Analyst Brief September 14, 2026

H.R. 8454 — To provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain Federal land in the State of California, and for other purposes., as amended

Current Status

Reported by Committee

Executive Summary

H.R. 8454 facilitates a minor, mutually beneficial land swap between the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service in Tuolumne County, California. The bill transfers 160 acres of National Forest System land to Yosemite National Park and 170 acres of National Park System land to the Stanislaus National Forest. This administrative realignment, known as the 'Ackerson Meadow Land Interchange,' aims to improve land management efficiency by consolidating agency jurisdictions while explicitly protecting all existing private rights, leases, and permits.

Bill Data

Primary Sponsor

Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA)

Bill Number

H.R. 8454

Session

119th

Co-Sponsors

None
View on Congress.gov ↗

Arguments For

  • Streamlines federal land management by aligning geographic boundaries with the appropriate agency, reducing administrative redundancies and confusion for the public.
  • Provides political cover by explicitly protecting existing leaseholders and permittees, ensuring no disruption to local economic or recreational activities.

Likely Supporters

National Parks Conservation AssociationTuolumne County Local GovernmentOutdoor recreation and conservation groups

Arguments Against

  • Incurs minor administrative costs associated with updating maps, signage, and transferring permit files between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior.
  • Potential hyper-local friction if specific user groups (e.g., motorized recreation or timber) fear future restrictions on the 160 acres moving from the typically multi-use Forest Service to the more restrictive National Park Service, despite the grandfathering of existing rights.

Likely Opponents

Local motorized recreation or extractive industry groups (if they perceive future access threats)

📋 Key Provisions

  • Transfers approximately 160 acres of National Forest System land to the Secretary of the Interior to be managed as part of Yosemite National Park.
  • Transfers approximately 170 acres of National Park System land to the Secretary of Agriculture to be managed as part of the Stanislaus National Forest.
  • Authorizes the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to make minor boundary corrections and adjustments by mutual agreement.
  • Preserves all valid existing rights, withdrawals, right-of-ways, easements, leases, licenses, and permits, transferring their administrative oversight to the receiving agency.
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Claim Analysis Page 3, Line 8

Transfers 160 acres of National Forest land to be managed as part of Yosemite National Park.

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"approximately 160 acres of National Forest System land"

Claim Analysis Page 3, Line 20

Transfers 170 acres of National Park land to be managed as part of Stanislaus National Forest.

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"approximately 170 acres of National Park System land"

Claim Analysis Page 4, Line 22

Protects the validity of existing withdrawals, easements, leases, and permits.

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"the validity or terms and conditions of any"