S446-119

What This Bill Does

The bill is a narrow land-management restriction. It says Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida may not be designated as wilderness and may not become a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. That would preserve more management flexibility for access, maintenance, and permitted uses that could be constrained by wilderness designation.

Who Benefits and How

Off-road recreation users and access advocates benefit because wilderness designation would normally restrict motorized use and some infrastructure activity. Local communities near Big Cypress benefit if land managers retain flexibility for access, public safety, and visitor management. State and local officials benefit from a statutory bar that settles the wilderness-designation question for the preserve. National Park Service managers benefit from clearer congressional direction on what land-management status is unavailable.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Wilderness advocates bear the burden because the bill removes a possible conservation designation for Big Cypress. National Park Service wilderness planners cannot advance a wilderness recommendation for the preserve. Habitat conservation groups lose one legal pathway for stronger restrictions on motorized access and development. Congress would need new legislation to reverse the prohibition.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits designation of Big Cypress National Preserve as wilderness.
• Prohibits adding the preserve to the National Wilderness Preservation System.
• Leaves other National Park Service management authorities in place while blocking this specific land status.