Bill > S2967

This bill addresses federal land management along the U.S. southern and northern borders, establishing several key provisions to enhance border security and environmental management. The bill creates the Border Fuels Management Initiative, which requires federal land management agencies to reduce hazardous fuels, address invasive species, and install fuel breaks on covered federal lands near borders. It grants the Department of Homeland Security expanded access to wilderness areas for border security purposes, including the ability to construct roads, use motor vehicles, conduct patrols, and deploy tactical infrastructure. The bill mandates inventorying roads and trails created by illegal border crossings and requires comprehensive reporting on environmental damage and safety impacts caused by unauthorized border crossings. Additionally, the legislation prohibits using federal funds to house unauthorized immigrants on federal lands, except in detention facilities, and ensures that existing legal land uses like grazing and recreation are not restricted. The bill specifically protects tribal sovereignty and does not apply to state or private lands, focusing instead on federally managed territories within 100 miles of the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2967/all-info