Environment (Conservation)

in committee · United States · House May 15, 2025

HR 3421: Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act of 2025

The Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act of 2025 designates multiple protected areas across Gunnison County, Colorado, including nine Special Management Areas, eight Wildlife Conservation Areas, four Protection Areas, two Recreation Management Areas, and expands wilderness designations through amendments to the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993. The bill establishes specific management rules for these areas, limiting off-highway vehicle and bicycle use to designated roads and trails, requiring winter travel management plans within three years, and restricting vegetation management projects to protect ecological integrity. It also includes provisions for transferring approximately 19,080 acres to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in trust, withdrawing certain lands from mineral development, and establishing seasonal closures to protect wildlife habitat in specific areas. The legislation directly affects federal land management practices, recreational use, and tribal land rights across approximately 350,000 acres in Gunnison County. These changes will reshape how federal lands are managed for conservation, recreation, and tribal uses in the region.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentDesignates protected areas and restricts off-highway vehicle use to conserve natural resources and wildlife habitats per bill's management rules.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Public Lands Wildlife

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in committee · United States · House Jun 11, 2025

HR 3862: Clean Water SRF Parity Act of 2025

HR 3862, the Clean Water SRF Parity Act of 2025, expands eligibility for Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) assistance to include qualified nonprofit entities and privately owned treatment works operators. The bill adds provisions allowing nonprofits to receive SRF funds for constructing, acquiring, or improving treatment works, and creates a new section (l) for privately owned treatment works to access funds for upgrades, water conservation, energy efficiency, security measures, and other specified activities. Crucially, it requires that financial assistance for private operators must primarily benefit the end-users served by the treatment works, not the shareholders or owners. This directly affects nonprofits managing water infrastructure and private utility companies operating treatment facilities, ensuring SRF funds support community water needs under defined conditions.

Topics ✓ EnergySupports EnergyBill explicitly allows SRF funds for 'energy efficiency' upgrades, directly supporting energy efficiency initiatives per topic indicators.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentExpands Clean Water SRF funding for water treatment upgrades, conservation, and pollution control projects, directly advancing environmental protection through infrastructure investment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Energy Efficiency Conservation Drinking Water Water Quality

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in committee · United States · House Apr 8, 2025

HR 2734: Sarvis Creek Wilderness Completion Act

HR 2734 designates approximately 6,817 acres in Routt National Forest as the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Addition, protecting this specific land from development. The bill directly affects the management of this newly designated wilderness area within the existing Sarvis Creek Wilderness. Key provisions include maintaining tribal treaty rights and permitting traditional tribal uses, while allowing the Secretary of Agriculture to manage fire, insects, and diseases within the addition under existing wilderness management rules.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentDesignates 6,817 acres as wilderness, protecting land from development per bill summary. Directly advances conservation by expanding protected area within national forest.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Forestry Public Lands

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in committee · United States · Senate Jan 21, 2025

S 156: Increased TSP Access Act of 2025

This bill amends USDA conservation programs to expand access to technical assistance for farmers. It creates new certification pathways for third-party providers (like crop advisors, engineers, or agricultural cooperatives) through state agencies or professional organizations, rather than requiring all certification through USDA. The bill establishes standardized payment rates for these services and mandates annual public reports on certification numbers, provider types, and program effectiveness. These changes aim to increase the number of qualified providers available to help farmers implement conservation practices.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill expands USDA conservation program access for farmers via third-party technical assistance, directly enabling more environmental conservation practices without weakening protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Tags Agriculture

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in committee · United States · House Apr 10, 2025

HR 2877: Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Completion Act

This bill directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to complete the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail as a continuous route within 10 years of enactment, using existing land acquisition authorities under the National Trails System Act. It establishes a joint Forest Service-Bureau of Land Management "Trail Completion Team" to coordinate with federal, state, Tribal, local governments, and landowners to identify trail gaps, explore land agreements, and develop a comprehensive 3-year plan. The plan must detail trail gaps, opportunities for land easements, and specific development costs. The bill explicitly states it does not create new land acquisition authority or prioritize trail land purchases over other federal land needs.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill completes a national scenic trail under conservation-focused National Trails System Act, preserving natural landscapes and requiring coordinated land management for environmental protection.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Parks & Recreation Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House Jul 23, 2025

HR 4656: Path to Florida Springs National Park Act

HR 4656, the *Path to Florida Springs National Park Act*, authorizes a special resource study by the Secretary of the Interior to evaluate the potential for designating approximately 2,800 square miles of Florida land (including forests, springs, and conservation areas like Ocala National Forest and Silver Springs) as a National Park. The study must assess the area's national significance, feasibility of park designation, and alternative preservation options, while consulting with relevant agencies and stakeholders. It requires the Secretary to submit a report to Congress within three years, detailing findings and recommendations. This bill does not create a park but initiates a formal evaluation process; the area directly affected is the specified Florida region encompassing existing conservation lands.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill authorizes study to evaluate designating 2,800 sq mi of springs/forests as National Park, aiming to protect conservation areas and natural resources through federal preservation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Forestry Parks & Recreation

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in committee · United States · Senate May 12, 2025

S 1713: Agriculture Innovation Act of 2025

This bill creates a voluntary data collection system for farmers to share field-level information on conservation practices and farming methods. It requires the USDA to build a secure data center collecting anonymized farm data on soil health, crop yields, and ecosystem impacts - voluntarily provided by producers - to analyze how practices affect productivity and environmental outcomes. The data will be used to improve USDA programs and provide farmers with internet-based tools showing how specific practices boost yields and sustainability. Strong privacy safeguards prevent disclosure of individual producer data, ensuring compliance with existing privacy laws. The bill does not mandate data sharing or require farmers to adopt new practices.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentVoluntary data collection on conservation practices and ecosystem impacts to improve environmental outcomes via USDA tools, aligning with conservation and soil health goals.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill establishes secure data center with anonymized farm data, aligning with data privacy protection indicators for technology policy.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Consumer Data Protection Data Privacy Tags Agriculture

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in committee · United States · House Jul 16, 2026

HR 1420: Pacific Flyway Habitat Enhancement Act

This bill amends the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program to create new "seasonally flooded working lands habitat conservation agreements." It allows farmers to maintain wetland-dependent wildlife habitats on working cropland by permitting seasonal flooding with specific best management practices, while also enabling enrollment of adjacent non-eligible agricultural land critical for habitat goals. The bill establishes regional rental payment rates based on actual habitat maintenance costs and waives matching requirements for these agreements. It directly affects farmers participating in USDA conservation programs who manage lands supporting Pacific Flyway migratory bird habitats.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentCreates habitat conservation agreements for wetland-dependent wildlife on working lands, promoting habitat maintenance and biodiversity conservation through seasonal flooding with best management practices.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Wildlife

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passed · United States · House Jun 3, 2026

HR 5682: To take certain land in the State of California into trust for the benefit of the Pechanga Band of Indians, and for other purposes.

This bill transfers approximately 1,261 acres of federal land in Riverside County, California (administered by the Bureau of Land Management) into trust for the Pechanga Band of Indians, making it part of their reservation under federal management. The land must remain open space, be used only for cultural/wildlife preservation, and cannot be used for any gambling (including class II or III gaming). The bill preserves existing water rights and service agreements, requires tribes to report MOU terminations to Congress and the Interior Department, and prohibits development that conflicts with open space or conservation goals.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRequires land use for wildlife preservation and open space, aligning with conservation protections.80% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Public Lands Wildlife Tags Tribal Nations

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in committee · United States · House Jan 13, 2026

HR 5111: CRP Improvement and Flexibility Act of 2025

The CRP Improvement and Flexibility Act of 2025 updates the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to give farmers more flexibility in managing enrolled land while maintaining conservation goals. It allows emergency haying during droughts or natural disasters under specific conditions (e.g., D2 drought designation or 40% forage loss) on no more than 50% of contract acres, without harming wildlife cover. The bill expands cost-sharing for grazing infrastructure like fencing and water systems and raises the annual rental payment limit from $50,000 to $125,000. These changes directly affect CRP participants by adjusting enrollment rules, management options, and payment structures.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMaintains CRP conservation goals, explicitly prohibits harming wildlife cover, and expands cost-sharing for conservation infrastructure like fencing/water systems.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Forestry Public Lands Tags Agriculture

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