Environment (Public Lands)

in committee · United States · Senate Feb 5, 2025

S 412: Plum Island Preservation Act

The Plum Island Preservation Act permanently protects Plum Island, New York, and its associated properties for ecological conservation, historical/cultural heritage preservation, and public access. It requires the General Services Administrator, within 180 days of enactment, to initiate visioning sessions with federal agencies, state governments, Tribal nations, and stakeholders to develop a future ecological management plan. The Administrator must submit annual reports to Congress detailing consultation efforts, discussion topics, outcomes, and timelines for completing this planning process. The bill directly affects the management of Plum Island’s federal land and ensures ongoing oversight through mandatory reporting to congressional committees.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentPermanently protects Plum Island for ecological conservation, requiring management plans and reports to preserve natural resources and heritage.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Public Lands

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in committee · United States · Senate Dec 2, 2025

S 1341: Sarvis Creek Wilderness Completion Act

This bill designates approximately 6,817 acres in Routt National Forest as part of the Sarvis Creek Wilderness, adding it to the existing wilderness area established by the 1993 Colorado Wilderness Act. It directly affects the land itself by protecting it from development like logging or mining, while clarifying that tribal treaty rights and traditional cultural uses remain unaffected. The bill includes administrative provisions allowing the Forest Service to manage fire, insects, and disease within the area and permits tribes access for religious and cultural purposes under existing law. This is a procedural land designation bill with no direct impact on people beyond the protected land management and tribal access terms.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentDesignates wilderness area, protects land from logging/mining, conserves natural resources per bill summary95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Forestry Public Lands

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passed · United States · House Mar 17, 2026

HR 528: Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act

Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025 This bill directs the Department of the Interior to carry out a program for post-disaster reforestation and restoration.  Interior must identify covered lands requiring reforestation and restoration following unplanned disturbances that are unlikely to experience natural regeneration without assistance. Covered land means (1) any federal land or interest in land administered by the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Forest Service, or the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and (2) any Indian Forest Land or Rangeland. Interior must propose a list that prioritizes projects for reforestation and restoration for each fiscal year. Interior may (1) carry out priority projects through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements; and (2) support any grant contract or cooperative agreement that may be necessary to ensure adequate and appropriate seed and seedling availability to further the objectives of priority projects.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill mandates federal reforestation/restoration after disasters, conserving natural resources and supporting environmental protection through active land restoration.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Natural Disasters Public Lands

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in committee · United States · Senate Feb 4, 2025

S 392: Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act

S 392 expands the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area boundary from 48,438 to 57,728 acres. It grants the Southern Nevada Water Authority a right-of-way (without fees) to build a water pipeline outside the Conservation Area, including provisions for excavating materials and disposing of excess earth. The bill requires the pipeline to avoid wilderness areas and not permanently harm conservation resources, while preserving existing utility corridors and rights-of-way. This directly affects the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s infrastructure plans and the management of the Conservation Area under federal land laws.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentExpands protected conservation area by 9,290 acres with pipeline safeguards to avoid harming resources and preserve corridors, directly advancing conservation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House Jun 10, 2025

HR 3889: National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025

The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 aims to increase the use of prescribed fire (intentionally set, controlled burns) on federal lands to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health. The bill allows federal land management agencies to use up to 15% of their hazardous fuels management funds for prescribed fire projects, requires a 10% annual increase in acres treated with prescribed fire, and establishes a Collaborative Prescribed Fire Program to fund large-scale, landscape-level projects. It streamlines environmental reviews through landscape-scale planning, addresses liability protections for fire managers, and mandates annual reporting on prescribed fire activities. The bill directly affects federal land management agencies (Interior and Agriculture), states, tribes, and local entities working on fire management.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill promotes prescribed fire to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health, directly advancing conservation and ecosystem protection through funded projects.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Natural Disasters Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House Jan 21, 2025

HR 588: Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act

Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act This bill protects and preserves approximately 225,504 acres of federal land and waters in a specified area in the Rainy River Watershed of Superior National Forest in Minnesota from certain mining, such as sulfide-ore copper mining. (The area is upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.) Specifically, the bill withdraws those acres from  entry, appropriation, and disposal under the public land laws; location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and operation of the mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws. However, the Forest Service is authorized to permit the removal of sand, granite, iron ore, and taconite from national forest system lands within such area if the removal is not detrimental to the water quality, air quality, and health of forest habitat within the Rainy River Watershed. Land or interest in land within such area that is acquired by the United States must be immediately withdrawn in accordance with this bill.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill protects 225k acres from sulfide-ore mining pollution, preserving wilderness and preventing environmental damage per its title and summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Air Quality Forestry Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House Jan 8, 2026

HR 1110: Grazing for Wildfire Risk Reduction Act

HR 1110, the Grazing for Wildfire Risk Reduction Act, directs the USDA Forest Service to develop strategies using livestock grazing to reduce wildfire risks on federal lands. It specifically requires expanding grazing opportunities during droughts or disasters on vacant permits, promoting targeted grazing, issuing temporary permits for fuels reduction, and using grazing for postfire recovery. The bill affects livestock permit holders and federal land managers by modifying how existing grazing authorities are applied for wildfire risk mitigation. It focuses on concrete policy changes to utilize current grazing programs as a proactive fire prevention tool, without altering permanent grazing rules.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill uses livestock grazing to reduce wildfire risks on federal lands, protecting ecosystems and natural resources from fire damage per its explicit purpose.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Public Lands

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in committee · United States · Senate Dec 9, 2025

S 1777: Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act

This bill expands Joshua Tree National Park by adding approximately 20,149 acres of land to its boundary, as shown on a specific map dated June 2024. It transfers management of this newly added land from the Bureau of Land Management to the National Park Service and allows the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the land through donation, purchase, exchange, or transfer (with state-owned land requiring donation or exchange only). The bill also renames the Cottonwood Visitor Center at the park as the Dianne Feinstein Visitor Center, updating all official references to reflect this change. These provisions directly affect park management, land ownership, and visitor facilities within the expanded area.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentExpands protected land area under National Park Service management, directly conserving natural resources and biodiversity through park boundary increase.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Parks & Recreation Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House Dec 2, 2025

HR 5597: BECCS Advancement Commission Act of 2025

The BECCS Advancement Commission Act of 2025 establishes a new federal commission within the Department of Agriculture to develop policy recommendations for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) systems. The commission, composed of agency officials, industry representatives (including timber and BECCS sectors), and state/federal land management stakeholders, must report to Congress within one year on key metrics like forest health, wildfire mitigation, job growth, energy costs, and economic development in forestry. It will assess how BECCS deployment affects local communities, energy reliability, and domestic supply chains, while identifying federal policy changes to support the industry. This bill directly affects federal agencies, the forestry sector, commercial timber industry, and rural counties receiving federal funds under the Secure Rural Schools Act.

Topics ✓ EnergySupports EnergyEstablishes commission to develop BECCS policy recommendations, promoting carbon capture bioenergy as renewable energy infrastructure and aligning with clean energy advancement goals.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill creates commission for BECCS policy development - a carbon removal technology targeting climate change mitigation. Metrics include forest health and wildfire mitigation, directly advancing environmental goals.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Energy Resilience Forestry Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House May 29, 2025

HR 3637: Locally Led Restoration Act of 2025

This bill amends wildfire fuel removal rules under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act to allow private entities, local groups, and other organizations to directly propose projects for federal land management agencies (Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management). It requires that at least 10% of vegetation removed in these projects must be "salvage" (dead/dying trees from wildfires or pests), mandates a 120-day response time for proposals, and requires environmental reviews before contracts are finalized. The bill also adjusts the timber sale threshold for inflation, raising the minimum from $10,000 to $55,000 annually based on the Consumer Price Index. These changes aim to streamline locally proposed wildfire hazard reduction projects while maintaining federal oversight and environmental safeguards.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates environmental reviews and salvage (dead trees) removal to prevent wildfires, reducing ecological damage while involving local groups in forest management.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Public Lands

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