1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I urge you to oppose HB655, the Dalles Watershed Development Act, which would transfer approximately 150 acres of Mount Hood National Forest to the City of The Dalles without adequate environmental safeguards. This legislation directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey federal land through a quitclaim deed with no monetary consideration, yet it contains no requirement for environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act. Transferring 150 acres of National Forest System land without assessing potential environmental impacts sets a dangerous precedent for future federal land disposals. The bill's silence on NEPA compliance creates uncertainty about whether the Forest Service must conduct environmental assessments before conveying the property, potentially allowing the transfer to proceed without public input or scientific analysis of ecological consequences. The legislation imposes no restrictions on how the city may subsequently use this former public land. Despite the bill's title suggesting watershed development purposes, nothing prevents the city from pursuing development inconsistent with watershed protection or environmental conservation. Once the transfer occurs, the federal government relinquishes all future claims to the property regardless of ultimate land use, making this an irreversible decision that warrants thorough environmental scrutiny. The one year deadline for the city's written request creates pressure for expedited processing that could further undermine environmental review. This timeline prioritizes administrative efficiency over environmental protection, potentially allowing significant ecological impacts to go unexamined. Public lands within the National Forest System belong to all Americans and provide critical habitat, watershed protection, and recreational access. Transferring these lands to municipal ownership without environmental review undermines the public trust and could facilitate development that harms ecosystems and water quality. I ask that you oppose HB655 unless it is amended to require comprehensive environmental review before any conveyance occurs.