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Natural Resources Committee advances Apostle Islands redesignation amid dispute over tribal consultation
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Summary
The House Natural Resources Committee voted to report HR 5497, which redesignates the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore as a national park and preserve, after debate over whether sponsors conducted meaningful government-to-government tribal consultation; the Tiffany amendment in the nature of a substitute was adopted.
Representative Tiffany introduced HR 5497, the Apostle Islands National Park and Preserve Act, saying the measure would redesignate the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore as a national park and preserve while preserving existing uses and treaty rights. "Nothing in this act shall be construed as affecting any rights granted, reserved, or established pursuant to treaty, statute, or executive order," Tiffany said, and he urged colleagues to support the bill.
Ranking Member Huffman said he supports national parks but opposed moving forward without a formal government-to-government tribal consultation. "The impacted tribal communities do not feel like they have been adequately consulted," Huffman said, adding that the Red Cliff and Bad River bands oppose the designation in its present form and have sought meeting with the sponsor for more than 18 months.
Representative Tiffany responded that he and his staff had shared drafts with tribal officials in July 2023 and March 2024 and entered a timeline of 13 points of engagement into the record. He said the bill also includes explicit language preserving treaty rights and hunting access and that the amendment offered by Huffman would only delay the measure.
The committee considered the Huffman amendment requiring a completed government-to-government tribal consultation before elevation of the unit to national park status. The chair held the noes by voice, a recorded vote was requested and later taken; the amendment was not agreed to (yeas 16, nays 21). The committee then adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Representative Tiffany and voted to report HR 5497, as amended, to the House with a favorable recommendation (yeas 20, nays 17).
The debate centered on two competing positions: Democrats urging formal, face-to-face tribal consultation before advancement of the designation, and the bill sponsor and supporters saying consultations had occurred and that the statutory language in the bill protects tribal treaty rights and existing uses. The committee also entered into the record resolutions from the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa opposing the designation as the measure currently stands.
The committee laid the motion to reconsider on the table and moved on to other business. Ranking Member Huffman gave notice he would file supplemental minority views on the measures considered.
The committee’s next step is transmittal of the reported bill to the House for further consideration.
