Sponsors (4)
Introduced August 5, 2025 by Salud Carbajal · Last progress August 5, 2025
The bill secures large-scale, long-term conservation, recreation, and wildfire-safety benefits while trading off certain local economic opportunities, increased federal management costs, and new access restrictions that will affect some users and communities.
Residents, visitors, and wildlife benefit from permanent protection of large areas (including ~203,306 acres plus additional protected parcels and river segments), preserving scenic landscapes, habitat, biodiversity, and recreation opportunities.
Communities near the protected lands gain improved wildfire preparedness and fuels management through updated plans, interagency agreements, and funding for vegetation management, reducing risk to people and property.
Hikers, trail users, and local economies gain better recreational access and connectivity (National Scenic Trail linkage, local trail studies, OHV connector), which can increase outdoor opportunities and tourism spending.
Local workers, small businesses, and resource industries face reduced economic opportunities because large tracts are withdrawn from mining, mineral leasing, timber harvest (except limited uses), and other development.
Taxpayers and federal agencies may face higher management, planning, enforcement, and acquisition costs (and agencies will need to reallocate staff/time), potentially requiring new funding or diverting resources from other programs.
Recreationists who rely on motorized access, vehicle-dependent visitors, and some local projects could lose access or face restrictions due to limits on roads, motorized use, and infrastructure — and in some cases emergency response or land-management access could be slowed without timely exceptions.
Based on analysis of 11 sections of legislative text.
Designates wilderness and wild/scenic river segments, creates scenic/special management areas, and directs multiple trail and management studies in California.
Designates multiple parcels of federal land in California as new wilderness areas and adds river segments to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system, creates two scenic areas and a special management area, and requires several studies and management plans to improve trails and recreation connectivity. It protects Tribal access for traditional cultural and religious uses, preserves valid existing rights (including grazing), restricts new mineral and road development in designated areas, and sets deadlines for studies and planning (mostly 1–5 years).