Public Lands Bills in the 118th Congress

The list below, in alphabetical order, is composed of the bills that NPCA has supported as they have gone through their relevant committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act (H.R. 3448 / S. 3568): NPCA supports this legislation which strengthens the ability to protect and rehabilitate battlefields across the country through the American Battlefield Protection Program managed by the NPS. The bill also expands the list of organizations and entities, including tribes, eligible to directly receive American Battlefield Protection Program grants, targets ABPP grants towards priority battlefield protection, enhancement, and restoration projects, and “creates a process for expanding and updating battlefield boundaries.”

Atchafalaya National Heritage Area Boundary Modification Act (H.R. 6843 / S. 3542): NPCA supports this legislation which would allow the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area to expand to include portions of Bayou Lafourche. This modification would provide heritage area managers with the opportunity to enhance their interpretive and preservation priorities and services provided to their constituents.

Big Bend National Park Boundary Adjustment Act (H.R. 1544 / S. 1059): NPCA supports this legislation which would adjust the boundary of Big Bend National Park to include the Terlingua Creek property and bring a rare new water source and sensitive cultural resources ranging from prehistoric fossils to historic runs under the protection of the National Park Service. Big Bend National Park is a treasured destination for Texans and visitors from all over the world, preserving breathtaking landscapes rich in desert wildlife and thousands of years of history. The soaring vistas, epic hikes and some of the darkest skies in the world brought 581,000 visitors, a record number, to the park in 2021 and increased visitation by 76% over the last decade. This addition will enhance the protection of the park, bring inholdings into the boundaries, will not increase park management cost and provide a much-needed buffer from any potential development along the park’s western edge, ensuring the iconic and inspirational park will remain protected for generations to come to enjoy.

Cahokia Mounds Mississippian Culture Study Act (S. 4164): NPCA supports this legislation which authorizes a special resource study of the Cahokia Mounds and surrounding lands to consider a federal effort to preserve and interpret the historic, cultural and natural resources associated with the life of the Mississippian Culture. This site is an established Illinois State Historic Site as well as a World Heritage Site. Currently managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, it is the state’s most-visited historic site.

Cerro de la Olla Wilderness Establishment Act (H.R. 1303 / S. 593): Cerro de la Olla is an exceptional tract of land with unique, lush, forested wildlife habitat rising out of sage plateau in the middle of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. It is ancestral Taos Pueblo land and an important part of Hispano land grant history, and absolutely deserving of formal wilderness designation to permanently protect its many special qualities, resources and deep cultural history. NPCA supports this legislation along with the Taos Pueblo Tribe, members of the traditional local Hispano community and many others.

César E. Chávez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park Act (H.R. 2446 / S. 1097): NPCA supports this legislation, which would establish a historical park to preserve and interpret the stories of the Latinos, Filipinos, women and numerous other groups that fought alongside César Chávez and helped found the United Farm Workers (UFW), one of the most consequential movements of the 20th Century. The new park would include sites in Arizona and California and build upon the existing César Chávez National Monument in Keene, CA. The sites represent locations critical to Chávez’s development as a labor and civil rights leader, the first headquarters of the UFW, a retirement village built by volunteers for elderly Filipino farm workers and other significant locales. Additionally, the legislation calls for the examination of a potential National Historic Trail following the route of the nearly 300-mile march from Delano to Sacramento by farmworkers in 1965. The march brought national attention to the plight of workers in the fields and their harsh conditions and meager pay. César Chávez and the Farmworker Movement transformed agriculture and labor organizing in the American West and brought dignity, fair pay and better working conditions to hundreds of thousands of workers.

Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act (H.R. 3062 / S. 1404): NPCA supports the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act, which would prohibit future oil and gas development by the Bureau of Land Management within a 10-mile protection zone around the park. Withdrawing more than 300,000 acres from these extractive activities will preserve sacred sites of great significance to human history, help address some of the public health concerns of neighboring communities and tribes, and ensure the park’s exceptional resources are protected.

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission Extension Act (H.R. 1727 / S. 924): NPCA supports this bill to amend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Development Act to extend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission. For more than 40 years, the C&O Canal National Historical Park Advisory Commission has served as a connector between the National Park Service and the many communities that surround the park. C&O Canal National Historical Park is unique because it includes a historic towpath, heavily used for recreation, that extends 184.5 miles through the District of Columbia, Maryland and West Virginia. The Advisory Commission plays an important role in engaging states and local municipalities in operations, maintenance and restoration efforts. Extending the Commission for an additional 10 years is critical as visitation continues to increase—which now exceeds 5 million hikers, campers, bicyclists and history enthusiasts annually.

Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act (H.R. 5045 / S. 2620): NPCA supports this legislation which would establish a new park unit bringing several land-based areas of the Chesapeake Bay under the protection of the National Park Service (NPS). This new national park unit would expand public access to the Bay’s shores and waters, help the NPS, Tribes, and Chesapeake watermen interpret thousands of years of impactful history, and bring economic growth to nearby communities. The protected sites would include the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, The Burtis House, and Whitehall in Annapolis, Maryland, and the North Beach of Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia.

Chiricahua National Park Act (H.R. 1479 / S. 736): Visitors to Chiricahua National Monument experience a “wonderland of rocks” whether they stop at viewpoints to overlook the vast fields of rock pinnacles or walk on trails that wind through these amazing formations. The monument protects beautiful forests and wildlife, and the well-preserved Faraway Ranch helps us understand how settlers once lived in this isolated area in the southwestern mountains. Cochise County and many nearby towns and Chambers of Commerce support elevating its status to Chiricahua National Park. Recognizing the unit’s remarkable features and national significance, NPCA supports redesignating the site as Chiricahua National Park.

Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act (H.R. 3437 / S. 1634): NPCA supports this legislation to protect nearly 400,000 acres of public lands in Colorado, including providing a long overdue boundary designation for the Curecanti National Recreation Area (NRA), which would officially authorize establishment of the area as part of the National Park System. Although the NRA was created in 1965, it was never afforded enabling legislation by Congress, and therefore its boundary was never designated. This administrative deficiency has limited the National Park Service’s ability to efficiently manage the area with long-lasting protections. The CORE Act fixes this by providing an appropriate boundary through transfer and exchange of land with the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. The proposed boundary adjustment is the result of a years-long extensive public planning process and will allow NPS to work with landowners to enhance the long-term conservation of natural, recreational and scenic resources within the park unit while creating a comprehensive management plan.

D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act (H.R. 4984): NPCA supports this bill to transfer administrative jurisdiction over the Stadium Campus from the NPS to the General Services Administration, which will collaborate with the District of Columbia to efficiently plan for appropriate uses of the land going forward. We support the requirements detailed in this bill to ensure that there are no adverse impacts to any lands under jurisdiction of the NPS, including surrounding wetlands, as well as improved public water access to the Anacostia River and preservation of the Anacostia River Trail. The Park Service is guided by the Organic Act of 1916 and should remain so. There is no standard for “material degrade” of a National Park System unit, and Congress should not create a lower standard of protection for a park unit.

Delaware River Basin Conservation Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1395 / S. 654): NPCA supports this legislation which would reauthorize the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program through 2030, continuing to affirm the national and historical significance of the Delaware River Watershed as a resource worth protecting. The Delaware River Basin is an economic generator for its surrounding communities— it contributes approximately $25 billion annually in economic activity and $21 billion in ecosystem goods and services and supports an internationally renowned cold-water fishery that generates over $21 million in annual revenue through tourism and recreational activities. H.R. 1395 will ensure the continued protection and restoration of this critical watershed is a national priority, we urge Congress support this legislation.

Finger Lakes National Heritage Area Act (H.R. 5954 / S. 2743): NPCA supports this legislation to establish a new national heritage area in New York with one reservation. Any expansion of the National Heritage Area System must be accompanied by a commensurate increase in funding levels for heritage areas via the NPS Heritage Partnership Preservation program, which remains underfunded.

Fire Island AIDS Memorial Act (H.R. 6812 / S. 3534): NPCA supports this legislation with the understanding that NPS will have the discretion to select the best location for the Memorial within Fire Island National Seashore, in cooperation with local advocates. The memorial will enhance interpretation of the cultural landscape which has long co-existed at this ecologically-sensitive park site. This memorial should highlight the national significance of the AIDS epidemic to educate park visitors while also honoring the memory of those affected by the epidemic.

Indian Buffalo Management Act (H.R. 6368 / S. 2908): NPCA supports this legislation, which would expand the capacity of Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to restore, conserve and enhance buffalo populations and habitat through the establishment of a permanent program for buffalo restoration in the Department of the Interior. Historically buffalo were found throughout North America, including lands that are now designated as national parks. This legislation is an important step in returning and sustaining buffalo on tribal lands and ensuring tribes have access to buffalo for cultural, spiritual and subsistence purposes. The bill also includes a provision which would support the transfer of buffalo from federal lands to tribal lands, which could expand opportunities for disease-free Yellowstone buffalo to be transferred to tribal lands rather than being subjected to the ship-to-slaughter program that takes place yearly.

Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act (H.R. 8259 / S. 4227): NPCA supports this legislation which expands the boundary of Joshua Tree National Park in California, consistent with the findings of the Park Service’s 2016 Boundary Expansion Study. The lands to be incorporated are surrounded on three sides by Joshua Tree National Park. Including these lands in Joshua Tree supports conservation and recreation goals in this region.

Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park Act (H.R. 9691 / S. 5122): NPCA supports this bill, which establishes the San Domingo School, a Rosenwald School, as a unit of the National Park System. The bill also establishes a network of Rosenwald Schools to be managed by the National Park Service that will provide technical assistance and grants to eligible partners. Julius Rosenwald was the son of German Jewish immigrants and was born in Springfield, Illinois in 1862. After following his uncles into the retail clothing trade he joined Sears, Roebuck, and Company in the late 1890s. Rosenwald’s exceptional business acumen help make Sears into a retail powerhouse and brought him enormous wealth. Rosenwald would use much of his fortune to support the cause of African American education. Teaming up with Booker T. Washington the two men began raising money to construct schools throughout the southern United States for African American children. The Rosenwald Schools were some of the first permanent educational facilities that many of these communities had ever seen.

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument Access Act (S. 4209): NPCA supports this legislation which would make Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument more accessible for visitors. The bill allows the Park Service to acquire land from willing sellers to facilitate a new southern entrance to the monument on existing roads from Millinocket. The larger vision for Katahdin has included a southern entrance where there are many amenities including lodging, restaurants and retailers. With the opening of a new philanthropically-led visitor center in the monument this summer, this bill is perfectly timed to allow the Park Service to acquire these roads as they plan for increasing visitation.

Lahaina National Heritage Area Act (H.R. 8219 / S. 4259): NPCA supports this legislation which calls for a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of potentially designating the Lahaina National Heritage Area. We also note that the addition of new heritage areas must be accompanied by a commensurate increase in the funding of the National Heritage Area program via the NPS Heritage Partnership Program.

Land Manager Housing and Workforce Improvement Act (S. 5125): NPCA supports this legislation that provides additional authorities for funding and partnerships to the Secretary of the Interior to help address the workforce housing crisis. National park units throughout the country are struggling to provide adequate and affordable housing for their employees because current government provided housing requires major repair and gateway community housing prices have skyrocketed. The NPS maintains over 5,500 employee housing units in 216 park units due to their remote locations. The average age of housing assets is 61 years and the most recent assessment by NPS states that 3,661 (66%) of the housing assets need $383 million in repair. Therefore, in addition to these additional authorities, Congress must invest robust federal funding to address housing needs through annual appropriations bills or a dedicated funding source.

M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act (H.R. 1611 / S. 776):  NPCA supports this legislation, which would designate segments of the Gila River in New Mexico as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. This designation will ensure long-term protection of the Gila’s riparian ecosystem and its threatened and endangered species, while also protecting clean water for outdoor recreation, local communities and the region’s economy. It will carry immediate benefits for Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument and surrounding public lands and wilderness.

Mojave National Preserve Boundary Adjustment Act (S. 4222): NPCA supports this legislation which incorporates the Castle Mountains National Monument into the Mojave National Preserve in the California desert. Castle Mountains National Monument is surrounded on three sides by the Mojave National Preserve, and both units of the National Park System share the same budget. Consolidation streamlines management and planning which supports conservation and recreation goals in this region.

Montana Headwaters Legacy Act (S. 3346): NPCA supports this legislation, which would designate segments of twenty rivers and streams in Montana as wild, scenic or recreational rivers. These designations, many of which are in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, would help ensure that 385 miles of waterways in the state would remain clean for generations to come. These rivers, in addition to being some of the best recreation destinations in the world, are also critical to ecosystem health and help support countless species such as the Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

Mount Blue Sky Wilderness Act (H.R. 5962 / S. 3044): NPCA supports this legislation to change the name of Colorado’s Mount Evans Wilderness to the Mount Blue Sky Wilderness as proposed by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. The change aligns with the U.S. Board of Geographic Names’ recent decision to officially rename Mount Evans to Mount Blue Sky. The Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park System, recognizes the atrocities committed by the U.S. Army against the Cheyenne and Arapaho in 1864, orchestrated by the then territorial governor John Evans. On November 29, 1864, U.S. soldiers killed 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho people at Sand Creek — most of them women, children, and the elderly. Shamefully, a year later, a prominent Colorado Front Range mountain was named Mt. Evans and in 1980 an additional 74,000 acres within this landscape was named the Mount Evans Wilderness area. For many years, the dishonorable name of this highly visited landscape has ignored the painful truth while perpetuating multigenerational trauma for the Cheyenne and Arapaho. The Mount Blue Sky Wilderness Act is a long overdue step toward honoring the Cheyenne and Arapaho, confronting our past and enhancing our public lands for future generations.

New York-New Jersey Watershed Protection Act (H.R. 2982 / S. 1335): NPCA supports this legislation, which establishes a program to coordinate restoration and protection of habitat for fish and wildlife and improvements to water quality within the New York – New Jersey Watershed among federal, state, Tribal, local and regional entities and conservation partners. This program also provides technical assistance and awards grants for restoration projects in environmental justice communities within the watershed.

Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act (H.R. 8182 / S. 4216): NPCA supports establishing the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve in the State of Georgia and we believe the original land acquisition boundary better achieves the conservation and historic preservation goals of the local communities. We look forward to working with the committee to protect the natural and cultural resources of the Ocmulgee River corridor and enhance Tribal participation.

Pecos Watershed Protection Act (H.R. 5943 / S. 3033): NPCA supports this legislation, especially the benefits and protection it imparts on the water quality of the Pecos River – a crucial cold-water habitat suitable for cutthroat, brown and rainbow trout. The fishery at the Pecos River in Pecos National Monument is an important community resource and brings economic and educational benefits to the area. This legislation will protect the river from its headwaters in the Pecos Wilderness to its reaches further downstream in the community of Pecos and in Pecos National Monument by withdrawing the upper watershed from activities such as mining and appropriation and geothermal leasing, which would have direct adverse impacts on the water quality of the river downstream and land health of the watershed.

RESERVE Federal Land Act (S. 4451): NPCA supports this legislation which would result in a report that advances ongoing efforts to learn from reservation systems on public lands. As more visitors than ever before enjoy America’s public lands, land management agencies are implementing visitation strategies to provide a quality experience to visitors while protecting resources. This is especially true for the NPS, whose mandate demands the preservation of resources for generations to come. To this end, NPCA strongly supports the implementation of visitor use management systems, such as the timed entry system at Rocky Mountain National Park and the reservation system at Acadia National Park. An increase in social science resources, such as this legislation would produce, is necessary for land managers to ensure that visitor use systems continue forward with the best available information.

Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act / HIKE Act (H.R. 2887 / H.R. 5881 / S. 1466): The Rim of the Valley is an area rich in both natural and cultural resources, including critical wildlife corridors, waterways and landscapes worthy of inclusion in our National Park System. With more than 17 million people, the Los Angeles Metropolitan area is the second most populous region of the country; yet has less open space per capita than all other large cities on the west coast. NPCA supports the Rim of the Valley legislation, as it represents an opportunity to better protect and manage some of the region’s last wild lands and open spaces—including habitat for threatened species ranging from the mountain lions to the redlegged frogs—and historic sites that will allow the National Park Service to tell the story of Los Angeles’s rich and nationally-significant history. The expanded presence of the National Park Service will also facilitate new partnerships with schools, local governments and community-based organizations, expand agency-led interpretive programs, connect more youth and families to the outdoors, and build a new generation of park enthusiasts.

Salem Maritime National Historical Park Redesignation and Boundary Study Act (H.R. 1647 / S. 961): NPCA supports this legislation to redesignate Salem Maritime National Historic Site (NHS) to Salem Maritime National Historical Park and to initiate a boundary study to identify opportunities to preserve and interpret our shared defense and maritime heritage. This redesignation aligns with the increasing number of historic and cultural resources that are protected and interpreted at Salem Maritime NHS. Since the original designation in 1938, Salem Maritime NHS has acquired new properties that broadened national narratives and educate visitors about the contributions of Salem, MA to global maritime trade, northern slavery and immigration. Redesignating Salem Maritime would serve as a more accurate account of the breadth of resources and cultural landscapes that are protected and interpreted by NPS in Salem, MA. This legislation also instructs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a boundary study to evaluate the inclusion of nearby sites and resources associated with Salem’s maritime history, coastal defenses and military history, including National Guard and militia activity that date back to the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Leading up to the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, this boundary study would uncover new opportunities to preserve Salem’s defense and maritime history for future generations

To amend the Dayton Aviation Heritage Preservation Act of 1992 to adjust the boundary of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, and for other purposes (H.R. 5453 / S. 2784): NPCA supports this legislation which would adjust the boundary of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. This modification is necessary to incorporate additional facilities into the park

To provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain Federal land in the State of California, and for other purposes (S. 3045): NPCA supports this legislation to exchange land parcels between the US Forest Service (USFS) and National Park Service (NPS) within the Ackerson Meadow area shared by Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park. Following a 2016 private donation, noncontiguous portions of Ackerson Meadow were acquired by Yosemite National Park. Both NPS and USFS have sought for years to exchange a checkerboard of parcels within the jurisdiction of each agency to ensure jurisdictional boundaries within Ackerson Meadow align more seamlessly with desired park and forest boundaries. This exchange would bolster local recreation, conservation and ecosystem rehabilitation opportunities in the meadow, and is supported by relevant ranching interests with forest service grazing allotments impacted by the current boundaries.

To redesignate the Cottonwood Visitor Center at Joshua Tree National Park as the “Senator Dianne Feinstein Visitor Center” (H.R. 8258 / S. 4228): NPCA supports this legislation that recognizes the significant, decades-long efforts by Senator Dianne Feinstein to conserve Joshua Tree National Park and the California desert for the benefit of all Americans. Senator Feinstein championed the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 that established Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park and the Mojave National Preserve.

Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration Exchange Act (H.R. 3049 / S. 1405): Unified ownership and management of federal and Utah School Institutional Trust Lands Administration lands within the exterior Bears Ears National Monument boundaries by the Bureau of Land Management should lead to better protection of monument objects and values, including irreplaceable cultural, paleontological, biological and geological resources. Consolidation of federal ownership and management in the greater Nokai Dome, White Canyon, Upper Red Canyon, Copper Point and Mancos Mesa areas of San Juan County, Utah, should likewise provide for more consistent protection of many of these same resources. This legislation would accomplish many of these important goals and NPCA supports that outcome.

Vicksburg National Military Park Boundary Modification Act (S. 4994): NPCA supports this legislation which calls for the transfer of 3.66 acres of land from the NPS to the State of Mississippi to facilitate the construction of a new visitors center for Vicksburg National Military Park. The new building will be larger and include more modern interpretive displays thus significantly enhancing the visitor experience and public understanding of Vicksburg’s role as a turning point in the American Civil War.

Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (H.R. 2765 / S. 1254): NPCA supports this locally-driven legislation to designate wilderness and wild and scenic rivers in Washington state. This bill protects the ecosystems and recreational opportunities around Olympic National Park, including trail systems, habitats and vistas. The river protections will create essential connections for salmon between the mountains and the sea, especially along the Elwha River which is a world-class river restoration project within the park’s largest watershed.

Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act (H.R. 8836 / S. 4953): NPCA supports this legislation which would provide expanded resources to collaboratively conserve and restore wildlife habitat connectivity and migrations. Conserving wildlife corridors and movement areas is more important than ever. Wildlife populations that depend on national parks require connectivity to habitat beyond park boundaries to thrive. Whether it’s migrating to seasonal habitats or simply moving beyond boundaries in search of food or mates, species need the ability to move across broader park landscapes to maintain healthy park wildlife populations. While individual federal land managers, states, Tribes, and private landowners around the country are implementing actions to maintain and restore wildlife corridors and movement, there is opportunity for improved coordination. The Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act will improve collaboration across jurisdictions, expand investment in place-based projects, and support the continued identification of key migration and movement areas.

Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act (H.R. 1318 / S. 886):  NPCA conditionally supports this legislation to place the Women’s Suffrage National Monument on the National Mall that commemorates women’s fight for the vote and honor the pioneers of early American movement for women’s equality. Despite Congress’ 2003 amendment to the Commemorative Works Act determining that the National Mall is a “completed work of civic art” and establishing an area known as “the Reserve,” in which no new memorials would be placed in this location, we find the absence of any representation of women’s history most unfortunate and reversible. Should the location and design for the proposed commemorative work not fundamentally compromise the historic integrity of the National Mall, NPCA supports an exemption that would allow for the placement of this memorial.