Environment (Public Lands)

HR 841 amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) provisions in U.S. law to prohibit states from using LWCF funds to purchase land, water, or related interests directly from private landowners. This restriction applies specifically to states receiving financial assistance under the LWCF program. The bill adds a new section (l) to 54 U.S.C. § 200305 and amends § 200306 to explicitly state that LWCF appropriations cannot fund acquisitions from private owners. The policy change directly affects state governments that administer LWCF funds for conservation projects.

The Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2025 requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to eliminate helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft use in rounding up wild horses and burros over a two-year phase-out period. It mandates that any remaining aircraft used for these operations must have cameras recording the process, with footage made public in BLM reports. The bill addresses findings that helicopter roundups cost taxpayers over $69.5 million since 2012 and that the BLM spends less than 1% of its budget on fertility controls - a more humane, cost-effective alternative. The legislation also directs the Government Accountability Office to report on humane alternatives, job opportunities, and aircraft impacts on horse populations within one year of enactment.

The PASTURES Act prohibits federal agencies from penalizing livestock owners for grazing on specific federal lands without existing fences. It directly affects ranchers and livestock owners (cattle, bison, horses, sheep, goats) who graze on National Forest System lands, Fish and Wildlife Service lands, or public lands bordering private property where grazing was previously permitted but later prohibited. The bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture or Interior to cover all costs for constructing or maintaining fences meant to prevent grazing on these lands. This changes the financial responsibility from landowners to the federal government for fence-related expenses on designated "covered lands."

HR 745 requires federal agencies to conduct studies on the monetary value of minerals in specific areas. The Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management must each complete studies within three years to assess the value of oil, gas, and minerals in designated onshore and offshore areas, excluding national parks and certain monuments. These studies will cover areas like national monuments (excluding marine ones), areas under environmental protection, and lands withdrawn from mining or leasing. The bill does not authorize new mining or leasing but mandates data collection for future decision-making.

This bill (HR 229) prohibits the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from implementing, administering, or enforcing the Rock Springs Field Office's December 2024 Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan. It directly affects the BLM's land management decisions in the Rock Springs area by blocking the use of this specific plan. The key mechanism is a mandatory prohibition on the Secretary of the Interior to take any action related to this plan. The bill does not change land management practices but prevents the current plan from taking effect. This is a procedural measure targeting one specific BLM document.

Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act This act expands the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area in Clark County, Nevada, and grants rights-of-way through the conservation area and other land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the construction of a water transmission pipeline and related facilities. Specifically, the act requires the BLM to grant certain rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) for the purposes of (1) performing geotechnical investigations within the rights-of-way, and (2) constructing and operating a water pipeline and related facilities.  The rights-of-way may not be located through or under areas designated as wilderness, and construction of the pipeline may not permanently adversely affect surface resources within the conservation area. The BLM may place other reasonable terms and conditions on the issuance of rights-of-way as necessary to protect the conservation area’s resources. In tunneling the water pipeline, SNWA may excavate and dispose of sand, gravel, minerals, and other materials as needed. The BLM must enter into a memorandum of understanding with SNWA to identify federal land on which SNWA may dispose of such materials.  The act also adds approximately 9,290 acres of land to the conservation area. This expansion of the conservation area is subject to valid existing rights (e.g., utility transmission rights), must not preclude authorized activities within existing rights-of-way or corridors, and must not preclude the BLM from authorizing new utility rights-of-way.

La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act This act 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, and thus the land is not available for new mining claims, new mineral or geothermal leases, nor sales of mineral materials. The county must pay all costs related to the conveyance.

HR 2580, the Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Act, designates a specific restored segment of the Kissimmee River in Florida (from 16 miles downstream of Lake Kissimmee to 15 miles upstream of Lake Okeechobee) as a protected "recreational river" under federal law. This designation directly affects the river segment and its surrounding federal lands by removing them from activities like mining, mineral leasing, and public land disposal, while preserving existing rights. The bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to administer the protected river segment. This act formalizes the river's protected status to conserve its natural and recreational value.

HR 2301 sets new national goals for renewable energy production on Federal land, increasing the target from 25% to 60% by 2030. The bill establishes "priority areas" for wind, solar, and geothermal projects on public land and streamlines permitting by allowing delegation to State Renewable Energy Coordination Offices. It creates a revenue-sharing system where 25% of project revenues go to the state, 25% to counties, and 35% (increasing to 40% after 2045) to a Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund that supports habitat restoration and recreational access. The bill affects renewable energy developers, Federal land managers, states, counties, and communities near renewable energy projects, while requiring updates to environmental impact statements and balancing development with conservation of wildlife, cultural resources, and other land uses.

This bill designates five new wilderness areas in Wyoming (Encampment River Canyon, Prospect Mountain, Upper Sweetwater Canyon, Lower Sweetwater Canyon, and Bobcat Draw) and releases 17 wilderness study areas from study status. It establishes a Dubois Badlands National Conservation Area and seven Special Management Areas to protect natural resources while allowing for managed recreation. The bill includes provisions for fire management, grazing administration, and restrictions on motorized vehicle use in designated areas. It also requires studies on developing new motorized recreation areas in Fremont County and Hot Springs/Washakie Counties.