Environment (Public Lands)

in committee · United States · House Sep 15, 2026

HR 1555: Bureau of Land Management Mineral Spacing Act

This bill changes federal permitting rules for oil and gas drilling on land where the federal government owns less than half the mineral rights beneath non-federal surface land. It requires operators to use a state permit instead of a federal drilling permit, removes federal environmental review requirements under NEPA and the Endangered Species Act, and allows operations to start 30 days after submitting the state permit. It does not affect royalty payments to the federal government or apply to Indian lands. The policy directly affects oil and gas operators working on non-federal surface estates with partial federal mineral ownership.

Topics ✗ EnergyOpposes EnergyRemoves federal environmental reviews for oil/gas drilling, facilitating fossil fuel development while weakening clean energy regulatory pathways.90% confidence ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentRemoves federal environmental reviews (NEPA, ESA) for oil/gas drilling, weakening protections and prioritizing industry over conservation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Oil & Gas Pipeline Infrastructure Conservation Public Lands Wildlife

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in committee · United States · House Feb 11, 2025

HR 1217: Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025

HR 1217, the Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025, amends federal grant rules for cleaning up orphaned oil and gas wells by removing the requirement for states to measure methane emissions as a condition for receiving funding. It allows states to use estimated data from well plugging projects (without needing to collect new monitoring data) for reporting purposes. The bill also mandates a National Academies study to analyze how well-plugging activities affect local economies, housing, and water quality in communities where many wells are cleaned up, requiring input from all U.S. regions and agencies like HUD. This study must be completed within 18 months after the final grant is awarded, using existing federal funding.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentRemoves methane emission measurement requirement for well cleanup funding, weakening oversight of emissions from oil/gas projects.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Lands Water Quality

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in committee · United States · House Jan 22, 2025

HR 606: Energy Opportunities for All Act

HR 606, the "Energy Opportunities for All Act," formally nullifies Public Land Order No. 7923. This order had withdrawn public lands surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park in San Juan County, New Mexico, from mineral development. The bill reverses that withdrawal, making those lands available for potential energy development. It directly affects land management decisions in that specific New Mexico area and the federal process for mineral leasing. The bill is procedural, focusing solely on repealing the prior land withdrawal order.

Topics ✗ EnergyOpposes EnergyBill reverses land withdrawal for mineral leasing, enabling fossil fuel development and favoring fossil fuels over renewable energy policies.85% confidence ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill nullifies withdrawal protecting Chaco Culture Park lands from mineral development, enabling energy extraction that weakens environmental safeguards in a conservation area.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Parks & Recreation Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House Sep 16, 2025

HR 5393: Southern Arizona Protection Act

HR 5393, the Southern Arizona Protection Act, nullifies a 2000 presidential proclamation that established the Ironwood Forest National Monument in Arizona. It prohibits the future creation or expansion of national monuments within the specific area depicted in the 2000 Ironwood Forest National Monument map, except with explicit approval from Congress. The bill directly affects land management decisions in that Southern Arizona region by restricting the use of the Antiquities Act, which allows presidents to designate national monuments. This changes the process by requiring Congressional action instead of presidential authority for monument designations in the specified area.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentNullifies national monument protections, restricting conservation efforts and land management under Antiquities Act in Southern Arizona.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House Feb 20, 2026

HR 7603: O&C Renewal Act of 2026

This bill reaffirms permanent timber production as the primary purpose of federal O&C (Oregon & California) lands, requiring revenue generation to support county government services in Oregon. It mandates the federal government meet or exceed Oregon's fire safety standards for these lands, enter agreements with Oregon and forest associations for fire protection, and compensate for services provided. The bill also clarifies that "timberlands" include parcels capable of producing at least 300,000 board feet of timber per 40-acre section. Within two years of enactment, the Secretary of the Interior must revise resource management plans to align with these changes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates federal revenue generation to support Oregon county government services, directly funding local budgets through timberland management.90% confidence ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentPrioritizes timber production as primary purpose of federal lands, with no environmental conservation provisions; mandates revenue generation for timber industry over ecosystem protection.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House Aug 26, 2025

HR 5036: To remove the limitation imposed as a result of receiving funding under the Land and Water Conservation Fund on the conversion of Northeast Sedgwick County Park in Sedgwick County, Kansas, to a use other than public outdoor recreation.

HR 5036 removes a federal restriction that prevents land funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund from being converted to uses other than public outdoor recreation. The bill specifically exempts Northeast Sedgwick County Park in Sedgwick County, Kansas, from this rule. This change would allow the park to be repurposed for non-recreation uses without violating federal funding requirements tied to the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentRemoves LWCF conservation requirement allowing non-recreation use, weakening environmental protection standards for park land.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Parks & Recreation Public Lands

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in committee · United States · Senate Mar 11, 2025

S 941: A bill to prohibit natural asset companies from entering into any agreement with respect to land in the State of Utah or natural assets on or in land in the State of Utah.

S 941 prohibits "natural asset companies" from entering agreements about land or natural assets in Utah. These companies are defined as corporations managing land for conservation, restoration, or sustainable use, or similar organizations holding ecological rights to specific areas. The bill directly affects such entities by banning all agreements related to Utah land or natural assets located on that land. This is a substantive restriction on business activity, not a procedural measure.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBans agreements by conservation-focused natural asset companies, restricting environmental protection efforts per bill's definition of such entities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Public Lands

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in committee · United States · Senate Feb 12, 2025

S 537: Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2025

This bill prohibits federal agencies (like the Fish and Wildlife Service and Forest Service) from banning lead ammunition or tackle on public lands and waters used for hunting or fishing, directly affecting hunters and anglers who use federal lands. It blocks new federal regulations on lead levels in hunting gear, except in limited cases where a specific area's wildlife decline is linked to lead use and the state wildlife agency approves the restriction. The law requires federal agencies to explain in notices how any exception meets state wildlife department requirements or state law. It does not change existing state laws or allow federal bans on lead where states already prohibit it.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBlocks federal restrictions on lead ammunition/tackle, preventing pollution control measures that protect wildlife from lead contamination.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Public Lands Wildlife

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in committee · United States · House Feb 11, 2025

HR 1206: WEST Act of 2025

HR 1206, the WEST Act of 2025, cancels a specific Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rule titled "Conservation and Landscape Health" (published in the Federal Register on April 3, 2023). The bill directly affects the BLM and anyone subject to the rule, which governed land management practices on public lands. Its key mechanism is a straightforward provision declaring the rule "shall have no force or effect," effectively removing it from federal regulations without creating new policies. This is a procedural action targeting a specific existing regulation, not a broader policy change.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill cancels BLM rule 'Conservation and Landscape Health', removing environmental protections on public lands, thus weakening conservation efforts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Public Lands

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in committee · United States · Senate Feb 4, 2025

S 395: Emergency Fuel Reduction Act of 2025

This bill allows federal land managers to skip full environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for specific wildfire prevention projects on federal land. It directly affects agencies managing federal lands near communities, infrastructure (like schools, power lines, and water systems), and areas with endangered species habitat. Key provisions let projects removing dead/insect-infected trees or hazardous fuels near critical infrastructure qualify for this fast-track process, but only if they cover 10,000 acres or less and meet risk criteria. The exemption does not apply to wilderness areas, lands where vegetation removal is prohibited, or lands within national monuments as of the bill's enactment.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBypasses NEPA environmental reviews for wildfire projects, weakening regulatory safeguards for federal lands near communities and habitats.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Natural Disasters Public Lands

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