Environment (Parks & Recreation)

This bill authorizes emergency contracting for recovery efforts in the Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest after the Dragon Bravo and White Sage wildfires (which burned over 200,000 acres and destroyed structures). It grants the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture emergency contracting authority to quickly hire contractors for forest restoration, rebuilding structures, and ecological recovery within the affected areas, while requiring detailed public reports on spending, contractors, and progress. The law mandates involving tribes and local stakeholders in planning and prioritizes contracts with tribal and local businesses for reconstruction work. It also allows noncompetitive contracts with existing park concessioners to coordinate recovery efforts and requires a joint study on recovery costs. The emergency authority expires after 5 years or when recovery is complete, whichever comes first.

The PUBLIC Lands Act designates approximately 1.3 million acres of California public land as wilderness areas, scenic areas, or wild and scenic rivers. It establishes the South Fork Trinity-Mad River Restoration Area (871,414 acres) to improve forest resilience, protect water quality, and reduce wildfire risks through collaborative restoration planning. The bill creates new recreational trails like the Bigfoot National Recreation Trail and designates visitor centers at Trinity Lake and Del Norte County. These designations withdraw the lands from mining, mineral leasing, and other public land disposal while allowing for prescribed fire and limited recreational use.

Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 This bill provides FY2026 appropriations for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and several related agencies. The bill provides appropriations to Interior for the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, Departmental Offices, and Department-Wide Programs. The bill also provides appropriations to the EPA and the Forest Service. Within the Department of Health and Human Services, the bill provides appropriations for the Indian Health Service, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The bill provides appropriations to several related agencies, including the Council on Environmental Quality and Office of Environmental Quality, the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery of Art, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Commission of Fine Arts, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. the National Capital Planning Commission, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. Additionally, the bill sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.

S 2179, "Canyon’s Law," bans the use of M-44 devices (sodium cyanide-based poisoners) on public lands managed by federal agencies like the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management. The bill prohibits placing, deploying, or using these devices on public land and requires all existing devices to be removed within 30 days of enactment. It directly affects federal land management agencies and any entity currently authorized to use M-44s, such as state wildlife or livestock control programs. The law aims to prevent further harm to people, non-target wildlife (including endangered species like eagles and bears), and pets, following documented incidents of poisoning and animal deaths.

HR 3604, the *Reducing Waste in National Parks Act*, requires National Park Service (NPS) units to reduce and eliminate the sale of disposable plastic products (including water bottles, bags, and food containers) where feasible, considering operational factors like cost, waste reduction, and concessioner impacts. Park officials must develop visitor education plans, implement refill stations, and weigh 13 specific factors before eliminating sales, such as infrastructure costs, revenue effects, and public health safety. The program must be evaluated every two years to measure visitor satisfaction, waste collection rates, and safety outcomes. This bill directly affects NPS operations, concessioners, and park visitors who use park facilities.

HRES 734 is a symbolic resolution designating the third week of September as "Latino Conservation Week." It recognizes the Latino community's longstanding engagement in outdoor recreation and conservation activities, such as hiking, stewardship events, and environmental justice efforts on public lands. The resolution affirms that including Latino voices strengthens public lands protection and climate resilience, highlighting their role as a growing force in the outdoor economy. It does not create new laws or funding but formally supports the annual observance initiated by the Hispanic Access Foundation.

This bill designates new wilderness areas and wildlife conservation areas across Colorado's national forests, protecting approximately 24,400 acres of land. It creates three Wildlife Conservation Areas (Porcupine Gulch, Williams Fork Mountains, and Spraddle Creek) totaling about 14,500 acres to conserve wildlife corridors while allowing limited recreational use and maintaining existing grazing rights. The bill also establishes the Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Area to protect agricultural and ecological values, with a pilot program to capture methane emissions from coal mines. Additionally, it creates the Curecanti National Recreation Area (approximately 50,300 acres) to protect scenic and recreational resources along the Gunnison River, while maintaining existing management frameworks.