Congress

National Park Service $24B Maintenance Backlog Awaits Congress

The national park maintenance backlog for the National Park Service (NPS) reached $24.237 billion for fiscal 2025, the largest deferred-maintenance total...

Congress

Tribal Co-Management of Federal Lands Raises Issues for Congress

Congress faces questions about how much authority Native American tribes should have in managing federal lands, including whether federal agencies should...

Legislation

Good Neighbor Law Runs Into Legal Questions On Timber Program

The Good Neighbor Authority (GNA), which lets the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior authorize states, counties, and Tribes conduct land management...

Public Lands

Colorado River Framework Faces Gap Between Law and Water Supply

Colorado River water supplies nearly 40 million people and irrigates approximately 5.5 million acres across a basin spanning more than 246,000 square miles,...

Government Operations

Federal Agencies Split On E-Bike Rules For Public Lands

Congress is addressing inconsistent regulations surrounding e-bikes and their use on nonmotorized trails, and the stakes are substantial. Interior...

Energy

House Approves Bills on Energy and Tribal Rights

The House Natural Resources Committee approved 17 bills on September 15, advancing Trump administration priorities on energy development and resource...

Legislation

House Weighs Eight Water, Wildlife and Access Bills

Why it matters: A House Natural Resources Committee subcommittee held a legislative hearing Sept. 16 on eight water, wildlife and public-access bills,...

Congress

House Weighs Fort Ontario Park Proposal

The House Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a congressional hearing Sept. 16 to consider nine bills covering public-land management and historically...

Lobbying Activity

Idaho Department of Lands Lobbies on Payette Lake Land Exchange

The Idaho Department of Lands engaged Freemyer & Associates PC as their lobbying representative on Natural Resources (NAT) issues. The filing centers on...

Congress

Congressional Report Examines Federal Land Ownership and Management

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) report “Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data,” updated September 14, estimates that the federal government...

Environment

Water Authority Expands Lobbying on Central Valley Water Policy

The registration identifies Natural Resources and Environmental/Superfund as lobbying issues for the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority. Invariant LLC...

Environment

House Passes Bill to Codify Wildlife Refuge Invasive Species Strike Teams

The House passed the National Wildlife Refuge System Invasive Species Strike Team Act of 2025, designated H.R. 4219, on Sept. 14, advancing legislation that...

Public Lands

Federal Oil, Gas and Geothermal Leasing Under Review

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) updated its report, "Considerations for Federal Leasing of Onshore Energy: Oil and Gas and Geothermal Power," on...

Politics

Trump Directives Highlight Two Paths for Federal Place Names

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) sets geographic names for federal use, placing presidential renaming directives within an existing system for...

Environment

Congress Backs National Estuaries Week Designation

Lawmakers from both parties have coalesced around a resolution designating the week of September 19 through September 26, 2026, as National Estuaries Week....

Government Operations

Congress Weighs Army Corps Provisions in Water Resources Act

Two competing water resources bills are advancing through Congress as the Army Corps of Engineers faces unprecedented executive branch pressure to halt...

Legislation

Committee Will Weigh Nine Public Lands Bills

Nine bills addressing public lands, national parks and historic sites will be considered at a legislative hearing before the House Natural Resources...