Sarah Elfreth

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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3925 would authorize a land exchange between the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation and the U.S. Forest Service. This exchange would convey approximately 1,475 acres of Federal land within the San Bernardino National Forest for approximately 1,460 acres of Tribal land. The Nation began working with the Forest Service on this exchange in 2017. The lands the Nation is seeking to acquire are adjacent to the reservation and include an arrowhead-shaped rock formation at the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. The Arrowhead landmark site and the lands toward which it points are sacred to the Nation and are intertwined with their creator and sacred stories. The land holds significant cultural and spiritual importance, and the Nation has dedicated significant time and resources towards completing this land transfer. However, administrative hurdles have delayed such an exchange. This bill would complete the exchange, consolidating parcels of the checkerboard of Tribal and Forest Service lands, while providing the Nation with culturally significant lands. The exchange would also support the preservation and cultural integrity of the Arrowhead landmark site and enhance stewardship of the San Bernardino National Forest. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.