Late last week, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) co-authored a letter with Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) to Senators John Barrasso and Jon Tester, the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, outlining concerns with S. 1879, of which Senator Barrasso is the author.
The letter highlights specific concerns with the bill, similar to those raised by RCRC, including the need to address a change in the use of trust land after the trust application is approved, broadening the scope of those eligible to comment on the trust action, and strengthening the mitigation requirements to ensure that the needs of surrounding communities are preserved and protected. The full letter can be accessed here.
The New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) strongly opposed the measure citing issues that the bill gives the Secretary of the Interior discretion to disregard all municipal input. The NYSAC believes the bill gives the Secretary veto-power over local objections to land trust decisions regardless of their impacts to the community. The NYSAC Resolution can be accessed here.
The RCRC Board voted to take a “Support if Amended” position on S. 1879, and RCRC continues to advocate strongly for the needed changes outlined in its position letter, which can be accessed here.
The hearing and markup of S. 1879 was originally scheduled for September 9, 2015, but has been postponed indefinitely while Congress addresses other issues.