Sponsors
The bill shifts management toward prioritizing wildfire-risk reduction, habitat/water conservation, protected seasonal recreation, and limited federal spending on roads while encouraging local acquisition partners — but it risks reducing Forest Service capacity and research, limiting parcel development and year‑round access, and complicating emergency or infrastructure needs, trading broader conservation and taxpayer protections against narrower access, staffing, and safety risks.
Residents in wildfire-prone, nearby communities (homeowners and rural communities) benefit because the bill directs prioritization of hazardous-fuels/wildfire-risk reduction projects that reduce risk to homes and communities.
Residents and visitors (rural communities, local governments, and outdoor users) benefit because the bill conserves and/or provides for acquisition and management of the specified parcel to preserve natural character, wildlife habitat, and public enjoyment.
Communities relying on Forest Service-managed sources (rural communities, hospitals, schools) benefit from maintenance and improvement of drinking-water resources on Forest Service lands.
Residents in wildfire-prone areas (rural communities and homeowners) face higher wildfire risk because reduced Forest Service staffing could mean fewer hazardous-fuels reduction projects actually get done.
Rural communities, local governments, and businesses could face limited development, higher costs, and impaired emergency access because prohibiting year‑round roads or utility corridors on the parcel can block needed infrastructure and complicate responses when seasonal routes are impassable.
Communities and resource managers (rural communities, universities) face weaker long-term forest and water outcomes because cuts to science and research may degrade evidence-based management for pests, fire, and water.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits federal funding for year‑round roads or utility corridors on a specified part of White River National Forest, limits access to existing seasonal routes, and directs the Forest Service to seek to acquire a 680‑acre parcel for conservation.
Introduced March 24, 2026 by Michael F. Bennet · Last progress March 24, 2026
Prohibits use of federal funds to create year‑round roads or utility corridors on a specifically described portion of the White River National Forest in Colorado, limits access on that land to existing (as of March 2023) unpaved seasonal routes under enforceable permits, and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to seek to acquire a 680‑acre parcel (Berlaimont Estates) from willing sellers for conservation and public use. The bill also records findings about a large Forest Service staffing decline in 2025 and the resulting reductions in hazardous fuels projects, trail maintenance, and research, and emphasizes priorities the Forest Service should follow given limited staff. The Secretary must coordinate with Colorado, Eagle County, and local land trusts, preserve use of Forest Service roads that exist on enactment, and submit a report to Congress within 180 days describing steps taken to acquire the parcel and related actions.