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S. 446 would prohibit Big Cypress National Preserve, a 729,000-acre freshwater swamp ecosystem in Florida managed by the National Park Service, from being designated as wilderness or included in the National Wilderness Preservation System. The bill has passed committee review and is eligible for a floor vote in the Senate.
Wilderness designations typically restrict development, commercial activities, permanent structures, and roads. In contrast, natural preserves like Big Cypress currently allow certain activities such as hunting and oil and gas exploration. If enacted, this bill would ensure Big Cypress remains classified as a preserve rather than wilderness, preserving the ability to conduct these resource-related activities within the area.
For Florida residents and visitors, this would mean the preserve would continue operating under its current management rules, maintaining access for hunting and other recreational uses while allowing energy development to proceed. Environmental advocates who support wilderness protection would see this as limiting conservation measures, while those favoring resource access would view it as protecting economic opportunities.
AI-generated summary
Congress
119th Congress
Introduced
Feb 6, 2025
No CBO cost estimate has been published for this bill.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.
Dec 9, 2025
Dec 9, 2025 · 15:00
The Senate National Parks Subcommittee held a hearing on December 9, 2025, to examine approximately 30 bills related to the National Park System, historic sites, memorials, and public lands. The bills covered diverse topics including emergency communications upgrades at national parks, Holocaust education studies, boundary adjustments for various parks, establishment of new historic sites, and designation of wild and scenic rivers. Notable bills examined included S.2308, the PATRIOT Parks Act, which would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to collect surcharges from international visitors to national park units; S.1131, to establish the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve in Georgia; and S.1777, to expand Joshua Tree National Park and rename a visitor center. The hearing also addressed memorials and commemorative works, including bills related to Medal of Honor recipients, World War II women's contributions, and Justice Thurgood Marshall. Witness testimony was made available at the start of the hearing, though specific witness names and testimony details are not yet publicly documented. The hearing represents the subcommittee's review of pending legislation before determining whether to advance any bills for further consideration.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably and an amendment to the title.
Feb 4, 2026
Feb 4, 2026 · 14:30
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a business meeting on February 4, 2026, to consider a diverse package of 30 bills spanning public lands management, conservation efforts, and historic site designations. The bills addressed varied topics including travel management plans in Utah, wildfire response improvements, emergency communications upgrades in national parks, water conservation programs, wilderness designations, ranger district transfers, and the establishment or redesignation of historic sites and memorials across multiple states. No witnesses were listed for this business meeting, which is typical for sessions focused on committee consideration and procedural votes rather than substantive testimony. Business meetings differ from legislative hearings in that they involve committee members voting on bills rather than hearing public testimony. The bills ranged from relatively narrow measures, such as renaming interpretive centers and amphitheaters after notable figures, to more substantive policy changes affecting federal land management and conservation programs. The package included bills to designate new national historic sites, expand national park boundaries, establish memorial museums, and authorize funding for river restoration and species conservation initiatives. As with all committee business meetings, consideration of these bills does not guarantee their advancement. The committee's actions at this meeting would determine whether individual bills move forward for further consideration by the full Senate.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.
Dec 9, 2025
Dec 9, 2025 · 15:00
The Senate National Parks Subcommittee held a hearing on December 9, 2025, to examine approximately 30 bills related to the National Park System, historic sites, memorials, and public lands. The bills covered diverse topics including emergency communications upgrades at national parks, Holocaust education studies, boundary adjustments for various parks, establishment of new historic sites, and designation of wild and scenic rivers. Notable bills examined included S.2308, the PATRIOT Parks Act, which would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to collect surcharges from international visitors to national park units; S.1131, to establish the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve in Georgia; and S.1777, to expand Joshua Tree National Park and rename a visitor center. The hearing also addressed memorials and commemorative works, including bills related to Medal of Honor recipients, World War II women's contributions, and Justice Thurgood Marshall. Witness testimony was made available at the start of the hearing, though specific witness names and testimony details are not yet publicly documented. The hearing represents the subcommittee's review of pending legislation before determining whether to advance any bills for further consideration.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably and an amendment to the title.
Feb 4, 2026
Feb 4, 2026 · 14:30
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a business meeting on February 4, 2026, to consider a diverse package of 30 bills spanning public lands management, conservation efforts, and historic site designations. The bills addressed varied topics including travel management plans in Utah, wildfire response improvements, emergency communications upgrades in national parks, water conservation programs, wilderness designations, ranger district transfers, and the establishment or redesignation of historic sites and memorials across multiple states. No witnesses were listed for this business meeting, which is typical for sessions focused on committee consideration and procedural votes rather than substantive testimony. Business meetings differ from legislative hearings in that they involve committee members voting on bills rather than hearing public testimony. The bills ranged from relatively narrow measures, such as renaming interpretive centers and amphitheaters after notable figures, to more substantive policy changes affecting federal land management and conservation programs. The package included bills to designate new national historic sites, expand national park boundaries, establish memorial museums, and authorize funding for river restoration and species conservation initiatives. As with all committee business meetings, consideration of these bills does not guarantee their advancement. The committee's actions at this meeting would determine whether individual bills move forward for further consideration by the full Senate.
