S. 2967 · On the floor · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Border Lands Conservation Act

What it does

Directs the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to inventory existing roads and install navigable roads on federal land adjacent to the southern and northern borders to deter illegal crossings and increase Department of Homeland Security access.
Amends the Wilderness Act to permit the Secretary of Homeland Security to install roads, structures, deploy tactical infrastructure, use aircraft, and construct physical barriers within wilderness areas for border security purposes.
Prohibits the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture from impeding or restricting Department of Homeland Security activities within 100 miles of the southern or northern border for search and rescue operations or preventing unlawful entries.
Directs the Secretary concerned to inventory previously unauthorized roads and trails on covered federal land created by illegal border crossings within one year of enactment, and determine whether to maintain them for border security purposes within two years.
Requires the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to establish the Border Fuels Management Initiative within one year of enactment to reduce hazardous fuels, address invasive species, and install fuel breaks on federal land adjacent to the borders.

Oct 22, 2025: Star Print ordered on the bill.

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources