Natural Resources Committee

The Mountain Pine Beetle Coordination Act authorizes the U.S. Forest Service to enter into cooperative agreements with state and local leaders to address mountain pine beetle infestations. These partnerships enable joint efforts for monitoring, data sharing, and processing beetle-killed trees to reduce wildfire risks. Additionally, the bill allows the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to provide technical assistance on detection and management strategies upon request. The law defines covered entities as state and local chief executives, as well as federally recognized Indian Tribes, ensuring broad collaboration across jurisdictions.

This bill designates the Quindaro Townsite in Kansas City, Kansas, as the Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark. This formal recognition highlights the site's historical significance, particularly its role in the Free-State movement and the Underground Railroad. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with public or private entities to protect the site's historic resources and provide educational programs, offering technical and financial assistance for these efforts. Importantly, the designation does not restrict actions by property owners within the landmark area nor affect its current administration by Kansas City, Kansas, or the State.

This bill authorizes the establishment of two memorials honoring Wisconsin infantry regiments at Civil War battle sites. It directs the Secretary of the Interior to approve locations within Antietam National Battlefield for regiments that fought at Antietam (1862) and within Manassas National Battlefield Park for regiments that fought at the Second Battle of Bull Run (1862). The memorials must be funded and built by private entities - no federal funds may be used for design, acquisition, site preparation, or installation - and the National Park Service will assume maintenance responsibility after installation.

The SAFE for Manatees Act directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study identifying potential new habitats for manatees in Florida as industrial sites are decommissioned and water temperatures change. This study must evaluate natural warm-water locations and explore methods for building artificial warm-water refuges in cooperation with the Army Corps of Engineers and Florida wildlife officials. The bill requires the Interior Department to publish a report on these findings within 180 days of enactment to inform future conservation efforts.

This bill establishes the Historic Greenwood District - Black Wall Street National Monument in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to preserve and interpret the history of the Greenwood District (known as "Black Wall Street"), the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, and their significance to Oklahoma and U.S. history. It defines the monument's boundary using a specific map, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land via donation or purchase, and requires a management plan within three years. The bill creates an 11-member advisory commission composed of 7 descendants of 1921 Greenwood residents, 3 historic preservation experts, and 1 Tulsa mayoral appointee, serving for up to 10 years. The monument will be managed by the National Park Service under standard park system rules, with no impact on private property rights within the designated area.