Sponsors (10)
Authorizes the Secretary to acquire ~6,100 acres by donation or exchange and add those tracts to Big Bend National Park, prohibiting condemnation.
The bill expands and formalizes protections and public clarity for Big Bend National Park (adding about 6,100 acres and an official map) while relying on voluntary land transfers and creating potential limits on nearby private uses and new maintenance costs for the Park Service.
Visitors and nearby rural communities gain roughly 6,100 acres added to Big Bend National Park, protecting more natural, cultural, and scenic resources and expanding recreation opportunities.
Taxpayers face lower immediate federal outlays for land acquisition because the Act limits additions to donation or exchange rather than requiring government purchases.
Local governments and nearby communities get clearer, official park boundary information because the Act establishes an official map of tracts and requires it to be available for inspection.
Homeowners and local governments near the park may face limits on private land use, development, grazing, or other economic options as boundaries are formalized or acreage is added to the park.
Taxpayers and the National Park Service could face higher ongoing management and maintenance costs to care for the larger park area, potentially diverting resources from other NPS priorities if additional funding isn't provided.
Adjacent landowners could experience increased federal oversight or land-management restrictions because formalizing the map and statutory references clarifies where federal park rules apply.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Official title: To adjust the boundary of Big Bend National Park in the State of Texas, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 25, 2025 by Tony Gonzales · Last progress March 25, 2025
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, through the National Park Service, to acquire about 6,100 acres of land or interests in land shown on an official map and to add those acquired tracts to Big Bend National Park. Acquisitions may occur by donation or exchange only; the Secretary is explicitly barred from using eminent domain or condemnation to acquire property under this Act. Defines the official map and key terms and requires that, once acquired, the lands be administered as part of the Park under existing laws and regulations.