Apostle Islands National Park and Preserve Act

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Bill ID: 119/hr/5497
Last Updated: June 14, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Tiffany, Thomas P. [R-WI-7]

ID: T000165

Follow the money

The bill

Apostle Islands National Park and Preserve Act

HR. 5497, 119th Congress.

The sponsor

Rep. Tiffany, Thomas P. [R-WI-7]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$171,766 raised

20 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

55% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Department of the Interior" section, p. 563-565 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 20 - 17.

February 10, 2026

Introduced

📍 Current Status

Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.

🏛️

Committee Review

🗳️

Floor Action

✅

Passed House

🏛️

Senate Review

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another bill, another exercise in futility. Let's dissect this mess, shall we?

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Apostle Islands National Park and Preserve Act (HR 5497) is a masterclass in bureaucratic doublespeak. Its primary objective is to redesignate the existing Apostle Islands National Lakeshore as a national park and preserve, because, you know, changing the name will magically solve all its problems.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill's key provisions include:

* Redesignating the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore as a national park and preserve, with separate boundaries for each (because who needs simplicity?). * Maintaining existing hunting, fishing, and trapping regulations within the preserve, while prohibiting these activities in the national park (except where permitted by treaties or executive orders, because we love our loopholes). * Ensuring that private landowners can still hunt, fish, and trap on their own property, because God forbid we infringe upon their sacred rights. * Requiring the Secretary of the Interior to include interpretive features at visitor centers, including signage about the region's history and a copy of this very bill (because who doesn't love reading congressional legislation on vacation?).

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects are involved:

* The National Park Service, which will administer the new national park and preserve. * Local communities, who might see some economic benefits from increased tourism (but let's be real, they'll probably just get more traffic congestion). * Private landowners, who can continue to hunt, fish, and trap on their own property (yay, freedom!). * The Ojibwe tribes, whose rights are supposedly protected by this bill (though we all know how well the government usually respects Native American rights).

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a classic case of "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic." It's a symbolic gesture that will have minimal impact on the actual management and conservation of the Apostle Islands. The real issues – funding, resource allocation, and environmental degradation – are left unaddressed.

In conclusion, HR 5497 is a perfect example of congressional busywork: a bill that sounds good on paper but accomplishes little in reality. It's a Band-Aid on a bullet wound, a Potemkin village of conservation efforts. But hey, at least the politicians can pat themselves on the back and say they "did something" for the environment.

Diagnosis: Legislative Theater-itis, a chronic condition characterized by grandstanding, empty promises, and a complete lack of substance. Treatment: a healthy dose of skepticism, a strong stomach, and a willingness to call out the emperor's new clothes for what they are – a fancy facade hiding a whole lot of nothing.

Related Topics

Public Lands & Natural ResourcesWildlife & Endangered Species
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Tiffany, Thomas P. [R-WI-7]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$171,766
18 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$0
Committees
$0
Individuals
$171,766

No PAC contributions found

No organization contributions found

No committee contributions found

1
NICKLAUS, GREG
2 transactions
$26,400
2
SOLBERG, TRYGVE A
1 transaction
$13,200
3
SHANNON, JEAN L
1 transaction
$13,200
4
BUHOLZER, RONALD
1 transaction
$13,200
5
ALBEE, ALAN P
2 transactions
$13,200
6
MAYER, SCOTT A
1 transaction
$10,000
7
HILGEMANN, WILLIAM
1 transaction
$9,900
8
ZIETLOW, DONALD P
1 transaction
$6,666
9
ALDRIDGE, KENNETH
1 transaction
$6,600
10
WELTER, KATHLEEN M
1 transaction
$6,600
11
TOLL, NANCY A.
1 transaction
$6,600
12
MCCOY, DOUG M.
1 transaction
$6,600
13
FROMAN, SANDRA S.
1 transaction
$6,600
14
UIHLEIN, ELIZABETH A.
1 transaction
$6,600
15
LINK, TROY
1 transaction
$6,600
16
GARDNER, WAYNE R
1 transaction
$6,600
17
KOSER, DIANNE M W
1 transaction
$6,600
18
HENDRICKS, DIANE M
1 transaction
$6,600

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 5 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Steil, Bryan [R-WI-1]

ID: S001213

Top Contributors

10

1
FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI COMMUNITY
OrganizationCRANDON, WI
$3,300
Apr 25, 2024
2
FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI COMMUNITY
OrganizationCRANDON, WI
$3,300
Mar 22, 2023
3
OTOE MISSOURIA TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
OrganizationRED ROCK, OK
$3,300
Sep 30, 2024
4
HO CHUNK NATION
OrganizationBLACK RIVER FALLS, WI
$3,300
Oct 30, 2024
5
HO CHUNK NATION
OrganizationBLACK RIVER FALLS, WI
$2,900
Mar 13, 2023
6
CHEROKEE NATION
OrganizationTAHLEQUAH, OK
$2,500
Dec 23, 2023
7
ONEIDA NATION
OrganizationONEIDA, WI
$2,000
Jun 30, 2023
8
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationBANNING, CA
$1,500
Jun 30, 2023
9
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationBANNING, CA
$1,500
Jun 30, 2024
10
ONEIDA NATION
OrganizationONEIDA, WI
$1,300
Jun 30, 2024

Rep. Wied, Tony [R-WI-8]

ID: W000829

Top Contributors

10

1
WMC CONDUIT
COMMADISON, WI
$2,500
Sep 11, 2024
2
FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI COMMUNITY
OrganizationCRANDON, WI
$3,300
Sep 23, 2024
3
UIHLEIN, RICHARD
ULINE • VP
IndividualHUDSON, WI
$6,870
May 14, 2024
4
SEIDENSTICKER, LAURA
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualLAKE FOREST, IL
$6,870
May 16, 2024
5
FISCHER, LAURIE
SELF-EMPLOYED • CONSULTANT
IndividualONEIDA, WI
$6,600
Jul 16, 2024
6
NINIVAGGI, ANGELO
PLEXUS • ATTORNEY
IndividualAPPLETON, WI
$6,600
Apr 8, 2024
7
NINIVAGGI, JENNIFER
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualAPPLETON, WI
$6,600
Apr 9, 2024
8
CHARLES, DAVID R
CASH DEPOT • PRESIDENT
IndividualNEW FRANKEN, WI
$6,600
May 16, 2024
9
GREENE, JAMES
WG&R FURNITURE CO • CHAIRMAN
IndividualDE PERE, WI
$6,600
May 1, 2024
10
GREENE, MEGHAN
HOMEMAKER • HOMEMAKER
IndividualDE PERE, WI
$6,600
May 1, 2024

Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6]

ID: G000576

Top Contributors

10

1
HO CHUNK NATION
OrganizationBLACK RIVER FALLS, WI
$3,300
Oct 28, 2024
2
GENTINE, LOUIS P. II
SARGENTO • EXECUTIVE
IndividualELKHART LAKE, WI
$13,200
Mar 15, 2024
3
SCHLIFSKE, JOHN E.
NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL • GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
IndividualELM GROVE, WI
$6,600
Mar 22, 2024
4
SCHLIFSKE, KIM C.
HOMEMAKER • HOMEMAKER
IndividualELM GROVE, WI
$6,600
Mar 22, 2024
5
LEVY, EDWARD
EDWARD C LEVY CO • CHAIRMAN
IndividualBIRMINGHAM, MI
$6,600
Apr 10, 2024
6
KRESS, DONALD F.
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualGREEN BAY, WI
$5,000
Nov 22, 2023
7
WELLS, CECELIA A.
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualMEQUON, WI
$5,000
Jun 30, 2023
8
WELLS, CECELIA
IndividualMEQUON, WI
$5,000
Jun 30, 2023
9
AYLWARD, RICHARD J. MR.
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualNEENAH, WI
$4,000
Mar 15, 2024
10
KRESS, DONALD F.
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualGREEN BAY, WI
$3,300
Dec 31, 2023

Rep. Fitzgerald, Scott [R-WI-5]

ID: F000471

Top Contributors

10

1
HENDRICKS, DIANE M
ABC • OWNER
IndividualBELOIT, WI
$6,600
Jun 25, 2023
2
ROWAN, CAROLYN
CAROLYN ROWAN COLLECTION LLC • OWNER
IndividualGREENWICH, CT
$6,600
Aug 16, 2023
3
ROWAN, MARC J.
APOLLO GLOBAL • CEO
IndividualGREENWICH, CT
$6,600
Aug 16, 2023
4
SCHWARZMAN, STEPHEN
BLACKSTONE • CEO AND CHAIRMAN
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$6,600
Nov 13, 2023
5
SCHMIDT, TIM
DELTA DEFENSE LLC • CEO
IndividualWEST BEND, WI
$6,600
Dec 10, 2023
6
SCHWARZMAN, CHRISTINE
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$6,600
Nov 13, 2023
7
LEVY, EDWARD
EDWARD C. LEVY CO • CHAIRMAN
IndividualBIRMINGHAM, MI
$6,600
May 1, 2024
8
FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI COMMU, .
TRIBE • TRIBE
IndividualCRANDON, WI
$6,600
Jun 28, 2024
9
FISHER, SHERRILYN
PLANO 6500 LLC • MEMBER
IndividualPLANO, TX
$6,600
Jun 2, 2024
10
FISHER, KENNETH
FISHER INVESTMENTS • EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
IndividualPLANO, TX
$6,600
Jun 2, 2024

Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3]

ID: V000135

Top Contributors

10

1
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
OrganizationCHEROKEE, NC
$3,300
Dec 9, 2024
2
HO CHUNK NATION
OrganizationBLACK RIVER FALLS, WI
$3,300
Nov 2, 2024
3
FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI COMMUNITY
OrganizationCRANDON, WI
$3,300
Sep 17, 2024
4
AIPAC PAC CONDUIT ACCOUNT
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$500
Oct 23, 2024
5
ALLIANCE OF BANKERS FOR WISCONSIN
OrganizationMADISON, WI
$250
Apr 23, 2024
6
ANDERSON, JOHN R. MR.
ANDERSON ENTERPRISES LLC • OWNER
IndividualROCKFORD, IL
$10,000
Dec 19, 2023
7
BROIN, JEFF
POET LLC • CEO
IndividualSIOUX FALLS, SD
$6,600
Aug 24, 2023
8
UIHLEIN, RICHARD E. MR.
ULINE INC. • CEO
IndividualLAKE BLUFF, IL
$6,600
Feb 28, 2023
9
LEVY, EDWARD C.
EDW. C. LEVY CO. • CHAIRMAN
IndividualBIRMINGHAM, MI
$6,600
Mar 28, 2024
10
LEVY, EDWARD C.
IndividualBIRMINGHAM, MI
$6,600
May 6, 2024

Donor Network - Rep. Tiffany, Thomas P. [R-WI-7]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

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Showing 39 nodes and 35 connections (25 secondary connections hidden)

Total contributions: $247,136

Top Donors - Rep. Tiffany, Thomas P. [R-WI-7]

Showing top 18 donors by contribution amount

18 Individuals

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Department of the Interior

Weak
Vector: 60%
Pages: 563-565AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 5497 focuses on redesignating a national lakeshore in Wisconsin to enhance conservation and respect tribal treaty rights, which contrasts with Project 2025's emphasis on expanding state control over federal lands and resources in Alaska, particularly regarding wildlife management and navigable waters. The bill does not address Alaska-specific issues, federal land transfers, or the 30 by 30 plan critiques central to the Project 2025 DOI section."

Key themes:Department of the Interiorland managementtribal rights

— 531 — Department of the Interior Wildlife and Waters. Throughout Alaska’s history, the federal government has treated Alaska as less than a sovereign state. This is especially the case when it comes to two of Alaska’s most valued resources, its wildlife and its waters. Immediate action is required to end, at least in part, this injustice. A new Admin- istration should: l Revoke National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules regarding predator control and bear baiting, which are matters for state regulation. Such revocation is permitted under the 2017 Congressional Review Act.62 l Recognize Alaska’s authority to manage fish and game on all federal lands in accordance with ANILCA as during the Reagan Administration, when each DOI agency in Alaska signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game ceding to the state the lead on fish and wildlife management matters.63 l Issue a secretarial order declaring navigable waters in Alaska to be owned by the state so that the lands beneath these waters belong to Alaska. This will force the BLM to prove that water is not navigable, since in the case of non-navigability, any submerged lands belong to the BLM. Currently, BLM requires Alaska to prove navigability at its own expense—including the BLM’s preposterous assertion that the mighty Yukon River is non-navigable. l Reinstate President Trump’s 2020 Alaska Roadless Rule64 for the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, which was replaced by a Biden Roadless Rule that continues a 2001 Clinton rule affecting 9.37 million of the forest’s 16.7 million acres.65 The Clinton rule affects an area where communities are in small islands with no road access. It has prevented multiple infrastructure projects, including roads, electric transmission lines, and water and sewer projects, and it forces residents to use a heavily subsidized ferry system. Logging has been shut down to the extent that New York harvests more timber than does all of Alaska. OTHER ACTIONS The 30 by 30 Plan.66 President Biden’s Executive Order 14008 (30 by 30 plan)67 requires that the federal government, which already owns one-third of the country: (1) remove vast amounts of private property from productive use; and (2) end congressionally mandated uses of all federal land. The end result will be “total federal control of an additional 440 million acres of land or oceans in the U.S. by 2030.”68 — 532 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise Although the new President should vacate that order, DOI under a conservative President must take immediate action on the 30 by 30 plan by vacating a secre- tarial order issued by the Biden DOI69 that eliminated the Trump Administration’s requirement for the approval of state and local governments before federal acquisi- tion of private property with monies from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.70 National Monument Designations. As has every Democratic President before him beginning with Jimmy Carter, Joe Biden has abused his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906. Like the outrageous, unilateral withdrawals from public use of multiple use federal land under the Carter, Clinton, and Obama Administrations, Biden’s first national monument was one in Colorado—adopted over the objections of scores of local groups and at least one American Indian tribe.71 In the days before the 2024 election, Biden will likely designate more western monuments. Although President Trump courageously ordered a review of national mon- ument designations, the result of that review was insufficient in that only two national monuments in one state (Utah) were adjusted.72 Monuments in Maine and Oregon, for example, should have been adjusted downward given the finding of Secretary Ryan Zinke’s review that they were improperly designated. The new Administration’s review will permit a fresh look at past monument decrees and new ones by President Biden. Furthermore, the new Administration must vigorously defend the downward adjustments it makes to permit a ruling on a President’s authority to reduce the size of national monuments by the U.S. Supreme Court. Finally, the new Administration must seek repeal of the Antiquities Act of 1906, which permitted emergency action by a President long before the statutory author- ity existed for the protection of special federal lands, such as those with wild and scenic rivers, endangered specials, or other unique places. Moreover, in recent years, Congress has designated as national monuments those areas deserving of such congressional action. Oregon and California Lands Act. One national monument worthy of down- ward adjustment is in Oregon, where its designation and subsequent expansion interfere with the federal obligation to residents to harvest timber on its BLM lands. A federal district court ruled in 2019 that land subject to the Oregon and California (O&C) Grant Lands Act of 193773 was set aside by Congress to be har- vested for the benefit of the people of Oregon. Specifically, those federal lands are to be “managed…for permanent forest production” and its timber “sold, cut, and removed in conformity with the princip[le] of sustained yield.”74 As the district court concluded,75 beginning in 1990, the federal government erected a trifecta of illegal barriers to the accomplishment of the congressional mandate, beginning with a response to the listing of the northern spotted owl,76 continuing a decade later with the designation of the Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument,77 and concluding in 2017 with an expansion of that monument.78 In

Department of the Interior

Weak
Vector: 58%
Pages: 563-565AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"Both the bill and the Project 2025 section address federal land management and tribal rights, but the bill focuses on Wisconsin's Apostle Islands conservation while Project 2025 centers on Alaska energy development, land transfers, and state authority over wildlife, resulting only tangential overlap."

Key themes:tribal rightsfederal land managementhunting/fishing regulations

— 530 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise Despite the passage of nearly 40 years since the end of the Reagan Adminis- tration, the federal government has yet to fulfill its statutory obligation to Alaska and Alaska Natives—specifically, each group has 5 million acres of entitlement remaining. Standing in the way are Public Land Orders (PLOs) issued by the BLM seizing that land for the agency. Those PLOs must be lifted to permit Alaska and Alaska Natives to select what was promised by Congress. For example, revocation of PLO 515057 will provide the state of Alaska 1.3 million acres of its remaining state entitlement. This revocation should be a top priority. BLM recommended this revocation in the 2006 report to Congress based on the Alaska Land Transfer Acceleration Act, and the Interior Secretary has authority to revoke based on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act under section d(1).58 All other remaining BLM PLOs—all of which are more than 50 years old—should be revoked immediately. Alaska has untapped potential for increased oil production, which is important not just to the revitalization of the nation’s energy sector but is vital to the Alaskan economy. One-quarter of Alaska’s jobs are in the oil industry, and half of its overall economy depends on that industry. Without oil production, the Alaskan economy would be half its size. A new Administration must take the following actions immediately: l Approve the 2020 National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Integrated Activity Plan (NPRA-IAP) by resigning the Record of Decision. (Secretary Haaland’s order reverted to the 2013 IAP, the science for which is out of date, unlike the 2020 IAP.) l Reinstate the 2020 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) by secretarial order and lift the suspension of the leases. l Approve the 2020 Willow EIS, the largest pending oil and gas projection in the United States in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, and expand approval from three to five drilling pads.59 Minerals. Alaska is not just blessed with an abundance of oil, it has vast untapped mineral potential. Therefore, the new Administration must immedi- ately approve the Ambler Road Project60 across BLM-managed lands, pursuant to the Secretary’s authority under the ANILCA and based on the Final Envi- ronmental Impact Statement on the project.61 This will permit construction of a new 211-mile roadway on the south side of the Brooks Range, west from the Dalton Highway to the south bank of the Ambler River, and open the area only to mining-related industrial uses, providing high-paying jobs in an area known for unemployment. — 531 — Department of the Interior Wildlife and Waters. Throughout Alaska’s history, the federal government has treated Alaska as less than a sovereign state. This is especially the case when it comes to two of Alaska’s most valued resources, its wildlife and its waters. Immediate action is required to end, at least in part, this injustice. A new Admin- istration should: l Revoke National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules regarding predator control and bear baiting, which are matters for state regulation. Such revocation is permitted under the 2017 Congressional Review Act.62 l Recognize Alaska’s authority to manage fish and game on all federal lands in accordance with ANILCA as during the Reagan Administration, when each DOI agency in Alaska signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game ceding to the state the lead on fish and wildlife management matters.63 l Issue a secretarial order declaring navigable waters in Alaska to be owned by the state so that the lands beneath these waters belong to Alaska. This will force the BLM to prove that water is not navigable, since in the case of non-navigability, any submerged lands belong to the BLM. Currently, BLM requires Alaska to prove navigability at its own expense—including the BLM’s preposterous assertion that the mighty Yukon River is non-navigable. l Reinstate President Trump’s 2020 Alaska Roadless Rule64 for the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, which was replaced by a Biden Roadless Rule that continues a 2001 Clinton rule affecting 9.37 million of the forest’s 16.7 million acres.65 The Clinton rule affects an area where communities are in small islands with no road access. It has prevented multiple infrastructure projects, including roads, electric transmission lines, and water and sewer projects, and it forces residents to use a heavily subsidized ferry system. Logging has been shut down to the extent that New York harvests more timber than does all of Alaska. OTHER ACTIONS The 30 by 30 Plan.66 President Biden’s Executive Order 14008 (30 by 30 plan)67 requires that the federal government, which already owns one-third of the country: (1) remove vast amounts of private property from productive use; and (2) end congressionally mandated uses of all federal land. The end result will be “total federal control of an additional 440 million acres of land or oceans in the U.S. by 2030.”68

Department of the Interior

Weak
Vector: 56%
Pages: 566-568AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 5497 focuses on redesignating a national lakeshore as a national park and preserve, emphasizing conservation, tribal treaty rights, and recreational access. Project 2025's DOI section prioritizes timber production on O&C lands, NEPA reform, ESA overhaul, and reducing federal oversight—none of which are addressed in the bill. The only tangential connection is the broad theme of federal land management, but the objectives diverge significantly."

Key themes:federal land managementDepartment of the Interior oversight

— 533 — Department of the Interior order to fulfill the yet-unaltered congressional mandate contained in federal law, to provide for jobs and well-paying employment opportunities in rural Oregon, and to ameliorate the effects of wildfires, the new Administration must immedi- ately fulfill its responsibilities and manage the O&C lands for “permanent forest production” to ensure that the timber is “sold, cut, and removed.”79 NEPA Reforms. Congress never intended for the National Environmental Policy Act to grow into the tree-killing, project-dooming, decade-spanning mon- strosity that it has become. Instead, in 1970, Congress intended a short, succinct, timely presentation of information regarding major federal action that signifi- cantly affects the quality of the human environment so that decisionmakers can make informed decisions to benefit the American people. The Trump Administration adopted common-sense NEPA reform that must be restored immediately. Meanwhile, DOI should reinstate the secretarial orders adopted by the Trump Administration, such as placing time and page limits on NEPA documents and setting forth—on page one—the costs of the document itself. Meanwhile, the new Administration should call upon Congress to reform NEPA to meet its original goal. Consideration should be given, for example, to eliminat- ing judicial review of the adequacy of NEPA documents or the rectitude of NEPA decisions. This would allow Congress to engage in effective oversight of federal agencies when prudent. Settlement Transparency. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt required DOI to prominently display and provide open access to any and all litigation settlements into which DOI or its agencies entered, and any attorneys’ fees paid for ending the litigation.80 Biden’s DOI, aware that the settlements into which it planned to enter and the attorneys’ fees it was likely to pay would cause controversy, ended this policy.81 A new Administration should reinstate it. The Endangered Species Act. The Endangered Species Act was intended to bring endangered and threatened species back from the brink of extinction and, when appropriate, to restore real habitat critical to the survival of the spe- cies. The act’s success rate, however, is dismal. Its greatest deficiency, according to one renowned expert, is “conflict of interest.”82 Specifically, the work of the Fish and Wildlife Service is the product of “species cartels” afflicted with group- think, confirmation bias, and a common desire to preserve the prestige, power, and appropriations of the agency that pays or employs them. For example, in one highly influential sage-grouse monograph, 41 percent of the authors were federal workers. The editor, a federal bureaucrat, had authored one-third of the paper.83 Meaningful reform of the Endangered Species Act requires that Congress take action to restore its original purpose and end its use to seize private prop- erty, prevent economic development, and interfere with the rights of states over their wildlife populations. In the meantime, a new Administration should take the following immediate action: — 534 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise l Delist the grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide Ecosystems and defend to the Supreme Court of the United States the agency’s fact-based decision to do so.84 l Delist the gray wolf in the lower 48 states in light of its full recovery under the ESA.85 l Cede to western states jurisdiction over the greater sage-grouse, recognizing the on-the-ground expertise of states and preventing use of the sage-grouse to interfere with public access to public land and economic activity. l Direct the Fish and Wildlife Service to end its abuse of Section 10(j) of the ESA by re-introducing so-called “experiment species” populations into areas that no longer qualify as habitat and lie outside the historic ranges of those species, which brings with it the full weight of the ESA in areas previously without federal government oversight.86 l Direct the Fish and Wildlife Service to design and implement an impartial conservation triage program by prioritizing the allocation of limited resources to maximize conservation returns, relative to the conservation goals, under a constrained budget.87 l Direct the Fish and Wildlife Service to make all data used in ESA decisions available to the public, with limited or no exceptions, to fulfill the public’s right to know and to prevent the agency’s previous opaque decision-making. l Abolish the Biological Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey and obtain necessary scientific research about species of concern from universities via competitive requests for proposals. l Direct the Fish and Wildlife Service to: (1) design and implement an Endangered Species Act program that ensures independent decision- making by ending reliance on so-called species specialists who have obvious self-interest, ideological bias, and land-use agendas; and (2) ensure conformity with the Information Quality Act.88 Office of Surface Mining. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) was created by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA)89 to administer programs for controlling the impacts of surface coal mining operations. Although the coal industry is contracting, coal constitutes

Showing 3 of 5 policy matches

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

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