Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Ownership Act of 2011

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the legislation introduced by the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Heinrich). The HEARTH Act will further tribal self-governance and self-determination by authorizing willing Indian tribes to take control of surface leasing on their own lands. Once tribal regulations are approved by the Secretary of the Interior, tribes will be able to lease their lands without federal oversight. H.R. 205 is groundbreaking legislation that enhances tribal control over tribal resources and I ask my colleagues to vote for its passage.

Importantly, H.R. 205 authorizes leasing activity for residential, business, and other purposes. A tribe could therefore use its authority under the HEARTH Act to engage in renewable energy projects on their lands. Indian country has the potential to develop millions of megawatts of wind and solar energy. This bill will help Tribes pursue the economic, environmental and national security benefits that clean energy provides to all Americans.

During the Natural Resources Committee markup, a Democratic amendment added language to authorize tribes to seek the Secretary's technical assistance in developing a regulatory environmental review process for all types of leasing activity. If a tribe chooses to use its new authority to engage in leasing activity for renewable energy projects, for example, it can call upon the expertise of the Department of the Interior to inform development of an appropriate environmental review process. I'm confident that this will enhance tribes' ability to be the best managers of their own lands.

H.R. 205 also requires that approved tribal regulations must be ``consistent with'' existing federal regulations. The United States recognizes tribal primacy for a number of programs under three critical environmental laws--the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Air Act. Tribes have successfully demonstrated their ability to implement these laws. I fully expect that tribes will do the same with the HEARTH Act requirement that their leasing regulations, at a minimum, meet existing federal standards and may even choose to regulate more stringently where appropriate.

I applaud Mr. Heinrich's leadership on this bill and again encourage my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to vote in favor of H.R. 205.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source