Senate passes CRA resolution, ushers in public lands confusion
US Capitol
Mason Cummings, TWS
Unorthodox approach could fracture U.S. land management at large
WASHINGTON D.C. (October 8, 2025) -- The Senate voted to cancel a Resource Management Plan Amendment in Montana (Miles City) using the Congressional Review Act.
The chamber also appears poised to approve resolutions targeting plans in Alaska (Central Yukon) and North Dakota. It’s the first time Congress has used the CRA to overturn land-use plans, and experts warn it could retroactively set a precedent that renders past plans invalid and usher in legal uncertainty about the management of millions of acres across the West.
Tracy Stone-Manning, president of The Wilderness Society, made the following statement about the news:
“Americans love their public lands and can shape their future through the planning process. Now, for the first time ever, Congress has tossed aside the work of land managers and community members that defines how people work and recreate on these lands. This decision doesn’t just undo one plan—it calls into question the legality of thousands of leases, permits, and rights-of-way issued under decades of public land planning across the country. The chaos from this uncertainty will last for years to come.”
For more information contact edenny@tws.org
