Proposed legislation related to public lands: July 17, 2025 – August 22, 2025

Public lands = National Park Service, National Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management

July 22, 2025, passed the House and referred to the Senate: H.R.183 – Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Recreation Pass Act. To amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide for a free annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass for law enforcement officers and firefighters.
Introduced January 3, 2025 by Tom McClintock (R-CA). Cosponsored by Robert Onder (R-MO). Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Committee on Agriculture the same day. June 25, 2025, committee consideration and mark-up held. Committee on Natural Resources ordered to be reported in the nature of a substitute by unanimous consent.
July 16, 2025, reported (amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-207, Part I. Committee on Agriculture discharged. Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 170. July 21, 2025, passed the House under suspension of rules. Sent to Senate the same day. Senate referred to Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, where it remains.
Congress.gov summary: This bill directs the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to make the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass available, without charge and for the lifetime of the passholder, to law enforcement officers.
ALERT: Existing legislation already provided free passes for any member of the Armed Forces, their dependents, and law enforcement officers or firefighters “who provide adequate proof of eligibility for such pass as determined by the Secretary.”
In this quickie vote that required suspension of rules, extant legislation is changed ONLY as follows: By defining firefighter as “any employee of the Federal Government, a State, a unit of local government, or an Indian Tribe who performs work directly related to suppressing fires, including wildland fires.”
Similarly, Law Enforcement Officer is now defined as “any officer, agent, or employee of the Federal Government, a State, a unit of local government, or an Indian Tribe authorized by law or by a government agency to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, or investigation of any violation of criminal law or who is authorized by law to supervise sentenced criminal offenders.”
Does this ensure that the National Park Service goes bankrupt? I guess Kristi Noem gets a lifetime NPS pass for all her cosplay?

July 22, 2025, passed the House and referred to the Senate: H.R.1043 – La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act. To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain Federal land in Arizona to La Paz County, Arizona.
Introduced February 6, 2025 by Paul Gosar (R-AZ). Cosponsored by Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and David Schweikert (R-AZ).
July 21, 2025, 4:40 pm: Mr. Gosar moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. 4:40 pm: Considered under suspension of the rules. 4:40 pm: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty (sic) minutes of debate on H.R. 1043. 4:47 (sic) pm: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, agreed to by voice vote. Passed. 4:47 pm: Motion to reconsider laid on the table, agreed to without objection.
Passed the Senate on December 16, 2025. President Trump signed the bill into law on December 18, 2025.
Note: The passage of this bill was not without controversy. You may want to read the remarks from the floor of the Senate from December 16. The House dysfunction (and greed) seems to know no limits. Also note that passage of this bill was apparently a quid pro quo for passage of three others.
Congress.gov summary: This bill directs the Department of the Interior, after receiving a request from La Paz County, Arizona, to convey approximately 3,400 acres of identified land managed by the Bureau of Land Management to the county for fair market value.
Interior must exclude from the conveyance any federal land that contains significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources.
As a condition of the conveyance, La Paz County and any subsequent owner must

make good faith efforts to avoid disturbing tribal artifacts;
minimize impacts on tribal artifacts if they are disturbed;
coordinate with the Colorado River Indian Tribes Tribal Historic Preservation Office to identify artifacts of cultural and historic significance; and
allow tribal representatives to rebury unearthed artifacts at, or near, where they were discovered.

The federal land is withdrawn from the operation of U.S. mining and mineral leasing laws.
ALERT from September 30, 2025: Unsurprisingly, this bill was introduced and pushed through by Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and cosponsored only by Arizona representatives. I hope the Senate holds strong against this bill.
ALERT from December 31, 2025: If you are a real estate whiz kid, please follow this transaction. The bill required the sale of BLM property to be at market value. Since it’s Paul Gosar, and since it’s Arizona, we may wish to audit.

July 22, 2025, passed the House and referred to the Senate: H.R.3937 - Wabeno Economic Development Act. To provide for the conveyance of certain Federal land in Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
Introduced June 11, 2025 by Thomas Tiffany (R-WI). No cosponsors. Referred to the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Natural Resources the same day.
June 25, 2025, committee consideration and mark-up held. Committee on Agriculture ordered to be reported in the nature of a substitute by unanimous consent. July 21, 2025, reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-211, Part I. Has not left committee.
Congress.gov’s summary: This bill requires the Forest Service to convey approximately 14 acres of federal land, including the mineral rights, in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Wisconsin, to Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix, LLC, upon receiving an offer to buy the land for market value. The Forest Service must complete an appraisal to determine the market value of the land, and the offer must be received within 180 days after federal approval of such appraisal. Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix, LLC, must pay an amount equal to the market value of the land and all associated costs as a condition of conveyance.
Additionally, the Department of the Interior must publish a comprehensive review of the federal permitting processes for the development of stone, sand, and gravel on federal lands.
Comment: Please explain to me in little words why the federal government should transfer 14 acres of land—including mineral rights, which typically are not transferred!—to one of Rep. Tiffany’s constituents.
Also please explain to me in little words why “Tony’s” request from 2022 to trade acreage with the NPS has now evolved into an outright unidirectional sale. Without guardrails regarding market value.

S.2369 – Francis G. Newlands Memorial Removal Act. To direct the Secretary of the Interior to remove or permanently conceal the name of Francis Newlands on the grounds of the memorial fountain located at Chevy Chase Circle in the District of Columbia.
Introduced July 22, 2025 by Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). No cosponsors. Referred to Energy and Natural Resources the same day.
Comment: Francis Newlands was a US Senator and land developer from Nevada who was also a noted segregationist and white supremacist. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced a bill in February 2023 that likewise went nowhere. Thank you, Chris, for trying. One day…

S.J.Res.63 – A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to “Central Yukon Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan.”
Introduced July 22, 2025 by Dan Sullivan (R-AK). Cosponsored by Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Referred to Energy and Natural Resources the same day.
Comment: This would reverse a Biden-era rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management and supported by a Trump-era (June 2025) GAO report regarding the Central Yukon.

S.2417 - Star-Spangled Summit Act of 2025. To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to issue a special use permit with respect to the maintaining of a flagpole bearing the flag of the United States at Kyhv Peak Lookout Point, Utah.
Introduced July 23, 2025 by John Curtis (R-UT). Cosponsored by Mike Lee (R-UT). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources the same day.
Comment: Fox News covered this in June. Note that the bill would grant the permit to the individual Robert Collins, a private citizen and financial advisor living in Provo, Utah. Additionally, the Forest Service does not prohibit the “planting” of temporary flags on Forest Service peaks. But Collins had installed a large permanent structure. It’s not his property! He can do whatever he wants on land he owns.
So far (keeping eyes closed and fingers crossed) this legislation has not made it out of committee.

S.2434 - To amend the Dayton Aviation Heritage Preservation Act of 1992 to adjust the boundary of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. (No short title.)
Introduced July 24, 2025 by Jon Husted (R-OH). Cosponsored by Bernie Moreno (R-OH). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources the same day.
Comment: I know this is going to shock you, but this bill would ADD one acre of land to the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. The bill does not specify which acre.

S.2440 - To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain National Forest System land located in Franklin County, Mississippi. No short title.
Introduced July 24, 2025 by Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS). No cosponsors. Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry the same day.
Angry comment: Hyde-Smith apparently wants the National Forest System to convey Okhissa Lake land to the Scenic Rivers Development Alliance. Yep, a for-profit commercial and residential venture in Pike County, Mississippi that is the recipient of Mississippi state funding (through bonds) to finance their commercial property. Argh.

S.2498 - National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act. To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to extend certain leases within units of the National Park System without opening the lease to bidding.
Introduced July 29, 2025 by Thomas Tillis (R-NC). Cosponsored by Ted Budd (R-NC). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources the same day.
Snarky comment: I wonder which NPS leases in North Carolina their lobbyist buddies want extended, without opening the lease to bidding? The bill is vague. I know you’re shocked.

S.2548 - Shawnee National Forest Conservation Act of 2025. To designate the Camp Hutchins Wilderness and establish Special Management Areas in the Shawnee National Forest in the State of Illinois.
Introduced July 30, 2025 by Richard Durbin (D-IL). Cosponsored by Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry the same day.

S.2554 - Alaska Native Landless Equity Act. To provide for the recognition of certain Alaska Native communities and the settlement of certain claims under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
Introduced July 30, 2025 by Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Cosponsored by Dan Sullivan (R-AK). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources the same day.
Comment: From the bill, “The purpose of this Act is to redress the omission of the southeastern Alaska communities of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell from eligibility under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act by authorizing the Alaska Natives enrolled in the communities… 1) To form urban corporations and 2) To receive certain settlement land pursuant to that Act.”
I am surprised this does not have Democratic support. I wonder what I don’t know about this bill…

S.2566 - Forest Legacy Management Flexibility Act. To amend the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to authorize States to approve certain organizations to acquire, hold, and manage conservation easements under the Forest Legacy Program.
Introduced July 31, 2025 by Alex Padilla (D-CA). Cosponsored by Tim Sheehy (R-MT). Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry the same day.

S.2596 - Saving the Forest Service’s Workforce Act. To institute a reduction in force moratorium at the Forest Service.
Introduced July 31, 2025 by Martin Heinrich (D-NM). Cosponsored by Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Comment: YEA!

S.2597 - Saving the Department of the Interior’s Workforce Act. To institute a reduction in force moratorium at all agencies and bureaus of the Department of the Interior.
Introduced July 31, 2025 by Martin Heinrich (D-NM). Cosponsored by Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources the same day.
Comment: YEA! -- Isn't it surprising that only Democrats want to save the workforce that maintains and cares for our public lands? [\Sarcasm.]

S.2598 - Forest Bioeconomy Act. To expand research relating to the use of forest products, to support research and technologies of the Forest Service, and to establish a mass timber science and education program to respond to the emerging research needs of architects, developers, and the forest products industry.
Introduced July 31, 2025 by Martin Heinrich (D-NM). Cosponsored by Steve Daines (R-MT), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and James Justice (R-WV). Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry the same day.

S.2630 - Saving NSF’s Workforce Act. To institute a reduction in force moratorium at the National Science Foundation.
Introduced July 31, 2025 by Mazie Hirono (D-HI). Cosponsored by Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). Referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation the same day.
Comment: Another yea!

S.2637 - MAPWaters Act of 2025 (Modernizing Access to our Public Waters Act of 2025). To provide for the standardization, consolidation, and publication of data relating to public outdoor recreational use of Federal waterways among Federal land and water management agencies.
Introduced July 31, 2025 by John Barrasso (R-WY). Cosponsored by Angus King (I-ME). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources the same day.

S.Amdt.3408 – “In the nature of a substitute.” This would amend S.1016, Vicksburg National Military Park Boundary Modification Act.
S.1016 was introduced March 13, 2025 by Roger Wicker (R-MS). Cosponsored by Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS). It was referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources the same day. S.Amdt.3408 was introduced and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on July 31, 2025.
Angry comment: The original bill proposed to convey 3.66 acres of National Park Service land within the boundary of Vicksburg National Military Park to the State of Mississippi for use as a State Welcome Center, and to convey 6.48 acres of National Park Service land within the boundary of Vicksburg National Mark Park to the State of Mississippi to be used by the State as an interpretive center or a museum or other public use. This was to be a strict conveyance with no remuneration to the National Park Service.
The proposed amendment ordered a boundary modification for Vicksburg National Military Park and added a specific tract of land for the 3.66 acres which had been undefined.
Hey, Roger and Cindy! I want 5 acres of land for my Holocaust Studies archives. You’re gonna just convey it to me at no cost, right?

S.2644 - Camden National Battlefield Park Study Act. To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to assess the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Camden Battlefield area in the State of South Carolina as a unit of the National Park System.
Introduced August 1, 2025 by Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Cosponsored by Tim Scott (R-SC). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources the same day. Still in committee.
Comment: So Graham and Scott want to expand the National Park System at the same time they want to defund and destaff it? The logical disconnects among Trump Republicans are mind-blowing.

H.R.4853 - Saving the Forest Service’s Workforce Act. To institute a reduction in force moratorium at the Forest Service.
Introduced August 1, 2025 by Jared Huffman (D-CA). Cosponsored by seven Democrats and no Republicans. Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture the same day.

EC1550 – August 2, 2025. From the Regulatory Specialist, Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled “Conversion of Ski Area Authorizations.”
Comment and alert: If the Agriculture Department wants to give NPS and NFS land to private developers for ski resorts, we should know about it.

EC1551 - August 2, 2025. From the Regulations Specialist, Office of Subsistence Management, Department of the Interior, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled “Subsistence Management Regulations for Public Lands in Alaska - 2025-26 and 2026-27 Subsistence Taking of Fish and Shellfish Regulations.”

POM17 – August 2, 2025. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Montana urging the immediate modification of ineffective and dangerous federal land management and wildfire policies in order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Montana’s communities.
Comment: Since we cannot read the text of Mike Johnson’s petitions or memorials, we cannot know short of FOIA what Johnson and Montana Republicans deem “ineffective and dangerous federal land management and wildfire policies.”

H.R.4937 - EQUAL Parks Act (Expanding Quality and Universal Access to Lands and Parks Act). To codify the Presidential Memorandum of January 12, 2017, relating to promoting diversity and inclusion in our national parks, national forests, and other public lands and waters.
Introduced August 8, 2025 by Emily Randall (D-WA). Cosponsored by six Democrats and no Republicans. Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Transportation and Infrastructure and Science, Space, and Technology the same day.
Comment: Reading the text of President Obama’s January 12, 2017 memorandum made me homesick for him and Michelle all over again. The memorandum was not a rant. It simply underscored how important the National Park Service and National Forest Service are for the mental health of all Americans. Obama proposed ways to make our parks and forests more accessible to everyone.
As someone who was sole caregiver for her mother for seven years, I understand this! Zion National Park was so much “healthier” for her than e.g., the Grand Canyon. Because Zion has wheelchair-accessible, easy walking paths that feature great beauty.
So thank you Emily Randall and your fellow Democrats for recognizing this and wishing to make this law. You may not succeed under the Trump regime, but keep it up!

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