Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
This bill designates about 126,554 acres of Olympic National Forest as new wilderness (across multiple named units), designates ~5,346 acres as potential wilderness pending termination of nonconforming uses, and adds numerous river segments in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System with wild, scenic, or recreational classifications. It directs administration by the Secretaries of Agriculture or the Interior under existing Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers law, permits river-restoration and species-recovery projects, requires updates to land and resource management plans within set timeframes, withdraws designated river lands from certain public-land and mineral laws (subject to valid existing rights), and preserves treaty and existing private rights.
Liberals focus on ecological and species-recovery benefits
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is primarily a substantive policy-change statute that is detailed and legally specific about designations, boundaries, classifications, and agency responsibilities, and integrates closely with existing wilderness and wild-and-scenic-rivers statutes.
This bill designates about 126,554 acres of Olympic National Forest as new wilderness (across multiple named units), designates ~5,346 acres as potential wilderness pending termination of nonconforming uses, and adds numerous river segments in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System with wild, scenic, or recreational classifications.
It directs administration by the Secretaries of Agriculture or the Interior under existing Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers law, permits river-restoration and species-recovery projects, requires updates to land and resource management plans within set timeframes, withdraws designated river lands from certain public-land and mineral laws (subject to valid existing rights), and preserves treaty and existing private rights.
Geographically targeted conservation bills have a middling chance: technically straightforward but contingent on local stakeholder, state, and committee support.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is primarily a substantive policy-change statute that is detailed and legally specific about designations, boundaries, classifications, and agency responsibilities, and integrates closely with existing wilderness and wild-and-scenic-rivers statutes.
Liberals focus on ecological and species-recovery benefits
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Liberals focus on ecological and species-recovery benefits
Generally strongly supportive.
The bill permanently protects large forest and river areas, enables ecological restoration and endangered species recovery, and recognizes tribal treaty rights.
It aligns with conservation, biodiversity, and climate resilience priorities.
Cautiously supportive with reservations.
Values the conservation gains and protection of existing rights, but wants clearer cost estimates, funding commitments, and collaboration with state and local stakeholders to mitigate economic impacts.
Likely opposed or skeptical.
Sees this as an expansion of federal land-use restrictions and withdrawals that could harm local economies and limit resource development, with insufficient deference to state and private interests.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Geographically targeted conservation bills have a middling chance: technically straightforward but contingent on local stakeholder, state, and committee support.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Liberals focus on ecological and species-recovery benefits
Geographically targeted conservation bills have a middling chance: technically straightforward but contingent on local stakeholder, state,…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is primarily a substantive policy-change statute that is detailed and legally specific about designations, boundaries, classifications, and agency responsibilities, a…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.