at
    times of crisis when that is the last thing they want to be
    doing is picking up the phone and making that phone call. Thank
    you. Thank you for your past work in that.
        Voice. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. The next panel, please join us.
                                  ----------

                                          Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

        AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE PUBLIC WITNESS DAY 2--PANEL 4

                                   WITNESSES

    LOUIE UNGARO, COUNCIL MEMBER, MUCKLESHOOT TRIBE
    STEPHEN ROE LEWIS, GOVERNOR, GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY
    MARITA HINDS, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
        Ms. McCollum. Good morning. As I mentioned earlier, who is
    going to close out this morning's panel is we are going to have
    a robust discussion on Indian education in Indian Country. And
    I know some people come in and out, and that is wonderful, so I
    will just go over what we are doing the time again really
    quick. Please introduce yourself. That will not count against
    your time. You will get your full 5 minutes, and at 4 minutes,
    a yellow light will come on. That lets you know you have about
    1 minute to start wrapping up, and then the red light comes on
    at 5.
        Your full testimony will be entered into the committee
    record, so we want to thank you for that, so don't feel rushed
    if you don't get to everything. As you can see, we are running
    a little late because we are trying to ask really, really good
    questions. So we are going to for the recorder go in order of
    the table. So if you would please start, sir.
        Mr. Ungaro. Good morning, honorable committee members.
    Thank you for the opportunity.
        Ms. McCollum. Is the red light on on your----
        Voice. It is.
        Ms. McCollum. Good. Thank you.
        Mr. Ungaro. Thank you for the opportunity to testify here.
    My name is Louie Ungaro. I am a Muckleshoot Tribal Council
    member. I have the privilege to serve as the chairman of our
    tribal school commission.
        A little background on the school. Muckleshoot Tribe is
    committed to the success of our children through culturally-
    appropriate education to prepare our future generations for
    what is ahead. The Muckleshoot Tribal School is the first
    tribally-controlled school to enter a compact with the BIE in
    the State of Washington. The tribal school provides a K through
    12 instruction. It infuses Muckleshoot cultural practices, the
    history and the language
        Muckleshoot leadership has worked hard to meet the needs of
    our students through the adoption of new exciting programs. One
    of those programs is a language and cultural instruction
    program. It is training our teachers through the Muckleshoot
    cultural experience and the traditional teaching styles,
    creating bilingual signage and visual communication in every
    classroom, as well as morning drum circle which provides song
    and dance for the day; nutrition programs which we integrate
    traditional foods and all of that; culture night and the annual
    potlach we have once a year; and as well as we have the
    woodshop curriculum that we are bringing back into the school.
    So it is about our sciences and our techniques and traditions
    through carving practices, tool-making, and technologies.
        While much of this work has been done to bring our
    ancestors' vision to fruition, we have a lot more work to do.
    With the subcommittee's assistance, we can continue improving
    the learning environment for our students. The tribe's requests
    today stem from our experiences at the Muckleshoot Tribal
    School. During the planning phase for Muckleshoot Tribal
    School, disagreement quickly emerged between the tribe and the
    BIE the size and capacity of the school.
        Disregarding the tribe's student population projections at
    the time, the BIE constructed the tribal school to accommodate
    the student population was it was. And, as anticipated, the
    tribal school reached capacity shortly after the construction
    in 2009. Today, the school student population alone is 565,
    making it over capacity by nearly 100 students. That is not
    even counting staff.
        The overcrowding at the tribal school reached the point
    where we were forced to hold classes in hallways and repurpose
    other spaces. As a result, the tribe and the BIA began working
    together to secure modular classrooms in order to accommodate
    the growing student population. Ultimately, the BIA's division
    facility management and construction, DFMC, recommended six
    modular units, which would house 12 classrooms.
        During that time, the DFMC stated that it anticipated the
    modular classrooms would be delivered in advance of the
    upcoming school year, which began in August of 2017.
    Unfortunately, the modular classrooms were not delivered on
    time, and the project was lingering. This led us to assume the
    role of general contractor in March of 2019. Even after doing
    so, we had trouble getting the DFMC to release the funds.
        Last spring, the tribal council raised the issue directly
    with you, Chairwoman McCollum. With the assistance of you and
    your staff, modular classrooms were delivered this week and
    still being delivered. We have three that are being set up as
    we speak today. While the tribe is forever grateful for your
    assistance, it should not be this difficult for us to provide a
    healthy learning environment for our students.
        The Muckleshoot Tribe urges the subcommittee to prioritize
    construction funding that so that Indian Country children can
    obtain quality education in a safe environment. The tribe also
    requests the subcommittee to inquire about the organizational
    structure of the DFMC and how it deploys its funding provided
    by Congress. Finally, the tribe urges subcommittee to provide
    funding for culturally-relevant education programs.
        Since it is been implemented in 2016, the tribal school's
    emphasis on incorporating culture into the education system has
    proven successful. This is evidence is in rising graduation and
    our students' strong sense of identity and community. The BIE's
    immersion demonstration grant program supports such efforts by
    providing funding for initiatives aimed at increasing language
    proficiency and protecting against indigenous language loss.
    The tribe urges the subcommittee to expand the funding to
    implement culturally-appropriate teachings.
        So in conclusion, I really want to thank you all for your
    time and for allowing me to come here and speak.
        [The statement of Mr. Ungaro follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Lewis, good morning.
        Mr. Lewis. Good morning. Chairperson McCollum, Ranking
    Member Joyce, and members of the subcommittee, thank you for
    the opportunity to testify on education priorities in the
    Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations. My name is Steven Earl Lewis,
    and I am governor of the Gila River Indian Community. [Speaking
    native language.] Good morning. I am here to testify
    specifically on the Section 105(l) school construction and
    leaseback program that was piloted at the Gila River Indian
    Community last year. I am joined today by Councilwoman Monica
    Antone, Councilman Avery White, our youth council delegation
    from the community, our Ms. Gila River, Tyler Owens, and Junior
    Miss Gila River, Susannah Osef.
        For this year, this committee has been asked to address the
    school construction backlog that exists for BIE schools at the
    Department of Interior, a backlog that would take approximately
    60 years, or 3 generations--3 generations--to clear at current
    funding levels. Even though this committee has increased
    funding wherever possible, incremental funding was insufficient
    to address the backlog. So you challenged the Administration
    and tribal nations to bring you innovative solutions to the
    problem.
        Two years ago I brought you a proposal from the Gila River
    Indian Community to pilot the first school construction
    leaseback Indian country, and I have two packets of actual
    photos of the finished Gila Crossing Community School. The
    proposal relied on existing statutory authority under Section
    105(l) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education
    Assistance Act. Under the leaseback program, the community
    financed construction of the school, and upon completion,
    leased the school back to the Department of the Interior
    through a negotiated lease. Utilizing this program and working
    with this committee to secure appropriations for the lease
    payment, the community was able to complete construction in a
    little over 1 year, 13 months, and under budget, for less than
    the amount the Department would have spent to replace the
    school in the first place.
        Gila Crossing is truly the community's school. The
    community's culture is evident in the school curriculum, and
    there are reminders of [Speaking native language.] and Pee-Posh
    heritage everywhere you look. We are proud of the school and
    even prouder that we were able to pilot a program that can be
    replicated through throughout Indian Country. As with all pilot
    programs, it was a learning experience, and the community also
    took a great deal of risk. But together the community, the
    administration, and you, the appropriators, ensured that this
    was a successful project.
        Based on our experience, we have a few recommendations to
    share. We recommend continued funding of the 105(l) Program at
    the Department of Interior. With the completion of the Gila
    Crossing Community School, we are first requesting continued
    funding to meet the annual lease payments for this school. In
    addition, for Fiscal Year 2021, we are proposing an additional
    $20 million dollars for school construction under the 105(l)
    Lease Program.
        As indicated earlier, the need for new school construction
    in Indian Country is significant, as you have heard. At Gila
    River alone, we had three BIE schools in poor condition and
    overcrowded. It took decades to get the Blackwater Community
    School on the school replacement list to begin with, and even
    with the construction of Gila Crossing, Casablanca Community
    School remains overcrowded and in poor condition. The
    additional $20 million in Fiscal Year 2021 would allow for
    another four or more schools to be constructed using the
    construction leaseback program.
        The community also supports the language in Fiscal Year
    2020 appropriations report to explore mandatory funding for the
    105(l) lease program. Mandatory funding would alleviate the
    need to reprogram the statutorily-mandated funding from
    critical programs and staffing for tribal programs at the
    Department of Interior and the Indian Health Service. Mandatory
    funding is also supported by the National Congress of American
    Indians, and was included in the Indian Country budget request
    to Congress for Fiscal Year 2021.
        Another key component to making this program even more
    successful is access to other Federal financing tools,
    specifically new market tax credits. The lack of credits
    designated to projects in Indian Country make it especially
    difficult to compete for new market tax credits, even though
    tribal access would save the Federal Government up to 20
    percent on much-needed infrastructure construction in Indian
    Country. We urge this committee and all of Congress to support
    tribal-specific language in legislation that increases tribal
    access to new market tax credits.
        In conclusion, I am honored to sit here today and share my
    community's success story with you. Your commitment to Indian
    Country's self-determination is commendable and can serve as a
    model across Congress and the Administration. We look forward
    to coming back with more success stories that can enhance this
    program, and stand ready to assist this committee and other
    tribes across Indian Country as they explore the 105(l) Lease
    Program. And as always, you are always welcome to the Gila
    River Indian Community to see this wonderful school. Thank you
    so much. [Speaking native language.]
        [The statement of Mr. Lewis follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Hinds. Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce, and
    members of the subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to
    provide testimony on behalf of the National Indian Education
    Association. My name is Marita Hinds. I am from Tesuque Pueblo.
    I am the President of the NIEA Board.
        NIEA is the most inclusive national organization advocating
    for culturally-based educational opportunities for American
    Indians, Alaska Natives, and native Hawaiians. Each day, our
    organization equips tribal leaders, educators, and advocates to
    prepare the over 650,000 native students across the Nation for
    success in the classroom and beyond. Native education is a
    bipartisan effort rooted in the Federal trust responsibility to
    tribal nations and their citizens.
        NIEA thanks the subcommittee for its ongoing commitment to
    fulfilling this constitutional responsibility by advancing
    native education programs and services in Fiscal Year 2020. In
    particular, we appreciate the subcommittee's oversight of BIE
    programs and services for native students. NIEA urges you to
    continue your commitment to native students by fully funding
    native education within the BIE and Fiscal Year 2021
    appropriations.
        I will highlight several of NIEA's key appropriation
    priorities for Fiscal Year 2021. Bureau-funded schools must be
    appropriated $430 million for urgent school construction and
    repair. NIEA appreciates recent steps to address immediate
    infrastructure needs in Bureau-funded schools through increased
    school construction funding in Fiscal Year 2020. Despite such
    strides forward, funding continues to fall short of the full
    need. In 2016, the Office of the Inspector General at the
    Department of Interior found that it will cost $430 million
    dollars to address immediate facility repairs in the BIE.
        In addition, that report estimated over $1.3 billion
    dollars in overall need for education construction at BIE
    schools. By the end of Fiscal Year 2019, the maintenance
    backlog in Bureau-funded schools had ballooned to over $720
    million. Continued funding shortfalls for the high-quality
    construction repair and maintenance of Bureau-funded schools
    have impacted my own community of Tesuque Pueblo. In addition
    to my role as the NIEA president, I work at that the Tesuque
    Wingate School, a Bureau-funded school by my tribe.
        Our classrooms are at the seams. The school has grown to
    over 55 students from when it began in 2012, which had 17
    students. Despite several renovations to retrofit outdated
    wiring, heat, and air over the years, the electrical system
    regularly overloads a fuse when using even a printer or a
    shredder. Our school is 84 years old. Our classrooms share one
    IT maintenance technician with all tribal facilities, while our
    classrooms and our administration offices have problems with
    Wi-Fi and internet services. Even with these hardships, our
    phenomenal staff and educators have done amazing work to
    advance education for our students, and parents continue to
    send their children to our school because of the incredible
    progress that we have made over the past 8 years. However,
    additional funding is critical to ensuring safe access to the
    facility and providing technology critical to a 21st century
    education. Sadly, our story is not unique.
        The current funding levels fail to fully address the $727
    million in immediate school need. The need for construction and
    repair in BIE schools is too great to wait for a possible
    infrastructure package without ongoing funding to address
    construction needs. Seven schools on the 2016 construction list
    have yet to receive funds for design and construction. Limited
    funding continues to hold up progress for schools, Greasewood
    Springs Community School in Arizona, where students and
    educators continue to face overcrowding and unsafe facilities.
    Native students deserve to learn in a safe and healthy school
    where they can thrive.
        The Indian School Equalization Program, ISEP, should be
    fully funded at $431 million for Fiscal Year 2021. ISEP funds
    the core budget account for BIE elementary and secondary
    schools. Through this program, schools and including my own
    School in Greasewood Springs, receive funding to pay salaries
    for teachers and other personnel. While ISEP is funded at
    approximately $2 million dollars per school, each public school
    across the country receives on average for infrastructure-
    related salaries, wages, and employee benefits.
        Each year, schools are forced to further stretch limited
    ISEP funds to fulfill regulations that require educators to be
    paid salaries comparable to those at the only other Federal
    school system, the Department of Defense Education Activity,
    DODEA. This requirement is meant to support equality and
    access. However, Federal appropriations have failed to account
    for increase in competitive salaries both at DODEA and in
    States where BIE schools are located. Good teachers matter.
    Increased investment is required to ensure access to a highly-
    qualified culturally-competent educators at all schools.
        In addition, NIEA supports the request to fully fund and
    support tribal colleges and universities through Fiscal Year
    2020 recommendations provided by the American Indian Higher
    Education Consortium. Thank you very much.
        [The statement of Ms. Hinds follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Kilmer.
        Mr. Kilmer. Thanks, Madam Chair. Governor Lewis, I liked
    your after photos better than your before photos. [Laughter.]
        So thank you for sharing those. I am not quite sure who to
    ask this to, but, Councilman Ungaro, you talked about the fact
    that, you know, the day you opened your new school, it was
    already at overcapacity, and it drove this need to build
    portables. I mean, obviously there is a systemic problem of
    underfunding, but is there another systemic problem that our
    subcommittee ought to be looking at to try to prevent that type
    of dynamic from occurring? Ideally, when you open a school, you
    are not already over capacity.
        Mr. Ungaro. Thank you for the question. Yeah, I believe
    looking at the enrollment as well, like, our general enrollment
    of the tribe, a third of our tribe is under the age of 18. I
    mean, it is no mystery the wave of kids that are coming, these
    schools and what we are doing to set our kids up for success
    through natural resources and create leadership in those kids
    to not only just set them up for success in Indian Country, but
    success here in Washington, D.C. wherever they want to go. The
    opportunity has been left up to us to create that.
        And what is not happening is the funding isn't coming
    through for us to be able to stay ahead of the curve. And the
    challenge is in Indian Country for education is no mystery of
    what is going on here. I mean, we weren't set up for success
    all the way back from 1863, so just a little over 65 years ago
    we won the Supreme Court case where our kids and people of
    color would be welcomed into the classroom. So, you know, that
    is not very many generations ago.
        And in Indian Country where I am at, I am the first
    generation graduate in my household, high school graduate So,
    you know, we don't have people to fall back on to help us
    navigate the State institutions through college and all of that
    stuff, but we are setting up in these tribal schools is we are
    giving our kids a place in the classroom, a sense of identity,
    but as well as being able to teach them not just their own
    traditional ecological knowledge, but making them proud and
    giving them that spot in the classroom, but as well as being
    able to comprehend and understand OSPI and the STEM curriculum,
    and infusing that together which makes them stronger and gives
    them the ability to make the choice if they want to stay home
    on the reservation or if they want to come and be your staffer
    someday. So that is what we are trying to do.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Kilmer, this is a problem. The Beatrice
    Rafferty School in Maine was delayed for years because of a
    disagreement on population size, because the BIE decided that
    it knew, and it was the BIA at the time, knew what the
    enrollment was going to be and did not listen to the community
    and did not listen to the parents. And Ms. Pingree, and I, and
    others found ourselves, you know, listening carefully to the
    community and then questioning the decision making that was
    moving forward.
        And the tragedy about what has happened at this new school
    is the gym space, the cafeteria space, all the community spaces
    now have been built on a certain size population, which was too
    small. So even with the modulars being added, if you want to
    have an all school were younger children are, you know,
    practicing being in larger groups and performing or giving
    presentations, they can't get together, or the older kids
    can't.
        I mean, you and I have been parents. My kids are much older
    than yours. I am a grandmother now. But you know how schools
    work. And when you undersize them, you know, gymnasium space,
    community space, cafeteria space, cultural areas all get
    impacted on this. And so I am going to make a plea here before
    I turn this over to Mr. Joyce.
        The census is coming up, and I had some young Johnson
    O'Malley students from St. Paul, Minnesota schools in my
    office. And I was telling those students, you need to when you
    see that census form come in and you hear about the census, you
    got to get excited about it, and you have got to get the head
    of household, your elder, your parents, or whoever it is, you
    need to get them to do an accurate census. And you need to
    identify in the census Native American because formulas will be
    based on that. And, you know, if it is not right and then you
    add ten years into the future, a lot of decisions facing Indian
    Country and for how Mr. Joyce and I go back and allocate for
    top-line funding at the 302b account, the Census is something
    everybody is looking at.
        And there are also some good-paying Census jobs out there,
    if I can make a plug for that, too, because we need to hire
    more people. But the census is really important. I know Indian
    Country is working on it, but we can't spread the word enough
    about how important the Census is going to be. So thank you for
    letting me tag onto your question because it is a good one, and
    it has been a frustrating one for this committee for a while.
    So excellent question, Mr. Kilmer. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you all for
    being here. I certainly appreciate, Chairman Lewis, your
    invitation to come out. I know that time is getting late, and
    we are already behind, but I was wondering if you could explain
    your frustration with the New Markets Tax Credit and your
    inability to secure it for Indian tribes.
        Mr. Lewis. Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the
    committee, Congressman Joyce. For the new market tax credits,
    access is limited to Indian Country. We are working with NAFOA,
    the Native American Finance Officers Association, and the Ways
    and Means because when we were working on financing the 105(l)
    lease and the design build, the allocation cycle, the
    construction cycle, and the appropriations were out of sync
    while we were building this. You know, we built this school and
    designed it within 13 months. And so all of those moving parts
    just weren't in sync for us to be able to take advantage of the
    new market tax credits.
        Mr. Joyce. Do you think a legislative fix is necessary?
        Mr. Lewis. Definitely. For tribes, and this is a policy
    issue among all issues having to do with tribal nations. You
    know, for policy, tribal nations need to have specific language
    that includes tribes and not excludes them, and the new market
    tax credits is no exception.
        Mr. Joyce. Great. Thank you.
        Mr. Lewis. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. I just want to say congratulations on getting
    your modulars delivered. How serendipitous that it happened at
    the same time that you are testifying in front of the
    committee, but we will take it. But we are putting together an
    infrastructure bill, and I know that what we are looking at is
    green. We are looking at technology, and this is
    infrastructure, and many of us, our voices are at the table to
    make sure Indian Country is included in that. So stay tuned,
    and it needs to have an infusion of spending in it that is
    really going to be impactful and make a difference.
        So Mr. DeFazio is kind of taking the lead on that, but we
    are doing some things in consultation through our staff. And I
    know Indian Country is at the table with us moving forward, but
    that will include schools, roads, bridges, Broadband, all the
    things that come together to make a school successful, as you
    pointed out. Thank you very much for your testimony. Thank you
    for your time here. And we will have the next panel come up.
        And as the next panel comes up, I know a couple people saw
    me dashing out of the room. We were accommodating later on this
    afternoon with two people who were willing to switch on
    testimony so someone could make an earlier flight to get home.
                                  ----------

                                          Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

        AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE PUBLIC WITNESS DAY 2--PANEL 5

                                   WITNESSES

    ANGELISA BEGAYE, ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST, DZILTH-NA-O-DITH-HE
        COMMUNITY SCHOOL
    SYLVIA LARGO, DINE GRANT SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION, INC. BOARD MEMBER AND
        PRINCIPAL OF PINON COMMUNITY SCHOOL
    BEVERLY COHO, SECRETARY AND TREASURER, RAMAH NAVAJO SCHOOL BOARD, INC.
    CHARLES CUNY, JR., LITTLE WOUND SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT, OGLALA LAKOTA
        NATION EDUCATION COALITION
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. We will let the next panel get
    seated here. We got a little bit of a traffic jam, but that is
    a good thing to have. That means that there are a lot of people
    here participating. So really quickly, please introduce
    yourself and then start into your testimony. The time that you
    use to introduce yourself will not count against your time. You
    have 5 minutes. We have your testimony in the record, so we
    have all of it. So don't worry about getting through
    everything. There is a lot to cover, and the staff and I will
    be reading through it and using it to formulate questions and
    responses to your concerns.
        So if you would please start off. When you see the yellow
    light, there is 1 minute left, and that will go on the timer
    right here. There is a little red button. Make sure it is lit
    up on your mike before you start, and if you would lead us off,
    please. Thank you.
        Ms. Begaye. Sure. Okay. Thank you. Good morning, Madam
    Chair and members of the subcommittee. My name is Angelisa
    Begaye, and I am here speaking on behalf of the Dzilth-Na-O-
    Dith-Hle Community School.
        Okay. So the Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Community School would
    like to thank the subcommittee for your effort, your support,
    and your dedication in prioritizing the appropriations and
    oversight for school repair and construction throughout the
    Bureau of Indian Education school system. With that, we are one
    of the schools from the 2016 school replacement list to receive
    funding for school replacement construction. Thus far, we have
    completed the planning phase and 20 percent schematic design
    phase. We are currently in the design bill phase of the
    construction project. This whole process has taken us much time
    and effort, so, to reach this milestone.
        Our students, parents, and staff are excited with the
    school that is coming up, and we have been working diligently
    and promptly and putting our new school into operation. The
    efforts we have set forth are for the well-being of our
    students and in them with an adequate learning environment. Of
    course, it requires a team effort, and we had to establish a
    positive relationship and a partnership with the Bureau of
    Indian Education and the Indian Affairs division of facility
    management and construction so that we will be able to be
    successful in this for the school, the Federal Government, and,
    of course, for our students.
        Okay, which brings us to our written testimony, which you
    guys have a copy of. And in our written testimony, we have
    outlined some concerns we have been experiencing through this
    process. At one of our meetings this week, we met with the
    Office of Facility Property and Safety Management, which
    oversees the division the division of facility management and
    construction. We had the opportunity to bring to light with
    them and to discuss some of these issues, which we hope will be
    taken into consideration.
        We believe with the path moving forward that we have a
    clear and transparent line of communication, that we are
    consistent with timelines and deadlines and alleviating
    unnecessary delays, which is imperative to our success and
    completing this project. As our partner, we ask the
    subcommittee to emphasize and reinforce the importance of clear
    and timely expectations, and also to continue oversight of this
    project, and to keep in contact with the Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle
    Community School, the Office of Facility Property and Safety
    Management, and the Division of Facility Management and
    Construction on the progress of our school replacement project
    and all those that were on the 2016 replacement list.
        In closing, the Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Community School
    thanks the subcommittee for the important funding increases and
    oversight directed to school repair and replacement
    construction. Consistent funding is needed to complete the
    construction on the 2016 replacement list, which direly impacts
    our children's future. In Fiscal Year 2021, we ask you to
    continue these funding levels. We believe all children should
    be given the opportunity to reach their potential and go to
    school in safe buildings. Thank you for remaining Pacific
    Islander steadfast partners this critical endeavor. Thank you.
        [The statement of Ms. Begaye follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Ms. Largo.
        Ms. Largo. Good morning. Good morning, Madam Chair, Ranking
    Member, and members of this Appropriations Committee. I
    appreciate the time to share with you. I am coming from the
    Navajo Nation. I speak on behalf of nine Bureau-funded schools
    that are operated as tribally-controlled schools. The executive
    board from these nine schools and the administration are
    committed to providing the best educational services for the
    children in our communities.
        We want to make sure that we continue to receive funding to
    operate instructional classrooms, residential programs,
    facility programs, transportation programs. Our technology is
    so crucial in providing the learning process to our young
    people; for our business offices to make sure that our funding
    is always accounted for. We want to make sure that is always
    taken care of. We want to make sure that our administration and
    the school board remain on par and meeting the needs of these
    young people.
        While we are doing this on a day-to-day basis, there are
    some challenges our schools experience. One concern is that we
    are seeing an increase in the number of suicide ideations of
    our young people. To meet their needs, we have to make sure we
    get them the proper professional people, which means I have to
    find funding to pay specialized counselors. We also end up
    providing support services. Although we are teaching, we will
    take the time out to make sure we provide these young people
    the kind of support they need. So we really need to pay
    attention to the monies that come in to pay the personnel cost.
        We are already stretched with the ISEP funding that we get,
    but we want to make sure we continue to meet costs. So we want
    you to help us in paying attention in the BIE teacher pay
    parity. The law requires that teachers and counselors and the
    BIE school system are paid at the same rate as their
    counterparts and the overseas Department of Defense school
    system. For some reason, our administration did not request for
    those fundings. We did meet with them. We did make it a point
    to mention to them that we need their help in making sure that
    they request for these fixed costs to account for the 25 U.S.C.
    Subsection 220. They could use that as an authorizing status in
    requesting for this fixed cost. So we ask for your support in
    making sure that we get that because we do need the monies in
    operating schools.
        The other latest concern that we are experiencing is on the
    reservation, we are spread into New Mexico. New Mexico has
    provided their State teachers a 10 percent increase. Arizona
    has spread 20 percent over three years, which is making it
    really tough to maintain our teaching staff. We have excellent
    teachers. We have done very creative, innovative professional
    development to keep our teachers on our campuses. We are going
    to need help there.
        Another area that would help our school's ISEP funding is
    if we don't have to pay so much for the insurance. We do have
    challenges in making sure that our staff is provided stellar
    benefits. Right now, a great deal of our funding goes there.
    But if we could get assistance and helping to make sure that a
    tribally-controlled school would have the same access to
    Federal employee health benefits programs and the Federal
    employee group life insurance would be of great assistance. It
    would not cost the government anything, but it would help us at
    least maintain some of the monies that we now spend. At least
    50 percent of the monies we spend stay within the school pots
    for our children to have access to those monies.
        The other one is our native language programs is having a
    big impact. I am so happy that our teachers are now teaching
    the Dine language to our children. They are speaking. They are
    now hearing the language. I see that there is more confidence
    in them. It must continue to be funded. I can't say enough as
    to how well that program has changed our children.
        Thank you. I appreciate your hard work. You have got us
    supporting you, so keep doing what you guys are doing.
    [Speaking native language.]
        [The statement of Ms. Largo follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Please.
        Ms. Coho. Good morning. I am Beverly Coho, recent past
    president of the Ramah Navajo School Board, Incorporated, and
    also secretary-treasurer at this current time. And the Ramah
    Navajo School Board, Incorporated operates the Pine Hill
    schools and other community services in West Central New
    Mexico. And I concur with the statements made by my colleagues
    at this table because it also reflects the needs that we have
    in the Ramah Navajo community, and particularly the Federal
    employee health benefit initiative.
        With 50 years--50 years--of institutional history at this
    first institution, where we took over community control and
    self-determination, the Ramah school board has unique capacity
    to administer its own program, and true to its founding
    measure, to educate the community people. The Ramah community
    people have come a long ways along the road of self-
    determination and establishing capacity and the ability to
    educate its people.
        This month, we celebrate our golden anniversary, and thank
    you in large part to the early partnership established between
    the U.S. Congress and the Ramah Navajo school board. Our
    Founders came here, talked to your predecessors in 1970, and
    ever since we have been operating our own. Thank you, [Speaking
    native language] also on behalf of our constituents, who are
    very thankful for the funds that were made available recently.
    These funds were for improvement to the HVAC system, also to
    the renovation of the existing school buildings, also the
    building of a new gymnasium. And students are fortunate for the
    opportunity that they will be learning in an environment that
    is conducive to learning.
        But to fully realize the potential of operating in new or
    refurbished, the infrastructure have to be undergoing major
    rehabilitation and upgrading. For example, the water system,
    sewer and waste system, electrical system, gas system, roads on
    campus, broadband, and improved IT systems. Right now, the
    infrastructure is life threatening. There is a constant water
    crisis causing the school to shut down every now and then, and
    this causes a great deal of interruption. And we hope when we
    get new funds that it would help us to conduct comprehensive
    hydrology stud to assess the water availability and the water
    table.
        Also secure the service of qualified engineers to conduct
    preliminary scope of work repair and/or replace the wells,
    rehabilitate the water treatment plant, including upgrading and
    replacing control systems, install water tower storage at
    perhaps 500,000 gallon capacity on campus, which we don't have
    at this time. Replace the water main throughout the campus.
    Initiate and maintain water testing so that we are in
    compliance with EPA standards and regulations; and the roads
    would be repaved because a lot of the infrastructure are
    underneath the pavement.
        Also security cameras will be upgraded. The operation of
    the facility management will be enhanced. As it is, we use only
    51 percent of funds for facility management, and we get a
    little bit from ISEP, but then if we get additional funds, we
    would be complementing the ISEP funds. Also the patchy
    unreliable internet system will be improved to serve as the
    lifeline for not only the schools, but the medical clinic that
    we operate there on campus.
        There is still a way to go on the road to self-
    determination, and the best way to do this is to stay the
    course, continue to make progress by working with one another,
    tribal, Federal and State partners. We wholeheartedly
    appreciate the bipartisan support and partnership while we work
    to provide a safe and promising future for our students. Thank
    you very much.
        [The statement of Ms. Coho follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
        Mr. Cuny. [Speaking native language.] Good morning,
    Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce, and the honorable
    subcommittee. Thank for the opportunity to testify on behalf of
    the Oglala Lakota Nation Education Consortium, which represents
    the Oglala Sioux Tribe authorized grant school. I serve as the
    superintendent of one of these schools, Little Wound School
    District, in South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
    My testimony today focuses on challenges are tribal grant
    schools face as a result of underfunding within the Bureau of
    Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education.
        Today the primary means of the support is the Indian School
    Equalization Program, also known as ISEP. It provides per pupil
    allocation to the Bureau of Indian education grant schools for
    general operations expenditures. These funds, according to the
    Bureau's own documentation, are designed for educational-
    related programming, such as staff salaries and benefits,
    classroom supplies, textbooks gifted and talented programs, and
    extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, funding is not
    sufficient to operate our schools.
        So today, I really want to paint a picture for you as an
    active school superintendent in a tribal grant school, and just
    give you some key financial challenges we face with today's
    current BIE/BIA policies and the application of attaining well-
    qualified teachers and operating within our means. And so I may
    skip around a little bit, but I will try and touch on the main
    points.
        One reason why is that federally-funded programs like
    transportation, food service, special education, and
    facilities, are themselves underfunded, and ISEP dollars must
    be used to plug in these budget holes. So we are constantly
    pulling ISEP dollars that were intended for education for
    school operations, so that is a huge challenge across the
    board. The other thing is facilities. BIA Facilities Operation
    and Maintenance Program is a primary example. Since 1981, our
    school has only received full O&M funding once, and between
    2000 and 2016, our school received $5 million less in
    facilities funding that is needed.
        So if you look at chart A, it gives kind of a 16-year
    account of our O&M funding. So generally, I think last year we
    received about $1 million dollars for O&M funding, but if you
    calculate that figure of needs for O&M funding, our school has
    missed out on about $5 million dollars of facility O&M funding
    over the last 16 years.
        At Little Wound School, our elementary school building is
    75 years old. Our middle school is 40 years old. It is a tin
    building. They are both very dilapidated schools. We recently
    had an energy efficiency study conducted by BIA in 2010, which
    described a $5 to $8 million repair that still hasn't been
    funded, and so we still are paying high energy efficiency costs
    to operate our school. The other key point that I want to touch
    on today is FEHB benefits. One of the biggest critical factors
    for Little Wound School is we currently have a health plan
    where we pay individual coverage at about $900 a month per
    staff member. If we qualify for FEHB benefits, that would
    reduce that cost to the school to about $425 a month.
        So Little Wound School operates on $13 million a year. This
    change would save us $1.4 million annually. If we receive this
    change, we would be utilize those funds to support education,
    and so I think that is a quick fix that you guys have already
    taken steps towards. I think it is a bipartisan agreement that
    would help all the tribal grant schools across the country.
        In conclusion, you know, as we move forward, I am honored
    to be here today. The Ramah School was the first local
    controlled tribal grant school. The second school was Loman
    School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. And so over the
    course of the last 45, 50 years, our tribes have had local
    control. But if you look at the way policies have been applied
    historically, tribal grant schools are falling further and
    further away from fully being funded. And I am hoping that my
    testimony today will support the appropriations as we move into
    the 21st century and help support the children of Oglala Sioux
    Tribe and their future. Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Cuny follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you all for
    coming here today and providing your testimony. It is well
    received. I think certainly with, Madam Chair, being a former
    schoolteacher herself, anything that has to do with education,
    she certainly guides in whatever direction she wants to. I am
    certainly in line as well. I come from a line of teachers, my
    grandmother, my aunts, my sister, and now my cousins, so I
    appreciate the hard work that goes into educating people. It is
    much more than just a school. It requires truly an educational
    community to make it happen. So we got to make sure that we
    provide for you. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. We are going to look into what is going on
    with the school replacement that you talked about for the DSSG
    School District. So the division of facilities management
    construction, I have been passing notes because I have been
    trying to get the question up here good, as located in the
    Bureau of Indian. You are in Albuquerque. That is the region
    you have been dealing with?
        Ms. Begaye. Yes.
        Ms. McCollum. Or have you been dealing with the D.C. office
    and it hasn't gone well?
        Ms. Begaye. The Albuquerque office.
        Ms. McCollum. So just the Albuquerque office.
        Ms. Begaye. Yeah, mm-hmm.
        Ms. McCollum. Do you know from talking to other colleagues
    in Indian Country if they have experienced in other parts of
    the United States and other regions some of the challenges that
    you have had, like all of a sudden you are moving forward and
    there is no consultation, and you feel like the rug has been
    pulled out from underneath your feet because now you have to do
    a sewer lagoon?
        Ms. Begaye. Yeah. Well, when I was here earlier listening
    to some of the other schools, they did mention some of the same
    problems and did bring to light that DFMC was kind of doing the
    same thing to them as well.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay. That----
        Ms. Begaye. But in their region.
        Ms. McCollum. That is good for us to know because what I
    love about having the tribal public witness before we have the
    agencies here is you give us the questions to ask and to do
    follow up, so thank you. Everybody's testimony is a little
    different----
        Ms. Begaye. Right.
        Ms. McCollum. And so kind of put the bright red light on
    top of that, so thank you for that. The insurance, as I was
    said, I was passing notes. No disrespect, but there is a bill.
    It is H.R. 8595. It was introduced, and it dealt with the
    insurance issue that you have all brought up, which is very
    enlightening to me and something that you have done an
    excellent job of highlighting how we can save dollars so you
    can put them back into serving students. On January 5th, it was
    ordered to be reported by unanimous consent out of Natural
    Resources. So I am going to follow up and see what other
    committees it has to go through, and I will talk to our
    leadership about that. And if it came out of a unanimous
    consent, maybe you can talk to Mr. McCarthy as I am talking to
    Mr. Hoyer, and maybe see if we can get this on the floor,
    because that would be great, or if there is a holdup, find out
    what it is so maybe we can work together and fix it.
        The infrastructure package that I was talking about
    earlier, you know, looking at the whole school, you know, you
    move a school, you have to move pipes. You don't want to just
    move the pipes in the school and get them up to good standards.
    Everything that makes the connection, right? So I think you did
    an excellent job of highlighting that. And then I am going to
    have to look into, after the school shootings that took place,
    and we had one on our Indian reservations in Minnesota several
    years ago. We went in and put in some safety features. And I am
    hearing you talk about safety features. And as a
    superintendent, you are nodding your head yes.
        I want to figure out what that Safe School Grant looks
    like, and I, quite honestly, don't know whether or not that
    those are grants you are available for. Do you know if you are
    available for the Safe School Grants, sir?
        Mr. Cuny. I think we may be available for it. I know we
    have had conversations with BIA and BIE in terms of, you know,
    possibly filing for a DOJ that would provide an SRO and tribal
    grant schools. But the safe School Grant, I am sure we are
    available for it. It is just a matter of applying for it. But
    there are some capacity measures that could support school
    safety at the Federal level.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay. So there are other issues we can look
    at, too, but we don't want to make this so complicated that you
    always have to be hiring a grant writer or taking time away
    from your other duties to write grants. So we want to try to
    work together with you to make this as seamless as possible.
    Thank you so much for your testimony. I have got some homework.
    You did a good job as educators. Thank you.
        Voice. Thank you.
        Will the next panel please come up?
        Voice. Thank you so very much.
                                  ----------

                                          Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

        AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE PUBLIC WITNESS DAY 2--PANEL 6

                                   WITNESSES

    CARRIE L. BILLY, PRESIDENT AND CEO, AMERICAN INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION
        CONSORTIUM
    LAURIE HARPER, PRESIDENT, TRIBAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS NATIONAL
        ASSEMBLY
    LAWRENCE MIRABAL, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, THE INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN
        INDIAN ARTS
    RYAN WILSON, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ALLIANCE TO SAVE NATIVE LANGUAGES
        Ms. McCollum. And as the next panel comes up, I want to
    thank you for your patience. You have waited 45 minutes extra
    to testify. I have got a big clock I am trying to watch, but we
    also want to hear from your colleagues. So thank you for your
    patience with the committee. And are you familiar with how the
    testimony is going to work, or would you like me to go over
    that again?
        Ms. Billy. Go over it again.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay. Happy to do that. So I am going to ask
    you to introduce yourself. That will not count against your
    time. You will have 5 minutes. We will go a little faster if we
    don't do double introductions, and when you see the yellow
    light, you have 1 minute left. When the light goes red, we ask
    you to conclude your testimony. All your testimony will be
    submitted into the committee record here, so we thank you for
    all of it. And please don't feel rushed, and Mr. Joyce and I
    will ask a few questions when we are done.
        But let's get started. So, Ms. Billy, will you lead us off?
        Ms. Billy. [Speaking native language.] My name is Carrie
    Billy. I am the president and CEO of the American Indian Higher
    Education Consortium, which is this nation's 37 tribal
    colleges. Madam Chair, and members of the subcommittee, thank
    you for your tremendous past support of tribal higher education
    and for your faith and the power of place-based culturally-
    grounded education and workforce development. They surely are
    the means for bridging the swirl of generational poverty and
    all that flows from that oppressive river.
        Our tribal college requests are described in our written
    testimony, so I will not mention all of them. Briefly, we are
    close to full operating funding. We only need about $8 million
    dollars to feel fully fund the 30 tribal College Act
    institutions and a total of about $17 million in new support to
    fully fund all tribal colleges. We also ask for your help in
    meeting TCU construction and rehabilitation needs, beginning
    first with a study of tribal college facilities that was
    mandated, but never done, more than 4 decades ago.
        Today, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you
    today, but let's not make this a once-in-a-year event. We
    invite you to visit any of the tribal colleges, in fact, all of
    them, any time so you can see and experience the impact of your
    annual investment in our Nation's 37 tribal colleges. The
    return on that investment between, $6 and $17 for every one
    Federal dollar, is visible every day at the tribal colleges and
    their communities.
        At Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in
    Albuquerque, New Mexico, you will meet pre-engineering student,
    Bobby Thomas. A SIPI student government president, Bobby can
    tell you how in just a few short years, SIPI tripled its
    completion rate while growing its enrollment by 25 percent. You
    will see 100 graduating students who already have jobs as
    optical and computer technicians, chefs, natural resource
    managers, early childhood educators, and more.
        At Navajo Technical Institute University in Crown Point,
    New Mexico, you will meet Leslie Notan, Erica Bogoti, students
    enrolled in one of two ABET-accredited engineering programs and
    advanced manufacturing programs, where they use state-of-the-
    art 3D printers to make parts for Boeing, Honeywell, and
    Lockheed Martin. You will see those same students in their
    spare time using those same printers to make tiny little
    customized races for res cats and dogs with broken limbs.
    Leslie even reversed engineered parts for his old car to get to
    class every day, and Erica designed a now patented solar
    medical cooler, and a 3D print finger for her off-the-grid
    elderly family members with diabetes.
        At Salish Kootenai College Pablo, Montana, you will see
    high school students spending their afternoon at SKC's
    innovative STEM academy working with college professors,
    engaging in community-relevant experimental learning and
    completing high school, already on a direct pathway to college.
    At Sitting Bull College in Fort Yates, North Dakota, you will
    visit their Lakota immersion nest and meet two and three-year-
    olds speaking only Lakota, part of the generation that will
    save their ancestors' language.
        At Red Lake Nation College in Minnesota, you will meet high
    school senior, Emma King Bird, who through Red Lakes early
    college program, has now already earned more than half the
    credit she needs for an associate degree, and she has also
    completed basic training to join the U.S. Army.
        At Turtle Mountain Community College in Belcourt, North
    Dakota, you will learn that when the college was established in
    the early 1970s, you could count the number of Ojibwe teachers
    on three fingers. Today, you will meet Billy Howell, a Turtle
    Mountain grad and one of 280 or so native teachers on or near
    the reservation.
        Currently, more than 90 percent of the reservations
    reservation area teachers are native thanks to Turtle
    Mountain's elementary education and secondary science programs.
    That is the transformative power of tribal colleges, and you
    are responsible. I could go on, but you get the idea. Success
    story after success story. Native teachers, native scientists,
    native leaders, native nation builders. The future of our
    America is there at the 37 tribal colleges. Come and see it and
    be part of this native renaissance.
        We are so close to full funding of the tribal college and
    universities assistance ask. We only need and ask for
    additional $8 to $7 million dollars. I know it is really
    difficult. But in closing we have one great need: 21st century
    technology-enabled facilities that TCUs need to help our tribes
    fully rebuild our nations. When Congress enacted the Tribal
    College Act 41 years ago, it directed Interior to conduct the
    study of TCU facilities, and authorized a construction program.
    Forty-one years later, the study has not been completed, and
    the construction program was never funded.
        We ask this subcommittee to direct the Department to
    complete the study and fund the Tribal College Construction
    Program. Our tribes cannot be competitive in the 21st century
    without the ability to train a 21st century workforce. Let's
    end generational poverty in Indian Country. Thank you so much
    for all you do, and let's work to create a native renaissance.
    Thank you.
        [The statement of Ms. Billy follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.  Harper. My intro is like 5 minutes. Aaniin
    wedaakewaad, Ogaabewisiikwe indizhinikaaz. Gaazagaskwaajimekaag
    indoonjibaa. Niminwendam waabamininim igaye go ji-ni-dazhindaan
    gidinwewininaan noongom.
        Chair McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce, and members of the
    subcommittee, I am Laurie Harper. I am from the Leech Lake Band
    of Ojibwe in present-day Northern Minnesota. My whole life has
    been steeped in educational equity of our people. I currently
    serve as the director of education for the Leech Lake band of
    Ojibwe. I am the elected chair of the Bug O Nay Ge Shig School
    board, and I am also president of the tribal education
    department's national assembly.
        The Leech Lake band is one of 11 tribal nations in
    Minnesota. TEDNA is a national nonprofit membership
    organization for the education department of American Indian
    Alaska native tribes. Thank you for the opportunity to speak
    today for funding for TEDs
        First and foremost, our sincerest gratitude for
    appropriating funds for the past 6 Fiscal Years to support TEDs
    through the Department of Interior's Title 25, Section 2020
    grants. This subcommittee clearly values the crucial role of
    TEDs in providing support and coordinating education programs
    and services to Native American students. TEDs are making
    historical progress in defining educational programs and
    services, a role that Federal education policy ignored for too
    long and Congress has sought to change. Continued funding is
    required to maintain and expand essential and successful work
    of TEDs for our Native American students, particularly those
    served by the Bureau of Indian Education funded schools.
        For this, the Leech Lake band of Ojibwe and TEDNA
    respectfully request $10 million dollars to support TEDs Ted's
    in the Department of Interior Environment and Related Agencies
    appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2021. The funding for TEDs
    through the Department of Interior is authorized in the 25
    U.S.C. Section 2020, and this authorization dates back to 1988.
    Since its enactment, Congress has retained this important
    authorization in every major reauthorization of Federal
    education laws. However, the authorization remained unfunded
    for more than 25 years. Outstandingly, due to the commitment of
    this subcommittee, Section 2020 grants finally received funding
    in Fiscal Year 2015. There are currently 11 Section 2020 TED
    grantees, whose vital work and initiatives under these grants
    have only just started. They and many other TEDs need continued
    and increased Section 2020 funding.
        For some Native American students, the 183 BIE-funded
    schools remain the only educational option because of the
    unavailability or unsuitability of State public schools for
    geographic or other reasons. Tribes operate most BIE-funded
    schools through contracts or grants. A few remain directly
    operated by the BIE. All BIE-funded schools are and
    historically have been drastically underfunded as the
    subcommittee is well aware. As the GAO stated, ``Funding
    factors seriously harm Native American students and hinder
    their academic success. The BIE-funded schools and the students
    they serve are most in need of the assistance of tribal ed
    departments.'' This is exactly what Section 2020 grants are
    intended to address.
        A crucial area that Congress identified for Section 2020
    grants is the development of tribal education codes, including
    tribal education policies and travel standards applicable to
    curriculum, personnel, students, facilities, and support
    programs. Given this congressional intent and mandate, I would
    like to speak to my own experience as a tribal education
    director.
        Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Tribal Education Department
    houses multiple programs. The Leech Lake TED in Minnesota
    serves students attending 10 State K through 12 public schools
    as well as the Bug O Nay Ge Shig School, a tribally-controlled
    school funded through the BIE. In prioritizing capacity
    building and crafting our education policy, we have actively
    sought the input of our community, including our students,
    parents, and caregivers in how they identify and define success
    in a school educational setting.
        The Leech Lake Tribal Education Department is fluid. We are
    striving to build the capacity of our current staff, and at the
    same time identifying areas within the TED that needs to be
    built up. This has been a multipronged approach to policy and
    capacity building. This includes data gathering of our post-
    secondary students in what areas they are graduating in,
    working with the tribal workforce development to identify
    current and future workforce needs, and coordinating the
    Minnesota Family Investment Program to ensure family financial
    stability so our students and families can focus on education.
        Our Section 2020 grant funds are an essential component of
    building our capacity. In order to meet our student needs, we
    are using the Section 2020 funding to develop the tribal
    education code and the comprehensive ed plan that will be
    culturally specific and relevant to us as Leech Lake Band of
    Ojibwe. The activities funded by the Section 2020 grant has
    assisted us in strengthening our relationships with outside
    entities and the impact on the Leech Lake band of Ojibwe's
    involvement in areas beyond the grant. Our approach to
    supporting students emotionally, culturally, physically, and
    mentally will foster our student success in any educational
    setting.
        The Section 2020 grantees are just beginning to demonstrate
    the positive impacts we have in Native America education. We
    want to continue our important work and build upon our
    successes. Increased funding will help us do that. Section 2020
    grants help facilitate local tribal control of education
    through supporting early education initiatives and development
    of culturally-relevant curriculum and assessments, increasing
    tribal participation through TEDs, providing coordination,
    administrative support services, technical assistance to
    schools, and education programs, including maintaining and
    sharing electronic data regarding Native American students, and
    enforce tribal education codes, including tribal educational
    policies and tribal standards applicable to curriculum,
    personnel, students, facilities, and support programs. As
    Congress has recognized, these are core educational governance
    functions that are most appropriately left to the local
    government closest to the students being served, the tribes.
    Section 2020 grants clearly help facilitate this local control.
        While TEDNA recognizes this subcommittees longstanding
    commitment to funding TEDs, we would like to point out that we
    view a $10 million authorization as the bare minimum required
    to fulfill the intent of funding the important work of TEDs and
    Native American education. Further, while Section 2020 funding
    goes directly to TEDs, TEDNA is working closely with the BIE
    continues to play an important role in providing technical
    assistance to TEDs. TEDNA's role is one that the subcommittee
    understands and has long acknowledged. We respectfully request
    that this be memorialized in the report issued by the
    subcommittee.
        The continued investment in TEDs is sound Federal policy.
    It efficiently focuses and maximizes scarce resources for
    historically underserved populations. It encourages and
    supports local control and tribal self-determination and
    education. This subcommittee has an exceptional opportunity to
    further these goals and help generations of Native American
    students. We respectfully request $10 million for the TEDs in
    the Department of Interior Environment and Related Agency
    appropriation bill for Fiscal Year 2021 to continue the
    groundbreaking, challenging, and most beneficial work being
    done through the Section 2020 grants. Thank you.
        [The statement of Ms. Harper follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Mirabal. Mr. Mirabal. Thank you, Madam Chair, and
    members of the subcommittee. My name is Lawrence Mirabal, and I
    am the chief financial officer at the Institute of American
    Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I am grateful for the
    opportunity to present testimony on behalf of the college. IAIA
    was established in 1962 as the only BIA boarding school
    teaching native arts and culture. In 1986, IAIA became an
    independent college, chartered by the United States Congress to
    empower creativity and leadership in native arts and culture.
        First and foremost, IAIA is a community, a community that
    embraces the past, enriches the present, and creates the
    future, while provoking thought and providing exceptional
    educational opportunities. Our college is one of only three
    higher ed institutions in the Nation chartered directly by the
    Congress. The Institute of American Indian Arts is a national
    treasure and is where contemporary native art was born.
        IAIA offers bachelors programs in studio arts, cinematic
    arts and technology, creative writing, museum studies,
    indigenous liberal studies, and the performing arts, as well as
    a graduate degree in creative writing. Additionally, the
    college is very close to establishing a second graduate program
    in studio arts. The college serves more than 500 students
    representing 34 States and 93 tribes from across North America.
    Over 80 percent of IAIA students are Pell eligible, and many
    are first generation attendees. These numbers translate into
    dreams fulfilled, new opportunities, and a generational shift
    for Native students and the communities that they come from.
    The impact and importance of the work being done at IAIA are
    undeniable.
        To ensure financial sustainability, the college continues
    to vigorously pursue revenue sources to augment its
    congressional funding. Evidence of this can be found in the
    college's operating budget. As of the most recent Fiscal Year,
    almost 30 percent of the budget came from non-appropriation
    sources. The students, faculty, and staff of IAIA are deeply
    appreciative of this subcommittee's strong record of support.
    It is clear that the unique mission of the college is
    understood and valued by the members of this body.
        The college's 2021 budget request includes a modest
    increase of $252,000 over the amount enacted in Fiscal Year
    2020. The Fiscal Year 2021 budget funding request will assist
    IAIA in addressing several key priorities. Like many
    institutions around the country, the college is placing a
    renewed focus on student safety. The college's community is
    diverse and dedicated to providing an environment for learning,
    living, and working, that is free from discrimination,
    harassment, misconduct, and retaliation. To ensure continuous
    improvement in this area, the college has established the
    position of coordinator of Title IX Equity and Inclusion, and
    will soon make a permanent hire to fill this role.
        IAIA will soon embark on the creation of a native arts
    research center on the college's campus. This project will be
    partially funded by the college's partnership with the Mellon
    Foundation, with the college eventually absorbing ongoing
    operational costs. The research center will coordinate
    resources at the college and scholarly fellowships to support
    research about contemporary Native American and Alaskan Native
    arts. It is anticipated that the research center will serve as
    a world-class destination for scholars throughout the country.
        Offering a competitive benefits package is essential for
    recruiting and retaining the most talented employees. The
    college continues to absorb cost increases associated with
    health insurance, maintaining an equitable faculty rank and
    step schedule, and providing staff with competitive wages.
    However, rising costs in these areas continue to be a reality
    that the college must deal with.
        In summary, AIAI's top priority is ensuring the success of
    our students, affording them the opportunity to achieve
    greatness and give back to their communities. This is how
    generational change is made, and IAIA is very honored to be a
    key part of that process. To continue this important work, we
    respectfully request that the subcommittee act again in fiscal
    year 2021 as you did in fiscal year 2020 by supporting the
    Administration's request of $10.71 million in the independent
    agencies title of your bill. The students, faculty, and staff
    of IAIA greatly appreciate your support. Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Mirabal follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
        Mr. Wilson. [Speaking native language.] Madam Chair and
    Ranking Member Joyce, I got to meet you yesterday, and I am
    really happy you went to NCAI. And, you know, we worked with
    you, Madam Chair, for many years. I am Brian Wilson, the
    president of the National Alliance to Save Native Languages. I
    am also the co-chair of the National Congress of American
    Indians Native Language Task Force, and former president of
    National Indian Education Association and 20 years on their
    board. So we have kind of been doing this a while.
        I also want to acknowledge one of our founding board
    members of the National Alliance and my also co-chair of NCAI
    Task Force, my brother Joe Garcia, former president of NCAI. He
    came to support us, and later on in my 5 minutes, perhaps,
    Madam Chair, with your permission, you know, he can introduce
    himself as well. I will talk fast. Brevity is not our strength,
    but we are going to show some today [Speaking native language.]
        Ms. McCollum. We save the best for last, and that includes
    Mr. Garcia. So go ahead.
        Mr. Wilson. Good. Good. You know, and I want to thank your
    staff. Janet Erickson has been working on this language issue
    for 20-some years up here. The prodigious record of Darren
    Benjamin belongs in the Pantheon on this issue as well, and I
    appreciate his presence here. He's got a lot of patience as
    well.
        We have got a very simple ask. You have got a program that
    people are talking about throughout Indian Country. It has
    created a wonderful buzz. And if you think of our languages as
    kind of like a sleeping giant, you know, they are getting up on
    one knee now and really trying to rise and be a part of what
    culturally-based education should be. And what we are asking
    you is to once again in this appropriations budget codify this
    immersion program in it.
        And I asked for $4 million in the testimony. I just want to
    get in step with NIEA because I just read their testimony which
    was $5 million. I know if we start saying $1 million here and
    there, pretty soon we are talking about real money. But we have
    a chance here to do something really dynamic, and this started
    5 years ago. You guys offered support of report language that
    encouraged the Bureau to look into this. Eventually that turned
    into, you know, some initial funding for the projects. We have
    had 30 schools receive this money over the last 2 Fiscal Years.
    And the main primary point I want to make is the Bureau is
    funding these schools on 1-year grants, and that doesn't really
    make sense to me. What I would like to see is that you go ahead
    and authorize them on at least a 5-year cycle on this, and the
    reason for this is simple. You would never say to a BIE school
    we are only going to fund your math department 1 year. How
    would you get good personnel? How would you get traction? How
    would you have a stable leadership, you know, within that
    department?
        What we are really looking at is for these schools to
    create and engender in their culture or their site-based
    management these language efforts that are going to be
    impactful, dynamic, and solvent, and lasting. And that can't
    happen by just one grant this year, next year you are out of
    the loop, someone else is going to get it. And it is really
    disrespectful to the last remaining language speakers that we
    have because they are making commitments to go to these schools
    and teach and be there without even knowing if they are going
    to be hired, you know, the next year and so forth. So I wanted
    to bring that forward to your attention.
        And I want also say because Nagani is here, and you are
    from where you are, Madam Chair. They precipitated this effort
    when the Bug O Nay Ge Shig School hosted Nagani, they wouldn't
    count them towards their ISEP student count, the immersion
    students there. And so they were having a school within a
    school, but without getting any benefit of those students on
    the student count numbers. And when we talked to the Bureau
    about it, they were like, well, that is just how it is. There
    is no statutory authority or whatever. We go, yeah, there is.
    And these BIE schools have had the authority for many years to
    teach languages, but the budget constraints and really the
    profound sense of urgency to fund their primary core academic
    areas superseded that.
        So what we wanted was a complete separate set aside that
    wouldn't be commingled with ISEP dollars or with their
    operating budgets for immersion so that those schools would
    have a chance to have traction, to have solvency, and to be
    able to exist in our kind of ever-changing world. And I want to
    impress that point. There is a difference between teaching
    Indian for a classroom, an hour-long class, and then another
    group of 30 students comes in and all that versus using the
    using the language as the medium of instruction, and having an
    immersion program in your school. And this is what we are
    asking you to really clarify in your report language. And also
    that we authorize them for multiyear grants.
        Now I am going to just tell you a quick story, and if it is
    okay with you, I just wanted my brother to be able to introduce
    himself because he is older than me, and I respect him a lot.
    Madam Chair, when we started this effort, you know, this was
    almost 20 years ago now, there was $1.4 million in another
    department called administration for Native Americans, the
    Native American Language Act. Five hundred and sixty-three
    tribes, plus native Hawaii, plus all of our U.S. territories
    and micro Asia were sharing in competitive grants to get that
    money.
        Where we are at today is phenomenal, and I want to just
    take time out and thank all of you for us getting there, you
    know, together because we have got a lot of good money in ANA
    now. We have money in the Department of Education for this, and
    then what you guys are doing, it is awesome. So, you know, I
    wanted to put a context there, but with the Bureau's schools,
    this is kind of my last example. My dad went to St. Stephen's
    Indian School on the Wind River Indian Reservation, and he was
    one of the many thousands of Indian kids that were spanked for
    talking Indian in school, and on the playground, and in their
    dorms. He was so excited. He died 4 four weeks ago. He was so
    excited that his alumni school is receiving one of these
    grants, yeah. And that is a real story. There are thousands
    others like it, but that was a real personal one with me.
        [The statement of Mr. Wilson follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Wilson. And just real quick, I know I got 10 seconds,
    brother, if you want to stand up and introduce yourself.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Garcia, see if you can get close enough
    to a microphone so we can hear you, and we are honored to have
    you with. Please.
        Mr. Garcia. You want to look into my eyes, huh? [Laughter.]
        [Speaking native language.] With all due respect, thank you
    the time, and thank you, brother, for allowing me a little bit
    of time. We do co-chair the Native Language Task Force at NCAI,
    but it was an initiative that was started after we have talked
    about languages every year, every year, every year, but we
    never had any action on and how we are going to move this this
    effort forward. And we saw that we are working with in a
    bureaucratic system, being the United States government, and
    how grants, and how funding, and all of that is put into place.
        And so we cannot piecemeal this, and that is sort of what
    we are talking about, what Ryan is talking, that we are
    piecemealing everything that want to do. And so you cannot
    sustain a function or an operation or a program if you don't
    have funding for multiyear because you cannot build the
    resources that you need to sustain that. And just like the
    example he gave, you don't build a store like that. You don't
    build a research facility like that.
        And I like data and stuff. I am electrical engineer by
    profession, but I am also fluent in my language, and we support
    Esther Martinez bill. She was part of our community, and
    unfortunately, we lost her after she received the National
    Endowment here in Washington, D.C. And she was going home, and
    she had an accident, and she was gone. But consequently, the
    bill was named after her.
        But the efforts that we talked about is not just New
    Mexico, not just the Pueblos, but it is all across the Indian
    Nation. All of the Indian nations are impacted by this, whether
    they are in a public school or a BIE-controlled school or a
    tribal-controlled school. So education is education, and I
    think we all got to be on the same boat, the same platform, got
    to be fair for all of our children because that is how our
    future is going to be. We depend on our children and the
    knowledge that we set forth for them, and including our
    culture, our language, and the dominant society's language and
    approach as well. So thank you for the few moments. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Always good to hear from you, Mr.
    Garcia. I passed a note to Janet, and Mr. Joyce and I, we will
    work with Darren, too. We are going to see if we really need
    any authorization to go from 1 to 5 years, but then we have to
    look at the impact for how OMB scores things because then we
    are scoring for multiple years, and if that would mean that
    they want us to fund the 5 years up front. Anyways, we will be
    in touch, and thank you for bringing that up.
        We heard from the secondary schools about the cost of
    insurance. Is that something that you would agree that for
    tribal schools to be on? I have to get a copy of the bill
    language in front of me that I just referenced earlier to see
    if it is, you know, K through 12 or if it includes Head Start,
    or what all it includes. Is insurance something that that you
    are paying extra for that if you were in the Federal plan, you
    would have more money? You mentioned in your testimony you
    would have more money to put back into student services?
        Mr. Mirabal. Madam Chair, members of the subcommittee, it
    is definitely something we would be open to exploring. Right
    now we are insured privately like any college with a carrier or
    broker, and we actually self-insure. We moved to a self-insured
    health insurance model, but it is still a challenge with about
    110 employees. That puts us right in the sweet spot for being
    too small to be what they call credible, but still large enough
    to be expensive.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay.
        Mr. Mirabal. So we would love to explore that option.
        Ms. McCollum. So we will look into it.
        Ms. Billy. Can I answer for the tribal colleges, just all
    the trial colleges? Tribal colleges are eligible under the law,
    the new law, to participate as long as their tribe has a 638
    contract.
        Ms. McCollum. Oh.
        Ms. Billy. So if their tribe has a 638 contract, they can
    participate. Any within the tribe can. So some of our tribal
    colleges have switched over and had tremendous savings. But for
    the colleges, and I imagine IAIA does not have a 638 contract,
    so they are not eligible to participate in the Federal
    employees program now. And they would see cost savings. One
    college, I think their costs went down 30 percent, so it makes
    a huge difference.
        Ms. McCollum. Anything that we can put back into student
    services----
        Ms. Billy. Right.
        Ms. McCollum [continuing]. Well worth it. Ms. Harper, it
    was so great being out there at Bug O Nay Ge Shig School, and
    seeing everything, dual language immersion. So it was friendly
    for me to find the cafeteria and the ladies room, but the
    children also in that school knew that their language was
    important----
        Ms. Harper. Right.
        Ms. McCollum [continuing]. By looking at it, and that is so
    impactful, so the work that you do in languages is very
    important. And give a plug, I hear from my son who is a
    linguist all the time just how important they are, but one fact
    that hasn't been brought up that I want to put on the record is
    children who learn two languages excel in math. They excel in
    creativity, and they go off and on to learn other languages
    because they crack the code of what it means to communicate. So
    thank you all for your work and what you do.
        And with that, we are going to adjourn until 1:00. Thank
    you so much.
        Voices. Thank you.
                                          Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

             AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE PUBLIC WITNESS DAY 2

                               AFTERNOON SESSION

                                  ----------

                                   WITNESSES

    DARRELL G. SEKI, SR., TRIBAL CHAIRMAN, RED LAKE NATION
    TEHASSI TASI HILL, CHAIRMAN, ONEIDA NATION
    CHERYL ANDREWS-MALTAIS, CHAIRWOMAN, WAMPANOAG TRIBE OF GAY HEAD
        (AQUINNAH)
    FLOYD AZURE, TRIBAL CHAIRMAN, ASSINIBOINE AND SIOUX TRIBES OF THE FORT
        PECK RESERVATION
    W. RON ALLEN, TRIBAL CHAIRMAN AND CEO, JAMESTOWN SKALLAM TRIBE
        Ms. McCollum. Good afternoon, and welcome back to our last
    public witness hearing covering tribal programs under the
    jurisdiction of the Interior, Environment Appropriations
    Subcommittee. Once again, we have organized these witnesses
    according to testimony topic. This morning we heard about the
    failure of trust and treaty obligations as it relates to public
    safety and justice needs, and challenges facing schools, K-12,
    and we have heard from the tribal colleges as well. We begin
    this afternoon's hearing with the last panel related to
    education before moving to our last topics, tribal government
    and human services.
        Before we begin, I would like to briefly touch on the
    hearing logistics. We will call each panel of witnesses to the
    table, and I thank the first panel for coming up, and each
    witness will have 5 minutes to present their testimony. Janet
    will be operating the timer here. When the timer goes to
    yellow, that means you have 1 minute left of your 5. When it
    goes to red, I usually kind of give you an extra minute, but
    then I am going to lightly tap the gavel. So that is what it
    sounds like because yesterday no one knew what it sounded like
    because I didn't do it ahead of time. So that is what it sounds
    like, so you would be over then.
        We have all of your testimony, and it has all been entered
    into the committee record here, and so don't feel rushed. Don't
    feel, you know, like it won't get in unless you say it. I don't
    anticipate any votes, so we are going to keep this going. So
    yesterday we had a 45-minute break, and so there were people
    who stayed an extra 45 minutes, and we appreciated the tribal
    leaders' patience on that. So I think we are going to be okay
    without any votes. If there are votes, I will ask people to
    stay close to the witness room.
        And I would like to remind members here the committee rules
    prohibit the use of cameras and audio equipment during the
    hearing by individuals without House-issued press credentials.
    And Mr. Joyce would like us to start. He will be here shortly.
    He wants to be respectful of everybody's time, and I appreciate
    that, and we work together as a team, so we will get going. In
    order to save time, rather than do double introductions, I am
    going to have you introduce yourself. We won't count that
    against your time. Once you start your testimony, then Janet
    will start the 5 minutes, but we found that that went a little
    smoother and kept things moving a little moving a little more
    orderly. So if you would, please start, sir.
        Mr. Seki. [Speaking native language.] My name is Darrell G.
    Seki, Senior, chairman of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa
    Indians. Good afternoon, Chair McCollum, and Ranking Member
    Joyce, and other friends on this committee. Miigwetch for this
    opportunity to testify today on appropriation needs of the Red
    Lake band of Chippewa Indians.
        The Red Lake Band's 840,000-acre reservation is home to
    more than 13,700-plus tribal members. While we are rich in
    culture and language, we face difficulties in meeting the needs
    of our members with regard to healthcare, public safety, and
    road maintenance as a direct result of the government's failure
    to uphold its trust responsibility and respect our treaties. As
    you consider Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations, we ask you to
    remember the important role you have to play in changing this
    course.
        Today, we have five appropriations requests along with
    others that can be found in my written testimony. First, Red
    Lake requests that you continue to protect funding for Indian
    Country from drastic and dangerous proposed cuts by this
    Administration as you have done for the past several years.
    Second, we request that you provide advanced funding for BIA
    and IHS programs to help us avoid painful disruption to our
    administration of vital services caused by the uncertainty of
    continuing resolutions and government agency shutdowns. Third,
    we request that you make permanent and expand BIA's Tiwahe
    recidivism reduction initiative.
        Chair McCollum, you are well aware about the important work
    that these programs are doing in Minnesota. We have not had a
    youth suicide in over 2 years. We are training our tribal
    members to get good-paying jobs. We are providing our youth
    with mental health and substance abuse services that are
    culturally appropriate and effective. We are providing our
    members with services that they desperately need. Failure to
    continue increased access to these important programs would not
    only be a disserve to Red Lake, but to all of Indian Country.
        Fourth, as we work to make our reservation safer and free
    of dangerous drugs that have taken too many of our members
    lives, we request an additional $20 million in Fiscal Year 2021
    for tribal law enforcement operations, an additional $3 million
    specifically to combat our opiate crisis. In 2017, Red Lake
    declared a public health emergency because of the sharp
    increase in opiate overdoses. Since then, our law enforcement
    has been successful in confiscating heroin, fentanyl, and other
    drugs. We also have stepped up training for our members to save
    lives. In the past 3 years, we have had 214 drug overdoses. We
    are fortunate to have saved the lives of 104 members by using
    Narcan. At Red Lake, we have actually saved more lives with our
    Narcan program than all of BIA law enforcement nationwide.
        Ms. McCollum. Wow.
        Mr. Seki. Despite this progress, every year we have to
    transfer money from other critical unfunded budgets to maintain
    the level of public safety that our members need. We need you
    to stand with us in this war on drugs. Our community deserves
    to be healthy and safe.
        Fifth, we ask you to add the indefinite appropriations
    authorization language regarding the financing of 105(l) lease
    costs that are included in my written testimony. This language
    is modeled after what has been requested by the Administration,
    adopted by Congress in prior years for contract support costs.
    At Red Lake, we were pleased to recently finalize Section 105
    leases for our criminal justice complex and two new fire halls
    after our good and productive negotiations with the Department
    of Interior.
        We are confident this language would facilitate the funding
    of lease payments without impacting other tribal programs and
    would help avoid the time-consuming, costly reprogramming
    process that frustrates both Federal and tribal administrators.
    And I want to say Chi Miigwetch for allowing me to request your
    support for some of our most immediate needs at Red Lake as you
    enact Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations that directly impact my
    constituents. We are counting on you. Chi Miigwetch.
        [The statement of Mr. Seki follows:]

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        Ms. McCollum. No pressure. No pressure from one of my
    tribal leaders back home. Please, sir.
        Mr. Hill. [Speaking native language.] Hello, everyone. My
    name is Tehassi Hill, chairman for Oneida Nation. Chairwoman
    McCollum, Ranking Members Joyce, and the committee, thank you
    for inviting tribal leaders to testify before you today. It is
    an honor to be here on behalf of more than 17,000 members of
    the Oneida Nation. I am here today to advocate for a number of
    critical programs and policies that directly impact the Oneida
    Nation and Indian Country as a whole.
        As you know, tribes and tribal organizations face many
    challenges as identified in the ``Broken Promises'' report. In
    addition, both the Indian Health Service and the Bureau of
    Indian Affairs are on the Government Accountability Office's
    High Risk List. Indian Country has been underfunded and
    underserved for too long. Below are just some recommendations
    the Oneida Nation has to improve the health, safety, and
    welfare of our community.
        One of the fundamental trust responsibilities of the
    Federal Government is healthcare, and the committee has our
    thanks for the substantial funding increase it provided in the
    Indian Health Service in the appropriations measure enacted in
    December. I would like to highlight the growing use of Section
    105(l) leases through which IHS enters into a lease for
    facilities owned and/or leased by tribal or tribal
    organizations, and used to deliver the healthcare services
    under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance
    Act. Section 105(l) leases have been a great success for
    reimbursing tribes for the cost of providing healthcare
    facilities that IHS would otherwise have to provide. They
    provide much-needed funds to help with maintenance and
    improvement of facilities we are providing to carry out our
    Title V compacts with IHS.
        Unfortunately, IHS has failed to adequately plan for the
    widespread adoption of Section 105(l) leases, and while this
    committee has increased funding for the program, IHS budget
    requests have not kept pace with demand. Of the $125 million
    the committee appropriated in Section 105 leases in December,
    we understand that at least 95 percent is needed to support
    existing leases. In order to address this deficiency, I request
    the committee take two actions. First, the committee should
    consider creating a separate funding line for Section 105(l)
    leases to ensure the use of the program is fully recognized.
    Second, the committee should classify Section 105(l) lease
    appropriations as separate and indefinite in the manner it did
    with contract support costs.
        Next, I would like to reiterate Oneida's strong support for
    tribal self-governance. This is tribal control of the
    distribution and administration of Federal funding. At Oneida,
    we have assumed responsibilities for our healthcare, education,
    and most BIA programs, and the results have been undeniably
    positive. Environmental, health, and education indicators have
    gone up while administrative costs have gone down. Just as
    important, our tribal government capacity has also improved.
    Our staff now have the knowledge, skills, and experience to
    take on new and more complex governance operations, and they do
    so on a regular basis.
        Every culture has a story of how the world was created.
    Oneida Nation's creation story teaches us that everything is
    connected. There must be balance for the environment to thrive.
    It is philosophy that has let us become long-term partners with
    the EPA on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Launched in
    2010, the initiative protects and restores the largest system
    of fresh surface water in the world, the Great Lakes, which
    happens to be in our backyard. Since then, Oneida Nation has
    been awarded nearly $4.5 million for watershed improvement
    projects, which not just benefit our community, but the greater
    region. Oneida Nation strongly urges the committee to fully
    fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
        Lastly, I ask Congress to fully fund the Native American
    Languages Program. For more than 80 years, we have worked hard
    to preserve and revitalize the Oneida language. In the 1930s,
    the Oneida Nation began documenting our language and how it has
    evolved. In the 1970s, we partnered with a linguist from the
    University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, to develop a dictionary
    that is still in use today. Unfortunately, our people have not
    spoken Oneida as a first language for more than a century. To
    combat this, we launched a 10-year language immersion plan in
    1996 that created the Oneida language curriculum available to
    hundreds of students.
        In 2010, thanks to a Native American language preservation
    and maintenance grant, we developed and implemented an 18-unit
    course curriculum coupled with an online learning program that
    has provided Oneida language learning access to thousands of
    students and Oneida citizens. Oneida language is a key
    component of our cultural identity. Language [Speaking native
    language]. When we use [Speaking native language], the good
    medicine of our language, we begin to heal our students and
    community. For these reasons, we respectfully request you fully
    fund the Native American Languages Program at the $13 million
    level as just been recently reauthorized with the passage of
    the Esther Martinez Language Revitalization Act.
        [Speaking native language.] Thank you again for this
    opportunity.
        [The statement of Mr. Hill follows:]

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        Ms. Andrews-Maltais. Good afternoon, Chairwoman McCollum.
        Ms. McCollum. Is the red light on? And would you like some
    more water than that? We can pour you a glass now.
        Ms. Andrews-Maltais. Sure. That would be great.
        Ms. McCollum. I can hear it in your voice.
        Ms. Andrews-Maltais. But good afternoon, Chairwoman
    McCollum----
        Ms. McCollum. Good afternoon.
        Ms. Andrews-Maltais [continuing]. Ranking Member Joyce if
    he was here, and members of the committee. And thank you for
    your commitment to Indian Country and your continued effort to
    help fulfill the United States trust and treaty obligations.
    And thank you for inviting me to testify here today.
        My name is Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, and I am the chairwoman
    of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah in Massachusetts on
    the island of Martha's Vineyard, and I am currently serving in
    my fourth term. I also serve on the board of directors of the
    United South and Eastern Tribes, USET, and the BIA/NIH's Self-
    Governance Advisory Committees, the Tribal Interior Budget
    Council, and the HHS Secretary's Tribal Advisory Committee. And
    I also previously served as a senior adviser to the assistant
    secretary on Indian affairs in the Obama Administration.
        My tribe, the Aquinnah Wampanoag, is part of the great
    Wampanoag Nation known as the people of the first light. We
    have occupied our homeland since time immemorial. Our ancestors
    were the people who met and helped the pilgrims survive in
    these lands, and we were signatories to the original Treaty of
    Peace between our nation and King James of England. As one of
    the first Indian nations to encounter European explorers and
    settlers, we have endured centuries of warfare and disease,
    legal prohibitions against our culture and language, loss of
    our aboriginal homelands, discrimination, and forced
    assimilation. Indian people have suffered incalculable losses
    and we have paid dearly with our lands, our resources, and the
    lives of our ancestors.
        So in an effort to end the centuries of slaughter, tribal
    nations agreed to settle these bloody conflicts with treaties
    and negotiated settlements with disproportionate concessions
    from us. Indian Country has paid it forward, and I will repeat
    that: Indian Country has paid it forward. We trusted the United
    States when they promised that in exchange for our lands and
    our vast natural resources that they would, in turn, provide
    for the health, education, and well-being of our people. And
    today, the trust obligation that resulted from those agreements
    has not been honored. We have honored our end of the bargain.
    However, the United States has not honored theirs.
        As this committee understands and tries to address, the
    United States owes us a financial debt, an obligation to fund
    the tribal governments to ensure our continued health,
    education, and well-being. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
    report, ``Broken Promises,'' describes how grossly inadequate
    the Federal funding is, and it exposes the utter failure of the
    United States to live up to its trust and treaty obligations,
    resulting in devastating impacts across Indian Country that
    this committee is all too familiar with.
        Federal Indian funding should not be discretionary or
    subject to political discourse of Congress. This solemn
    obligation is not discretionary, and Congress' failure to fund
    the rest of the Federal Government should not diminish its
    obligations and fiduciary responsibility to tribes. We
    appreciate your efforts and your attempts to appropriate
    critical funding necessary to help meet the United States'
    obligations. However, tribal governments need full funding and
    in parity with other Federal programs.
        We fully support H.R. 1128, the advanced appropriations
    bill, and thank you for putting that forward. We also thank the
    subcommittee for rejecting the Administration's proposed cuts
    to the Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations and for the increases
    you have proposed as outlined in more detail in my written
    testimony.
        What I would like to articulate are some of the more
    specific asks. I ask that the committee when developing
    appropriations language truly consider the United States'
    unique relationships with tribes, and how tribes are capable of
    governance. Tribal sovereignty should not be subjugated to
    States by having to receive our Federal funding through grants
    or set asides administered by States because many tribes never
    receive those funds. Funding should be disbursed to us through
    our compacting and contracting agreements, not through States
    or competitive grants, pitting tribes against each other for
    those desperately-needed resources. Funding needs to be
    consistent and sustained. Our governments cannot create or run
    programs or services on small grants or inconsistent funding.
    Tribes, especially small tribes like mine, who have no economic
    development and rely completely on our Federal funding. And
    last year's shutdown was devastating to us.
        Unlike States and municipalities, tribes do not have a tax
    base to supplement the cost of running our government's
    essential programs and service. If special language or
    authority is needed, then I ask that the committee consider
    including such language that allows the exercise of
    discretionary authority to fully fund us and includes as much
    flexibility as possible so we can develop our programs and
    services in a manner that best meets our unique and individual
    tribal nations' needs.
        Funding also needs to be timely. As a self-governance tribe
    for almost 2 decades, my tribe has not received our lump sum
    full annual payment required by law since 2001 or 2002.
    Finally, I ask that the committee include language in its
    appropriations accompanying report that directs the BIA and the
    IHS to explain the reasons that prevent their offices from
    complying with the statutory mandate which requires the
    Secretaries to award funds to tribes not later than 10 days
    after the apportionment of such funds by the Office of
    Management and Budget; and that the departments identify
    remedies to overcome these challenges, including any required
    funding to implement such changes.
        Thank you again for the opportunity to be here today, and I
    am happy to answer any of the questions you may have.
        [The statement of Ms. Andrews-Maltais follows:]

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        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Please, sir.
        Mr. Azure. Thank you, Chairwoman----
        Ms. McCollum. You might want to pull that a little closer.
        Mr. Azure. Okay.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
        Mr. Azure [continuing]. And your committee for allowing me
    to speak here for the Fort Peck Tribes. I am Floyd Azure. I am
    the chairman of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort
    Peck Reservation. We appreciate the subcommittee's continued
    commitment to addressing the substance abuse and consequential
    challenges that arise from this plague. When someone is
    suffering from addiction, it is not just the person who is
    impacted. It is the entire family, and, for tribal communities,
    it is the entire tribe. The addictions our people are facing
    today, and, in particular, meth and heroin, are so much more
    destructive than alcohol. I am not sure we can survive another
    generation with our people locked in the grasp of the addiction
    of these drugs. Thus, I would like to take my time today to
    talk about the importance of supporting the Indian Health
    Service and the need to support the Indian Health Service's
    capacity to collect from third-party payers, like Medicaid,
    Medicare, and private insurance.
        At the Fort Peck Service Unit, the increase in third-party
    collections from expanded Medicaid in Montana has allowed the
    Indian Health Service to actually provide healthcare rather
    than band-aids, which all too often were prescription
    painkillers. It is an old story across Indian Country that the
    biggest drug dealer on the reservation is IHS clinic. This is
    because the IHS historically did not have the resources to
    treat serious conditions like torn ACLs, rotator cuff injuries,
    or even gallbladder disease. Because these conditions are not
    life or limb conditions and would not qualify for PRC contract
    care, consequently the private providers, who were led to
    believe that painkillers would be a safe alternative to real
    care, prescribed painkillers. Thus, for a generation we had to
    deal with people who were given pills and became addicts----
        Ms. McCollum. That is right.
        Mr. Azure [continuing]. Which led to the destruction of
    lives, families, and, in the end, compromised the very
    foundation of our community and our future. However, since
    Medicaid expansion, the numbers tell us that the people are
    getting real healthcare, and their quality of life is
    improving, which means the quality of life for our children is
    improving. No longer are people being told that they are not
    sick enough to get quality healthcare and given a bottle of
    pills for pain.
        Specifically, we have had scores of hip and knee
    replacements and other orthopedic surgeries, and other
    preventive and screening healthcare includes substance abuse
    treatment. While there is no magic solution to combatting the
    many issues that are caused by drug and alcohol addiction, I am
    certain that ensuring people have access to quality healthcare
    is a big part of the solution. As our people here, we must work
    to heal our families, and that is why I am here again asking
    for additional funding for our tribal social services program.
    Over 36 percent of children in the foster care system in
    Montana are Indian children. Indian people represent only 10
    percent of the State population. More than 100 Fort Peck
    children are in the foster care system today.
        Montana is one of the six States in the country to have
    instituted an ICWA court. The court handles State ICWA cases in
    Yellowstone County from Fort Peck, Northern Cheyenne, and Crow
    Tribes. The team approach of the ICWA court in Montana fosters
    collaboration between the State and tribal stakeholders,
    promotes meaningful State compliance with the Child Indian
    Welfare Act, and improves outcomes of Indian children and their
    families involved in the foster care system. This kind of
    support and dedicated staff can only continue with that
    additional funding for the BIA tribal social services and the
    ICWA programs.
        Relatedly, while we appreciate increased funding for tribal
    courts that Congress has provided, it has not been enough.
    Tribal courts are the backbone of tribal sovereignty. Without
    sound tribal courts, we would not be a community where people
    feel safe, where businesses want to open, and our children, who
    are the most vulnerable, receive protection. Currently, the
    Bureau of Indian Affairs only provides a fraction of the
    funding to operate our tribal court. Our court is one of the
    few tribal courts in the country exercising an expanded VAWA
    jurisdiction. This work is important to making our reservation
    a safe place for women and children. However, it takes
    additional resources to retain legal-trained defense counsel,
    prosecutors, and judges.
        Finally, my tribes and others are resisting the
    construction of the Keystone pipeline that will cross the
    Missouri River, just one-quarter mile from the western boundary
    of the Fort Peck Reservation. This project presents a grave
    threat to the land the water resources of the Fort Peck Tribes.
    Thus, while we remain hopeful that the legal process will stop
    this pipeline from becoming a reality, we fear we will lose,
    and my community will be left to do deal with the consequences
    of this pipeline. We are worried about the man camps that will
    be built and the increased burden on our law enforcement and
    social services programs as a result.
        We know too well about the impact that the Bakken boom had
    on our community with increased drugs and violence and the
    introduction of modern human trafficking. We believe most of
    the increased activity will be from the company's man camps. We
    ask Congress to provide us with additional resources to be able
    to address these impacts if Keystone is built. Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Azure follows:]

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        Mr. Allen. Well, good afternoon, Madam Chair and committee
    members. I am Ron Allen, chair and CEO for the Jamestown
    Skallam Tribe located in western Washington State. It is always
    an honor to come here and advocate not just for my tribe, but
    for many issues that I am very familiar with with Indian
    Country. I have many hats. I participate on behalf of Indian
    Country, and one of the co-chair of the TIBC, and I think the
    TIBC for the BIA is going to be testifying. If not, I am going
    to highlight some points.
        It is often tempting to look down at my colleagues and say
    ``ditto,'' and I am sure you hear that regularly through the 2
    days of hearing of testimony from the tribes. We want to thank
    you, Congressman Kilmer, with regard to updating the civil
    rights crisis, ``Broken Promises.'' Without a doubt, it should
    be a roadmap for the committee and for Congress with regard to
    the needs of Indian Country. I have been involved for many
    years advocating for budgets across the board--IHS, BIA, HUD,
    and transportation, and on down the line--and we are well aware
    that as a result of the original crisis report, and we forced
    OMB to give us an update on what are the numbers available for
    Indian Country.
        So we know that there are probably $20, $21 billion
    available for Indian Country across all Indian programs. That
    is not enough. So we can tell you just by some analysis that we
    have done on some of the programs, the need of Indian Country
    is probably north of $200 billion. That is a big gap.
        So how do we do that? How do we fill that gap, and the gap
    really is about how you can help us empower tribes to become
    more self-reliant the way we were historically, but being self-
    reliant here in the 21st century. So that is a huge issue for
    us in terms of how we are going to move that agenda forward and
    how we are going to try to advance any country's agenda.
        So I am advocating also for the 105 budget. We know that in
    2020, that there is a good number in there for the 105 leases,
    and I just want to underscore the point that we can't wait for
    the Federal Government to deal with schools, and incarceration
    facilities, and clinics, and the other kinds of facilities we
    need or upgrading of any of those facilities that carry out
    Federal functions. So we have to go out and build themselves,
    borrow money to make it happen. So that program is a way to
    help us get to effective programs and effective facilities to
    carry out these Federal functions. So that is a huge deal.
        We want to underscore to you and your committee the need
    for your support for the advanced funding. These CRs are a
    pain, and they really are a pain and shutdown for Indian
    Country. So in the same way that you recognize the importance
    of veterans, we want you to recognize the unique important
    relationship with Indian Country. The number is not that big
    when you are thinking about the one-plus trillion-dollar budget
    that the Federal Government deals with in order to get those
    resources out to the tribes. And many of our sister tribes just
    don't have the resources to lean on to carry out their Federal
    functions. So that is a huge issue that we want to advocate.
        The base funding for the BIA is going to be a big issue for
    us, and so we are continuing to advocate. We continue to
    encourage you to make sure that you don't let them zero out HIP
    programs, general assistance type programs, things that they
    just constantly put on chopping blocks that actually serve our
    people in the economically disadvantaged. So that is a huge
    issue for us.
        Infrastructure is a huge issue, and with the BIA program,
    primarily you are dealing with road maintenance. Road
    maintenance, you know, it is well over $300 million queue list
    that is sitting out there. And those Indian roads out there
    need help, and we know you have been bumping it up, but we are
    still losing ground. I just want you to know we're losing
    ground if we show you the inventory updated, it will show you
    what is going on here. It is just basically those road and
    infrastructure is essential whether it is healthcare, getting
    the kids to school and so that they have safe programs.
        I want to emphasize my point about the bridging of the gap
    of the $20 billion to $200-plus billion is economic
    development. So we enhance an economic infrastructure, but also
    loan guaranty programs, surety guaranty programs. That is how
    you can help tribes, you know, get businesses off the ground,
    generate unrestricted revenues for tribes to become more
    successful themselves, develop their own unrestricted revenues
    in order to fill that gap of the need of our communities. Last
    but not least, I just want to underscore I am from the
    northwest where natural resources are a big issue for us. I
    serve on the U.S./Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty. We have
    resources that we need in order to deal with that. You bumped
    it up this year. We appreciate that, but it is a very
    complicated process between us, Alaska, and Canada to get our
    salmon back to a healthy state.
        So I will close with the urging of the recognition that you
    did help some programs in Alaska with regard to that matter,
    but we also need help with the tribes and our programs, our
    rivers, our stocks, that are very important to us in Washington
    State and Oregon. So with that, I thank you and look forward to
    answering any questions you may have.
        [The statement of Mr. Allen follows:]

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        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Stewart, do you have a
    question at this time?
        Mr. Stewart. No. I am sorry I missed it, and just would
    thank the chairwoman and members for being here.
        Voice. We can repeat it for you. [Laughter.]
        Ms. McCollum. I am sure Mr. Amodei will fill him in on the
    floor. So, Chairman Seki, I have got a question for you. I
    think I know the answer. You spoke of opioids and other things,
    but we heard it in testimony today. I have heard it from other
    tribal members that meth is making a comeback. And with that,
    on top of the opioid epidemic, and congratulations for saving
    as many lives as you have. Meth also brings other problems with
    pollution, sometimes losing a house and other things like that.
    Are you seeing that as well?
        Mr. Seki. Yeah, you are correct on that statement regarding
    the drugs because we got one of the largest lakes in Lake
    Superior is Red Lake, and, yes, because we have fishermen all
    in our lake, and, you know, it does pollute our lake somewhat.
    But we deal with it because of our law enforcement, and all the
    different programs we have, just like this Tiwahe program for
    our youth. We have this children's healing center to advocate
    for our kids to be reunited with their families. And as you are
    aware, we do a lot, but we question it expanded. This program
    expanded to other tribes and pilot tribes be kept where they
    are at in the funds because these help families to understand
    the teachings that they are being given by this healing center,
    you know, what the effects are on the drugs that are being out
    there on our reservations, and not just Red Lake. It is
    throughout Indian Country, even our surrounding communities are
    like that. They have the same problems.
        Ms. McCollum. That is true.
        Mr. Seki. We ask that you get the Appropriations Committee
    to assessment on this endeavor to try and keep our families
    healthy because are almost complete building on our treatment
    center, because that is what you need to do is to heal our
    people, to understand, to train them, to treat them so they can
    have healthy lives and get their families together and have
    appropriate jobs and all that, because, you know, like you say,
    sure, even if it is the water, the drugs. Sure that trickles
    down to the water, and rivers, and the rec center.
        Ms. McCollum. So you mentioned fire stations and firehouse.
    And we were talking about climate change, and we heard from
    some of the tribes that were dependent upon timber harvests for
    economic development about, you know, what's happening with
    climate change and the threat of fire, and probably because of
    invasive species, and drought and that. So how close is your
    fire station if you don't have good fire halls?
        So this is the first time I think that I can remember in
    testimony anybody talking about it. You think about how
    isolated tribal areas are, and some of the situations you are
    in, especially in the northwest, in the Midwest. So you have
    two fire stations for the whole reservation?
        Mr. Seki. Yes, we have four districts. We have Pima, Rugby,
    Red Lake. We are a large-based tribe. We have members that live
    off our reservation, so we have a fire hall at Pima. And we had
    a whole fire hall that was under the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
    and we had to borrow money to fill our new fire halls. Right
    there, it is the trust responsibility of the Federal
    Government. We did ask, but there were no funds available, so
    we didn't do Red Lake because the other one was contaminated
    because it was falling apart. The rest of them were falling
    apart, so we had to borrow money from the USDA to build these
    fire halls, plus fire trucks.
        Ms. McCollum. So that funding comes from USDA.
        Mr. Seki. Yeah, we got a loan.
        Ms. McCollum. That is a loan, okay.
        Mr. Seki. That is a loan.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay. You have given more food for thought,
    talking about firehouse when we talk about public safety.
        Mr. Seki. So that is why we went through that lease
    agreement so we could pay for the land.
        Mr. Allen [continuing]. Line item in the budget.
        Ms. McCollum. Yeah, you know, you see things sometimes in
    the budget, and until somebody says something, then all of a
    sudden a light goes off. And it is like, okay, another of our
    underfunded promises.
        Mr. Seki. Yeah. We already get $47,000 a year for----
        Ms. McCollum. Okay. You mentioned about, you know, you were
    supposed to get the tribal awarded grants in a timely fashion,
    and you are not getting them. About how long does it take it
    before you are seeing the----
        Ms. Andrews-Maltais. It really just depends on where the
    continuing resolutions are. But according to our Self-
    Governance Compact, we are supposed to get it October 1st, you
    know, so that we have our full amount pending in advance so
    that we are able to really continue our programs and services.
    It has been years since we have gotten a lump sum, and it comes
    in incremental installments during the course of the year. And
    we continuously ask the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Office of
    Self-Governance, why they have it going from Treasury to Bureau
    to the region to Self-Governance to the region, and then back
    to us. It does this crisscrossing. We have discussed how some
    [Audio malfunction in the hearing room], and it delays us.
        So for a group that is supposed to show status and we see
    there are no monies right up front, we wind up getting our
    monies no later than some of the contract times do because of
    the redundancy and how they allocate it. And we are also
    concerned with all the increases appropriated through this
    committee, even with the Tiwahe increase in 2016. A majority of
    these self-governance tribes weren't even going to be receiving
    that money until the Asia office actually stepped in and
    required the Office of Self-Governance to work for the tribes,
    and then to find what those funds were when they actually had a
    line item 15, 20 years ago.
        So they are working on obsolete and incorrect information,
    and if you look at the funding on a lot of the self-governance
    tribes, there hasn't been increases because as Congress is
    appropriating it, if it is not specifically said, oftentimes it
    is self-governance tribes get left out of the loop, so we don't
    receive those increases as we are supposed to. And it has been
    very difficult trying to unpack all of that. We have been able
    to just kind of accumulate with confusion. And a failure for
    transparency is why we are asking for a report from BIA and IHS
    to show or demonstrate to you how come they are not able to
    fulfill their obligation as mandated by the statute?
        Ms. McCollum. Well, I hope the report shows how they can do
    it quicker. In just the few minutes remaining, Medicaid
    expansion came up, and that is in the Affordable Care Act,
    along with permanent reauthorization for Indian healthcare and
    health services, so I know that we are all waiting to see what
    happens with that. I am just kind of doing the States in my
    mind. I know we did the expansion in Minnesota. You don't have
    it.
        Mr. Hill. Not in Wisconsin.
        Ms. McCollum. Oh, that is right. I remember your former
    governor. That is right, yeah. You have it in Massachusetts,
    Montana.
        Voice. Washington.
        Ms. McCollum. Washington. It makes a huge difference, so it
    makes a huge difference. And I will just mention it, I am going
    to figure out more about if there is anything that could
    happen. You are the second person to bring up man camps with
    Keystone pipeline. Having spent a lot of time in western North
    Dakota, eastern Montana, I know what happens with the oil bust
    booms and what happened with the man camps there. And for the
    tribes all of a sudden to be picking up an extra cost when
    Keystone is being put in because of all the jobs it was going
    to bring, and all the money that was going to happen with the
    oil moving forward. And then you have a pipeline running
    through your property, and then you are paying, you know, well,
    you are paying public safety dollars to keep the tribe safe. So
    thank you for bringing that up. I am going to look into that a
    little more.
        Thank you all for your testimony. I appreciate it.
        Voices. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Miigwetch.
                                  ----------

                                          Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

        AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE PUBLIC WITNESS DAY 2--PANEL 2

                                   WITNESSES

    JULIAN BEAR RUNNER, PRESIDENT, OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE
    JONATHAN M. NEZ, PRESIDENT--NAVAJO NATION, NAVAJO NATION
    MARTIN HARVIER, PRESIDENT, SALT RIVER PIMA-MARICOPA
    DAVID HILL, PRINCIPAL CHIEF, MUSCOGEE (CREEK NATION)
        Ms. McCollum. So, gentlemen, we have a timer. It is set for
    5 minutes. I am going to ask you to introduce yourself, but
    your introduction will not count against your testimony. And
    when the light is yellow, that means you are at 4 minutes, and
    when it turns red you are at 5. And so if we could start with
    you, sir. Introduce yourself, and then when you start your
    testimony, we will start recording. And the red button needs to
    be on in order for you to be recorded. Thank you.
        Mr. Bear Runner. Thank you, Chairwoman McCollum. My name is
    Julian Bear Runner. I am currently serving as the 43rd
    president for the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian
    Reservation in South Dakota. Thank you, again, Madam Chair and
    members of the subcommittee for the opportunity to testify on
    Fiscal Year 2021 funding recommendations for the tribal
    government and human services programs.
        In 1868, the United States agreed to the terms of the Fort
    Laramie Treaty, cementing this country's obligation to the
    Oglala Sioux Tribe. While this should guarantee our well-being,
    the chronic underfunding of Indian Country programs has taken a
    detrimental toll on our tribe and our members. Throughout the
    Federal budget process, we can improve the safety of our
    communities, strengthen families, and promote tribal health
    with this goal. I offer the following recommendations. Public
    school safety communities are safe when the roads are well
    maintained, law enforcement is supported, and detention and
    substance abuse treatment facilities are well resourced. Yet
    public safety programs in Indian Country are constantly and
    consistently underfunded. And the Oglala, we bear this burden.
    Tribal members must confront dangerous road conditions on a
    daily basis. Law enforcement is grossly understaffed. Detention
    facilities are deteriorating. Meanwhile, methamphetamine
    ravages our communities, and these issues undermined our safety
    and our self-sufficiency. I did declare us in a state of
    emergency due to the meth epidemic, and, you know, I fell on
    the BIA and relied on them for additional law enforcement
    support.
        With the subcommittee's support, our roads can become safe
    passages to work and school, our law enforcement officers can
    respond quickly to public safety threats, and we can treat more
    people for drug addiction, and safely detain those who break
    our laws. Accordingly, we urge Congress to increase funding for
    the BIA road maintenance and ensure funding for our tribal
    roads. We currently don't receive any funding for our tribal
    roads, only for the BIA roads, as well as for the tribal law
    enforcement and detention services, and to maintain funding for
    the tribal opioid response grants while expanding these grants
    to include other drugs other than just the opiates, like
    methamphetamine. We also need to increase the funding for our
    tribal court systems. Our Supreme Court is woefully
    underfunded.
        Families and children thrive when given the access to
    robust social services and adequate housing. While many
    Americans access these resources, my tribe must contend with
    high rates of infant mortality limited to the non-existent
    economic development and extreme housing shortages. Yet these
    challenges are not insurmountable. When we promote the personal
    development of tribal citizens and provide safe and stable
    living environments, Indian children and families and
    communities can flourish.
        You know, a lot of our communities, and I want to thank you
    for coming out to our reservation, Madam Chair. And, you know,
    some of these roads are almost, you know, non-existent. And,
    you know, for the Oglala Sioux Tribe, I mean, I mean, we are, I
    think, severely, severely underfunded when it comes to roads,
    and that is why I chose to come here today and ask, you know,
    and share, you know, some of our information with our roads,
    because some of these communities are, I mean, was once paved
    and now it is just like craters hit the road, you know. And we
    have school buses or ambulances are on these roads, and you
    know, we are still waiting on FEMA funding from our emergency
    from the last year. And, you know, for us to have so many miles
    of road, I believe, 516 miles of BIA road, and approximately
    1,900 miles of tribal roads. And like I said, we don't get no
    funding for the tribal roads. It falls on the tribe itself to
    maintenance.
        And, you know, it is really detrimental, you know, to the
    people, I mean, and then it creates such an obstacle for our
    law enforcement and our ambulances, you know. Our ambulances
    are already being, you know, mileaged out so quickly because of
    the, you know, the distance between the hospital and wherever,
    you know, they receive their medical calls at, you know. But,
    you know, these are just some of the things, you know, that we
    face every day in Indian Country, you know, and especially for,
    you know, not only the Oglala Sioux Tribe, but the Great
    Plains, you know. It seems like nobody knows that we exist.
    Yes, ma'am. I appreciate that.
        But, you know, anything that you all can do to help, you
    know. It is just these roads have been like this since I was a
    child, you know, and still, you know, they just continue and
    continue to deteriorate. And a lot of them are gravel road, you
    know. And our dialysis patients live on these roads. Our elders
    live on these roads. And especially during a storm, you know,
    it is very hard and it is very critical for them to receive the
    care and report to dialysis, you know. It is just tremendous,
    and it just continues to pile up and create more and more
    problems.
        [The statement of Mr. Bear Runner follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Thank you. Thank you, and you have very
    comprehensive testimony. It has been entered into the record.
    Thank you. Sir.
        Mr. Nez. Good afternoon, Madam Chair McCollum, Rep.
    Stewart, Representative Stewart, tribal leaders. My name is
    Jonathan Nez. I am the president of the great Navajo Nation,
    and I am also joined today by my wife, the first lady of the
    Navajo Nation, Phefelia Nez. Also members of our lawmaking
    body, delegate and chairman Oto So, Raymond Smith, and Pernell
    Halona. In addition, we have cabinet members of our
    administration and our staff here today. We appreciate this
    opportunity to testify on the Navajo Nation's funding
    priorities and needs in Fiscal Year 2021, and it can take more
    than 5 minutes to let you know our priorities, but we
    appreciate the opportunity to be before the committee.
        Funding allocations to programs must consider the
    commitments the United States government made when they entered
    into treaties with Indian nation. And as you know, Madam Chair,
    to this day, tribal nations have honored and respected this
    sacred agreement. American Indians serve in the U.S. in greater
    numbers than any other ethnic group. And we need remind the
    U.S. government of that. A lot of our warriors are the biggest
    percentage to volunteer among American Indians today.
        In the interest of time, I would like to focus my testimony
    on the importance of transportation and infrastructure and the
    related nodes of the Navajo Nation, and there are a lot of
    commonalities with other tribes that have testified before you.
    I won't highlight other Navajo Nation appropriation priorities,
    all of which can be found in more detail in my written
    testimony.
        In regards to transportation and infrastructure, the Navajo
    Nation has the largest land base, Native American tribe, in the
    country, 27,000 square miles. It has more than 11,200 miles of
    roads with over 9,500 remaining unpaved. Additionally, there
    are 179 bridges on the Navajo Nation. Thirty-eight are eligible
    for rehabilitation, and 28 are eligible for replacement. The
    Navajo Nation transportation officials estimate that it would
    take 116 years and $7.9 billion to meet current transportation
    infrastructure needs. It costs the Navajo Nation nearly $3
    million--$3 million--to pave 1 mile of new road, and a lot of
    the material has to be brought in off our nation.
        Funds appropriated each year only allows the Navajo Nation
    to build 12.2 miles of new roads annually. The Navajo Nation's
    roads lifelines and provide critical thoroughfare for school
    buses, public safety services, emergency responders, as well as
    access to governmental and public services, shopping, and
    utilities. It is imperative that the Navajo Nation is
    appropriated funding for investment in maintenance and
    infrastructure of on-reservation highways, roads, and bridges.
    And I think my brothers and sisters throughout the country,
    tribal nations, are looking forward to the infrastructure bill.
        Education and scholarship. The Navajo Nation commends this
    subcommittee and Congress on authorizing an independent budget
    for the BIE. Many BIE schools are in severe need of upgrades
    and replacements, so we hope to see an increase in the line
    item. We also request $51.5 million for the academic year in
    order to provide scholarships to our nearly 16,000 scholarship
    applications. And you know that was taken out of the budget as
    well, the President's budget.
        Healthcare. The IHS has a Federal trust responsibility to
    provide access to healthcare and health services for American
    Indian and Alaska Native patients, which also includes funding.
    The Navajo Nation has declared war on diabetes. The Special
    Diabetes Program for Indians is a beacon of hope in a Federal
    tribal healthcare system that struggles in the shadow of
    Federal funding shortfalls. The Navajo Nation respectfully
    requests SDPI receive a permanent reauthorization in the amount
    of $200 million per year.
        In terms of the [Audio malfunction in hearing room] mine
    cleanup, according to the U.S. EPA, there are approximately 524
    burial sites on the Navajo Nation, but only 219 of those sites
    have available funds for cleanup and remediation efforts. That
    leaves 305 sites unaddressed. The Navajo Nation estimates it
    will cost $4 to $5 billion to address the remaining 305 sites,
    which doesn't include the cost monitoring and maintenance of
    areas where hazardous waste maybe containing disposal soil. The
    Federal Government is responsible for funding the cleanup of
    the remaining sites. Therefore, we urge Congress to appropriate
    funds to develop a comprehensive cleanup plan and funding
    package to remediate the remaining sites.
        Navajo Indian irrigation project. The Navajo Nation
    established NAPI to operate the Navajo Indian irrigation
    project to manage the nation's industrial agribusiness to build
    a profitable commercial enterprise, provide jobs and training
    for Navajo people, and to expand markets for NAPI's products.
    The Navajo Nation respectfully requests that the subcommittee
    consider full funding of NIIPs operation and maintenance
    expenses in Fiscal Year 2021 and beyond. Increase the funding
    for irrigation projects in the Water Infrastructure Improvement
    for the Nation Act from $10 million annually to $35 million,
    and increase the funding level for resources management
    construction fund. We request that NIIP, as we call it,
    receives $4 million from this fund in Fiscal Year 2021.
        In conclusion, the priorities outlined by the nation seek
    to strengthen the sacred trust relationship and assistant the
    Navajo Nation's furtherance of self-determination and tribal
    sovereignty. These programs provide critical services to the
    Navajo Nation neighbors and to our communities in the Indian
    Country.
        Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today,
    and, again, we invite you out to the Navajo Nation once again.
    I know a few years ago, committee members joined us on the
    Navajo Nation, and we welcome you to see what has been done,
    and little has been done since your last visit. Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Nez follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. So many reservations, and so little time. Mr.
    President.
        Mr. Harvier. Thank you. Good afternoon, Chairwoman
    McCollum, members of the committee. Thank you for this
    opportunity to testify on the Fiscal Year 2021 Interior
    Appropriations. My name is Martin Harvier. I am the president
    of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, located in
    the metropolitan Phoenix area in Arizona.
        From healthcare, transportation, to law enforcement, annual
    funding provided to our community is vital to the day-to-day
    operations of many programs. Although I will focus on just a
    few items for this testimony, it is fair to say the Federal
    Government must increase funding for nearly every Indian
    program to fulfill its trust responsibility. First, as a matter
    of policy and practice, our community believes in self-
    governance. We fully endorse the philosophy of removing Federal
    bureaucracy from tribal programs to allow tribes to directly
    use Federal funding in the most efficient manner to meet the
    tribal needs. Congress must ensure that IHS implements self-
    government agreements in a way that is consistent with Federal
    law.
        Second, Federal tribal transportation programs are woefully
    underfunded. For example, an annual basis, our community
    receives $92,000 from the BIA for road maintenance. This
    represents 6.5 percent of total need. As a result, we must
    supplement Federal funding with nearly $1.4 million each year.
    Put another way, we receive only $1,300 per mile per year to
    maintain BIE roads. Even according to the BIA, they estimate an
    annual cost of $10,000 per mile per year. However, according to
    our own staff, the true cost succeeds $11,000 per year per
    mile.
        In total, according to the BIA's own estimate, our annual
    road maintenance need for our community is $720,000, separate
    from regular maintenance costs. If we look at the community's
    5-year new construction plan, BIA funding will provide only 3
    percent, or $7 million, of the overall budget. In short, we
    believe an increase in funds for tribal transportation programs
    will help tribes establish, maintain, and sustain these vital
    activities. We are hopeful the committee and the Congress will
    increase the level of funding to these programs.
        Madam Chair, I also want to make you aware of an issue we
    are having with the U.S. Forest Service. This issue will impact
    cultural resources on Forest Service lands that border our
    community. While many stakeholders work to solve an issue
    related to the management of wild horses, the Forest Service
    just informed us they are going to build a large fencing
    project. We believe this project will impact the cultural
    resources in the area, and we have formally requested the
    Forest Service to complete a full environmental review so that
    all impacts are studied, and provide reasonable options. We
    would ask the committee to support our efforts to protect
    cultural resources.
        In closing, Madam Chair, the community is excited to have
    recently broken ground on a large Phoenix Indian Medical Center
    Northeast Ambulatory Care Center. Working in partnership with
    the Indian Health Services, it is expected the construction of
    the facility will be completed by December 2021. First, I want
    to thank the Congress for funding this important project
    because it will better serve the needs of our community and the
    tribal population throughout the Phoenix area.
        We will be working with IHS in the coming year to include
    the NEACC staffing package in Fiscal Year 2022 budget. We look
    forward to working with this committee to ensure the staffing
    package is executed in a timely manner. I want to thank the
    committee for working with Indian Country to fund critical BIA
    and IHS programs. Thank you for the time.
        [The statement of Mr. Harvier follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Hill.
        Mr. Hill. Good afternoon, Chairman McCollum and
    subcommittee members. It is my pleasure during my first trip to
    Washington, D.C. as principal chief to testify on behalf of the
    Muscogee Creek Nation. This committee and its members play a
    crucial role in upholding the United States trust
    responsibility and holding executive agencies accountable in
    the government-to-government relationship.
        The Muscogee Creek Nation and United States Congress have a
    relationship more than 200 years old, resulting from an
    exchange of millions of acres and removal from our southeastern
    homelands. Today, the Muscogee Nation is the fourth largest
    federally-recognized tribe with nearly 90,000 tribal citizens
    across the nation, building on Muscogee cultural and
    traditional lifeways.
        A modern government assumes responsibility to provide
    decisional services, such as health, public safety, social
    services, and natural resource management. Collectively, these
    efforts support and protect our citizens, bolster our historic
    institutions, and protect Muskogee traditions.
        First, I want to thank the hard work and leadership of this
    committee to honor our historical relationship with the United
    States through continued support for advanced appropriation.
    Without your commitment to these initiatives, tribal government
    will continue to face a difficult decision between filing
    short-terms lapse in government funding and long-term
    investments for ongoing, critically-needed services across our
    communities. I hope that both chambers can come to agreement
    and pass advanced appropriations soon to prevent future
    instability in Federal funding owed to tribal nations.
        The nation takes seriously our responsibility to provide
    stability within reservations for all our citizens. That is why
    Muscogee Creek Nation invests more than $5 million annually to
    support policing and patrol activities and fund investigative
    and special operation divisions. The Muscogee Creek Nation
    light horse department offers resources and technical capacity
    that are leveraged by local, county, and State, and Federal law
    enforcement agencies to support regional drug enforcement,
    anti-trafficking patrolling, and interagency investigations
    alike. Our investment is 7 times the funding available on a
    recurring basis from BIA, and our police officers work
    tirelessly to maximize the little funding we do receive.
        I hope this committee will consider additional reoccurring
    investment in tribal policing and investigation funding.
    Interagency cooperation will remain critically important as we
    work under our leadership to encourage the Senate to pass the
    Violence against Women reauthorization Act that had bipartisan
    support in this chamber. This legislation's ongoing efforts to
    support missing and murdered indigenous women initiatives are
    crucial to protecting our most important resources, our
    citizens. The nation makes every effort to support and assist
    citizens during their most difficult times. Muscogee Creek
    Nation provides tribal funding to citizens who experience
    natural disaster, high energy costs, and loss of employment. We
    also leverage funds from the BIA welfare assistance program to
    support citizens and their family during the loss of loved
    ones.
        However, funding available for burial systems remains
    wholly inadequate. The BIA funds do not cover a third of the
    amount needed for proper burial, and to make matters worse, BIA
    funds do not last the entire Fiscal Year. This leaves a nation
    with no choice but to further subsidize Federal funding. I ask
    that the committee fully fund the welfare assistance program
    and encourage agencies to update to 1990 regulation to reflect
    tribal operations in the 21st century.
        Muscogee Creek Nation provides resources for citizens at
    all points in their lives, including those families who are not
    well positioned to appropriately support children. In Fiscal
    Year 2020, Muscogee Creek Nation invested more than $2 million
    to provide ICWA services to Muscogee Creek Nation families and
    State and county governments. In Fiscal Year 2019, our ICWA
    program provided service to more than 500 families and nearly
    2,000 Indian children. The work these social services do on a
    day-to-day basis is critical to ensuring the safety and well-
    being of Muscogee Creek Nation youth and families. Additional
    resources are critically needed to increase the number of
    Indian foster families and homes, and to focus on risk
    prevention earlier in the case process.
        Though citizens' needs our top priority for me, I am
    equally committed to protecting our natural resources, existing
    lands, and sacred sites. Muscogee Creek Nation leveraged
    funding provided through National Park Service to protect
    sacred sites across the nation. We appreciate the increase that
    this committee supported in Fiscal Year 2020 and hope future
    investments are possible to continue the important work.
    Further, I hope this committee will consider the critical role
    tribal historic preservation offices play, and encourage
    agencies to suspend or conclude funding to those offices that
    fail to adequately protect sacred tribal sites. In its history,
    this committee has consistently supported tribal sovereignty
    and respected the unique government-to-government relationship
    tribes have with Congress.
        Thank you for the opportunity to provide Muscogee Creek
    Nation's funding priorities for Fiscal Year 2021. I look
    forward to working with this committee and the appropriation
    process as it moving forward. And I also want to acknowledge
    the other tribal members: Second Chief Beaver, Speaker Hicks,
    and Second Speaker Proctor, as well as our ambassador, Jonodev,
    and our family members as well. Thank you, and it is an honor
    to be here.
        [The statement of Mr. Hill follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Something that has happened in
    passage since we have been doing public witnesses talking about
    roads, and obviously the backlog has gotten worse and worse,
    and everybody has described it. Roads, from what I am hearing,
    are really a public safety issue at this point. You mentioned,
    you know, someone who is injured in an ambulance, kids going to
    and from school so the school bus is safe, and then the wear
    and tear on the equipment, people going to dialysis back and
    forth and that.
        I think everybody has made the case on it, so I am not
    going to use one of my questions for that. But I think we need
    to have a conversation with the Transportation Committee and
    the authorizers about what we are going to do about America's
    roads, right, and make sure it is always including tribal roads
    as well. The other thing we heard, too, along with the roads
    comes the equipment, and the equipment aren't considered life,
    health, and safety.
        So we know snowplows, and graders, and all those other
    kinds of things, and, you know, I am going to use the term
    ``our neck of the woods,'' but the Plains, too, where there
    aren't as many woods, can really be life or death. And that is
    even true in other parts of the country with climate change.
    Now you have these snowfalls that just come out of nowhere, and
    it can take you 2 or 3 days to dig out of it those of you who
    are not from that area.
        What I would like to ask, though, is the Forest Service
    fencing wild horses. Mr. Stewart, who left, we have been
    working on wild horses trying to humanely control. Our goal is
    to humanely control the populations that doesn't destroy the
    environment and horses don't starve. So I am going to look into
    this because the solution was not dilution to start moving them
    around to other places and having something. So I want you to
    know you got my attention with the wild horses.
        A couple of things have come up with drinking water, and I
    just want to put on your radar screen, it is not going to be
    Mr. Joyce's and my intention. But President cut the drinking
    water funds in his budget as well as sewer and that. So that is
    something that this committee now has to come up with, you
    know. We want to be taking more and more steps forward and not
    just standing still, but President's budget wasn't helpful in
    that regard with, you know, no light at the end of the tunnel,
    that we were getting the signal that more investments were to
    be made in Indian Country, especially for things that you folks
    have identified.
        So you have given me, as I said to the other group, a lot
    of homework, so I want to thank you for your testimony. And
    everything is in the book, and it was a lot more than what you
    had the 5 minutes to do, and I want to acknowledge that. Thank
    you so much.
        Voices. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                          Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

        AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE PUBLIC WITNESS DAY 2--PANEL 3

                                   WITNESSES

    GERALD GRAY, CHAIRMAN, LITTLE SHELL TRIBE OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS
    BRANDON MAUAI, COUNCILMAN, STANDING ROCK SIOUX TRIBE
    TILFORD DENVER, VICE CHAIRMAN, BISHOP PAIUTE TRIBE
        Ms. McCollum. We are minus one person on this panel, and
    that is Chairman Kat Brigham with the Confederated Tribes, I
    want to say it right, Umatilla Indian Reservation. The
    chairwoman is not here today because of the devastating
    flooding going on in Oregon, and I want to acknowledge that
    because people have been displaced, livelihoods have been lost.
    It is a very serious issue, and climate change is having a real
    impact on households and, as I said, being evacuated. And even
    more seriously, we have learned of the death of a tribal
    member. So we understand her absence. Our thoughts and prayers
    and my prayers are with her and the tribe and all the people in
    that part of Oregon and Washington State that are just kind of
    dealing with with climate change in a very devastating way. And
    her testimony will be entered into the record, but I just
    wanted to acknowledge that.
        Ms. McCollum. So I am going to just kind of go through the
    timer really quick. It is 5 minutes. When the light goes
    yellow, there is 1 minute remaining. When it goes red, all 5
    are gone. We would like you to please introduce yourself, but
    we will not count your introduction against your testimony. All
    your testimony will be entered into the record, so don't feel
    rushed if you don't get to everything because there is so much
    to cover. So if we could start with you, please, sir. The red
    button has to be on in order for it to be on. Thank you, Mr.
    Grey.
        Mr. Gray. So I am Gerald Gray. I am chairman of the Little
    Shell Tribe. We are the newly-574th recognized tribe, and I
    want to thank all of you for your votes that helped pass us our
    legislation through Congress.
        Ms. McCollum. Historic. First time testifying.
        Mr. Gray. Yeah, here, definitely. Introduce?
        Ms. McCollum. Go ahead.
        Mr. Gray. Okay. So good afternoon, Chairwoman McCollum,
    Ranking Member Joyce, and honorable members of the
    subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify about
    the tribe's funding. With the enactment of our legislation, the
    Little Shell Tribe is now taking the first few steps of a new
    journey to fully restore our relationship with the Federal
    Government, rebuild our tribal government, create a tribal
    economy, provide services to our tribal citizens, and establish
    a land base. As we undertake this challenge, we keep in mind
    those who have passed on waiting for this day as well as our
    future generations.
        As a newly restored tribe, we have numerous funding
    priorities. First, new tribes funding at the Bureau of Indian
    Affairs. The BIA's new tribes funding is intended to assist
    newly-recognized tribes carry out the day-to-day
    responsibilities of establishing and operating tribal
    government. Once recognized, the tribe remains in the new
    tribes category for 3 Fiscal Years. This funding is critical
    for newly-recognized tribes because it provides seed money to
    hire staff, purchase equipment, and begin developing procedures
    and law.
        The Fiscal Year 2020 budget contains $1.28 million for new
    tribes under the BIA's operation of Indian programs. This
    funding was to continue Federal support for the six Virginia
    tribes recognized in January 2018. The Little Shell Tribe
    requests that the subcommittee provide an increase in funding
    for new tribes in order to assist the tribe in operating our
    government. Knowing well the struggle that the Virginia tribes
    endured, we would like to ensure their funding levels are not
    decreased as a result of our recognition.
        Second, the new tribes funding at the Indian Health
    Service. IHS new tribes funding assists the agency in carrying
    out its mission to provide direct healthcare services to
    citizens of newly-recognized tribes. The fiscal year 2020 deal
    contained $11.4 million for new tribes under IHS hospitals and
    health clinics category. That funding was to provide direct
    healthcare services to the six Virginia tribes. The Little
    Shell Tribe requests that the subcommittee provide additional
    funding in order for the Indian Health Service to be able to
    provide services to Little Shell tribal population for
    approximately 5,400 citizens. Once again, the tribe would like
    to ensure that the funding levels for Virginia tribes are not
    decreased as a result of our recognition.
        Next, funding for Indian Health Services care facilities
    construction. With a long-term goal of establishing a tribal
    health clinic, the tribe would like to see an increase in
    funding for healthcare facilities construction. I recently met
    with IHS in Billings, Montana to discuss healthcare options for
    my people. The IHS staff were very helpful in discussing the
    tribe's status as a direct service tribe and outlining options
    that the tribe could pursue when providing healthcare to our
    people. However, when I asked IHS if the IHS could construct
    the clinic for the tribe and Great Falls, Montana to serve our
    people, their answer was no. IHS informed me that there is a
    list for replacement facilities that it must follow when
    constructing new facilities.
        Unfortunately, from what I understand, it could be
    generations before the Little Shell Tribe would be eligible
    under the list for funding because the list is so long and the
    funding is so limited with the IHS. IHS said I would need to
    take my plea to Congress, so here I am. I am hopeful that
    something can be done to provide my tribe with funds to
    construct a clinic.
        Finally, funding for BIA and BIE construction. I have had a
    lot of meetings over the past month since my tribe's
    recognition was restored, and I appreciate our Federal
    partners' proactive outreach and offers to assist us. One of
    the things that I learned through these meetings is that
    facility construction funding for schools, government
    facilities, public safety complexes, and similar buildings is
    very sparse. Most of the facility construction dollars are tied
    to a priority list, none of which the Little Shell appears on.
    The tribe does not want to take funding away from other tribes
    or to jump over those that have waited on the priority list,
    but there should be some sort of funding directed for newly-
    recognized tribes so that they can construct the essential
    government building that they need to support services.
        I appreciate the opportunity to testify, and I am happy to
    answer any questions.
        [The statement of Mr. Gray follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Thank you. Sir, please go ahead.
        Mr.Mauai. Thank you. First of all, my name is Brandon
    Mauai, councilman from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and with
    me I have to my right Councilwoman Avis Little Eagle, and right
    directly behind me, Councilwoman Nola Taken Alive. Madam
    Chairperson McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce, thank you for this
    opportunity, an honor to present this testimony here concerning
    the President's 2021 budget. I would like to express our
    appreciation for the strong support of Indian tribes of this
    community this committee.
        The Administration's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2021
    came out on Monday. It would do great harm to the Standing Rock
    Sioux Tribe by cutting Federal social service and other core
    programs that we contract from the BIA. And I am here today to
    ask you to increase those funds. Our reservation encompasses
    2.3 million acres in North and South Dakota. The reservation's
    population of some 8,500 tribal members and 2,000 non-members
    reside in eight districts and in smaller communities. Our main
    industries are cattle ranching and farming. The tribe struggles
    to provide core services to our members, and we work hard to
    provide jobs and to improve the standard of living on the
    reservation, but we need a strong Federal presence. The
    appropriations by this subcommittee spell the difference
    between the success or failure of our tribal programs.
        Today my focus is on the tribe's children, our most
    precious resource. And in North Dakota, Indian children make up
    about 40 percent of the children in foster care. In South
    Dakota, Indian children make up about 50 percent of the
    children in foster care. And according to the Department of
    Justice, Indians have the highest rate of victimization in the
    country. The statistics tell us a powerful story. Our families
    are in crisis, and if our families are in crisis, our children
    are in crisis, and this means we are not breaking the cycle of
    trauma and abuse, but we are perpetuating it. And because of
    the continuing addiction to drugs, like meth and heroin,
    violence and crime in our community is escalating.
        We are raising a generation of children at risk. And
    without increasing Federal support to provide more social
    workers, case workers, law enforcement officers, and teachers,
    and provide them with community stability, their futures will
    be far worse than mine. I appreciate and encourage Congress'
    support for Tiwahe initiative. According to the recent OIG
    report, the program is designed to support child welfare and
    family stability, and to promote an integrated approach to
    addressing the interrelated problems of poverty, violence, and
    substance abuse in tribal communities. Tiwahe is intended to
    expand social services and similar programs to address children
    and family welfare, job training, and incarceration issues.
        And this is the kind of initiative that tribes have been
    demanding for decades. But unfortunately, according to the OIG,
    the BIA has failed to properly distribute the funding for the
    lifesaving initiative. The tribe should have long ago received
    $54,000 in additional social service funding for 2019, and an
    additional $23,000 for ICWA funding for this initiative. We
    learned only Monday that the funds are available for us to draw
    down, and we are now five months into Fiscal Year 2020, and we
    have not received any of the 2020 funds for these two critical
    programs.
        As a result of long delays in funding, our tribal social
    service programs are in crisis. The tribe has done what it can
    do to sustain child social services, but with a nearly $1
    million dollar, shortfall the tribe must consider returning or
    retro-ceding this program to the BIA. This would be a step
    backwards in self-determination, and we need additional funds
    to take care of the most vulnerable in society, our children.
        Our tribe learned the hard way that sexual abuse, and
    alcohol, and substance abuse are leading predicates to youth
    suicide. We learned this only after a cluster of seven suicides
    occurred among our children 1 decade ago. We learned that they
    did not feel loved, respected, or safe, and when they do not
    feel loved or safe, they self-medicated, and, tragically, in
    some cases, they hurt themselves and took their own lives. I
    don't want to bury any more children, but we want to celebrate
    them.
        Our ICWA office, which handles foster care placements off
    the reservation, is staffed by one person. She has 92 open
    cases in 18 different states, totaling 172 Standing Rock
    children in foster care across the nation. Our 92 cases
    represent less than 10 percent of the cases that we are
    notified about. This means the tribe has to decline to
    intervene in 90 percent of the cases where our children are
    being placed into foster care systems. ICWA lacks sufficient
    funding, and I ask Congress to provide additional support to
    tribes so that we can uphold our obligation to our children.
        With that, I thank you for your time.
        [The statement of Mr. Mauai follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Denver. Chairwoman McCollum and members of the
    committee, good afternoon, and thank you for the opportunity to
    testify before the committee today. [Speaking native language.]
    I am Vice chairman of the Bishop Paiute Tribe. I also like to
    recognize my councilman, Brian Pancho, who is with me today. We
    are located on the foot of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains
    and California's Hunt Valley.
        The Bishop Paiute tribe's faces a unique set of challenges.
    With more than 2,100 tribal members, the Bishop Paiute Tribe is
    the fifth largest tribe in the State of California. Our
    reservation encompasses less than 1 mile of land. The majority
    of the tribe already developed with housing and government
    footprint on it. The tribe has historically used and is
    currently seeking out a number of Federal grants and loan
    guarantees to provide services to our people.
        ICDBG funding. We are particularly proud of our
    comprehensive elders program that supports elders living on the
    Bishop Paiute Reservation. Our tribal elders program offers
    nutrition support, a caregiver support program, and countless
    other supportive services for our tribal elders. I am honored
    to say that the current population of 396 elders is the largest
    elder population the tribe has ever had. Unfortunately, our
    existing elder facility is struggling to accommodate the
    growing population. To address this, the Bishop Paiute Tribe
    has cemented an ICDBG grant to upgrade the current elders
    building. If funded, this grant will allow us to make dozens of
    improvements to the facility and further support our elders. I
    respectfully request the Congress provide robust funding for
    this program so that meritorious notorious applications like
    ours all across Indian Country can be fully funded.
        I would also like to talk about the criminal justice
    funding. The Bishop Paiute Tribe also requests the committee
    direct the Bureau of Indian Affairs to provide equitable law
    enforcement and tribal court funding to tribal governments and
    to Public Law 280 States. As you know, Public Law 280 takes
    primary criminal jurisdiction away from the Federal Government
    and gives it to the State law enforcement agencies in
    California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Wisconsin and Alaska.
    Notwithstanding the limited Federal jurisdiction, our people
    still are entitled to a functional law enforcement and judicial
    system. Insufficient funding and support has led to a
    significant miscarriage of justice for our tribal members and
    tribal Police Officers. To address this, the Bureau must
    allocate more robust funding under the operation of Indian
    programs, public safety and justice account to strengthen these
    services to PL 280 States.
        And my final issue is fair market rent for tribal TANF
    facilities. Lastly I would like to once again draw the
    committee and Congress' attention to an injustice our tribes
    continued to struggle with, the inability for tribes to recoup
    fair market rent for TANF facilities on reservation lands. As I
    mentioned, our tribe's land base is woefully inadequate to
    support our tribal membership. Many tribal members who want to
    live on the reservation are unable to do so. Still, the tribe
    chose to provide facilities and land in the center of a
    reservation for tribal TANF services and headquarters because
    we wanted to make it easy as possible for our tribal members to
    access these critical services.
        Unfortunately, in a contradiction of how every other
    program operates under Indian self-determination and Education
    Assistance Act, HHS has interpreted tribal TANF statute to
    prevent us from recouping fair market rent for the facilities
    and lands used by the program.
        We knew we do not believe that Congress intended for this.
    In fact, the underlying statute specifically provides that HHS
    to regulate rent like other self-determination programs, such
    as IHS. Instead HHS follow the interpretation for tribes with
    limited land bases and economic opportunity to locate TANF
    facilities off reservation and far removed from target
    populations.
        Several years ago, Congress included report language
    directing HHS to work with tribes to resolve this issue.
    Despite this, HHS has demonstrated a continued unwillingness to
    consider a more sensible interpretation of statute. The Bishop
    Paiute Tribe will continue working with the authorization
    committee, the Administration, and the committee to address
    this issue.
        In conclusion, I would like to thank you for listening to
    my testimony and for the committee to support tribal programs,
    and the opportunity for us to testify here today. We look
    forward to working together to address these critical issues
    across the Indian Country.
        [The statement of Mr. Denver follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. I would like to thank you all for being here
    today. Your testimony before this committee helps us make
    educated decisions on how to ship receipts. So thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, Chairman Gray, congratulations on being
    recognized. But now you are recognizing a whole lot of
    challenges in getting some of the programs that you want up and
    funding. It has been a while since we have had one of our
    tribal nations come forward and talk about the challenges that
    you are facing, that you are presenting, so that gives Mr.
    Joyce a lot to think about along with me about how we try to
    fully embrace your sovereignty, recognize it, including the
    benefits that you are entitled to under treaty obligations. So
    thank you for sharing that, and we are going to see what we can
    do.
        You talked about line items in that. I appreciate you
    saying that you don't want to take away anything from any of
    the other tribes, so we have to figure out a way to try to make
    everybody a little more whole. So thank you for that, and talk
    to the Senate about that, too. I hope you are having
    conversations with our Senate colleagues.
        Mr. Gray. Oh, of course. Yep.
        Ms. McCollum. Sometimes we have great ideas, and we go to
    conference committee and the Senate hasn't thought of them, so
    thank you for that. We have had a couple of panels talk about
    children and ending the cycle of violence, and if kids don't
    feel loved and supported, they don't do well in school, and it
    can create a downward spiral. So you spoke very eloquently
    about that. I am not asking you to pick one thing, but what
    might be the two or three things that you think this committee
    should be focused on?
        And I heard fully what you said about Tiwahe. I am a big
    fan of it, and I helped to work to get it started. Would it be
    that, or----
        Mr. Gray. Yes, and right now, you know, Child Protection
    Services, ICWA is not sufficiently funded right now. And you
    have heard panels before is that the root of a lot of these
    problems are the drug problems in the communities. You know,
    the drug problems throughout the system are affecting
    especially our children. And one way that we can continue to
    battle that back on Standing Rock is we don't have to utilize
    as much resources in the CPS area. We are already, you know,
    understaffed, severely understaffed. And by sufficiently
    funding that, it is something that we can hopefully take other
    resources and focus on what is the root of the problem. How can
    we funnel these other resources to that, such as drug problems
    or what have you.
        And so that is something that, you know, in the testimony
    we wanted to be sure to emphasize is that Child Protection
    Services, social workers, case managers, all of these areas is
    something that we need to focus on because it ultimately
    affects the children on all reservations.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, thank you for bringing that up. I mean,
    Tiwahe looks at a whole of community, whole of family approach
    because it is inner generational trauma, right? But was the
    number again, 92 cases the social worker had?
        Mr. Gray. Yes, it was 92 open cases. The ICWA office had
    open cases. The Chairman Perez, those numbers are a lot higher
    per case manager. I know one case manager was working on 170,
    around there, cases that they were constantly trying to push
    through. And keep in mind, we are both in North and South
    Dakota, so.
        Ms. McCollum. Right, so you have to deal with both
    jurisdictions.
        Mr. Gray. Yeah, two caseworkers maybe on one side, and two
    cases to caseworkers on the other side, and to try to get
    through that many cases is nearly impossible. We are allowing
    our children to fall through the cracks, and that is something
    that we can't continue to do.
        Ms. McCollum. I mean, the caseworkers have too much----
        Mr. Gray. Correct.
        Ms. McCollum [continuing]. On their plate. So, first, I
    want to recognize that before I say the following. Do North and
    South Dakota, because you are dealing with State laws, and if
    you are dealing with out-of-reservation placement in that, are
    they allowed to work together? Because your reservation is a
    reservation. You are one whole nation that straddles two State
    jurisdictions.
        Mr. Gray. Right.
        Ms. McCollum. Do you feel that that adds to the problem, or
    have the states and the Federal Government worked through that,
    that is not part of the problem?
        Mr. Gray. Now we are moving forward and working closer with
    the State. I know North Dakota through Title IV-4E is something
    that we are trying to, you know, move forward to make sure that
    all the children are taken care of. South Dakota, same thing.
    It is a work in progress. We are trying to work through that.
    It is just that the bureaucratic stuff, it gets to be
    frustrating. And I know both council people here with me today
    have backgrounds that worked with children, and can also attest
    about frustrating that is to try to get to a point where we can
    work together as one unit, I guess, in a partnership with both
    Federal and State. And it is just something that it is
    constantly roadblock after roadblock.
        Ms. McCollum. So you have an appropriations problem.
        Mr. Gray. Right.
        Ms. McCollum. But you also have a bureaucratic problem,
    too----
        Mr. Gray. Yes.
        Ms. McCollum [continuing]. That might be better addressed
    by our colleagues in the authorizing committee. So we will
    follow through with them with the testimony and make sure that
    they have your contact information. Sometimes you just need to
    have to get everybody at the table and say who is going to take
    lead. Sometimes no one is willing to do that. Sometimes
    somebody stands up and says they are willing to do that, so
    thank you.
        Mr. Gray. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. So both Janet and I wrote down the HHS issue
    that you brought up because that is not our jurisdiction, but
    we will be looking into it. And then so you mentioned senior
    housing, because some States, some tribal nations, some
    countries, their populations are shifting where it is more
    elder and not a lot of youth. Do you have the situation of both
    youth and elder, or you facing more of an elder population
    explosion?
        Mr. Denver. It is an elder population explosion. And,
    again, our current facility that the elders we serve all our
    meals out of, actually it used to be a youth treatment center.
    But because we were unable to acquire funds to continue
    operation of that, we moved our elders into that facility. So
    we are serving over 300 meals out of there, but the kitchen is
    so small. So we did put the grant in for expansion. We
    currently serve about 150 meals a day to shut-ins, and that way
    we get their nutrition out to them. Otherwise, you know, we are
    in such a rural area, there is nothing there for them.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, and that is really important if
    somebody is recovering from surgery and they have to have a
    nutritious meal, and the diabetes issue and everything on
    reservations. Well, thank you gentlemen. Thank you very much.
        Voices. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. And our last panel, if they would please come
    up to the table.
                                  ----------

                                          Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

        AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE PUBLIC WITNESS DAY 2--PANEL 4

                                   WITNESSES

    AURENE MARTIN, BOARD MEMBERS, NATIONAL INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ASSOCIATION
    MELANIE FOURKILLER, SENIOR POLICY ANALYST, OFFICE OF SELF-GOVERNANCE-
        CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA
    OTTO TSO, CHAIRMAN, NAVAJO HOPI LAND COMMISSION
    LLOYD B. MILLER, NATIONAL TRIBAL CONTRACT SUPPORT COSTS COALITION
        Ms. McCollum. So would you like me to go over how the
    timing works, or were you in the room before? I am happy to do
    it. Everybody is okay? Everybody is good? Well, welcome, and,
    Ms. Martin, how timely to have you kind of close up what we
    have heard about the children in Indian Country, the children
    of the United States country, too. So, Ms. Martin, if you would
    please lead off.
        Ms. Martin. All right. So good afternoon, Chairwoman
    McCollum, Ranking Member, staff. My name is Aurene Martin. I am
    a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in
    Wisconsin, and I am a member of the National Indian Child
    Welfare Association board of directors. NICWA is a national
    American Indian and Alaska Native organization with over 25
    years' experience in policy development focused native children
    and families. Our mission is twofold. First, we address issues
    of child abuse and neglect through policy research, community
    and policy development, and we support compliance with Indian
    Child Welfare Act.
        Before I start going into my comments, I would like to
    thank you for your bipartisan support of native children's
    issues. Because of that, we have seen a lot of gains over the
    last year, in particular, on our issues. Two of those
    developments over the last year I just wanted to mention
    quickly before going to my requests. First, I think after
    discussion with staff, it was clear that the Indian Child
    Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act, which we are
    huge believers in, needed to be reauthorized. And H.R. 4957,
    the Native American Child Protection Act was introduced, and it
    was referred to House Resources and passed out of committee, so
    that reauthorized all those programs. And then more
    importantly, thanks to you, the ICWA Off-Reservation Program
    was funded for the first time since 1996 with a $1 million
    allocation. So thank you for that.
        The Standing Rock testimony was very moving to me, and I am
    kind of throwing away the rest of my comments because I would
    like to talk a little bit about that. One thing I have
    testified about a few times is the Indian Child Protection and
    Family Violence Prevention Act, and that act, it is very
    important because it created two things. One, it created
    mandatory reporting and background check requirements for
    people who deal with native children at the Federal level, but
    the other thing that it did was it provided for two programs,
    funding that doesn't appear anywhere else in the Federal
    scheme, which is, one, it provided for prevention activities to
    help prevent Indian family violence. And the other thing it
    provided for was direct funding to tribes to treat victims of
    family violence, children. And those programs have never been
    funded. And after discussions with your staff last year, it was
    clear that we needed to reauthorize that act, and so it is our
    priority to get that working in tandem with you, to get it
    reauthorized and get those programs funded.
        But I can't see how much time I have left, so I am trying
    not to overstep. But the reason I wanted to concentrate on that
    today is that after hearing the testimony of the Standing Rock
    witness--sorry, I don't recall his name--those programs dealing
    with the mental health issues of children who have been taken
    into custody, who are part of the system, that is so vitally
    important because if you don't take care of them, and they
    don't get to heal, then they become part of the system later
    on, and it perpetuates the cycle. So just providing for them to
    be in foster care isn't enough. You have to provide for their
    well-being and their ability to heal. And we think that the
    programs under the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence
    Prevention Act, they meld with what you have for the Tiwahe
    initiative, what you have for the Indian Child Welfare Program.
    They all create a system that supports children. So we are
    continuing to advocate for those programs to be funded, and
    fully funding those programs on an annual basis would be $43
    million. And I am happy to continue to talk with you and your
    staff about how that might work.
        The other programs that we are supporting are the ICWA
    funding for both on-reservation activities and the off-
    reservation activities. And as I said, we are hugely
    appreciative of the $1 million that you have appropriated. It
    is still to be seen how those funds might be disbursed or
    allocated. BIA is still working on that, but just having them
    out there for the first time in so many years is tremendously
    helpful. So we are asking for, and I think, you know, the prior
    witness made a much better case than I could about why they are
    necessary and why increased funding is necessary for those
    programs.
        So I think the last point I would like to make is that
    statistics tell us that prevention, early intervention, and
    treatment of childhood trauma saves not only lives but dollars
    because children who experience violence are more likely to
    have problems and move into the system if these issues are
    unaddressed. So it is imperative that both tribes and off-
    reservation Indian child welfare programs receive funding to
    provide these services for children who are in need.
        So thank you for the opportunity to testify. I appreciate
    it, and I am happy to answer questions.
        [The statement of Ms. Martin follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Ms. Fourkiller.
        Ms. Fourkiller. Thank you, Madam Chair McCollum and Ranking
    Member Joyce. My name is Melanie Fourkiller. I am with the
    Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma, which is the third largest tribe in
    the Nation, and we are located in the southeast 13 counties of
    Oklahoma. I bring greetings from Chief Gary Batton and
    Assistant Chief Jack Austin, Jr., and we really appreciate the
    opportunity to be able to share budget priorities for 2021.
        First of all, I wanted to say and share our appreciation
    for your support of advanced appropriations for both Indian
    Health Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. It is very
    important that we be able to continue to operate uninterrupted,
    especially when we have such life and limb services often that
    get interrupted when appropriations don't come through.
        The second item I wanted to mention is to talk about the
    special diabetes program for Indians. Unfortunately, we saw in
    the President's request that it seems that he's trying to phase
    that out over a 10-year period, and it just seems extraordinary
    to us given the health outcomes that are proven with this
    program, even in HHS' own report that 54 percent of end-stage
    renal disease has been reduced as a result of this program
    since 1996. It is just astounding to us that you would want to
    disrupt that kind of accomplishment, but rather we had like to
    see it permanently obviously authorized.
        And I want to take a moment to talk a little bit about
    workforce development as it goes to our Indian health programs.
    We have a hospital that is located in a very small community.
    It is 1,100 folks in southeast Oklahoma, and from there, we
    have got eight outlying clinics across 13 counties. It is
    really difficult for us to attract and retain health
    professionals in such a small community because there just
    aren't amenities for docs and their families. The schools
    aren't large. There is not a lot to do out there. So it is
    really a challenge for us to be able to keep staff, and we use
    a number of tools to try to do that.
        We maintain low vacancy rates as compared to other Indian
    health facilities, and it takes a lot of work. A couple of the
    tools we use are graduate medical education programs, residency
    programs, as well as loan repayment programs, and other types
    of things to be able to attract and retain those folks for at
    least a period of time. And we typically, because we are a good
    employer, we can keep them longer than that. But graduate
    medical education we started in 2010 through a grant from HRSA.
    It is competitive grant. We have got to compete with the world,
    hospitals across the nation. And as far as I know, we are the
    only tribal location that has been successful in getting one.
    But that program has been the single most valuable tool to is.
        Most of those residents stay in rural Oklahoma, and of
    those, most of those stay within our health system. So it has
    been very incredibly valuable for us to grow and keep those
    health professionals in our system. So the problem there is
    that it is the funding is intermittent. It is competitive. It
    is not recurring so to be able to build and sustain a program
    is really difficult, and we think this is a program that could
    be replicated in Indian Country and provide that kind of
    support in rural areas, remote areas oftentimes to get those
    health professionals there. So if we could talk about some kind
    of steady recurring funding in that area, that would be very
    helpful.
        We have a number of other priorities as well, but I just
    wanted to mention a couple of other things. One is the 105(l)
    lease situation. We did appreciate the President requesting an
    indefinite appropriation for that. We have been supportive of
    that, so we are hopeful that there will be support as that
    moves forward. Unfortunately, it has been affecting services,
    even though those inflationary increases didn't get distributed
    at all, so it was funding we never saw. Certainly those
    inflationary increases were intended to go to health services,
    so we are hopeful that that will move forward.
        There are also a number of Bureau of Indian Affairs
    programs that are either eliminated or reduced in the
    President's request. A couple of them like the Indian Loan
    Guarantee Program, the Welfare Assistance Program, are being
    described as being duplicative, which is interesting because in
    the instance of welfare assistance, you have to exhaust every
    other resource before you are even eligible for welfare
    assistance, so how can it be duplicative? So many of these are
    unique and safety net programs that you know, we certainly want
    to see restored as considerations on the budget move forward.
        So, I know we have a number of other priorities that is in
    our written testimony, so with that I appreciate again
    opportunity to speak with you today, and I would be happy to
    answer questions. Thanks.
        [The statement of Ms. Fourkiller follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
        Mr. Tso. Thank you very much. Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking
    Member Joyce, and members of the subcommittee, thank you for
    this opportunity to testify on behalf of the Navajo Nation
    Council. I serve as the chairman of the Navajo Hopi Land
    Commission, and we are deeply, deeply appreciative of this
    subcommittee's commitment in addressing the hardship inflicting
    of the Navajo people during the relocation law, and the 40-
    year-old long construction freeze. Please know that more than
    anyone, the Navajo Nation at the end, we ONHIR to close. We
    want the funding to continue to move forth and Congress to
    continue to move those fundings to fund that program so that
    the Navajo Hopi Land Office of Navajo Hopi Indian Relocation
    Program can continue to complete their mission and their job,
    which is impose on the Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Act.
        So we want to make sure that Congress and then the United
    States fulfill their obligation to make sure that the people as
    they are relocated off the lands that was given to another
    tribe, and moved into such communities of Flagstaff or
    Newlands, or to a city within the Navajo Nation. And there was
    a commitment that was made to the Navajo people there, and the
    commitment is that we will relocate you, and you will have
    jobs. You will have health benefits. You will have all these
    amenities because relocated you. And out of this decision,
    right now, the health aspect has really impacted the Navajo
    people there. And I really, really, really hope that, you know,
    for the committee to strongly urge and help and support the
    need for that office to continue to stay open.
        The other is that, you know, the promise. You need to
    fulfill the promise. And with that, you know, the Navajo Nation
    has initiated a plan called the Navajo Nation, or the Navajo
    Thought Plan with that. The Navajo Thought Plan is addressing
    another aspect of land that had been put into dispute for more
    than 46 years. People living in that area that was impacted
    lived on 1.6 million acres of land that halted construction,
    economical opportunities for these families, and to this day,
    since the freeze has been lifted, that freeze has no dollars
    tied for the rehabilitation.
        Countries oppress people. In this case, the Navajo people
    had been oppressed, and people had to move to a certain
    community in order to have water, in order to have electricity,
    in order to have the basic necessities of life, or try to make
    that American Dream. But yet the land was frozen for 46 years
    economically. Where in the United States has that happened, and
    that happened on the Navajo Nation. To this day right now, the
    rehabilitation of the former Bennett Freeze is something that
    Congress needs to look at. And we need help in social,
    economical, and even the health aspect, you know, cancer
    treatments, and so forth, uranium issues, and we need help in
    those areas that will benefit the Navajo people.
        And we really hope that as Federal appropriators you do
    address those concerns. We are American citizens also, and we
    appreciate your help and trying to help the Navajo Nation. And
    under the Navajo-Hopi Indian Relocation, as it is reauthorized.
    We want to make sure that this office is able to fulfill its
    duties so that, you know, we can make sure that the need and
    the mission is completed. And with the closure issue, we want
    tribal consultation. To this day right now the Federal
    Government has not reached out to the Navajo Nation and said,
    hey, we are going to close right now, we need to talk.
        But right now, the Navajo Nation's position is that we are
    not supporting the closure due the issue of the tribal
    consultation. Their job is not done, and we appreciate your
    help in that area to help us complete the mission. With that
    funding moves forth, we want you to help the Navajo Nation and
    try to help Navajo people that have been affected by the land
    settlement case. And just hoping that they can make the
    American Dream. That is all we want. Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Tso follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Miller.
        Mr. Miller. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Joyce, good
    afternoon. Can you hear me now, as they say. I have two copies
    of an outline of remarks. I thought I would share that with
    Chairwoman McCollum and Ranking Member Joyce.
        I am here representing the National Tribal Contract Support
    Cost Coalition. The Coalition represents about 260 tribes,
    including all of the tribes in Alaska through the Alaska Native
    Tribal Health Consortium, down to the Choctaw Nation, and the
    other great nations in Oklahoma, Chickasaw, and Cherokee, as
    well as tribes in the Pacific Northwest and California. The
    Coalition has been centrally involved in litigation involving
    contract support costs. I was privileged to be able to work on
    the Cherokee case at a time when Melanie Fourkiller was there
    and a vital person in the success of that case before the
    Supreme Court. In the wake of that litigation, this committee
    did the single greatest thing you could have done to provide
    stability and predictability for contracting and compacting,
    and that was to establish an indefinite appropriation for
    contract support.
        Today in theory--I will talk about the practice in a
    moment--in theory, tribes know how much they are going to be
    getting from year to the next, and they get it. Contract
    support, cost appropriations. They know that they don't have to
    but out of the programs in order to take care of their
    overhead, in order to pay for worker's compensation, in order
    to do procurements, in order to pay for their audits and their
    accounting services. They know that that money is going to be
    coming from the government thanks to the indefinite
    appropriation that you established in 2016. So thank you very
    much for the work that you did at that time. I cannot thank you
    enough for that improvement. And as I will talk later, it is
    exactly why the same improvement is needed for the 105(l)
    leases, but we will get to that in a moment.
        Necessarily, if somebody like I sitting here talking about
    the agencies, I am going to sound critical, and I will sound a
    critical tone. But before I do that, I want to pay tribute to
    the Indian Health Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
    They are trying, and they have improved. They have each
    developed important new policies on contract support costs.
    Those policies are permanent in their manuals. If they are
    falling short, it is not for want of trying, and I do salute
    their efforts in this area. Certainly the world is much
    improved today in 2020 than it was years ago, the years that
    brought along all of that litigation, and caused so much pain
    for this committee along the way.
        The first thing I want to mention is the payment delays.
    The payment delays of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the
    Office of Self-Governance, in particular, are daunting. I was
    talking over the last couple of weeks, my colleagues and I, to
    one of the tribes, the Chugach Regional Resource Commission.
    They had to get a loan, and they paid interest until the
    funding was just worked out a couple of days ago, and they are
    going to be able to retire the loan without a penalty because
    they were not getting their contract payments, including any
    contract support payments in 2020, and they still don't have
    all of their 2019 payments. There is an institutional problem
    in the Office of Self-Governance and in the BIA in getting
    those contract support cost payments out.
        They will tell you that there are 18 or 20 steps, that
    money and approvals have to move through in order for the money
    to actually get out the door. Reform is needed in this area,
    and with the committee's gentle nudging, perhaps a committee
    could be put together, a work group committee could be put
    together to try to get to the bottom of those impediments and
    eliminate them, certainly not by legislation, we would hope.
        The second thing I wanted to talk about, and there were
    four items on contract support costs, is reporting. Reporting
    has been a problem. It has been a perennial problem. Last year,
    the Indian Health Service caught up on their reports for 2018,
    2017, and 2016. So they were behind, but they caught up. The
    BIA, so far as we know, hasn't made a report since Fiscal Year
    2014, 6 years behind. They were supposed to make a report by
    May 15 every year. That is in Section 106(c) of the Indian
    Self-Determination Act. They don't do it. I think there is
    nothing more one could do than have a law that commands that it
    be done by a date certain, but perhaps this committee can urge
    the agency to honor the obligations that it has under the law.
        The third issue also a recurring issue. There was a lot of
    interaction with tribes up until those manuals were adopted.
    Tribal consultation is important, and it is effective. The
    manuals that IHS and BIA adopted reflect a lot of tribal input.
    It was wonderful. It was hard, but it was wonderful. Since
    then, we don't have annual meetings anymore unless there is an
    emergency, an urgent matter. There has been one face-to-face
    meeting with the Indian Health Service since their manual was
    adopted, and none since the BIA. So a gentle nudging of greater
    tribal consultation with the Tribal Federal Contract Support
    Cost Work Group would be much appreciated.
        The fourth issue is much more consequential, and it is
    financial, and so I do want to bring this to the committee's
    attention again. We have talked about this annually. It is
    probably the 5th year, maybe the 6th year that we are raising
    this. The seventh proviso in your bill address substance abuse
    funding, domestic violence protection funding, suicide
    prevention funding. This is funding is laid out in a separate
    proviso so that IHS director can figure out how best to
    allocate it, and that is good. No complaints about that. You
    want the money to get where it is going to do the most good.
        But the IHS director in 2012 decided to stop paying that
    money. Once she decides how, or he decides how, to allocate it,
    to stop paying it through compacts and contracts. And in that
    one gesture, that denied tribes the right to contract support
    costs.
        That one gesture required tribes to take money out of those
    funds to pay their overhead, which is fixed, which is set by
    the National Business Center. It cannot be changed. So we have
    asked repeatedly. The Indian Health Service has responded to
    you by studying the matter, getting tribal input. It turns out
    the consultation has led to no change whatsoever, despite the
    uniform view of
    the tribes that those funds should go through contracts and
    compacts. If the seventh proviso could be amended, we would be
    most appreciative.
        [The statement of Mr. Miller follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        The last thing I didn't address, may I, Madam Chair?
        Ms. McCollum. We just had----
        Mr. Miller. Oh, you have to go to a vote?
        Ms. McCollum. We just had votes started.
        Mr. Miller. Okay.
        Ms. McCollum. And we have got----
        Mr. Miller. Okay.
        Ms. McCollum. We know how to get a hold of you.
        Mr. Miller. Yes.
        Ms. McCollum. And we know you talk to staff all the time.
        Mr. Miller. Yes.
        Ms. McCollum. And you give us a lot of food for thought, so
    thank you for that. Mr. Joyce, I mean, we have time for a quick
    question or two.
        Mr. Joyce. I don't want to hold everybody up.
        Ms. McCollum. Okay. So the good news is we got this panel
    in before votes started, which did not happen yesterday.
    [Laughter.].
        And people waited 45 minutes for us, and I just looked, and
    we have 10 votes, so you would have been here until dinner, so
    that is the good news. Ms. Martin, we look forward to talking
    to you more as we develop the bill. Ms. Fourkiller, I think
    what you were saying about HHS is something that we need to
    look into some of the tax provisions that you had have come up
    on some other things. So we will be formulating some letters
    and some ideas to share, David and I--excuse me--Mr. Joyce and
    I with our colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee.
        And were you present when we brought Congress----
        Mr. Tso. Yes.
        Ms. McCollum. Yeah, so Congress has worked hard to consult
    with Navajo and Hopi on the closure, and we do need to bring
    the program to an end, but we do need to follow the law when we
    do that. So thank you for, you know, kind of highlighting how
    you are feeling about the communication with the act as they
    are moving to close it down. So we ask them for reports every
    so often. I think they are due to come in and give us a report
    shortly. So we will be sharing your concerns that there needs
    to be better consultation.
        And then we will follow up with you what we hear from them,
    both you and the Hopi. And then if you still have questions, we
    want you to pick up the phone, send an email. If you like snail
    mail, you can use that, too. Let us know how you think it is
    going and contact our offices. We take the fact that this needs
    to come to closure seriously, but it needs to follow the law.
    It needs to be done with consultation. And they are right
    there. They are not in Washington, D.C. They are right there
    close to you, so there is no excuse for you not to feel like
    you are being consulted.
        And I hear what you were saying about the Bennett Freeze,
    which is different, but sidebar to what happened with the
    freeze on that. So thank you very much.
        So I want to thank you for being here, and with that, the
    public witness that we have for the past 2 days with tribal
    leaders and leaders in the tribal allied community comes to a
    close. Thank you.
        [The following statement was submitted for the record:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                  MEMBERS' DAY

        Ms. McCollum [presiding]. So good morning. The members'
    witness hearing will come to order, and we are very pleased to
    have as our first person up one of our newest members to
    Congress, Ms. Slotkin. So you have 5 minutes, and we look
    forward to hearing what you have to share with us. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF
        MICHIGAN
        Ms. Slotkin. Great. Thank you, Subcommittee Chairwoman
    McCollum, and thanking the ranking member in absentia. So I am
    a former CIA officer and Pentagon official, and so I look
    through the world through a lens of security. And that is why
    it is really very clear to me that we need to start thinking of
    environmental security the way we think of homeland security
    because it is about the safety of our kids and the preservation
    of our way of life.
        Nowhere is that more clear than on the issue of PFAS
    contamination, which is a chemical that has been identified in
    more places in Michigan than in any other State in the country.
    We are looking for it harder than most people, so we are
    finding it ahead of the rest of the country. And I have four
    PFAS sites in my district, and if you have to worry that giving
    your child a glass of water is going to give them early
    childhood cancer, that is a threat to your family's safety. And
    if you can't fish the rivers that your dad and your grandpa
    took you fishing in, that is a threat to your way of life.
        So I was very proud that my first six provisions that I
    have had turned into law as a member of Congress are on all
    PFAS, and they were all done through the NDAA, through the
    Pentagon's budget. I am a pragmatist, so in a perfect world, it
    wouldn't have to be done that way, but for the first time we
    are doing more than just studying PFAS, which is extremely
    important to me and to the people of Michigan.
        We passed provisions that forbids the military from using
    PFAS-laden firefighting foam after 2024. They cannot use it in
    exercises in non-crisis situations. Our National Guard bases
    now have access to pots of money that only active duty had
    access to for environmental cleanup, which was at the request
    of one of our base commanders. But the most important one that
    I am the most proud of is the PFAS Monitoring Act, which I
    actually introduced back in May and got incorporated into the
    bill that the President signed off on in December, the
    Pentagon's bill.
        So under this law, large cities will be required to monitor
    almost 30 types of PFAS. Smaller communities, so communities
    under 10,000 people, like where I live in Holly, Michigan, will
    get help paying for that monitoring. Small communities can't
    afford to be adding additional things without some help. Six
    PFAS substances were included in EPA's testing requirements
    back in 2013 to 2015, but then they dropped those requirements
    for 2018 and 2020. No idea why. This bill ensures that the next
    round of testing will cover all 29 PFAS chemicals that EPA
    knows how to test for in drinking water.
        In Michigan, we are already diligently testing for PFAS. We
    have decided to test for it ahead of any national requirement
    thanks to our governor's leadership, but I want to make sure
    that it is a requirement at the Federal level because Michigan
    is just the tip of the iceberg on PFAS, particularly for States
    with a manufacturing past. So this will not only help our
    ongoing PFAS monitoring efforts, but it will help provide data
    to the EPA and other State legislators to inform them on their
    decisions about PFAS.
        Now that it has been signed into law, I want to advocate
    today that we have funds to implement it. In particular, I want
    to ensure that the EPA has sufficient funding to support those
    smaller communities like my hometown for PFAS testing. Thank
    you for providing $43 million in new PFAS-related funding for
    the EPA in the 2020 Fiscal Year, including funding to support
    EPA's testing of drinking water that will now cover PFAS under
    my bill. Today I ask the committee to increase funding for 2021
    Fiscal Year for the EPA.
        As the committee considers the Fiscal Year 2021 budget, I
    would ask you to keep in mind the concerns of families in my
    district, across Michigan, and across the Nation. This is a
    widespread concern, and these chemicals are forever chemicals.
    They are not going away. We must work to protect Americans
    against this threat, just as we protect them from threats to
    our physical security. Thank you for your leadership on PFAS-
    related issues in 2020, and I ask you to increase funding in
    2021. Thanks very much.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. So you don't support the President
    where he has eliminated doing some of the work that needs to be
    done with PFAS in some of this budget.
        Ms. Slotkin. No, I mean, I think we have an existential
    debate with the White House on the importance of PFAS. He
    tweeted about it last July. We were shocked that it was such an
    important issue to him, but the truth is it is extremely
    bipartisan. I just held a big water-related event on private
    well owners, like myself. Twenty-five percent of Michiganders
    are on private wells, so we test, and we are responsible for
    our own testing. And people across the board, people wearing,
    you know, their Make America Great hats were deeply concerned
    about PFAS and asking me how come we don't have a national
    standard. How come we don't have money for our communities to
    test this?
        We are on the leading edge in Michigan of something that is
    going to be a household name in the next few years. And I can't
    agree to something that is, you know, for us, our water in
    Michigan as the Great Lakes State, it is existential. We are
    the stewards of the Great Lakes and of the groundwater that
    comes with it, so people across the spectrum feel very
    passionately about it.
        Ms. McCollum. I couldn't agree with you more. We have been
    filtering water for PFAS since 2006 in my congressional
    district in Oakdale, Minnesota. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, and I apologize for being late.
        Ms. Slotkin. No problem.
        Mr. Joyce. But I want to thank you for being here and
    discussing programs that are important in this budget, not only
    for your district, but for our country.
        Ms. Slotkin. Yeah, thanks. Okay. Thanks for having me.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you very much. You have left a copy of
    your written testimony with the committee.
        Ms. Slotkin. Yes.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Davis is going to be submitting. That is
    our understanding now? He is going to try to be here. Mr. Posey
    is going to be submitting his for the record.
        [The information follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. BILL POSEY, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA
        [The statement of Mr. Posey follows:]
        [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T3677B.208

        [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T3677B.209

        Ms.McCollum. Is there another member out there? Yeah. We
    are going to recess until the next member shows for testimony.
        [Recess.]
        Ms. McCollum. The Committee on Interior will come back from
    its recess to hear some member testimony from Mr. Griffith.
    Sir, you have 5 minutes.
                                  ----------

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. MORGAN GRIFFITH, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF
        VIRGINIA
        Mr. Griffith. Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and I
    appreciate you all holding this hearing today. One of the top
    priorities that I have is the adequate need for funding of coal
    communities in Virginia and throughout Appalachia. We need to
    reclaim the abandoned mine lands in a way that both supports
    economic development and helps us transition from an economy
    that was build on coal. I have counties that just have
    mountains and trees. That is what they have.
        In fact, in Dickinson County, looking for flatland to
    redevelop our economy is very difficult. About, oh, close to a
    decade ago now, they started looking for a site for a new
    school. All their former high schools were in a flood zone.
    There were only two pieces of property in the county that were
    flat enough to build a high school on, so they had a fight as
    to which one they had to pick.
        The Abandoned Mine Land Pilot Project, which has been
    funded by this committee for some time, for a few years, it
    allows the top three States with the most unmet needs--
    Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania--to have spending.
    And then subsequent to that taking off, I went and I got the
    committee to agree and the floor ultimately to agree that the
    next three States--Virginia, Alabama, and Ohio--also with a
    legacy of coal mining, that include sites that need
    restoration.
        Over the past few years with the help of members on this
    committee and my friend from Ohio, Mr. Johnson, we have worked
    to expand this program to those next three Appalachian States
    with the greatest needs. I have worked with this committee to
    ensure additional support for one Appalachian community does
    not come at the expense of another. So in total we have been
    successful in securing $40 million, $10 million per year over
    the last 4 years, in reclamation funding for Virginia. The top
    three States get $30 million a year. We get $10 million a year.
        That seems to be working out very well, and I could go
    through all the projects. We have done everything from, you
    know, closing off portals for new trails for horses, for
    hiking, for other things, but also we are taking down a high
    wall in the City of Norton. It is a little city of about 5,000.
    And it is still in progress, but we are going to create a 200-
    acre industrial park in an area that desperately needs
    inventory because you don't have flatland ready to go.
        In Russell County, we have another 200-acre project. Some
    entrepreneurs came in, and they realized that with a little bit
    of this money, they could clean up a coal fine pond, and let me
    explain what that is. It was a coal processing plant for
    decades and decades and decades, and whenever the coal pieces
    were too small, they dumped them into this pond. And so you
    have this huge area, but what they figured out is that with a
    new fuel source plant not too far away that is a hybrid, they
    can burn all kinds of different things. They could sell the
    coal fines to that plant. They are cleaning it up. They are
    taking out all the old coal fines. They are putting in rock to
    replace that. They are going to put soil on top of it, and we
    are going to end up with another 200-acre industrial park.
        And while both of them have great advantages, this one,
    just to give you some idea, it has rail because it used to be a
    coal processing plant, so they had to get the coal out of
    there. It has a road to get the coal in, by truck generally. It
    has electricity coming in from two sides. It has water, and it
    already has natural gas. And what these folks are going to do
    is they are turning this entire site over to the county when
    they finish. I would have to go back and look at the exact
    numbers, but we gave them a couple of million dollars to clean
    this up a little bit, over $2 million.
        I was told by the folks who generally do this, the OSM, and
    in Virginia it is the Virginia Mines, DMME, they told us that
    our $2 million would have taken normal AML funding, about $7
    million, to have done the same thing, and it probably wouldn't
    have been on the top of the list. Therefore, they were
    expecting they wouldn't get this project done for another 20
    years with the money that they had in the AML funds. So with
    this AML pilot project, we are taking care of problems, we are
    getting outside money to come in and help, and we are creating
    economic development in an area that people always tell us up
    here, you know, we want you reinvent your economy. Okay, but we
    need a little help, and this is one of the ways that we are
    trying to do that is to create sites where businesses can come
    in.
        And I think it has been a real success thus far, both
    environmentally and economically, and I would hope that you
    would continue to fund us. We are not asking for anymore. Just
    keep us at that $10 million level in the second tier of the AML
    Pilot Project, and we will be thrilled. If you want more
    information, I think my printed notes have lots of different
    things in them, but that really is something that I have seen
    that is actually working. And, you know, when will it bear
    fruit in a big way? We are already seeing small signs on the
    tourism and environmental side that it is working. Will we get
    a new plant in? Well, as you all know, with economic
    development, first you have to have the inventory, and we are
    about a year away from having that inventory ready, maybe two
    in some cases, and then you have to go out and find a facility.
        So we are very hopeful. We think this is, though, a key
    component to our part of Central Appalachia reinventing its
    economy.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony, and
    I saw that you are looking at even putting a solar project
    where----
        Mr. Griffith. Yeah, that is real exciting.
        Ms. McCollum [continuing]. Where coal pollution is now.
        Mr. Griffith. So if you have a minute, let me tell you
    about that. That is real exciting.
        Ms. McCollum. Well.
        Mr. Griffith. You don't have a minute. Okay.
        Ms. McCollum. I don't have, but what I am concerned about
    with the President, you know, we increased a lot of funding to
    support projects like yours in the bill, Mr. Joyce and I did,
    and the President's budget came in with a cut compared to what
    we had worked on bipartisanly with the Senate to do projects
    like you are talking about. So we will have to see what our
    allocation looks like. But I think we are going to do what we
    can, and we would appreciate your help, too, as we move forward
    not to support the bottom line of the President's budget and
    the Department of Interior because I am sure you have a lot of
    rural water projects you want to see worked on, too.
        Mr. Griffith. Rural water projects. ARC is very important
    to my district as well. And, you know, as we used to say in the
    State legislature, the governor, in this case, the President,
    proposes, and the House, you know, ends up making the decision,
    disposes in many cases.
        Ms. McCollum. We are going to need your support on the
    floor. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you for being here, Congressman Griffith,
    and I appreciate where you are coming from. My dear friend,
    Bill Johnson, has talked about the same type of plight in his
    community, and thank you for coming before the committee today
    and providing some unique examples on how this can be of
    benefit to those areas that have, for lack of a better term,
    been left behind. Thank you, sir.
        Mr. Griffith. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
        Mr. Griffith. You all have a good day.
        Ms. McCollum. Have a good rest of your day. We are going to
    go into recess again until the next member comes. Thank you.
        [Recess.]
        [The information follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. The Interior Committee members' hearing day
    will continue, and we have before us the gentleman from
    Massachusetts, Mr. McGovern.
                                  ----------

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF
        MASSACHUSETTS
        Mr. McGovern. Thank you very much, Madam Chair McCollum,
    Ranking Member Joyce, and members of the committee. Thanks for
    the opportunity to testify. As you begin to draft this year's
    appropriations bill, I encourage you to provide critical
    funding for important conservation programs that preserve this
    country's rich history and natural beauty.
        This Congress has made significant progress in protecting
    our public lands and spaces, in large part thanks to the
    leadership of this committee. And I would like to share some of
    the examples of the important stewardship work being done in my
    district and highlight the ways in which the committee can----
         [Audio malfunction in hearing room.]
        The John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National
    Heritage Corridor, which spans more than 2 dozen towns from my
    hometown in Worcester, Massachusetts to Providence, Rhode
    Island, tells the remarkable story of the birth of the
    Industrial Revolution in America and the transformations that
    followed. Vital to the success of the corridor and the unit of
    the National Park Service within it is strong funding for the
    Park Service, and a commitment to cooperative agreement that
    NPS has undertaken with the local coordinating entity. I ask
    that the committee fully fund the National Park Service and
    encourage NPS to enter into a cooperative agreement for the
    coming fiscal year. I have included draft language at the end
    of my testimony for your consideration.
        Next I want to highlight the importance of our National
    Wildlife Refuge System. Specifically, I would like to draw your
    attention to the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge,
    which spans the entirety of the Connecticut River watershed,
    and comprises fully one-sixth of the entire area of New
    England. Those who care for the refuge do extraordinary work
    thanks to support from the Land and Water Conservation Fund,
    which, in Conte's case, is administered by the U.S. Fish and
    Wildlife Service. Yet despite a growing backlog of projects
    across the refuge, Conte receives zero dollars in LWCF funding
    for the current fiscal year, and Fish and Wildlife has not been
    forthcoming in explaining the rationale behind this lack of
    allocation.
        I appreciate the committee's previous efforts to highlight
    the uniqueness of Conte, and I am grateful for any further
    efforts that might better prioritize or direct funds to the
    refuge. I also ask the committee to fully fund the LCWF so that
    Conte can receive the priority funding that it needs and
    deserves.
        I would also like to say a few rods about the newest of the
    country's 11 national scenic trails. That is the New England
    National Scenic Trail. Nearly 2 million people live within 10
    miles of the trail, which spans 220 miles through Massachusetts
    and Connecticut, and it has grown significantly in popularity
    in the first decade. Federal funds must keep up with increased
    demand for the recreational and educational opportunities that
    the trail provides. I ask the committee to provide full funding
    for the National Park Service so that the New England Scenic
    Trail can be funded at $500,000 in the coming year.
        Lastly, I would like to briefly mention something outside
    of conservation that has been a priority of mine for a long
    time. Clean, safe water is a right for every person in this
    country, and I am asking this committee to continue to support
    the highest possible funding for both the Clean Water and
    Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. These programs help
    communities across the country maintain safe and effective
    water infrastructure, and they afford States the flexibility to
    fund their highest-priority projects.
        Once again, I want to thank you for the opportunity to
    share stories of what our foundational conservation programs
    make possible. I am grateful for the committee's longstanding
    support for protecting our public spaces and shared heritage,
    and I look forward to seeing what you produce for the coming
    fiscal year. And, again, you know, as someone on the Rules
    Committee, we meet an awful lot and under very intense
    circumstances. I particularly appreciate the work of all the
    appropriators, especially now, and the staff for what you are
    about to go through. So thank you very much. I yield back.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you, Mr. McGovern. Mr. McGovern, you
    have on the last page of your testimony a language request for
    the committee.
        Mr. McGovern. I do.
        Ms. McCollum. And so that is duly noted. Thank you for
    submitting that. There is nothing any of us, I think,
    throughout Congress, huge bipartisan support to support LWCF,
    fully funded. Unfortunately, the President's budget makes that
    impossible with the almost $2 billion cut to the bipartisan
    work that Mr. Joyce and I did with our counterparts in the
    Senate and we passed on the floor. And so we have the largest
    increase to LWCF in literally decades. We are going to work
    real hard to protect that and add to it if we can. But as you
    pointed out, there is a need for clean drinking water and clean
    water funding as well. So if you can do anything in Rules
    Committee to give Mr. Joyce and I a larger allocation, we would
    take your considerations very----
        Mr. McGovern. Done. You won. Done. [Laughter.]
        Ms. McCollum. We are counting on you. But sincerely, thank
    you for the work that you do in the Rules Committee helping us
    get our bills to the floor so we can move them forward, get
    them to conference, and then bring them back.
        Mr. McGovern. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you for your work. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. And I was just kidding about the tea, Mr.
    McGovern, but it is always a lovely----
        Mr. McGovern. No, and I----
        Mr. Joyce [continuing]. For all of us.
        Mr. McGovern. I will make sure you get some.
        Mr. Joyce. And thank you for being here to discuss the
    conservation programs and the importance of these programs and
    the impact that they have in your district.
        Mr. McGovern. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. We have your information. Go have
    a wonderful day.
        Mr. McGovern. You, too.
        Ms. McCollum. I know you are really busy getting rules
    ready and everything so that we can deal with the coronavirus,
    and thank you.
        Mr. McGovern. I appreciate it, but thank you again for all
    the work you guys do.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. The committee stands in recess
    until the next witness.
        [Recess.]
        [The information follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. So the Committee on Interior will come back
    into our order for our members' priority day hearing, and we
    are going to hear from Representative Casten. Welcome.
                                  ----------

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. SEAN CASTEN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF
        ILLINOIS
        Mr. Casten. Thank you. Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking Member
    Joyce, and members of the subcommittee, thank you for inviting
    me to testify today. I have come to urge you to support robust
    funding of the Urban and Community Forest Program at the U.S.
    Forest Service in the coming fiscal year. I want to applaud all
    your hard work in ensuring a funding increase of $2.5 million,
    for a total of $22.5 million last fiscal year. The program
    provides critical assistance to public/private partnerships
    that address regional climate change challenges by promoting
    healthy and diverse forests.
        The scientific consensus could not be clearer. Climate
    change is an imminent threat to our health, our economy, and
    our national security, as well as the health of our forests.
    The ``Fourth National Climate Assessment,'' released by the
    White House in November 2018, spells it out clearly: ``As
    growing season temperatures rise, reduced tree growth or
    widespread mortality is expected.'' A loss of vegetation could
    exacerbate the effects of climate change that we are already
    seeing, but it also means that better managing our forests can
    be a part of the solution to the climate crisis.
        The Chicago Regional Trees Initiative, or CRTI, is a great
    example of the solution. CRTI is a collaboration of more than
    284 Chicago-area partners working to build healthier and more
    diverse urban forests. Their work involves the Morton
    Arboretum, U.S. Forest Service, and several other Federal
    agencies, seven Chicagoland counties and municipal governments,
    as well as business and community partners. CRTI has shown
    great success leveraging the power of a public/private
    partnership to strengthen and diversify our local urban
    forests. We want to build on the success we have seen in
    Chicago. Replicating the program elsewhere and solidifying CRTI
    itself will greatly benefit urban forests across the country.
        In addition, there is a critical need to restore and
    improve the urban forests in Region 9 due to the catastrophic
    losses from the emerald ash borer and build resiliency to
    changing growing conditions by planting a diversity of trees
    and protecting the existing trees. Eighty-one percent of
    Americans live in urban areas where trees are critical to human
    health and to address the environmental impact of climate
    change. I urge the committee to prioritize the Forest Service's
    regional multiorganizational collaborations in urban
    communities most severely impacted by invasive species, like
    the emerald ash borer. These urban forest conservation
    partnerships provide models of best practices for effective
    Landscape Scale and Community and Urban Forestry grants. Thank
    you for your consideration of my request, and I hope you will
    join me in harnessing the power of our urban canopy to help
    solve the climate crisis.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, thank you very much. The urban forestry
    is near and dear to both Mr. Joyce and I, and we have been
    working very hard to put dollars into it. As you know, the
    President zeroed that out in his budget proposal, so we will be
    not following the President's recommendation, putting funding
    into it. But being able to do more is going to be dependent
    upon what our topline number is. The President cut the Interior
    appropriations portion in his budget by almost $2 billion, a
    very substantial $1.9 billion cut.
        I had some testimony when the Forest Service was in front
    of us from one of my municipalities of how much money that they
    are spending just on municipal trees and the disposal of it.
    This is going to be a huge economic cost, and I think we all
    need to reach out to our cities and start accumulating what
    this cost is going to be so that we can make the case even
    stronger that we need more funds in our overall allocation
    especially to address this. Do you have any information from
    any of your cities? And this is just public land that we have
    counts on. We don't have on the private. What are you hearing
    from your constituents?
        Mr. Casten. So the Morton Arboretum is in my district, and
    I have not reviewed their books to talk about the precise
    numbers other than just to state the obvious. That $22-and-a-
    half million is a trivial number here relative to the benefit
    that we get from it. What is difficult is this is a long-term
    project, right? You know, I tease the folks at the arboretum
    periodically that, you know, I go with Sierra Club to clean
    non-native species, and then they spend a ton of their effort
    trying to figure out what species of trees around the world are
    actually well adapted to the changing climates in the Chicago
    area to urban areas where there is pollution and runoff from
    trees. And I joke with them that if the Sierra Club ever comes,
    they are going to have do a brush cleaning on their premises.
        But the amount of effort that they have to put in is, and,
    again, I don't want to speak to the financial, but it is a
    long-term issue because they are sitting there with multiple
    trees that are growing, looking at them over time, trying to
    figure out how this evolved, trying to figure out which ones
    are more sensitive to heat stresses. I don't mean to duck your
    question.
        Ms. McCollum. No, you are----
        Mr. Casten. But I think making sure that they have the
    resources to continue to do that research, and, frankly, expand
    it, is going to be critical.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, and the arboretums are places our
    municipalities and homeowners go to for support with the master
    gardener programs that that they offer. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Mr. Casten, for being here today to
    provide some background on this issue that is important to you
    as well as myself. In northeastern Ohio, we have the problem
    with the emerald ash borer as well and its economic impact as
    well as the damage to the forests of northern Ohio. It is
    something that needs to be addressed, and I hope we can
    continue to work together to protect against these invasive
    species and protect our nature's forests. Thank you.
        Mr. Casten. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. So as you can tell, it is a program the
    ranking member and I are very passionate about. Thank you so
    much for coming today and sharing your story.
        Mr. Casten. Thank you. Thank you.
        [The information follows:]

    [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms.McCollum. Thank you, Sean. Good morning.
        Mrs. Trahan. Good morning.
        Ms. McCollum. Representative Trahan, please share with us
    your thoughts and suggestions for the Interior Committee in
    this Members' Day meeting.
                                  ----------

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. LORI TRAHAN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF
        MASSACHUSETTS
        Mrs. Trahan. Thank you. Thank you, Chairwoman McCollum,
    Ranking Member Joyce.
        Ms. McCollum. Is it a green light in front of you?
        Mrs. Trahan. There we go.
        Ms. McCollum. There you go. Thank you.
        Mrs. Trahan. Thank you for allowing me to testify today.
    Many of the communities in your districts are in part defined
    by their proximity to a body of water, whether it is the
    Mississippi River, Lake Erie, the Snake River, or Puget Sound.
    These are great waterways, and they contribute to our
    communities' identity and provide a source of civic pride and
    unity.
        My district is no different. We are proud of the Merrimack
    River's beauty and rich history. Fed by Lake Winnipesaukee in
    the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the mighty Merrimack
    River flows down through Concord, Manchester, and Nashua, then
    it crosses into the Commonwealth and bends east near Lowell,
    Massachusetts, before flowing through Lawrence and Haverhill,
    and out to the Atlantic Ocean. Altogether, it runs over 100
    river miles.
        I was raised in Lowell, the birthplace of America's
    Industrial Revolution, and there is no natural feature more
    tied to the city's history than the Merrimack. The city's mill
    buildings, including the one where my immigrant grandmother was
    a mill girl and my congressional district office is located
    today, once were powered by the Merrimack. Former Congressman
    and Senator Paul Tsongas, alongside Senator Kennedy, gifted the
    city a historical national park, which was founded to preserve
    the industrial history, which the river produced.
        Just as you and your constituents love their rivers and
    lakes, we love the Merrimack. It is a place of commerce,
    recreation, and quiet reflection, and it provides the drinking
    water to more than half a million people. However, the river
    and its watershed communities have suffered immensely over many
    years from repeated releases of raw sewage. These communities
    are among 900 nationwide that have outdated sewer
    infrastructure known as combined sewer systems. Combined sewer
    systems are named such because they collect waste from homes
    and businesses as well as stormwater.
        Equally important, they are designed to channel effluent,
    called CSOs, into nearby bodies of water. This happens whenever
    precipitation volume exceeds sewer system capacity.
    Unfortunately, volume exceeds capacity all too often, and the
    cost to fix these systems is enormous. Moreover, these
    challenges can be exacerbated by the growing effects of a
    warming climate. As it stands, according to the EPA's Clean
    Watersheds Need Survey, the price tag to fix CSOs nationwide is
    $50 billion. In Massachusetts alone, the price tag may be $1
    billion or more.
        For many years, the Federal Government, through the so-
    called Construction Grants Program, supported communities'
    wastewater infrastructure needs. However, in the 1980s, these
    grants were largely converted into loans. To be clear, programs
    like the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, or Clean Water SRF,
    have been invaluable for meeting CWA requirements.
    Nevertheless, I am seated here today because for many
    communities, even long-term, low-interest loans are simply
    beyond their means. Grant funding is absolutely vital when the
    scale of wastewater infrastructure projects is so large, in the
    tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.
        Last year, thanks to the leadership of this committee, the
    EPA's combined Sewer Overflow Control Grants Program received
    funding for the first time in history. Your investment was an
    excellent beginning, and I commend you for taking that step.
    However, in light of the scale of the challenge before us, I
    respectfully request that the committee commit to an ever-
    greater appropriation for the CSO Grant Program in Fiscal Year
    2021. In 2018, Congress enacted America's Water Infrastructure
    Act, which authorized $225 million for the CSO Grant Program.
    While each dollar counts, the scale of the challenge before us
    suggests to me that an appropriation even twice the authorized
    level is warranted.
        I recognize that this subcommittee has a virtual Sophie's
    choice when it comes to funding the important priorities that
    protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land
    that we hike, hunt, and farm. An increase in funding of the
    scale I recommend might impinge on other priorities. However, I
    hope that you will weigh the fact that the CSO problem is one
    that has been many decades in the making, it harms communities
    least able to afford the necessary improvements, and we can
    solve it provided sufficient resources are available.
        Thank you again for allowing me to testify. I would invite
    you to the Merrimack Valley to see the river for yourself, and
    I yield back.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, thank you, and you were very passionate
    on this program last year, and sought me out on the floor, and
    talked to many other committee members about it. So thank you
    for your passion. And I think I might have shared with you at
    the time, I grew up in South St. Paul on the Mississippi River,
    and we went through two stockyards that used to just put their
    effluent, back in the early days, back in the Mississippi
    River. The same issue with the combined sewer water treatment
    that you spoke to. We spent a lot of money cleaning it up, and
    there are some communities that we have to come up with
    different solutions if we are ever going to clean up our
    waterways.
        But as you pointed to, it is a Sophie's choice, and the
    President did not help us out with coming in with a very low
    number, almost $2 billion lower, for the Interior bill. So Mr.
    Joyce and I will, you know, do what we can, but part of it is
    going to depend upon the topline number that we get from the
    full committee as to whether or not we will be able to do any
    increases. But with due notice, I am going to give you credit
    and attribution. I love the water we drink, the land we hike,
    hunt, and farm. So just to let you know, I am going to give you
    attribution for that line, as I say, you know, several times,
    then eventually attribution might disappear.
        Mrs. Trahan. That is fine. Please take it away.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Thank you so much for your
    testimony. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Mrs.
    Trahan, for being here today and joining us this morning in
    discussing your interest in our Nation's water infrastructure.
    I was pleased that we were able to provide $28 million for the
    Combined Sewer Overflow Control in 2020. But you are right, we
    still have a lot of work to do, and I just want to thank you
    for being here. We in northeastern Ohio and the Great Lakes, we
    have seen this all too often, and it is a problem that needs to
    be addressed, but funding is always critical to get these
    things done. Thank you.
        Mrs. Trahan. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you so much.
        Mrs. Trahan. Thank you.
        [The information follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. And the next member we are going to hear from
    is Representative Cunningham. And, Mr. Cunningham, the green
    button should be on. Make sure it is on because we want to get
    everything recorded that you would like to share with us.
                                  ----------

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. JOE CUNNINGHAM, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF
        SOUTH CAROLINA
        Mr. Cunningham. Thank you. Good morning. Good morning,
    Chair McCollum, Ranking Member Joyce, staff. I appreciate the
    opportunity to be in front of you here today.
        As you all know, I represent South Carolina's 1st
    Congressional District, a district blessed with an incredible
    coastline, good fishing, and clean waterways. And I am here to
    relay my district's concerns about the Administration's
    proposals to bring both offshore drilling and harmful seismic
    airgun blasting to Atlantic waters, including those off my
    district, as well as those off the Pacific and the Eastern Gulf
    of Mexico, which together support over 2.6 million American
    jobs and roughly $180 billion in GDP through tourism, fishing,
    and recreation.
        Beginning in 1982 and for nearly 3 decades, members of
    Congress listened to the concerns of the people they served and
    restricted funding for Federal offshore oil and gas leasing and
    drilling activities via the appropriations process. Thank you
    for working with me and our colleagues to reestablish similar
    provisions through amendments to the Fiscal Year 2020 Interior,
    Environment appropriations bills to limit spending on offshore
    oil and gas leasing, along with the aforementioned coast, and I
    would urge you to include offshore drilling and exploration
    moratoria again as you craft the Fiscal Year 2021 base bill. It
    is vital that we engage the Senate to ensure these provisions
    are included in the final package. Without these moratoria
    provisions, we relinquish our role in influencing the future
    offshore drilling to the executive branch.
        Across the board, the expansion of offshore drilling is a
    threat to hardworking Americans, coastal economies, and marine
    life. When oil companies drill, they spill. Oil spills have
    lasting consequences, as well we know from the 2010 Deepwater
    Horizon tragedy, which claimed the lives of 11 rig workers and
    spewed more than 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of
    Mexico, as engineers tried and failed to cap the blowout.
        Oil exposure destroyed fragile marine ecosystems. Tourism
    dropped throughout the region alongside beach closures and
    fishing restrictions, and real estate value declined in several
    Gulf Coast communities. Next month marks the 10th-year
    anniversary of this terrible accident, yet the dangerous and
    dirty culture of offshore drilling remains largely unchanged.
    In fact, last year, the Trump Administration took a step
    backward by weakening one of the few rules that had been
    implemented to prevent another Deepwater Horizon-like disaster.
    Through the appropriations process, we have the power to block
    funding for risky offshore development and prevent another
    large-scale spill before it happens.
        Despite the Administration's stated abandonment of its 5-
    year OCS plan, harmful oil exploration is imminent in the
    Atlantic Ocean if the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issues
    final permits to seismic companies. Seismic airgun blasting in
    search for oil goes directly against the interests and wishes
    of my constituents. Creating one of the loudest manmade sounds
    in the ocean, noise from seismic airguns can disturb, injure,
    and even kill animals across the entire marine ecosystem. This
    unnecessary harm to the environment stands to threaten Atlantic
    Marine resources that support over 1.5 million jobs and
    generate nearly $108 billion in GDP each year, mainly through
    tourism, fishing, and recreation. Any potential benefits of oil
    exploration are far outweighed by the stable recurring revenue
    and jobs that our communities receive from healthy oceans.
        Exposing our vibrant ocean resources to incredibly loud
    seismic airgun blasting and dangerous offshore drilling is
    simply not worth the risk. We are depending on your support
    again this year as you write and negotiate the Fiscal Year 2021
    Interior, Environment appropriations bill. I would ask that you
    make it a priority to restrict funding for any new offshore oil
    leasing or related activities, including seismic airgun
    blasting, in the Atlantic Ocean, in the Pacific Ocean, and
    eastern Gulf of Mexico.
        Please back our coastal communities which have voiced
    consistent opposition to dangerous oil and gas activities, and
    I appreciate the opportunity to testify here today.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Cunningham, and as
    you pointed out, it did become part of our base bill, the
    support of the entire body of members when that amendment was
    rock solid, so, you know, bipartisan in that. And, Mr. Joyce,
    we need to thank Mr. Cunningham for not bringing his airhorn
    with him. He did when he was in Natural Resources and sounded
    the alarm with it. So thank you for being here and sounding the
    alarm on what could happen to our coastal communities. You did
    an excellent job. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Mr. Cunningham, for being here and
    discussing those issues that are important to your district,
    and certainly urge you, and we will try to help where we can.
        Mr. Cunningham. Thank you, Mr. Joyce.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
        Mr. Cunningham. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        [The information follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. The gentleman from New York? Welcome, Mr.
    Suozzi.
        Mr. Suozzi. Suozzi.
        Ms. McCollum. Suozzi. I am sorry.
                                  ----------

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. TOM SUOZZI, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW
        YORK
        Mr. Suozzi. Good morning, Madam Chairwoman and Ranking
    Member Joyce, staff members. Thanks so much for the opportunity
    to speak to you today about the Long Island Sound and about the
    Land and Water Conservation Fund. These are very big issues in
    my district. I represent the 3rd Congressional District of New
    York, which encompasses the North Shore of Queens, Nassau, and
    Suffolk Counties on Long Island.
        I am the co-chair of the bipartisan Long Island Sound
    Caucus, and we are requesting an increase in funding for the
    Long Island Sound from $21 million in Fiscal Year 2020 to $30.4
    million in Fiscal Year 2021 to help safeguard and continue
    restoring water quality and the diverse habitat of the Long
    Island Sound. For us, the Long Island is really our national
    park. More than 25 million people from Long Island, New York,
    and Connecticut live within an hour's drive of the Sound, and
    over the past 30 years, because of your good work in
    partnership with the Federal, State, and local agencies, as
    well as citizen stakeholders, like Save the Sound, Coalition of
    Safe Cohasset Harbor, the Citizens Campaign for the
    Environment, the Friends of the Bay, and so many others, we
    have helped make significant improvements, environmental
    improvements.
        We have made significant strides in reducing nitrogen
    loading, habitat restoration, public involvement in education,
    and water quality monitoring. And I am sure that both of you
    are aware what the problem with nitrogen loading is. Nitrogen
    is what makes things grow. Nitrogen is what is in fertilizer.
    It is what makes your grass green. It is when you put horse
    manure on your tomato plants and it makes them grow because the
    nitrogen makes things grow. And the nitrogen from our sewage
    treatment plants and the nitrogen from the runoff from
    stormwater goes into places like the Long Island Sound and
    other water bodies, and it makes the microscopic organisms
    grow, and it makes things, you know, full of life, but that is
    what makes the water brown. And when those microscopic
    organisms die, they sink to the bottom, and they eat up the
    oxygen as they decompose. And that causes hypoxia, and hypoxia
    is what kills all the wildlife, the fish life especially.
        So these efforts that you have done, along with the
    critical Federal funding that you have provided, have helped
    turn the Sound around. I grew up swimming and fishing in the
    Long Island Sound. My children do today. I have devoted a
    significant part of my 25-year career in public service to
    cleaning up pollution, dramatically reducing nitrogen,
    modernizing sewage treatment plants, and restoring shellfish
    habitat. As a matter of fact, one year, the New York League of
    Conservation Voters named me the environmentalist of the year
    for all of New York State. There is so much more that we can
    accomplish with your help.
        Another critical issue for my constituents and throughout
    the country is support for the funding for the Land and Water
    Conservation Fund. Along with over 150 bipartisan colleagues,
    we are requesting support for robust funding in Fiscal Year
    2021. The Land and Water Conservation Fund supports public land
    conservation and ensures access to the outdoors for all
    Americans. It has helped fund access to outdoor recreation
    opportunities in every State and in 98 percent of the counties
    across America. Funding has helped in key areas for fishing and
    recreational access as well as supporting working forests and
    ranches, and acquiring and protecting critical lands in
    national parks, national wildlife refuges, our national
    forests, civil war battlefields, and other Federal areas. I am
    proud to work with local organizations, like Lisa Ott, who
    fight every day to protect these beautiful places.
        Thank you for your time and consideration of these two
    critical issues. My colleagues and I look forward to working
    with you to support the Long Island Sound and the Land and
    Water Conservation Fund to help conserve the natural beauty of
    our great country and expand access to more people to
    experience and learn about our Nation's history. Thank you so
    much for your time.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you for sharing the passion about Long
    Island Sound. It is truly beautiful. I have had only one
    opportunity to be there. I would love to visit again.
        Mr. Suozzi. Come visit. I will take you on a tour of
    Theodore Roosevelt's home. Sagamore Hill is in my district.
        Ms. McCollum. And that is in your full testimony, too. You
    didn't get to it.
        Mr. Suozzi. Yeah.
        Ms. McCollum. So we are hoping to not have to implement any
    of the proposals that President Trump had in the Interior bill,
    which was to cut it by $1.9 billion. And thank you for pointing
    out the importance of LWCF. We gave it its most robust increase
    in decades. We are looking to protect that and add to it if we
    possibly can. And you also made a $10 million ask. We have to
    see what our allocation looks like, but you have given us great
    food for thought, so thank you very much.
        Mr. Suozzi. Thank you.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Mr. Suozzi,
    for taking time out of your busy day to come here and discuss
    with us the Long Island Sound and Land and Water Conservation
    Fund. As Chairwoman McCollum and I both understand very
    clearly, those runoffs can create and wreak havoc, as they have
    throughout the Great Lakes, on the Sound as well. So we
    certainly appreciate your being part of the solution.
        Mr. Suozzi. Thank you, again, to the committee, not only
    for your time, but the great work that you have done supporting
    these environmental efforts for so many years. We are very
    grateful.
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        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Representative--I should say Dr.--
    Schrier, welcome, and please start with your testimony. Green
    light on? You are good to go.
                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. KIMBERLY SCHRIER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF
        WASHINGTON
        Ms. Schrier. Green light is on. Thank you, Chairwoman
    McCollum and Ranking Member Joyce. I am here today to discuss a
    few issues of great importance to me, specifically funding for
    Puget Sound recovery efforts, the U.S. Forest Service's Legacy
    Roads and Trails Program, and increasing recycling and reducing
    the use of single-use plastics. All that being said, I may not
    have time to touch on all of these, and I will submit comments
    at the end.
        I, along with my colleagues, will soon be submitting a
    formal appropriations request for $38 million in funding for
    EPA's Puget Sound Geographic Program. Every EPA dollar spent on
    Puget Sound recovery efforts has leveraged more than $24 in
    matching funds from other Federal agencies and local partners,
    an enormous return on investment.
        The Puget Sound region is home to 19 federally-recognized
    tribes, which include 17 with tribal treaty rights, and the
    Federal Government is obligated to ensure these tribes' treaty-
    reserved rights are protected. Several species of Pacific
    salmon and steelhead in Puget Sound are listed as threatened
    under the Endangered Species Act. The iconic Southern Resident
    Killer Whale is on the brink of extinction with a population at
    a 30-year low of 73 Southern Residents. Consistent dedicated
    funding to the Sound would greatly benefit the region and
    future generations to come.
        Also I am planning to introduce legislation which will
    codify the U.S. Forest Service's Legacy Roads and Trails
    Program. This program leverages public and private funding to
    address water quality and access for threatened and endangered
    species, like the Chinook salmon, bull trout, and steelhead. It
    was created in 2008 because the general Forest Service road
    maintenance budget was unable to address the sheer volume of
    blocked culverts, landslides, and washouts that were impacting
    water quality and access for threatened and endangered species.
        In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that Washington State had
    an obligation to restore habitat to meet its promises to the
    tribes. Washington State will have to replace each fish-
    blocking culvert with a larger design. It is estimated this
    will cost $4 billion to the State, and we have until 2030 to
    meet that requirement. Narrowing a stream to a culvert forces a
    waterway that could be 12 feet or more feet wide into a far
    smaller pipe that might increase water pressure throughout the
    culvert, often to the point that fish can't swim upstream. Some
    culverts are also elevated too high for returning fish to jump.
    That means that for a lot of them, the end of the journey may
    be at that culvert, and for them, that will be the end of their
    journey. Even if there are miles of pristine habitat beyond,
    they won't be able to get there.
        So while our State addresses culverts and downstream
    barriers, there are thousands of upstream barriers on U.S.
    Forest Service lands which desperately require similar fixes.
    Now is the time to invest in upstream habitat so that when we
    open those culverts, the salmon have a place to go. Funding has
    been zeroed out since the program was moved under the capital
    improvement and maintenance line item in the budget. The last
    pot of funds provided for this was in 2018. I respectfully
    request that the committee fund the program again at the 2018
    level of $41 million under the capital improvement and
    maintenance line item, and request the U.S. Forest Service
    continue tracking and reporting of these projects.
        Lastly, an issue that is of great importance to me and
    others in this room is the overwhelming plastic waste stream
    that is polluting our land and water. We need to reduce the use
    of single-use plastics and increase recycling rates throughout
    the country. I am leading a letter with Congresswoman Haley
    Stevens of Michigan, which is currently circulating, which is
    calling for increased funding for RCRA and further data
    collection regarding the needs assessment of the U.S. recycling
    industry. Strong data is the foundation of good policy. For too
    long, the recycling program in the United States has been
    characterized by its lack of reliable, comprehensive data.
    Municipalities and stakeholders from across the spectrum
    require strong data to make targeted and informed decisions.
        By conducting a nationwide census on the types and
    capacities of recycling programs in existence, we can better
    determine our needs and investments. Having the authority of
    the EPA behind this request is crucial. Private industry is
    unable to comprehensively collect the information on a
    nationwide scale. Better data will lead to better investments,
    and we can help ensure materials can be recycled. Manufacturers
    can use this to identify consistent sources, and they can look
    for opportunities for the use of those materials.
        In summary, I thank the committee for the opportunity to
    testify on these issues of incredible importance. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, thank you. Mr. Joyce and I both had the
    opportunity to be out in the Puget Sound area and saw all the
    great work, and the leverage, and the difference that it is
    making, and we have many regional programs. Mr. Joyce and I
    come from the Great Lakes, but we feel that they are all
    equally important. We might have a favorite, but we don't pick
    a favorite when it comes to supporting your request and others
    throughout the bill.
        And I thank you for your comments on recycling. We held a
    hearing on plastic recycling, and we have been trying to work
    with the EPA about we need a national standard so it makes
    sense to people about what is going on. In my opinion, it is
    just too confusing. People want to recycle, and they think they
    are recycling, but they are not because the packaging is so
    varied and so confusing for folks. So thank you for bringing
    that to our attention as well. But with that, Mr. Joyce and I
    are going to need some deeper pockets with a little more money
    in them to work on some of these great things that have come
    forward. We thank you for that. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Dr. Schrier, for coming here today,
    and I would be remiss if I didn't say to our colleague here on
    this committee, Derek Kilmer, has done a wonderful job
    advocating as well as you on your behalf. Thank you for being
    here.
        Ms. Schrier. Thank you.
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        Ms. McCollum. Good morning. It is wonderful to have you
    here. We are so very interested to hear your testimony. Please
    begin.
                                  ----------

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. AMATA RADEWAGEN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM AMERICAN SAMOA
        Mrs. Radewagen. Good morning. Thank you, Chair McCollum and
    Ranking Member Joyce for----
        Ms. McCollum. Is your microphone on? Is it green? We want
    to make sure we can hear your testimony, Representative.
        Mrs. Radewagen. Thank you, Chairwoman McCollum and Ranking
    Member Joyce, for the opportunity to testify today. The Army
    Corps evaluated the state of health infrastructure in American
    Samoa's only hospital, the almost 60-year-old LBJ Tropical
    Medical Center for DOI, as directed by this committee last
    year. With the committee's permission, I would like to submit a
    copy of the report into the record along with my written
    testimony.
        Ms. McCollum. Without any objections. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. No.
        Ms. McCollum. So ordered.
        Mrs. Radewagen. The report's findings are grim for
    America's most remote community of 60,000 Americans living
    nearly 7,000 miles away. Any cuts to this account would be
    catastrophic to the Islands of American Samoa. American Samoa
    maintains one of the highest Army enlistment rates in the
    country and was first in recruitment twice in the past 5 years
    on a per capita basis, and has one of the highest veterans
    populations in the country. The VA spends $5 million per year
    on flights and hotels to treat these vets in Hawaii, often for
    care that could be done locally, but which is not available to
    them or their families.
        The Army Corps report states bleakly as follows: ``The
    current infrastructure of the LBJ Territorial Medical Center
    Hospital is in a state of failure due to age and environmental
    exposure. Extensive repair and/or replacement of the facility
    is required to ensure compliance with hospital accreditation
    standards, and to ensure the life, health, and safety of staff,
    patients, and visitors.''
        While the facility's structure has held up relatively well,
    it is not in compliance with current seismic and wind
    requirements, and retrofits would be expensive and disruptive.
    The electrical and mechanical systems are in poor condition and
    in need of immediate repair. Architectural deficiencies have
    led to mold and mildew growth in critical areas, exposing staff
    and patients to significant health risks. Plumbing, water
    treatment, and medical gas systems are all in failed or failing
    condition. The facility is partly dependent upon funding from
    CMS, and further degradation of the infrastructure will result
    in noncompliance with standards, and will result in denial of
    accreditation. LBJ is the only full-service healthcare facility
    in the territory, and further degradation of the plant
    infrastructure will hamper the delivery of care to American
    Samoa's population.
        Notwithstanding these poor conditions, our local government
    officials and hospital staff were able to successfully avert a
    major outbreak of measles that caused nearly 100 deaths in
    children in independent Samoa just 100 miles away last year,
    but no deaths occurred in American Samoa. The Army Corps
    reports modernization costs will range from over $100 million
    for minimum compliance improvements to over $500 million in
    total hospital replacement costs. We seek any increase the
    committee deems reasonable based on the Army Corps findings to
    this committee.
        With over 300 inches of rain and two tropical storms in the
    past year, it is a challenging environment for our hospital
    infrastructure. Modernizing the LBJ Hospital with the basic
    emergency upgrades needed, as set forth in the Army Corps
    report, are essential. This increase will help provide the
    basic humanitarian health services which HHS/CMS compliance
    requires. Considering the recent events with coronavirus and my
    home district's proximity to Asia, this is even more important
    now.
        I want to thank the committee members again for allowing me
    to testify, and I look forward to continuing working with you
    on this most important issue to the American Samoan people.
    Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, thank you. So part of our charge is
    funding Insular Affairs, and so we will look at the report, and
    also look to see where there might be other funding revenues
    that could be helpful on this. So thank you for bringing the
    information, and that is so sad that so many children lost
    their lives to measles. So having good public health
    infrastructure that people can rely on is very important. To
    have that happen so close to your population must have really
    been disturbing because you have had some good public health,
    and we want to keep it that way with having a good hospital. So
    thank you so much for sharing.
        Could I ask, do you have any reports or concerns you could
    share with the committee about resiliency and climate change?
    We are also working on that in here in the future. That would
    be very helpful for me. As we move forward, we need to make
    sure that, you know, all of our territories, all of our
    brothers' and sisters' voices are heard at the table when we
    work on these issues. So I thank you so much for coming
    forward. It was a pleasure having you here. I look forward to
    working with you and getting to know you better on these
    issues.
        Mrs. Radewagen. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. We will be
    sure to get that information to you.
        [The information follows:]

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        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Madam Chair. We appreciate you being
    here and for your discussion about these important programs.
        Mrs. Radewagen. Thank you. I yield back.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you so much. Mr. Davis, you have had a
    busy morning. We are so glad you were able to make it over
    here, and when you are ready, we will let you get started. And
    I think the green light should be on for you.
        Mr. Davis. It is.
                                  ----------

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. RODNEY DAVIS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF
        ILLINOIS
        Mr. Davis. Thank you, Chair McCollum and Ranking Member
    Joyce, for allowing me the opportunity to testify before both
    of you today. I am here to speak in support of moving my bill,
    H.R. 139, the Springfield Race Riot National Historic Monument
    Act, which would designate the site of the 1908 Springfield
    race riots as a national historic monument to preserve and
    recognize it as an important part of our Nation's history.
        The site and artifacts were unearthed during construction
    of the Carpenter Street segment of the Springfield Rail
    Improvements Project in my district, and consists of the
    remains of five homes that were burned during the 1908
    Springfield race riot, one of the three worst race riots in our
    Nation's history. At the time, the event demonstrated that
    racial injustice was not an isolated issue only in the South,
    but one that needed to be addressed across this country, even
    in the hometown of Abe Lincoln. Ultimately, the riots that
    occurred at the site in Springfield played an integral role in
    the formation of the NAACP.
        Designating this site would commemorate an important piece
    of history as a public reminder of how far we have come and how
    far we have yet to go. Last year, the Department of Interior
    released their reconnaissance survey which found that the site
    is likely suitable for designation as a national historic
    monument. The bill has also received a hearing in the House
    Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and
    Public Lands. Further, our national parks are a wise investment
    with a return on investment of nearly $10 for every $1
    invested. These investments support over 300,000 jobs and
    contribute $36 billion in economic activity to our country
    every year.
        National monuments, like the Springfield race riot site,
    would provide not only a tourism and an economic benefit, but a
    critically-important historical and educational benefit that
    can be combined with the current historical and educational
    benefits currently being operated by the National Park Service
    at the Lincoln Home Historic Site. And I will remind the
    committee this race riot site is mere blocks away from the
    already-existing National Park Service Lincoln Home Historic
    Site.
        I respectfully request that the committee appropriate
    robust funding for our National Park Service and work to move
    my bill through the House in order to give this site the
    recognition that it deserves. Thank you, and I yield back.
        Ms. McCollum. Are you currently in front of the Natural
    Resources authorization committee with this?
        Mr. Davis. We have had a hearing on this bill through the
    subcommittee of jurisdiction, the Subcommittee on National
    Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.
        Ms. McCollum. And one of the committee members who is on
    the authorizing committee is, like, shaking her head in very
    strong support. Yeah, she will be testifying later,
    Representative Haaland. So I look forward to being able to
    support that bill on the floor. The Historic Preservation
    Office, which is the group of technicians and archaeologists
    and the rest that find these artifacts and work along with
    especially Department of Transportation and other major
    construction projects, is something that this committee has
    worked very hard to keep the funding up on, even though the
    President, I am not sure if he is at 80 percent cut or zeroed
    it out totally. I don't have the numbers right in front of me.
        But these historic preservation offices are very, very
    important in our States and in our tribal nations. So you just
    reemphasized that for us as well in this committee.
        Mr. Davis. I agree with you, Madam Chair.
        Ms. McCollum. So and you are right. I am from Minnesota,
    and we have our own story to tell, whether it is with our
    Native American brothers and sisters, or with other immigrant
    populations, or with African Americans who were brought over
    here through no choice of their own through slavery. We have
    our own stories we have to share, our own stories we have to
    teach our children. We are part of the story of the good, the
    bad, and sometimes the very bad. So thank you. As a history
    teacher, we teach the whole history. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Mr. Davis,
    for coming here before our committee this morning to discuss
    your important bill, H.R. 139, the Springfield Race Riot
    National Historic Monument Act. Given the importance of this
    event in our Nation's history, I want to be supportive of your
    efforts and give this site the recognition that it deserves and
    continue to provide robust funding for our Nation's parks.
    Thank you.
        Mr. Davis. Thank you, Ranking Member.
        Ms. McCollum. Anything else you want to add?
        Mr. Davis. Thanks for your consideration. We really
    appreciate the opportunity to come before you today.
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    [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. McCollum. We look forward to your bill being on the
    floor, sir. Good morning, Mr. Schneider.
        Mr. Schneider. Good morning.
        Ms. McCollum. Representative Schneider, I think the green
    light button should be on for you.
        Mr. Schneider. It is.
        Ms. McCollum. And we are ready to hear your testimony.
                                  ----------

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. BRAD SCHNEIDER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF
        ILLINOIS
        Mr. Schneider. Well, thank you. Thank you for having me
    today. Madam Chair, I appreciate the opportunity to testify
    before this committee.
        What I want to talk about is something called ethylene
    oxide, or EtO. EtO is an industrial chemical used to sterilize
    medical devices. It is also used as an intermediary chemical in
    the manufacture of industrial products, for example,
    antifreeze. A few years ago, EtO was reclassified as a known
    carcinogen by the United States Environmental Protection
    Agency, which was in December 2016. Consequently, EPA included
    EtO in its Regular National Air Toxic Assessment, which helped
    identify communities that faced high exposure to the chemical.
        Two of these communities happen to be in my district,
    Gurnee and Waukegan, Illinois. There are dozens of communities
    like this around the country that face high EtO emissions from
    suburbs in Atlanta, Georgia, Allentown, Pennsylvania, and even
    the bayous of Louisiana. These at-risk communities need and
    deserve ambient air testing. I have been pushing the EPA to
    conduct ambient air monitoring in my district similar to what
    the Agency did in 2018 in Willowbrook, Illinois. Only through
    ambient air monitoring can my constituents be confident that
    the air they breathe is indeed safe. Unfortunately, the EPA has
    consistently refused.
        I am deeply thankful that this subcommittee stepped up last
    year in the absence of EPA leadership and increased funding for
    EPA's Compliance Account, making particular note of communities
    facing high EtO levels and the importance of ambient air
    monitoring. While this funding did not make it into the final
    omnibus, I am deeply thankful for the committee's leadership on
    EtO. Thankfully, at home, my local community public health
    department, in coordination with our State Illinois EPA,
    stepped up and has been conducting ambient air testing in our
    area, ambient air testing that the EPA should have been doing.
    However, not all local governments around the country have the
    resources to conduct similar air testing, underscoring how
    important it is that this funding remains for dozens of
    communities around the country.
        Now the EPA is promulgating two rules on EtO. This further
    highlights why funding is so important because of EPA's
    approach to its rulemaking. EPA has insisted that computer
    modeling is sufficient and does not intend to conduct any
    ambient air monitoring as part of its rulemaking. However, the
    experience we saw at Sterigenics facility in Willowbrook proves
    the shortsightedness of this approach. It was not until after
    the EPA conducted air monitoring in Willowbrook that we
    discovered how significant a contributor to ambient presence of
    ethylene oxide is, what are called fugitive emissions. These
    would not have been included in the model and were significant
    contributors to the community's exposure.
        When conducting its computer modeling for EtO, EPA must
    include variables for its estimate of fugitive emissions. As we
    saw in Willowbrook, estimates are not a full picture of
    fugitive emissions, and EPA cannot take into account fugitive
    emissions without the necessary ambient air testing. All the
    more reason why funding for ambient air monitoring is so
    essential to inform any sensible regulation of EtO.
        This subcommittee has been immensely helpful on this
    important issue for my constituents, but we still need your
    support. Ambient air monitoring is the only way to assure our
    communities, known to be facing high EtO emissions, that the
    air they breathe is safe, and it must play an integral role in
    the EPA's rulemaking, especially given the shortcomings that we
    have seen in computer modeling. Again, I want to thank you for
    the opportunity to testify today, and I yield back the balance
    of my time.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you so much. There is a recent GAO
    report that I read on the airplane. I am going to read it
    without being on the airplane again so that I can take more of
    it in on enforcement and compliance. We need to do a much, much
    better job. I think you have given a real good example of what
    the expectation our citizens, the people that we represent have
    of the EPA monitoring and doing air quality work. And you have
    taught me a lot about this over the past year and a half, and I
    am looking forward to doing more on this issue.
        Mr. Schneider. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. We had a different chemical release in my
    district, and we need to be present when those things are
    happening and monitoring public health. So thank you for
    bringing this to our attention, and also for you realizing the
    hard slog it is sometimes for us to not only get the funding,
    but then to get the person hours to do the compliance, to do
    the enforcement, as well as just the basic monitoring that
    needs to be done. So thank you so much.
        Mr. Schneider. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you for your time here today, Mr.
    Schneider.
        Mr. Schneider. Thanks.
        Ms. McCollum. I look forward to working with you.
        Mr. Schneider. Thank you.
        [The information follows:]

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        Ms. McCollum. Representative Haaland, it is so wonderful to
    see you this morning. Thank you, and when you are ready, please
    begin.
                                  ----------

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. DEBRA HAALAND, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW
        MEXICO
        Ms.Haaland. Thank you. Chairwoman McCollum, Ranking Member
    Joyce, members of the subcommittee, thank you for this
    opportunity to speak about some key issues in the Interior
    appropriations bill.
        I want to start by thanking you for your great work on the
    Fiscal Year 2020 bill. Last year, I asked for your help with
    the Payment in Lieu of Taxes and Secure Rural Schools Programs,
    and you delivered, including a 2-year reauthorization for SRS.
    I appreciate your continued support for SRS and PILT, and I
    will continue to work to get a permanent SRS solution through
    my National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee.
        I am also grateful to you for including a year-long
    moratorium on new oil and gas leasing within 10 miles of the
    Chaco Culture National Historic Park in Fiscal Year 2020, which
    is my ancestral homeland, and for funding a cultural resources
    investigation. Just last week, BLM released a resource
    management plan amendment for the area that ignores the
    recommendations of experts and would allow drilling much closer
    than 10 miles. So I ask you to again include language that will
    protect my ancestral homeland.
        Thank you for reversing the President's proposed cut to the
    Land and Water Conservation Fund in Fiscal Year 2020. He
    proposed to cut it again by 97 percent in Fiscal Year 2021, and
    I urge you to fully fund the LCWF at the authorized $900
    million level, although last week the President did tweet his
    support for making LWCF full funding mandatory, so perhaps it
    won't be necessary, but we will see.
        Last year, I asked for your assistance with funding for
    public safety programs and healthcare for Native Americans, and
    again you delivered. I appreciate the increase for Indian
    Health Service and the language you included requesting a plan
    from IHS on how it will fully fund and implement the Indian
    Health Care Improvement Act. I am also grateful for your
    efforts to increase funding for law enforcement and tribal
    courts and to support programs to address recidivism in Indian
    Country by providing mental health and substance abuse services
    when needed by juvenile and adult detainees and prisoners. I
    urge you to continue that good work in Fiscal Year 2021.
        I am especially grateful that you worked to significantly
    increase funding for implementation of the Violence Against
    Women's Act in Indian Country because more than 4 in 5 American
    Indian and Alaska native women have experienced violence within
    their lives, and 56 percent have experienced sexual violence.
    Your continued support in these areas will help change the
    lives of Native American women and girls.
        The government shutdown in early 2020 showed us how tribal
    communities can be vulnerable during a lapse in appropriations,
    which puts Native American lives in danger. I support your
    efforts in the Fiscal Year 2020 bill to investigate the changes
    needed to develop and manage an advanced appropriation for IHS,
    and I welcome the opportunity to continue working with you on
    this through the authorization and appropriations process.
        Finally, there is a briefing tomorrow about water access in
    this country. It will highlight a study released last year that
    reported that Native American households are 19 times less
    likely than white households to have indoor plumbing. Fifty-
    eight out of 1,000 Native American households lack complete
    plumbing, and an estimate 30 percent or more of people on the
    Navajo Nation lack access to running water. I appreciate your
    support for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving
    Funds to help build and repair water infrastructure nationwide
    and across Indian Country, and I urge you to do what you can to
    increase that funding level and set aside a greater portion for
    tribes.
        Thank you again for your great work, and I really
    appreciate the opportunity to testify.
        Ms.McCollum. Well, thank you. Thank you for your comment on
    this committee's support for funding payment in lieu of taxes,
    but it really belongs back in Ways and Means, and not in the
    Interior budget. So we are going to work really hard to remove
    it out of this committee and back into where it had been
    before, in the mandatory funding. I thank you for your kind
    words on the increases we were able to do in Indian Country,
    and you are so spot on about access to clean drinking water,
    especially in tribal communities. And now more than ever, as
    clean drinking water and just clean potable water for washing
    hands and that, especially, you know, all the talk about if you
    want to be safe now, wash your hands. We have to have access to
    water in order to be able to do that and keep you and your
    family safe.
        LWCF is a beloved program, and I want to thank you as an
    authorizer for the authorization work that you did on it. Thank
    you for the lofty goal that you are trying to hold us to on
    $900 million. We gave it a robust increase. Mr. Joyce and I
    hope we can show it some love again, but without a bigger
    topline number, well, you know what would happen to clean
    drinking water, EPA enforcement, and everything else. But it is
    something that is near and dear to our hearts. We appreciate
    all the work that you did in the authorization on that because
    that gives us a wonderful opportunity to talk about how I need
    a bigger topline number to work on all these programs and meet
    the needs of people, not in Indian Country, but throughout the
    United States. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Ms.
    Haaland, for being here today to discuss the importance of
    funding for Indian affairs, for the Indian Health Service, and
    the EPA's Clean Water and Drinking Service Revolving Funds. I
    think it is fair to say that Indian Country programs manage to
    be a non-partisan issue on this committee, and I am sure that
    what Chair McCollum and I will continue to work for is making
    sure that we fund them as best we can. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        Ms. Haaland. Thank you.

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        Ms.McCollum. Miigwech. Welcome, Representative Graves. If
    the green light is on, when you are ready, we are ready.
                                  ----------

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. GARRET GRAVES, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF
        LOUISIANA
        Mr. Graves. Fantastic. Well, thank you. I am Garret Graves.
    I represent south Louisiana. I want to thank you for the
    opportunity to come testify before the committee. I appreciate
    you all opening the doors to allow us to come discuss
    priorities.
        Perhaps, Madam Chair, I will start with the Land and Water
    Conservation Fund. I heard the previous speaker and your
    dialogue, and certainly the Land and Water Conservation Fund is
    an important part of the investment to preserve and protect
    some of these important resource areas across the United
    States. And like you, I also have seen recent action between
    the Senate and the White House in regard to allowing some full
    funding for the program.
        I do want to make note, though, that every penny of that
    program, the funds are derived from off the coast of the State
    that I represent, and to be fair, there are five or six States
    that produce offshore energy. Alaska does a little bit.
    California does a little bit, but the majority of it is Texas,
    Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. And, as a matter of fact,
    if you take the offshore production off the coast of our State
    and you compare it to the other five States, we produce, well,
    probably about 4 times as much as the other five States
    combined. So the majority of this money by far is derived from
    off the coast of Louisiana.
        At the same time, we have lost about 2,800 square miles of
    coast due to coastal erosion. That is equivalent to the State
    of Rhode Island. And to see folks out there announcing
    permanent funding and full funding for the Land and Water
    Conservation Fund without investing in the conservation of the
    very area where those funds are derived is unbelievable. It
    really is. It is not sustainable. The funding stream is not
    sustainable. You can't have land loss anywhere from, I think,
    on the low end over the last 80 years, 8 square miles in a
    year, to the high end, 200 square miles in a year, and expect
    that we are going to be able to sustain the production that we
    have today, which means the revenues that we have today. In
    recent years, I think $5, maybe $6 billion, I believe, in most
    recent years in terms of production of revenues from the outer
    continental shelf.
        So I strongly urge you take a look at the Mineral Leasing
    Act that shares 50 percent of the revenues with States, and I
    think we should have some sort of parity for the States that
    host the offshore production because this is an important part
    of our energy security. And although it may seem
    counterintuitive, that natural gas that we are producing off
    the coast has actually been the major reason why we have had a
    reduction in emissions in the United States in terms of
    greenhouse gases. And it is going to allow us to continue to
    reduce emissions both domestically and globally as we export
    natural gas to 35 countries around the world, our cleaner
    natural gas. In fact, Russian gas is about 41 to 47 percent
    greater or dirtier emissions than in the United States.
        So number one, I support Land and Water Conservation Fund,
    but I do not support it unless it is paired with coastal impact
    assistance or revenue sharing for other States. I can speak on
    behalf of the State of Louisiana and say we would dedicate
    every penny of that revenue to the sustainability of our coast.
    No other programs. Every penny would go to the sustainability
    of our coast. As a matter of fact, there is a constitutional
    amendment that would lock it in for that purpose. That is my
    first request.
        I also want to make note that as we move forward on this
    legislation, folks are talking about full funding of the Land
    and Water Conservation Fund, $900 million. Under current law,
    12-and-a-half percent of new energy revenues post December of
    2006 already goes to the Land and Water Conservation Fund. So
    if we lock in $900 million, it is going to end up being over $1
    billion in annual revenues just because of this other portion,
    so we need to be thoughtful about that. We would gladly take
    that other portion that currently is locked in, and you could
    give it to us for impact assistance, and I think that would be
    a great fix.
        Number two, studies permitting last year. We had asked for
    you all to include to for studies permitting, in particular
    Louisiana. We have an abundance of alligators. They are
    sustainably managed, in many cases on elevator farms, in other
    cases in the wild, but we have a very robust management program
    that ensures the sustainability. A domestic permitting system
    would be very helpful. You included language in the
    appropriations bill last year that allows any unobligated funds
    to be used for this purpose, but we would appreciate direct
    funding for a domestic studies program to where we can ensure
    the proper utilization of that resource that we have.
        Lastly, I just want to make note again, there is all this
    emotional discussion on climate change and energy sources, and
    certainly we have an obligation to ensure sustainable future
    for our Nation and our planet. The United States has reduced
    emissions more than the next 12 countries combined over the
    last 15 years. We have exceeded the objectives of the Obama
    Administration regarding the Clean Power Plan. He had intended
    to reduce emissions by 32 percent by 2030. We have reduced them
    from power sources by 34 percent last year, so we are already
    exceeding it with our domestic energy resources. And I urge as
    we move forward, that this subcommittee ensure that we have a
    thoughtful, balanced approach to how we address our sustainable
    energy future.
        With that, I yield back, and happy to take any questions.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, just thank you very much for your
    testimony. This committee is trying to make sure that we do
    things based on science.
        Mr. Graves. Absolutely.
        Ms. McCollum. I don't do things based on emotion, but I do
    base things on science. But this Administration has not been
    very forthcoming with making sure that we have the right
    scientists at the table. Climate change is real. It is
    something that we have to deal with.
        Mr. Graves. Absolutely.
        Ms. McCollum. You are in the eye of the hurricane literally
    with it, and I want to do everything I can to build in coastal
    resilience to make sure that your community and your
    constituents continue to thrive as well as some of the climate
    changes that we are seeing happening. I am from Minnesota. I am
    right up the river from you, right?
        Mr. Graves. That is right.
        Ms. McCollum. And our river hasn't gone down, and I am
    concerned about flooding in my district. But when I think about
    flooding in my district, believe it or not, at night I think
    about flooding in your district because I have been down there.
    I was just recently down there in Louisiana. Very concerned
    about it, so I am looking forward to making sure that we use
    the best science available for coastal resiliency for how we
    address climate change and some of the other things moving
    forward. So I really thank you for your testimony and for you
    being here today, and I learned a little something about
    alligators along the way, too. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Mr.
    Graves, for being here and for your advocacy on these issues. I
    can tell you that adding in on the north coast of America, I
    like to tell people on Lake Erie, we are suffering from the
    same problems with coastal erosion at a much more rapid pace
    than we ever felt before. So it is something we do need to
    address on a nationwide basis. Thank you for being here.
        Mr. Graves. Thank you. Madam Chair, just I want to thank
    you for recognizing the impact to Louisiana. The Mississippi
    drains, like, two-thirds of the United States, and most folks
    don't think about it. We don't put water into the Mississippi
    River for the most part. We don't. We are draining the Nation's
    water, and it is flooding our communities and impacting our
    fisheries.
        Ms. McCollum. And I am trying to send you clean water.
    Clean water.
        Mr. Graves. Feel free to keep more of it if you like. Thank
    you.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you.
        Voice. Without Asian carp.
        Ms. McCollum. Without Asian carp. Well, we won't get to
    where they started from, so. Good morning Representative
    Jackson Lee.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Good morning.
        Ms. McCollum. So wonderful to see you, and when you are
    ready, please start your testimony.
                                  ----------

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF
        TEXAS
        Ms.Jackson Lee. Thank you. Good morning, Madam Chair. Good
    morning to the ranking member. Thank you for your courtesies in
    allowing me to be here.
        Let me, first of all, start with something that I am
    normally excited about, and, therefore, I am coming to the
    committee of importance, and that is the Emancipation Historic
    Trail Act, 434, that was, I think, passed because of the
    generosity and graciousness of my colleagues in meteoric time.
    It was passed out of the House and Senate and signed by the
    President of the United States. It is now law. It is only the
    second commemoration of history of African Americans in terms
    of a trail, and it is a trail commemorating the historic
    announcement by Captain Granger west of the Mississippi of all
    of those States that the slaves were free. It was 2 years later
    in 1863. And it is the only trail in the State of Texas that is
    solely contained in the State of Texas.
        I am respectfully asking this committee, as you did for the
    Sesquicentennial and as you did for 400 years of recognizing
    slavery, but in any event, that this particular trail be
    funded. Again, it is now law. I am not asking you to fund
    anything that has not been placed into law. And, as you have
    indicated to us, we needed to do everything that we had to do.
    Well, we did everything we had to do, which is to include the
    idea of the authorization and the passage by the House and
    Senate, and the signature of the President United States. So,
    Madam Chair, and to the ranking member, I would appreciate that
    being a top priority in terms of the funding from those
    particular accounts. And that is, again, H.R. 434, the
    Emancipation Historic Trail Act.
        I am in great support, and I will briefly just acknowledge
    the National Endowment for the Arts. We were in Alabama with
    the recognition of Bloody Sunday, and the representative or the
    head of the National Endowment of the Humanities was there, and
    it evidenced how important that work is in capturing the
    history of the United States. I support the HBCU Historic
    Preservation Program, would like to see if there would be, if I
    am looking at the number correctly, may be additional dollars
    to be placed in that. As you travel around, historic HBCUs,
    they are mostly 1800 colleges, meaning built in that time or
    before in the 1800s, and they are truly historic entities and
    need our help.
        I support the historic preservation funds of $95 million,
    the National Heritage Partnership as well, and I have others.
    And may I ask unanimous consent that the entirety of my
    statement be put in the record?
        Ms. McCollum. Without any objection.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. None.
        Ms. McCollum. We will do that.
        [The information follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Jackson Lee. I support the $2 billion--thank you, Madam
    Chair--$2 billion for EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.
    I am just coming out of Michigan. Flint, Michigan is not in my
    district obviously, but still in great need. I am in great
    support of the amounts for the EPA brownfield assessment, and
    if I have the number correct, I may want an increase in that
    funding.
        But I want to emphasize that in the last year, I discovered
    a cancer cluster in my congressional district. A thousand
    people were at a town hall meeting that I had. Three-quarters
    of them stood up and said they had a history of cancer, family
    members who died, and we are trying to make that particular
    area an EPA cleanup priority. And I would specifically like to
    make that request. It is called 5th Ward, Texas, around Liberty
    Road, and we will be seeking one of these cleanup grants, and
    would really appreciate recognizing that we are finding, you
    know, existing brownfields contaminated by creosote by Union
    Pacific Railroad over a 50-year period. I guess that is a
    little bit too long, but over a period of time that the family
    members are still alive who will get up and tell you mom died,
    aunt died, son died, have cervical cancer. It was absolutely
    overwhelming, and we are still trying to work with those
    individuals, and certainly we are not getting much help from
    those who it is attributed to.
        And I support the $82.5 million for the Office of Law
    Enforcement of Fish and Wildlife. I also support any funding
    dealing with preservation of endangered or threatened animal
    and plant species. I think we are at a loss when we don't
    recognize the importance of preservation of those elements, and
    as well for the Multinational Species Controversial
    Conservation Fund.
        So I thank you. I am particularly here with hands folded on
    the Emancipation Trail and particularly on the EPA brownfields.
    It is directly impacting both my community and my city. And I
    thank you all for allowing me this time.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, thank you. Thank you for your support
    of so many programs that this committee works very hard to
    fund. And, as you know, the President, when it comes to the
    arts and humanities, zeroed out. Your point to the HBCUs is
    well taken and has been something that was historically
    underfunded, as well as many other priorities that you have
    listed in this bill. So thank you, including you have even the
    preservation for the Japanese-American confinement sites. So
    thank you so much for your thoughtful notes on this. I think
    you agree with me, I need a bigger allocation.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Yes, I will agree with you.
        Ms. McCollum. And I think Mr. Joyce would agree that we
    need a bigger allocation to do a lot of our good work. But
    thank you so much for your support in the work that we do, and
    we look forward to working with you in the weeks to come as we
    bring the bill to the floor. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Ms.
    Jackson Lee, for your time and testimony here this morning.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you. If I may be allowed a yield
    moment, Madam Chair, is there anything further that I need to
    do in my very conspicuous and open interest in H.R. 434, now a
    law that indicates the next steps for that to go forward, which
    is, you know, it is a study, yes.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, as you know, we are not allowed to do--

        Ms. Jackson Lee. Yes, very much so. Yes.
        Ms. McCollum [continuing]. Designated community interest
    programming funding, or, as people shorthand it up here,
    earmarks, which is just advocating for something in your
    district that is part of the law. I am not allowed to really do
    that either, so we will work on increasing trail funding, and
    then I am sure your constituents and others from the CBC, as
    well as your allies, like myself, will be making sure that the
    people in charge of that funding know we want to see that trail
    up and running and moving forward. So to the best of our
    ability, stay tuned, we are working on it.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. That is a superbly magnanimous response of
    which I am most grateful for. Thank you so very much.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. It is good to see you again.
        Miss Gonzalez-Colon. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. It was wonderful when you took us around in
    Puerto Rico and looked at the resilience of the Puerto Rican
    people in the face of two hurricanes, and our condolences. I
    had an opportunity, you have been so busy working, to reach out
    to you about the earthquakes and that. And so we want to hear
    how we can be more helpful to our fellow citizens in Puerto
    Rico.
        Miss Gonzalez-Colon. Thank you.
                                  ----------

                                               Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

                                    WITNESS

    HON. JENNIFFER GONZALEZ COLON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE
        COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO RICO
        Miss Gonzalez-Colon. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair, for
    your kind words and for visiting the island, and helping us as
    well as Mr. Joyce, helping us during the whole process, not
    just now, but during the last years. And thank you for
    providing me an opportunity to testify on some of Puerto Rico's
    priorities for Fiscal Year 2021 in terms of the Interior, and
    Environment, and Related Agencies.
        First of all, I would like to begin to respectfully request
    that the subcommittee provide robust funding for the U.S.
    Forest Service and Rangeland Research Account, also known as
    R&D. Among the research facilities funded under R&D is the
    International Institute of Tropical Forestry, which is
    headquartered in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, and has been in
    continuous operation since 1939. Despite being the Forest
    Service's smallest research unit, the International Institute
    of Tropical Forestry has been crucial in advancing our
    knowledge of tropical forests, wildlife, and watersheds at the
    local, national, and international levels.
        In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, for instance,
    scientists from the institute assessed damage at El Yunque
    National Forest, which is the only tropical forest within the
    National Forest System, to learn how tropical ecosystems
    respond and recover from extreme weather events. The institute
    similarly helped conduct research on the sustainability of
    tropical forests on U.S. islands in the Pacific and the
    Caribbean, further contributing to our understanding of forest
    conditions across the Nation.
        The International Institute of Tropical Forestry has also
    been vital in supporting environmental conservation projects in
    Puerto Rico. Through its State and Private Forestry Unit, it
    has helped communities on the Island acquire community forests,
    and has provided technical assistance to farmers and landowners
    to improve the sustainability of their farms. Unfortunately,
    despite the importance of this work, the Forest Service's
    Fiscal Year 2021 budget request is proposing to close the
    International Institute of Tropical Forestry in Puerto Rico,
    along with the Pacific Southwest Research Station, whose area
    of responsibility includes California, Hawaii, and the U.S.
    Pacific Territories. While I recognize the need for budgetary
    savings, I strongly believe that closing these facilities would
    seriously hinder scientific production in these jurisdictions
    and will deprive the Forest Service of crucial research
    capabilities.
        I, therefore, respectfully request that the subcommittee
    reject the proposed closure of these facilities, especially the
    International Institute of Tropical Forestry in Puerto Rico,
    and instead provide no less than the Fiscal Year 2020 enacted
    level. I also ask that, as you craft the next Fiscal Year 2021,
    you provide robust funding for the operations and management of
    the National Park System, which includes the San Juan National
    Historic Site in Puerto Rico, and the National Forest System,
    which includes El Yunque National Forest, also on the Island.
        Additionally, I request strong support for the National
    Wildlife Refuge System. We have five national wildlife refuges
    on the Island: Cabo Rojo, Culebra, Desecheo, Laguna Cartagena,
    and Vieques National Wildlife Refuges. San Juan National
    Historic Site, El Yunque National Forest, and the five national
    wildlife refuges not only help preserve our historical and
    natural treasures, but they are also critical for Puerto Rico's
    economy, tourism, and outdoor recreation.
        Lastly, I respectfully request the highest possible level
    of funding for the U.S. Geological Survey for Earthquake
    Hazards Program, including the Advanced National Seismic System
    Regional Network Support. The Earthquake Hazards Program
    provides scientific information, situational awareness, and
    knowledge necessary to reduce deaths, injuries, and economic
    losses from earthquakes and earthquake-induced tsunamis,
    landslides, and soil liquefaction.
        In Puerto Rico, as one of the Nation's most seismically-
    active jurisdictions, we know firsthand the importance of this
    program. Following the devastating earthquakes that impacted
    the southwestern region of the Island earlier this year, the
    U.S. Geological Survey, in conjunction with the Puerto Rico
    Seismic Network, one of the 11 regional networks within the
    Advanced National Seismic System, delivered rapid earthquake
    impact and situational awareness products to support emergency
    response efforts. I, therefore, request your support for these
    vital programs in the next fiscal year.
        With that, I yield back.
        Ms. McCollum. Thank you. Thank you very much for your
    testimony, and I know we still have a long ways to go with
    living up to the commitment to our fellow citizens in Puerto
    Rico, even from the devastating hurricane recovery from years
    ago. Your points about El Yunque and the international program
    for our tropical forestry, you know, it international in
    nature, but, as you pointed out, it is California, it is
    Hawaii, it is Puerto Rico, it is the Virgin Islands, it is U.S.
    territories. It is us, the U.S. government. So thank you so
    much for your support in enlightening us on that. I don't agree
    with the President's budget with zeroing out these programs,
    and we are going to work very hard to make sure that we sustain
    at the baseline level.
        And the work that is happening at El Yunque, you weren't
    able to join us for the entire trip, but when we went up and
    visited with the people, the parrots. And both the U.S.
    Forestry staff, Fish and Wildlife, and everybody who comes
    together to work on that and to watch the two wild parrots that
    had been released come back to where the parrot program was
    where they were breeding in captivity was heartbreaking. And so
    a lot of work had been done. We lost a lot of--I am using the
    word ``real'' because I became attached to the birds, too--lost
    a lot of birds. But birds are the bellwether as to what is
    happening with our climate, and we have to pay attention. We
    have to pay attention to what they are telling us.
        So thank you so much for your testimony. And, you know, I
    did not know how prone Puerto Rico was to earthquakes until I
    woke up and found out what had happened there, and I think that
    that just goes to show a lot of our Federal infrastructure
    needs not only to be hurricane resilient, but it needs to be
    earthquake resilient as well, too. So thank you for getting our
    attention that we need to make sure that the U.S. Geological
    Survey----
        Miss Gonzalez-Colon. Can I add something to that?
        Ms. McCollum. Please do.
        Miss Gonzalez-Colon. We were not aware of the seismic
    activity on the Island. Actually, we knew that in the north
    area, there is one of the faults, but it was not active since
    1918, so it was more than 100 years. So this take us for
    surprise on December 28th, last year, and the continued tremors
    and the small earthquakes are still happening. So the
    southwestern part of the Island, now, it was initially six
    towns that were included in the National Declaration of
    Disaster, and then it was expanded to 21 towns. And you can see
    the whole infrastructure has been damaged, the pipelines under
    the roads as well.
        So this is an ongoing situation. Most of the schools in
    those towns are completely destroyed, so there are no classes
    as we speak in many of those towns, and we are still dealing
    with moving people from those areas with vouchers with Section
    8 from Housing in the north part of the Island.
        So it was the Seismic Network in the U.S. Geological Survey
    that actually with boots on the ground is installing new
    equipment, making more surveys in conjunction with the
    University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus, and they brought new
    alarms and systems where they never were before. So that is the
    importance of having the U.S. Geological Survey helping us out,
    identifying those areas in the south part of the Island that
    never were studied before.
        Ms. McCollum. Well, that is a lot of work that needs to be
    done. We continue to, to the best of our committee's ability,
    monitor to the Administration getting out some of the
    earthquake relief funds and trying to hold individuals
    accountable. It has been ongoing, and it is too slow, and then
    to have the earthquake on top of it. So please, on behalf of
    me, let my fellow citizens of Puerto Rico know that many of us
    are not just cheering for them, we are working for them right
    alongside of you.
        Miss Gonzalez-Colon. Thank you.
        Ms. McCollum. Mr. Joyce.
        Mr. Joyce. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Miss
    Gonzalez-Colon, for sharing your thoughts on several programs
    that are important to your constituents in Puerto Rico,
    including the Earthquake Hazards Program and the International
    Institute of Tropical Forestry. We certainly appreciate your
    being here and testifying as to the importance of those
    matters.
        Miss Gonzalez-Colon. Thank you. Thank you, sir. And thank
    you again, both of you and the committee, for the hard work
    during the last years. Now the FEMA Administration has been
    handling a lot of the issues in a good way in terms of the
    earthquake recovery. But, again, this is an ongoing situation,
    so we just need the tremors to stop, and that is something
    nobody can handle at this time. Thank you, and I yield back.
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        Ms.McCollum. So thank you very much. This concludes the
    hearing, and we stand adjourned until our next hearing on the
    Department of Interior budget request tomorrow, March 11th,
    2020. Thank you.

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