H.R. 3930: Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025
This bill, titled the Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025, aims to provide enduring protection for specific areas within the National Forest System that are classified as inventoried roadless areas. Below are the key aspects of the legislation:
Objectives
- To safeguard the unique social and ecological values of inventoried roadless areas.
- To maintain healthy watersheds, ensuring clean water supply for various uses such as domestic, agricultural, and industrial needs.
- To protect habitats for fish and wildlife, promoting biodiversity and decreasing habitat fragmentation.
- To support outdoor recreational opportunities like hiking, fishing, and camping.
- To respect and preserve the spiritual and cultural practices of Native Americans and other groups that utilize these areas.
Key Findings
The bill articulates that:
- Roadless areas contribute significantly to public health by providing clean drinking water and reducing water filtration needs.
- They serve as critical habitats for many vulnerable species and help control the spread of invasive species.
- Maintaining these areas in a naturally undisturbed state saves communities money and resources.
- Wildfires are less frequent in roadless areas, offering a level of protection to nearby communities.
Provisions
Under this legislation:
- The Secretary of Agriculture, through the Chief of the Forest Service, is mandated to prohibit road construction, road reconstruction, or logging in designated inventoried roadless areas.
- Existing management practices and multiple uses of these areas will continue, without imposing new limitations on the access or use of national forests, state lands, or other private lands that do not fall under the roadless area designation.
- The bill does not impose restrictions on the development of hydropower projects in these protected areas.
Definitions
This bill includes specific definitions such as:
- Inventoried roadless area: Any area that is subject to regulations limiting road construction and logging under the existing Roadless Rule.
- Roadless Rule: A set of regulations established in 2001 to manage roadless areas, with specific modifications made for states like Idaho and Colorado in the following years.
- Secretary: Refers to the Secretary of Agriculture overseeing the implementation of this legislation.
Impact on Watersheds and Ecosystems
The bill emphasizes that protecting these roadless areas will:
- Ensure the conservation of natural landscapes that are vital for wildlife.
- Support a variety of recreational activities, thereby boosting local economies that rely on tourism and recreation.
Relevant Companies
- PLUG - Plug Power Inc. may be affected if the bill influences energy projects reliant on forested areas.
- NEE - NextEra Energy Inc. could see implications for future renewable energy projects near protected areas.
This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.
Sponsors
45 bill sponsors
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TrackAndrea Salinas
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TrackYassamin Ansari
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TrackBecca Balint
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TrackDonald S. Beyer, Jr.
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TrackSuzanne Bonamici
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TrackJulia Brownley
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TrackSalud O. Carbajal
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TrackEd Case
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TrackSean Casten
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TrackJudy Chu
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TrackSteve Cohen
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TrackAngie Craig
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TrackSharice Davids
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TrackDiana DeGette
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TrackSuzan K. DelBene
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TrackMaxine Dexter
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TrackDebbie Dingell
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TrackCleo Fields
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TrackJared Huffman
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TrackSara Jacobs
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TrackPramila Jayapal
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TrackHenry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr.
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TrackRaja Krishnamoorthi
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TrackRick Larsen
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TrackZoe Lofgren
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TrackDoris O. Matsui
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TrackBetty McCollum
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TrackJames P. McGovern
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TrackDave Min
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TrackGwen Moore
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TrackKevin Mullin
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TrackJoe Neguse
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TrackEleanor Holmes Norton
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TrackJimmy Panetta
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TrackChellie Pingree
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TrackMike Quigley
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TrackJanice D. Schakowsky
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TrackAdam Smith
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TrackMelanie A. Stansbury
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TrackRashida Tlaib
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TrackJill N. Tokuda
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TrackPaul Tonko
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TrackGabe Vasquez
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TrackMaxine Waters
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TrackBonnie Watson Coleman
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Actions
2 actions
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Jun. 11, 2025 | Introduced in House |
| Jun. 11, 2025 | Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. |
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