Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

This legislation funds the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Forest Service, Tribal programs like the Indian Health Service, and several museums and cultural institutions for fiscal year 2026. It pays for national parks and public lands, environmental protection, and arts and history programs, and it sets rules for how these funds can be used.

It also adds policy directions. It keeps most public lands open for hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting , allows wildfire crews to keep using aerial fire retardant , and keeps lead ammunition and fishing tackle allowed on federal lands unless local data shows a wildlife decline and the state agrees to limits. It stops several EPA air and climate rules from moving forward, including new methane fees, tighter soot standards, and heavy‑duty truck rules . It pauses or reverses some Endangered Species Act actions for certain animals (for example, lesser prairie‑chicken, wolverine, and gray wolf) . It also directs mass marking of hatchery salmon , lets Interior sign up to 10‑year agreements for the care of wild horses , and limits using funds to take federal lands off‑limits to mining or energy leasing without a new law.

• Who is affected: people who use public lands and waters; tribes and communities served by the funded agencies; hunters and anglers; and communities affected by EPA air and water rules.
• What changes: funding for parks, wildlife, environmental programs, and cultural institutions; access for hunting and fishing is protected; some EPA and wildlife regulations are put on hold; salmon are more clearly marked for harvest; long‑term care for wild horses expands.
• When: fiscal year 2026.