S. 2881 (119th)Bill Overview

A bill to provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain Federal land in the State of California, and for other purposes.

Public Lands and Natural Resources|Public Lands and Natural Resources
Cosponsors
Support
Democratic
Introduced
Sep 18, 2025
Discussions
Bill Text
Current stageCommittee

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6734: 2)

Introduced
Committee
Floor
President
Law
Congressional Activities
01 · The brief
Plain-English summaryWhat this bill actually does

The bill transfers administrative jurisdiction of approximately 160 acres of National Forest System land in Tuolumne County, California, to the Secretary of the Interior to be managed as part of Yosemite National Park, and transfers administrative jurisdiction of approximately 170 acres of National Park System land in Tuolumne County to the Secretary of Agriculture to be managed as part of Stanislaus National Forest. The transfers are to follow the laws applicable to each receiving system, are depicted on a map dated February 24, 2022, and allow the Secretaries to make minor adjustments by mutual agreement with Federal Register notice.

Why people may split

Whether transferring acreage into Yosemite strengthens conservation (liberal view) versus whether it imposes unwanted restrictions on local uses (conservative concern).

Watch point

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-constructed administrative transfer: it is specific about what land is transferred, to whom, and under which statutory regimes, and it includes sensible transitional provisions (corrections, hazardous-site notice, preservation of existing rights).

The bill transfers administrative jurisdiction of approximately 160 acres of National Forest System land in Tuolumne County, California, to the Secretary of the Interior to be managed as part of Yosemite National Park, and transfers administrative jurisdiction of approximately 170 acres of National Park System land in Tuolumne County to the Secretary of Agriculture to be managed as part of Stanislaus National Forest.

The transfers are to follow the laws applicable to each receiving system, are depicted on a map dated February 24, 2022, and allow the Secretaries to make minor adjustments by mutual agreement with Federal Register notice.

The bill requires each Secretary to identify and notify the other of known hazardous substance sites on the transferred parcels and preserves the pre‑existing allocation of cleanup liability; it also preserves valid existing rights, permits, easements, and similar authorizations while assigning administration of those interests to the receiving agency upon enactment.

Passage75/100

On content alone this is a narrowly tailored, administratively focused transfer of jurisdiction with safeguards for hazardous cleanup and existing rights. Such technical public-land jurisdiction adjustments commonly move through committees and pass with bipartisan support, making enactment relatively likely absent unexpected local opposition or procedural delays.

CredibilityPartially aligned

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-constructed administrative transfer: it is specific about what land is transferred, to whom, and under which statutory regimes, and it includes sensible transitional provisions (corrections, hazardous-site notice, preservation of existing rights).

Contention35/100

Whether transferring acreage into Yosemite strengthens conservation (liberal view) versus whether it imposes unwanted restrictions on local uses (conservative concern).

02 · What it does

Who stands to gain, and who may push back.

Likely benefits vs burdens50% / 50%
Local governments · Federal agenciesPermitting process

These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.

Likely helped
  • Potential benefitAligns on-the-ground management with conservation and visitor-use goals by placing land adjacent to Yosemite National P…
  • Local governmentsCould produce modest local economic benefits from increased park-brand visitation or improved recreational access and a…
  • Federal agenciesMay create administrative clarity and operational efficiencies by consolidating jurisdictional responsibilities with th…
Likely burdened
  • Permitting processShifting National Forest land into National Park Service jurisdiction may impose stricter resource-use restrictions (e.…
  • Potential burdenConverting National Park land to Forest Service management could, conversely, allow a different set of uses or manageme…
  • Potential burdenImplementation will generate administrative and transaction costs (survey work, boundary signage, coordination between…
03 · Why people split

Why the argument around this bill splits.

Whether transferring acreage into Yosemite strengthens conservation (liberal view) versus whether it imposes unwanted restrictions on local uses (conservative concern).
Progressive70%

A mainstream liberal would likely view the bill as a largely positive, technical land-management adjustment that can increase long-term conservation by bringing certain acres into National Park management while rationalizing boundaries.

They would want assurances that the transfer does not open park land to weaker protections and would look for guarantees on environmental safeguards, cleanup funding, and public access.

They might applaud the move if it strengthens ecosystem protection, connectivity, or park stewardship, but remain cautious about any transfer that places land from the Park into multi‑use forest management.

Leans supportive
Centrist80%

A centrist would treat the bill as a pragmatic, narrowly targeted administrative swap intended to align management jurisdictions with on‑the‑ground realities.

They would generally support streamlined governance and the explicit protections for existing rights, while seeking clarity on fiscal impacts and hazardous‑waste responsibilities.

They will want concrete details (maps, cost estimates, interagency MOUs) before full endorsement but view the concept as reasonable and low‑risk.

Leans supportive
Conservative50%

A mainstream conservative would see this as a technical federal administrative action but may be wary of transfers that expand National Park acreage and thus increase restrictions on local uses or economic activities.

Because the bill keeps the land in federal ownership and preserves existing rights, some conservatives may accept the swap as harmless; others may be concerned about potential new regulatory burdens and the persistence of federal cleanup liabilities.

Overall, reaction is likely mixed and cautious rather than enthusiastic.

Split reaction
04 · Can it pass?

The path through Congress.

Introduced

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Committee

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Floor

Still ahead

President

Still ahead

Law

Still ahead

Passage likelihood75/100

On content alone this is a narrowly tailored, administratively focused transfer of jurisdiction with safeguards for hazardous cleanup and existing rights. Such technical public-land jurisdiction adjustments commonly move through committees and pass with bipartisan support, making enactment relatively likely absent unexpected local opposition or procedural delays.

Scope and complexity
24%
Scopenarrow
24%
Complexitylow
Why this could stall
  • Local stakeholder positions (county, municipal, tribal, recreation, timber, grazing, or extractive-interest groups) are not stated in the bill text and could create opposition or require negotiated changes.
  • No cost estimate or statement about administrative implementation costs is included; small agency costs (signage, boundary management, planning) could prompt questions during committee review.
05 · Recent votes

Recent votes on the bill.

No vote history yet

The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.

06 · Go deeper

Go deeper than the headline read.

Included on this page

Whether transferring acreage into Yosemite strengthens conservation (liberal view) versus whether it imposes unwanted restrictions on local…

On content alone this is a narrowly tailored, administratively focused transfer of jurisdiction with safeguards for hazardous cleanup and e…

Unlocked analysis

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-constructed administrative transfer: it is specific about what land is transferred, to whom, and under which statutory regimes, and it includes sensible tra…

Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.

Perspective breakdownsPassage barriersLegislative design reviewStakeholder impact map
Open full analysis