Wyoming Public Lands Initiative Act of 2025

H.R. 1472 would redesignate land within certain wilderness study areas across Wyoming. The bill would establish new wilderness areas, including the Encampment River Canyon Wilderness and several others, adding them to the National Wilderness Preservation System. It would also create special management areas like the Black Cat and Sweetwater Rocks areas, which would restrict new permanent road construction and limit motorized vehicle use except for administrative, emergency, fire management, and resource management purposes. Additionally, the bill would release portions of some wilderness study areas from wilderness protection, allowing for other uses such as mineral leasing and travel management, though with certain restrictions such as prohibiting new wind or solar projects on some released lands. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources and has not yet been voted on by the full chamber.