The Local Input Act requires the Secretary of the Interior to actively engage with the public, state and local governments, and federally recognized tribes before offering federal land for oil or gas leasing. This process mandates that officials publicly disclose leasing proposals and analyze potential impacts on land resources and other uses, while also providing a specific opportunity for community comment. The bill empowers the Secretary to decide against leasing a parcel if the gathered input suggests it should not be offered. These changes directly affect federal land management decisions and increase the role of local stakeholders in energy development on public lands.
This bill establishes a comprehensive sanctions framework targeting the Russian government and its affiliated entities in response to ongoing military actions. It authorizes the President to block assets, revoke visas, and prohibit financial transactions for Russian officials, military leaders, and foreign persons supporting Russia's defense industry or undermining Ukraine. The legislation also bans U.S. investments in Russian energy sectors, prohibits the purchase of Russian sovereign debt, and imposes high tariffs on Russian imports while restricting crude oil purchases by specific foreign nations. Additionally, the bill prevents Russian companies from listing on U.S. stock exchanges and includes mechanisms for terminating sanctions only if Russia signs a peace agreement accepted by Ukraine and ceases hostilities.
This bill designates the Chí'chil Biłdagoteel Historic District, a traditional cultural place significant to Western Apache and other Native American tribes, as protected land within the Tonto National Forest. It prohibits mining, toxic waste disposal, pipeline construction, and other development activities on the area to preserve its cultural and natural integrity. The legislation requires the Secretary of Agriculture to maintain the land in its natural condition, consult with affected tribes, and ensure continued access for traditional religious and cultural practices. By withdrawing the land from public land laws and mining rights, the bill prevents future extraction projects that could damage sacred sites, water sources, and ecosystems.
HR 2727, the Pecos Watershed Protection Act, designates approximately 11,599 acres in New Mexico's Pecos Watershed as the Thompson Peak Wilderness Area and withdraws that federal land from new mining and mineral leasing. It directly affects federal land management in the Pecos Watershed by blocking new mining claims, mineral leasing, and mineral development on the designated wilderness area. The bill incorporates the area into the National Wilderness Preservation System under the Wilderness Act, maintaining existing grazing rights and state authority over fish and wildlife management. It also clarifies that nonwilderness activities outside the area (like logging or recreation) can continue without restriction based on proximity to the wilderness boundary.
This bill designates specific segments of New Mexico's Gila River system as Wild and Scenic Rivers, protecting them from development while preserving existing rights. It classifies over 50 river segments totaling hundreds of miles as "wild," "recreational," or "scenic" rivers and withdraws federal lands within these areas from mining, logging, and other development activities. The legislation also modifies boundaries of Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument and Gila National Forest to incorporate these protected areas. Existing water rights, grazing permits, and mining operations remain unaffected by the designation. The bill aims to protect the ecological and recreational value of these rivers while respecting current land uses and rights.
HR 2467, America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, would designate approximately 1.3 million acres of public land across Utah as wilderness areas, protecting them from development and managing them for conservation. The bill specifically designates 77 wilderness areas in the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau regions, including lands within existing national monuments like Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears. It includes provisions for water rights protection, allows continued livestock grazing under certain conditions, and withdraws the designated lands from mining and mineral leasing. The bill also ensures Tribal rights are protected and requires the Secretary of the Interior to administer these areas according to wilderness management standards.
S 1464, the Buffalo Tract Protection Act, withdraws approximately 4,288 acres of federal land in New Mexico (described as Tracts A-D on a 2019 map) from mining claims, mineral leasing, and other disposal under federal law. This directly affects the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which administers the land, by prohibiting new mineral development on the surface. The bill allows the surface estate to be conveyed (sold or transferred) under existing laws like the Federal Land Policy Act, but requires the federal government to retain all mineral rights permanently.
This bill codifies existing protections for designated roadless areas within the National Forest System by prohibiting new road construction, road reconstruction, and logging in these areas. It directly affects National Forest lands already identified as "inventoried roadless areas" under the current Roadless Rule, which covers roughly 58 million acres. The key mechanism requires the Secretary of Agriculture to enforce these prohibitions, maintaining current protections without expanding restrictions to other lands or altering existing multiple-use management. The bill does not create new protected areas but legally solidifies the existing regulatory framework to preserve ecological and recreational values.
The Buffalo Tract Protection Act (HR 2893) permanently withdraws approximately 4,288 acres of federal land in New Mexico from mining and mineral leasing under federal law. This directly affects the Bureau of Land Management (which administers the land) and prevents new mining claims or mineral development on the specified Tracts A-D. The bill allows the surface rights of this land to be conveyed (sold or transferred) under existing federal land laws, but requires the federal government to retain all mineral rights. This is a permanent land protection measure focused on preserving the land's surface use potential while safeguarding mineral resources for the federal government.
HR 3067, the Arctic Refuge Protection Act, repeals the existing oil and gas program for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and designates approximately 1.56 million acres of the refuge's Coastal Plain as wilderness. This directly affects federal management of the ANWR, halting potential oil drilling in the designated area. The bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to administer the newly designated wilderness area under the Wilderness Act, treating it as part of the existing wilderness within ANWR. The change prevents future oil and gas development on this specific portion of the refuge.
