PUBLIC Lands Act

Last action on Feb 12, 2026Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on...

Summary

S. 3526, the PUBLIC Lands Act, would expand protections for California's public lands across three regions: Northwest California, the Central Coast, and the Los Angeles area. If enacted, the bill would permanently protect over 900,000 acres of public lands, designate nearly 600,000 acres of new wilderness, and protect nearly 700 miles of new wild and scenic rivers. The bill would also expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument by over 100,000 acres.

Beyond land protection, the bill would establish a California Public Land Remediation Partnership to restore approximately 871,000 acres of forests damaged by illegal marijuana cultivation and other illegal activities, particularly in high fire-risk areas of Humboldt and Trinity counties. This restoration effort would aim to improve water quality, reduce wildfire threats to communities, and support ecosystem health. The bill would also create a National Recreation Area in the San Gabriel Valley to increase outdoor access for Los Angeles residents, many of whom live in areas with limited access to parks and natural spaces.

Lifecycle of the Bill

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.

Feb 12, 2026

HearingSenateMeeting

Feb 12, 2026 · 15:00

Hearings to examine S.462, to provide for economic development and conservation in Washoe County, Nevada, S.1349, to withdraw the National Forest System land in the Ruby Mountains subdistrict of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the National Wildlife Refuge System land in Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Elko and White Pine Counties, Nevada, from operation under the mineral leasing laws, S.1464, to withdraw certain Bureau of Land Management land from mineral development, S.1497, to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to establish the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and to modify the boundary of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, S.1981, to require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to utilize grazing for wildfire risk reduction, S.2417, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to issue a special use permit with respect to the maintaining of a flagpole bearing the flag of the United States at Kyhv Peak Lookout Point, Utah, S.2554, to provide for the recognition of certain Alaska Native communities and the settlement of certain claims under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, S.2754, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to the City of Ouray, Colorado, certain land managed by the Forest Service, together with a reservoir, S.2787, to amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to ensure that ranchers who have grazing agreements on national grasslands are treated the same as permittees on other Federal land, S.2860, to unleash United States offshore critical minerals and resources, S.2968, to ensure access to certain public land, S.3004, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain Bureau of Land Management land to the city of Price, Utah, S.3082, to prohibit oil and natural gas exploration, development, and production in certain areas of the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, S.3493, to provide for the conveyance of certain Federal land in Carson City, Nevada, S.3526, to provide for the protection of and investment in certain Federal land in the State of California, S.3527, to release from wilderness study area designation certain land in the State of Montana, to improve the management of that land, S.3695, to amend Public Law 96-586 to modernize the authority of the Forest Service to acquire and administer land under that Act, H.R.204, to require that the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior submit accurate reports regarding hazardous fuels reduction activities, H.R.677, to establish a process to expedite the review of appeals of certain decisions by the Department of the Interior, H.R.952, to convey the reversionary interest of the United States in certain land in Sacramento, California, H.R.1829, to require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain lands within the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, H.R.3872, to amend the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands to make that Act applicable to hardrock minerals, H.R.3937, to provide for the conveyance of certain Federal land in Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.

Committee

Public Lands, Forests, and Mining

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Summary

On February 12, 2026, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining held a legislative hearing to examine 23 bills addressing public lands management, conservation, and resource development. The bills covered diverse topics including economic development and conservation in Nevada, mineral withdrawal protections in Nevada and Utah, wildfire mitigation through grazing, offshore critical minerals development, and land conveyances to local governments in Colorado and Utah. The hearing examined legislation with varying policy approaches. Some bills sought to withdraw federal lands from mineral leasing and development, such as S. 1349 to protect the Ruby Mountains and Ruby Lake areas in Nevada. Others focused on land management tools, including S. 1981, the Strategic Grazing to Reduce Risk of Wildfire Act, which would authorize grazing as a wildfire prevention strategy. Subcommittee Chairman Barrasso highlighted his Grasslands Grazing Act, noting that "Federal grazing is a necessary tool for wildfire prevention and promoting rangeland health." Additional bills addressed land conveyances to municipalities, access to public lands, and modernization of federal land acquisition authority. The hearing did not result in immediate action on the bills. A legislative hearing allows committees to gather information and perspectives before deciding whether to advance legislation, but the hearing itself does not guarantee that any of the bills will move forward.

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PUBLIC Lands Act

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PUBLIC Lands Act

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Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

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