To designate certain National Forest System land and certain public land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture in the States of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, wildland recovery areas, and biological connecting corridors, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Whitehouse (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. Durbin, …
Summary
What This Bill Does:
This bill aims to protect approximately 23 million acres of federal land in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming by designating them as wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, wildland recovery areas, and biological connecting corridors. The goal is to preserve the Northern Rockies ecosystem, which supports diverse wildlife and provides clean water.
Who Benefits and How:
Environmental groups and conservationists will benefit from increased protection of natural habitats for endangered species like gray wolves and grizzly bears. Hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts will gain access to preserved wilderness areas for recreation. Communities downstream will benefit from cleaner water sources due to the protected headwaters of major rivers.
Who Bears the Burden and How:
Oil and gas companies, mining firms, and timber industries may face restrictions on resource extraction activities in designated areas, potentially reducing their economic opportunities. Local communities that rely heavily on these industries could experience job losses or reduced economic activity. Taxpayers might see increased federal spending for management and enforcement of new protections.
Key Provisions:
- Designation of Wilderness Areas: Approximately 23 million acres will be protected from development, ensuring the preservation of natural habitats.
- Wild and Scenic Rivers: Several river systems will receive protection to maintain water quality and support native fish populations.
- Biological Connecting Corridors: New corridors will be established to help wildlife migrate safely between protected areas, reducing habitat fragmentation.
- Recovery Areas: Specific regions will be designated for the recovery of endangered species, providing them with safe habitats.
- Management Plans: The Secretary of Agriculture and Interior will develop management plans to enforce these protections and ensure sustainable use.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Designates approximately 23 million acres of federal land in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, wildland recovery areas, and biological connecting corridors to protect the Northern Rockies ecosystem.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Comprehensive ecosystem-scale conservation through interconnected wilderness designations, habitat corridors, and river protections to preserve biodiversity in the Northern Rockies"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Environmental conservation groups
- Wildlife and endangered species (grizzly bear, lynx, caribou)
- Recreation and outdoor tourism industry
- Fishing and hunting outfitters
- Indian Tribes with traditional uses in the region
- Downstream water users relying on clean headwaters
Likely Burden Bearers
- Timber harvesting companies operating on federal lands
- Mining companies (including hard-rock mining operations)
- Oil and gas extraction companies
- Ski resort developers
- Road construction contractors working on federal lands
- Ranchers with federal grazing permits in designated areas
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary_concerned"
- → Secretary of Agriculture (for National Forest System land) OR Secretary of Interior (for National Park System land and public land)
- "the_secretary_concerned"
- → Secretary of Agriculture (for National Forest land) OR Secretary of Interior (for BLM/Park land)
- "the_secretary_of_interior"
- → Secretary of the Interior
- "the_secretary_of_agriculture"
- → Secretary of Agriculture
- "the_secretary_of_interior"
- → Secretary of the Interior
- "the_secretary_of_agriculture"
- → Secretary of Agriculture
- "the_secretary_of_interior"
- → Secretary of Interior (for BLM-administered segments)
- "the_secretary_of_agriculture"
- → Secretary of Agriculture (for National Forest segments)
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Agriculture
- "the_secretaries_concerned"
- → Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Interior jointly
- "the_secretaries_concerned"
- → Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Interior
Note: 'The Secretary' alone refers to Secretary of Agriculture only in Title IV (section 401). In all other titles, 'Secretary concerned' or specific Secretaries are named.
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The physical, chemical, and biological properties used by fish, wildlife, or plants for growth, reproduction, survival, food, water, and cover.
An area that provides connectivity of habitat or potential habitat, and that facilitates the ability of terrestrial, estuarine, and freshwater fish, or wildlife, to move within a landscape for migration, gene flow, dispersal, or in response to climate change.
The restoration of the natural, untrammeled condition of land or the undeveloped, roadless character of land damaged by land management activity.
An activity that eliminates the roadless and wilderness characteristics of the land, including construction or operation of ski resorts, road building, timber harvesting, mining, and oil and gas drilling.
Any area designated as a wildland recovery area by section 402(a).
Land greater than 1,000 acres in area, located within the National Forest System in the Wild Rockies Bioregion, not designated as wilderness.
An ecological land unit of sufficient scale to support and maintain populations of large vertebrate species and other native plant and animal species, comprised of land similar in topography/climate/species or contiguous with threatened/endangered species habitat.
The Secretary of Agriculture with respect to National Forest System land; the Secretary of the Interior with respect to National Park System land and public land.
The portion of the Northern Rocky Mountains in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, and Washington as depicted on maps referred to in this Act.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology