Federal Lands

The Federal Lands Subcommittee is a specialized division of the House Committee on Natural Resources that handles a narrower but critical slice of the parent committee's broad natural resources jurisdiction. As a subcommittee, it conducts initial hearings and reviews legislation before the full committee can report bills to the House floor. The subcommittee exists to provide focused expertise on the complex issues surrounding America's federal lands and the agencies that manage them.

The subcommittee's jurisdiction covers all matters related to the National Park System and its units, national forests, federal lands generally, and national monuments. It also oversees the National Wilderness Preservation System, Wild and Scenic Rivers System, National Trails System, and national heritage areas. Additionally, it handles outdoor recreation programs and the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act. This broad portfolio reflects the importance of federal lands to American conservation, recreation, and economic development.

The subcommittee is chaired by Representative Thomas P. Tiffany (R-WI), with Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO) serving as Ranking Member. The 16-member panel brings together lawmakers from both parties with interests in public lands policy. Recent hearings have addressed wildfire risk evaluation, forest management, national park investments, and broadband deployment on federal lands. The subcommittee has also examined wildfire resilience and forest health, reflecting ongoing concerns about managing America's forests in an era of increasing fire risk and climate challenges.