The House Committee on Natural Resources has advanced four bills, including significant amendments to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and legislation focused on the District of Columbia. The committee’s actions were announced following a markup session that included H.R. 1897, known as the ESA Amendments Act of 2025, and H.R. 5103, titled the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act.
Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) commented on the passage of these measures: “Today, the committee advanced important legislation to reform the Endangered Species Act. Five decades after the ESA’s passage, only 3 percent of listed species have ever recovered. Special-interest lawsuits and arbitrary rules have weaponized the law against both wildlife and the communities it’s supposed to help. H.R. 1897 restores science, conservation, and sustainable economic development to America’s endangered species policy and returns the ESA to its original, bipartisan purpose as a tool for species recovery. We also advanced legislation that supports President Trump’s efforts to clean up D.C.’s streets, memorials, and parks. The American people deserve better than the crime, graffiti, and litter overrunning their nation’s capital.”
H.R. 1897 was introduced by Chairman Westerman. The bill proposes changes such as establishing statutory definitions within the ESA, emphasizing species recovery efforts, and simplifying permitting processes related to endangered species protection. It also aims to incentivize recovery activities for listed species while introducing new accountability measures for agency decisions and limiting unnecessary litigation.
The committee also moved forward with H.R. 5103, introduced by Rep. John McGuire (R-Va.). This bill seeks to formalize aspects of President Trump’s Executive Order 14252 by creating a program dedicated to improving public spaces in Washington D.C., along with establishing a commission responsible for overseeing these initiatives.
Other legislation approved includes H.R. 5910 from Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), which would allow federally recognized Indian Tribes to lease trust lands for up to 99 years with approval from the Secretary of the Interior—extending terms under current law.
Additionally, H.R. 4284 from Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.) would permit state and local governments, Indian Tribes, and certain land grant communities to receive federal land used as cemeteries without financial consideration under amendments to existing federal statutes.
