Environment (Public Lands)

in committee · United States · Senate Jul 23, 2026

S 1470: Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Completion Act

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Completion Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior to seek to complete the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail no later than 10 years after the enactment of this bill. USDA and Interior must establish a joint Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management trail completion team to work in coordination with the administrator of the trail to facilitate its completion and optimization. USDA must complete a comprehensive development plan for the trail within three years. USDA and Interior must also seek to enter into agreements with volunteer and nonprofit organizations to facilitate the completion and administration of the trail.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill directs completion of Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, a conservation effort protecting natural areas and promoting outdoor recreation through federal coordination.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Parks & Recreation Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House Dec 17, 2025

HR 6777: Oregon Owyhee Wilderness and Community Protection Act

This bill designates approximately 924,440 acres of federal land in Malheur County, Oregon as wilderness areas and creates two special management areas that allow for grazing, fire management, and invasive species control. It establishes the Malheur County Grazing Management Program to provide operational flexibility for livestock grazing permittees, including seasonal adjustments and water source modifications. The bill creates the Malheur C.E.O. Group, consisting of representatives from grazing permittees, businesses, conservation organizations, and tribes, to propose and manage projects related to ecological restoration, range improvements, and invasive species management. Additionally, it transfers specific land parcels to the Burns Paiute Tribe in trust while protecting ongoing livestock grazing and fire suppression activities on designated lands.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentDesignates 924k acres as wilderness, protecting ecosystems while allowing managed grazing for fire/invasive species control within conservation framework.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House Jun 26, 2025

HR 4180: Canyon’s Law

HR 4180, "Canyon’s Law," prohibits the use of M-44 devices - predator control tools containing highly toxic sodium cyanide - on public lands managed by federal agencies like the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Forest Service. The bill requires all federal, state, and county agencies to remove existing M-44 devices from public lands within 30 days of enactment. It directly affects agencies and land managers who previously deployed these devices, which have caused human poisonings (including incidents involving children), killed over 50 family dogs, and harmed endangered species. The law aims to eliminate the risk of accidental exposure and non-target wildlife deaths by banning the devices' use on public lands.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBans toxic M-44 devices causing pollution and ecosystem harm, directly protecting public lands and natural resources from cyanide contamination.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Public Lands Wildlife

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in committee · United States · House Apr 8, 2025

HR 2727: Pecos Watershed Protection Act

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.

Topics ✗ EnergyOpposes EnergyBill restricts mining and mineral leasing on federal land, limiting potential energy resource extraction and development.75% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill designates 11,599 acres as wilderness, blocks mining/mineral leasing, and incorporates into National Wilderness Preservation System to protect watershed resources.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Forestry Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House Mar 5, 2025

HR 1865: Mining Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Prevention Act of 2025

The Mining Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Prevention Act of 2025 fundamentally changes hardrock mining regulations on Federal land. It closes all Federal land to new mining claims under the general mining laws, requires new permits for exploration and operations, and establishes new royalty rates for mineral production. The bill creates a financial assurance requirement for reclamation costs and directs revenues to fund the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Program. It also establishes a small miner's lease program with lower fees and no royalties for qualifying small-scale operators.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentCloses federal land to new mining, requires reclamation funding, and directs revenues to Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program - strengthens environmental protections for mining impacts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hazardous Materials Public Lands

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in committee · United States · Senate Jul 23, 2026

S 1787: Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act

This bill establishes the Dolores River National Conservation Area (approximately 52,872 acres) and Dolores River Special Management Area (approximately 15,452 acres) in Colorado to protect natural, cultural, and recreational resources along the Dolores River. It requires the development of management plans for both areas, creates an advisory council with specific representation from agricultural interests, conservation groups, recreation stakeholders, local governments, and tribal nations, and ensures protections for existing water rights and tribal treaty rights. The bill prohibits new road construction and motorized vehicle use in sensitive areas while allowing reasonable access to private property adjacent to the conservation areas. These designations will be managed by the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service to conserve the river's ecological and recreational values.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentEstablishes protected conservation areas to safeguard natural resources, requires management plans, and includes conservation group representation per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Forestry Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House Jul 7, 2025

HR 4295: Wildfire Resilient Communities Act

HR 4295, the Wildfire Resilient Communities Act, allocates $30 billion for hazardous fuels reduction projects on federal lands near communities at high wildfire risk and in specific fire-prone areas. It directly affects at-risk communities and local governments by funding vegetation removal, prescribed burns, and thinning to reduce wildfire danger. The bill also adds $3 billion for community wildfire defense grants and reauthorizes forest restoration programs with updated requirements for landscape-scale projects. Key mechanisms include prioritizing work adjacent to high-risk communities, integrating wildfire management strategies, and creating a County Stewardship Fund to distribute 25% of forest contract receipts to local governments for community use. These provisions aim to reduce wildfire risk through proactive land management rather than reactive firefighting.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds hazardous fuels reduction, prescribed burns, and forest restoration to protect communities and natural resources from wildfires, directly advancing environmental resilience and conservation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Natural Disasters Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House Apr 9, 2025

HR 2758: Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Improvement Act of 2025

This bill amends the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to improve payment structures for participating farmers. It allows landowners to choose how annual payments are allocated across their contract term and creates special rules for agreements involving water rights retirement (paying irrigated rates) or dryland farming (paying the difference between irrigated and dryland rates). Existing agreements using these practices will receive retroactive payment adjustments if they were previously paid at lower rates. The changes directly affect farmers enrolled in CREP who retire water rights or use dryland agricultural methods on their land.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentAmends CREP to improve conservation payments, incentivizing land conservation and resource protection through enhanced payment structures for farmers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Public Lands Tags Agriculture

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in committee · United States · Senate Jan 14, 2025

S 85: Continued Rapid Ohia Death Response Act of 2025

S 85 authorizes $5 million annually from 2026 to 2036 to address Rapid Ohia Death, a fungus killing over 1 million native ohia trees in Hawaii. The bill directs federal agencies (Interior and Agriculture Departments) to collaborate with Hawaii state officials on research, preventing the fungus's spread, managing animals that spread it, and propagating resistant trees for forest restoration. It specifically funds ongoing efforts like studying how the fungus spreads, partnering with local groups on land management, and supporting the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry for research. This funding directly supports Hawaii's native ecosystems and communities reliant on them.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds $5M annually to combat Rapid Ohia Death fungus, protecting native trees and enabling forest restoration through research and collaboration, directly conserving natural resources.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Public Lands Wildlife

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in committee · United States · House Apr 4, 2025

HR 168: TORCH Act

The TORCH Act (HR 168) streamlines wildfire risk reduction on National Forest System lands by creating new pathways for hazard tree removal, timber sales for extreme risks, and grazing management. It establishes a categorical exclusion for high priority hazard tree activities (limited to 3,000 acres), allows timber sales without appraisal for extreme risks, and expands opportunities for using livestock grazing to reduce fire fuels. The bill also modifies good neighbor agreements to better support state and local wildfire mitigation efforts and streamlines vegetation management for electric utility lines near power lines. These changes primarily affect the U.S. Forest Service, electric utility companies, and state/local governments managing wildfire risk on federal lands.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill enables wildfire risk reduction on forests via hazard tree removal and grazing management, protecting natural resources and preventing ecosystem damage from wildfires.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Natural Disasters Public Lands

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