Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act.

This legislation would expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include approximately 3,925 acres of adjacent public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

In 2015, President Obama established the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, proclaiming that ``once covered by ocean waters, it is a landscape shaped by geologic forces of staggering power overlain with bountiful but fragile biodiversity. Anchored in the north by Snow Mountain's remote forests and in the south by scenic Berryessa Mountain, this area stretches through unbroken wildlands and important wildlife corridors, a mosaic of native grasslands, picturesque oak woodlands, rare wetlands, and wild chaparral . . . This dramatic and diverse landscape is a biological hotspot providing refuge for rare plant and animal species and showcasing the human history of north- central California.''

The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument is managed jointly by the Bureau of Land Management, BLM, and the U.S. Forest Service, USFS, and provides for unparalleled outdoor recreational opportunities, is home to rich biodiversity, and contains lands that are culturally significant to over two dozen federally recognized Tribes. This legislation would add over 3,900 acres of adjacent, BLM-administered land to the existing national monument.

This expansion would include portions of the land known previously as Walker Ridge in Lake County, CA. Importantly, the legislation renames ``Walker Ridge'' to ``Condor Ridge'', which is translated from Molok Luyuk in the indigenous Patwin language. For thousands of years, these sacred lands have been central to Tribal origin stories, and Condor Ridge is an area that retains deep cultural significance to the Patwin people and over two dozen Native American Tribes. The legislation also directs the BLM and USFS to complete the management plan for the national monument and to consult with federally recognized Tribes to do so.

I am proud that this legislation would better enable federally recognized Tribes to be involved in the day- to-day management of the national monument. This essential, landmark component of the legislation would enable Tribal communities to share their rich history and ecological knowledge to better conserve and care for these lands.

With the protections provided by this legislation, the abundant natural resources and the rich history on Molok Luyuk will be preserved for our children and future generations. By requiring the Federal Agencies to finally develop a management plan and by allowing for Tribal governments to be involved in the management of the monument, the bill would improve the health of these lands to benefit both people and biodiversity.

I thank Senator Feinstein for introducing this legislation with me, and I thank Congressmen Garamendi and Thompson for spearheading this effort in the House of Representatives. I would also like to thank Chairman Manchin and Ranking Member Barrasso for working with me on this legislation and the entire Energy and Natural Resources Committee for unanimously supporting this legislation through committee last Congress. I am hopeful that we will see similar bipartisan support in the 118th Congress.

I would also like to thank the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation for their leadership and desire to cooperatively manage Molok Luyuk to ensure that all Californians and Americans have the opportunity to benefit from these sacred lands.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act as quickly as possible. ______

By Mr. COTTON (for himself, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Braun, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Daines, Mr. Graham, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Hagerty, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Thune, Mr. Wicker, and Mr. Young):

S. 691. A bill to deter foreign financial institutions from providing banking services for the benefit of foreign terrorist organizations and from facilitating or promoting payments for acts of terrorism; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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