Environment (Conservation)

The Keep America's Waterfronts Working Act of 2025 establishes a federal Task Force to identify and address challenges facing working waterfronts, which are properties used for commercial fishing, boating businesses, aquaculture, and other water-dependent coastal activities. It creates a $50 million annual grant program (2025-2029) to help coastal states, tribal governments, and Native Hawaiian organizations develop and implement working waterfronts plans that preserve access to coastal waters and protect these businesses from threats like sea level rise and conversion to incompatible uses. The bill also authorizes a preservation loan fund to provide low-interest loans for waterfront preservation, with special provisions for disadvantaged communities. Covered entities must develop plans identifying threatened waterfront areas, prioritizing preservation needs, and ensuring public access. The law aims to protect working waterfronts through coordinated federal and local planning efforts.

This bill transfers federal land and water rights for Crystal Reservoir in Ouray, Colorado, to the City of Ouray. The city must maintain the area as public open space for recreation (like fishing) with no fees, manage dam maintenance, and avoid development beyond necessary infrastructure. If the city violates these terms, the land reverts to federal ownership. The transfer occurs at no cost to the city, except for survey expenses.

HR 5785 establishes a voluntary program allowing ranchers in 16 Western states (Arizona through Wyoming) to permanently retire their federal grazing permits on designated land areas. Ranchers can submit permits for retirement, but the government will accept no more than 100 nationwide and 25 per state annually. Once retired, the land permanently ends livestock grazing, and no new permits are issued for that area; ranchers also surrender rights to fences and structures (range developments) on the retired land. The bill aims to reduce land-use conflicts while providing ranchers flexibility to exit grazing operations.

HR 3874, the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act, expands the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area by formally adding the "Rim of the Valley Unit" to its boundaries. This unit consists of specific land, water, and related interests depicted on two maps (2001 and 2023), directly affecting properties within this newly defined area. The bill ensures any new land acquired for this unit is managed as part of the existing recreation area, while allowing existing water and utility facilities to operate normally - provided their activities minimize harm to the park's resources. The legislation primarily adjusts park boundaries without changing land use or creating new regulations for affected landowners.

This bill prohibits the U.S. Interior and Agriculture Secretaries from transferring title of certain federal lands to non-government entities. It specifically blocks transfers of lands that are publicly accessible (via roads, trails, or waterways) or adjacent to such lands, unless the land is under 300 acres or meets specific exceptions. Key exceptions include small parcels under 5 acres accessible by water, transfers authorized by historical laws like the Alaska Statehood Act, and land exchanges already permitted by federal law. The bill does not affect existing transfers under these authorized programs or prevent agencies from subdividing land to meet acreage thresholds.

Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act or the GEO Act This bill expands the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to establish a deadline for the Department of the Interior to process applications related to geothermal leases. Specifically, Interior must process each application for a geothermal drilling permit or other authorization under a valid existing geothermal lease within 60 days after completing all requirements under applicable federal laws and regulations (including the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the National Historic Preservation Act) unless a U.S. federal court vacates or provides injunctive relief for the underlying lease.

This bill prevents the Secretary of Commerce from ending cloud storage contracts for NOAA data without meeting specific requirements. It directly affects the Secretary of Commerce and NOAA's data storage contracts with cloud providers. The law requires the Secretary to create a plan for transitioning data to another cloud provider and to work with NOAA's Administrator to maintain continuous data protection. This ensures NOAA's critical environmental and oceanographic data remains accessible and secure during any contract changes.

The BLUE Pacific Act establishes a comprehensive U.S. strategy for engagement with Pacific Island nations, requiring the President to submit a detailed "Strategy for Pacific Islands Partnership" every four years to Congress. The bill authorizes $270 million annually from 2026 through 2033 to fund programs addressing public health, education, economic development, climate resilience, and security capacity building across 13 Pacific Island countries. Key provisions include creating a senior official to manage U.S. relations with the Freely Associated States (Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau), establishing an Ambassador's Self-Help Small Grants Program, and requiring coordination with regional organizations like the Pacific Islands Forum. The legislation also mandates annual reports on implementation progress, security challenges, diplomatic presence, and alignment with regional development goals. This comprehensive approach aims to strengthen U.S. partnerships with Pacific Island nations while supporting their priorities in areas such as disaster resilience, climate adaptation, and economic growth.

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.

This bill establishes new training programs at Civilian Conservation Centers (CCCs) operated by the Interior or Agriculture Departments, focusing on wildfire firefighting, forestry, and conservation skills for underserved youth. It requires the Secretaries to hire 300 annual graduates into wildland firefighting roles, bypass standard hiring rules for qualified graduates, and use covered students (current trainees) for facility renovations and housing projects. Key provisions include specialized curricula like heavy equipment operation, forest restoration, and habitat monitoring, alongside housing pilots to improve federal housing for firefighters using CCC trainees. The bill directly affects CCC participants, federal agencies, and rural communities seeking conservation workforce development.