[MCN] Sen Lee’s Border Bill guts Wilderness Act, potentially impacting all Wilderness in U.S.

[Matthew Koehler]

For Release: Wednesday, October 22, 2025


Senator Mike Lee’s Border Bill guts the Wilderness Act, potentially
impacting all Wilderness areas in the U.S.


Bill would open entire Wilderness System to road construction, motor
vehicles, aircraft landings, and deployment of tactical infrastructure and
technology, including video surveillance systems and motion sensors


*For more information:*

George Nickas, Wilderness Watch, gnickas at wildernesswatch.org,
406-531-2355 MISSOULA,
MONTANA—Anti-public lands and anti-Wilderness crusader, Senator Mike Lee
(R-UT), has introduced a bill that guts the Wilderness Act, potentially
allowing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to build roads, land
aircraft, and install surveillance technology across America’s entire 112
million-acre National Wilderness Preservation System.

Specifically, Senator Lee’s so-called “Border Lands Conservation Act
<https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2967>” would
allow DHS to do the following in Wilderness areas across the entire country:



   -

   Construct and maintain roads and physical barriers.
   -

   Deploy tactical infrastructure and technology in Wilderness, including
   observation points, remote video surveillance systems, motion sensors,
   vehicle barriers, fences, roads, bridges, drainages, and detection devices.
   -

   Use motor vehicles, motorboats, and motorized equipment.
   -

   Use aircraft, including landings and takeoffs.

While early reporting on Senator Lee’s bill has focused on the bill
applying to federal public lands, including Wilderness areas, within 100
miles of the northern borders and southern border, an analysis of the bill
by Wilderness Watch has revealed that Lee’s bill could potentially impact
America’s entire  112 million-acre National Wilderness Preservation System.

“While some of the provisions of Senator Lee’s bill appear to limit its
reach to border areas, the bill’s provisions that amend the 1964 Wilderness
Act apply to every Wilderness in the nation,” said George Nickas,
Wilderness Watch’s executive director. “DHS is spread across the entire
U.S., and it’s not hard to imagine a Homeland Security Secretary concocting
a border security reason to send bulldozers or aircraft or install remote
video surveillance systems in any Wilderness in the National Wilderness
Preservation System if Lee’s bill becomes law.”

Even if Senator Lee’s bill only applied to public lands and Wilderness
closer to the northern and southern border, the impact to Wilderness and
its wildlife would be significant.

According to a previous analysis prepared by Wilderness Watch
<https://wildernesswatch.org/pdf/Wilderness_Watch_Northern_Border_Paper.pdf>,
gutting the Wilderness Act along just the U.S. borders with Canada could damage
73 Wilderness areas across 12 states, affecting more than 32 million acres
of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The U.S. border with Canada
is 5,525 miles-long, including a 1,538 mile-long border between Alaska and
Canada.

The bill also appears to open Wilderness to logging, chaining, brushing,
and similar efforts to prioritize "fuels management" and create fuel breaks
along the border and the new "navigable roads" that could be constructed in
these areas.

Senator Mike Lee’s anti-public lands and anti-Wilderness views and policy
initiatives are well known. Earlier this year, Senator Lee attempted to
sell off over three million acres of America’s public lands heritage as
part of legislation that passed this summer. Senator Lee has previously
introduced legislation to weaken the Wilderness Act and allow mountain
bikes, strollers, and game carts on every piece of land protected by the
National Wilderness Preservation System. Senator Lee fought to get
permanent, fixed anchor climbing gear and installations allowed in
Wilderness, and he’s attempting to open America's national parks to
off-road vehicles.

“Senator Lee is using the excuse of homeland security to wage his own war
against America’s most treasured public lands, including Wilderness,” added
Nickas. “He’s aimed a scud missile at our natural heritage, from the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to Big Bend National Park in Texas and
America’s entire National Wilderness Preservation System. His colleagues in
the Senate need to shoot this bill down.”

America’s National Wilderness Preservation System
<https://umontana.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=a415bca07f0a4bee9f0e894b0db5c3b6>
covers 112 million acres, including over 800 Wilderness areas in 44 states
and Puerto Rico. Wilderness Watch <https://wildernesswatch.org/> is the
leading national organization whose sole focus is the preservation and
proper stewardship of lands and rivers included in the National Wilderness
Preservation System.

# # #

Matthew Koehler
Media Director
Wilderness Watch
406-396-0321
www.WildernessWatch.org <http://www.wildernesswatch.org/>
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