This week on The Wild Line, we’re tracking a new bill to nullify the Gulf of Mexico Endangered Species Act exemption, $67 million in national park entrance fees redirected to Washington, D.C. beautification projects, a steep drop in Forest Service wildfire fuels reduction, and conservation wins in the House surface transportation bill. From the Gulf to the Rockies, these stories capture the pressures and the persistent advocacy shaping federal land and wildlife policy heading into a high-risk fire season.

🎧Listen to the full episode for context, analysis, and what to watch next.

Transportation Bill Advances Wildlife Crossings and Culvert Restoration

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advanced a surface transportation reauthorization bill containing conservation priorities added through sustained advocacy work. The final approved language permanently codifies the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, raising funding from $70 million to $80 million per year for five years and eliminating the Tribal cost-share match. The bill maintains the Culvert Removal and Restoration Program at $200 million per year for five years and increases the Department of Transportation’s predisaster mitigation program from $300 million to $500 million annually.

Protect Gulf Life Act Challenges Broad ESA Exemption

Representative Don Beyer of Virginia introduced the Protect Gulf Life Act to nullify the Endangered Species Committee’s March 31 decision broadly exempting all oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico from Endangered Species Act compliance. The committee convened for only the fourth time since 1978, and for the first time on national security grounds; its ruling covers more than 600,000 square miles and affects 20 threatened and endangered species, far exceeding the scope of any prior decision. The bill is supported by more than a dozen organizations including the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice Action, and Oceana.

$67 Million in National Park Entrance Fees Redirected to D.C. Projects

At least $67 million in national park entrance fees have been or will be redirected to Washington, D.C. beautification projects ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary, according to reporting by The New York Times. Nearly $60 million is allocated to repairs on nine ornamental fountains and $7 million to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation. More than 90 percent of the Park Service’s recent recreation fee contract spending has gone to D.C.-based projects, compared to 5 percent or less under prior administrations.

OPM Proposes Federal Employee Non-Disclosure Agreement

The Office of Personnel Management has proposed a standardized non-disclosure agreement for all federal employees aimed at preventing government documents from being leaked to the press. Agencies would decide whether signing is mandatory; violations could result in termination or criminal penalties. The American Federation of Government Employees called it an attempt to silence civil servants, while OPM maintains the agreement codifies existing legal obligations and does not override whistleblower protections.

Rocky Mountain National Park Launches Permanent Timed-Entry System

Rocky Mountain National Park launched its permanent 2026 timed-entry reservation system on May 22, offering two permit types: one for the Bear Lake Road Corridor and one for the rest of the park, both running through mid-October. The system, finalized in a 2024 Day Use Visitor Access Plan, sets Rocky Mountain apart from Yosemite, Glacier, and Arches, all of which dropped their timed-entry requirements in 2026. The only visitor cost is a $2 processing fee on Recreation.gov.

Foothills Land Conservancy Completes Largest Great Smoky Mountains Expansion Since 2009

The Foothills Land Conservancy is set to close June 8 on a 638-acre property in Blount County, Tennessee, on the western border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, then transfer the land to the National Park Service as the largest single park expansion since 2009. The property, known as the Oliver Tract, was once owned by John Oliver, one of Cades Cove’s earliest settlers, whose cabin remains a landmark on the park’s popular driving loop.

Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation Continues Cross-Cut Saw Work in Frank Church Wilderness

Following the Salmon-Challis National Forest’s authorization of chainsaw use in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness through a Minimum Requirements Analysis, the Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation has clarified it will continue its volunteer trail maintenance using traditional cross-cut saws. Executive Director Ryan Gehlfi [spelling unconfirmed — please verify] addressed the foundation’s decision to preserve the tools and values at the heart of the Wilderness Act, which excludes motorized equipment from designated wilderness areas except in documented extraordinary circumstances.

Forest Service Fuels Reduction Falls 35% Ahead of High-Risk Wildfire Season

A new report from the Center for Western Priorities finds that Forest Service fuels reduction work dropped 35 percent from 2024 to 2025, even as the agency cites wildfire mitigation as a top priority. In Montana, the agency treated 151,000 fewer acres than the year before; in the Southeast, fuel reduction efforts fell 68 percent. The declines follow a 25 percent reduction in the Forest Service workforce and come as record-low snowpack signals a potentially severe fire season. 

Add Your Voice to the Wilderness Record

The National Wilderness Coalition is building a platform called Voices for Wilderness to show lawmakers that a broad cross-section of Americans care about protecting wild places. Hikers, hunters, anglers, and anyone who values the clean air, water, wildlife, or local economies that wilderness supports is encouraged to submit a story at voicesforwilderness.com. Submissions can be a short video,
voice memo, or written response — the more voices collected early, the more powerful the platform becomes as a policy tool.

Share your story here.

Next Week

That’s our report for May 29, 2026.

We’ll be back next week with more land stories that matter.

Until then — Act Up and Run Wild.

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