Bruce Westerman

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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8454, introduced by Representative McClintock, which executes a commonsense boundary adjustment between Yosemite National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest in California. Ackerson Meadow supports important wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, and livestock grazing by the Erickson family, whose ranching history in the area dates to the late 1800s. A portion of Ackerson Meadow was officially donated and added to Yosemite National Park in 2016, but this inadvertently created a boundary that left parcels within the meadow under the administrative jurisdiction of two different Federal agencies. As a result, the National Park Service and Forest Service manage adjoining parcels within the same meadow, complicating restoration work, grazing operations, and recreational management. H.R. 8454 provides a straightforward solution. The bill transfers administrative jurisdiction over approximately 160 acres of land currently managed by the Forest Service to the National Park Service to be managed as part of Yosemite National Park. In return, the Forest Service will assume jurisdiction over 170 acres of land currently managed by the National Park Service. This is not a Federal land acquisition, and it does not increase the size of the Federal estate. Instead, this bipartisan and bicameral legislation adjusts which Federal agency manages each parcel so map lines don't interfere with important restoration work on the ground. By placing these lands under the agency best suited to manage them, this legislation will improve coordination, support ongoing restoration work, and enhance the efficiency of grazing operations, while simplifying the management of recreation opportunities within Ackerson Meadow. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative McClintock for his leadership on the legislation. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8454, and I reserve the balance of my time.