Bruce Westerman: “Mr. Speaker, I strongly support Congressman Crane's bill, the Apache County and Navajo County Conveyance Act of 2025.…”

“Mr. Speaker, I strongly support Congressman Crane's bill, the Apache County and Navajo County Conveyance Act of 2025. This legislation would transfer small parcels of Federal land to Apache and Navajo Counties to expand existing cemeteries. Located in eastern Arizona, the communities in Pinedale and Alpine are surrounded by the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. Given the large Federal footprint, both communities have struggled to expand their respective cemeteries, which are currently located on U.S. Forest Service land and operated under a special use permit. If the cemeteries are not expanded, families will be forced to travel long distances to distant cemeteries to visit their deceased relatives. To address this need, Pinedale and Alpine have worked with their respective counties to identify additional land to expand their cemeteries. This bill provides a straightforward, commonsense solution by transferring U.S. Forest Service land adjacent to the cemeteries to the respective counties. While this is a straightforward bill, I think many of us can attest to the invaluable role a burial place can play in the grieving process. Burial sites are sacred, eternal resting places that provide closure for the families of the deceased. Families should not be forced to travel long distances to lay their loved ones to rest due to the red tape of Federal land ownership.”