In a letter to Interior Secretary Debra Haaland, Congressman Eli Crane is calling for improved efficiency and accountability of federal permitting, regarding the Navajo Nation and the use of gravel pits by the tribe. Crane says, the “Navajo Nation currently has the capability to produce sand and gravel resources that can be used to construct new roads at a low cost.” Crane adds, “due to unnecessary bureaucratic red tape, the Navajo (tribe) is required to import road materials onto the Nation, which is both burdensome and avoidable.” Across the Navajo Nation, 77-percent of the roads are dirt, making them widely unusable during periods of rain and snowfall. A minor rainstorm can isolate tribal members from the rest of the region, cutting them off from needed resources. Crane adds, “instead of hindering the Navajo Nation with useless government regulation, they should be empowered to be self-sufficient.”