Bill limits how the government can protect federal land.

What it does

The bill says Congress must approve plans to protect more than 5,000 acres of federal land. It caps new national monuments at 640 acres. It says the government cannot protect a monument unless private owners inside it agree. It changes what counts as a monument. Now only human-made objects and fossils count, not natural features like mountains or ecosystems.

Who it affects

The bill affects people who want to protect public land and nature. It affects mining, oil and gas, timber, grazing, and real estate groups. It shifts power from the president to Congress.

One thing to notice

The bill makes it much harder to protect large areas of land or nature. It gives private owners power to block monument protection on their land.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

Where it stands

7 cosponsors: 7 Republicans.

• Oct 1, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Oct 1, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Words to know

• federal land — land owned by the U.S. government, not by states or private people.
• national monuments — protected areas set aside to preserve something important, like history or nature.
• ecosystem — a community of plants, animals, and their natural surroundings that work together.