[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 213 (Wednesday, December 17, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S8836]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mr. Schiff):
  S. 3526. A bill to provide for the protection of and investment in 
certain Federal land in the State of California, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce the 
Protecting Unique and Beautiful Landscapes by Investing in California, 
PUBLIC, Lands Act. This comprehensive bill would permanently protect 
over 900,000 acres of public lands and promote restoration on another 
871,000 acres throughout northwest California, the central coast, and 
Los Angeles County. This bill includes protections for nearly 600,000 
acres of new and proposed wilderness and nearly 700 miles of new wild 
and scenic rivers.
  This legislation would preserve our public lands for the benefit of 
current and future generations and help protect California communities 
from impacts of the climate crisis. The PUBLIC Lands Act is grounded in 
the best conservation principles: it expands access to the outdoors for 
all, addresses disparities in access to nature, supports locally led 
efforts, and is based in science.
  In northwest California, this bill would designate new wilderness, 
wild and scenic rivers, special management areas, and forest and 
watershed restoration areas. Importantly, it would increase wildfire 
resiliency in northwest California, where the impacts of the climate 
crisis have resulted in more frequent and severe wildfires.
  Along the central coast, the bill would designate nearly 250,000 
acres of public land in the Los Padres National Forest and Carrizo 
Plain National Monument as wilderness and study the feasibility of 
creating a 400-mile long condor national recreation trail, stretching 
from Los Angeles to Monterey County. The designations in the bill would 
protect the abundant biodiversity that make the central coast so 
special.
  In Los Angeles County, this bill would designate nearly 30,000 acres 
of new wilderness, helping provide permanent protections so that future 
generations can enjoy the limited wild and untouched spaces in Southern 
California.
  The bill would also provide outdoor recreation opportunities for 
park-poor communities. This bill enjoys the support of hundreds of 
local municipalities and elected officials, community groups, 
businesses, and local outfitters. It is the product of significant 
public engagement in the legislative process spanning decades.
  I want to highlight that this legislation protects existing water 
rights, property rights, and land-use authorities. The bill also does 
not create any new public lands, rather, it protects existing public 
lands through wilderness designations in order to keep these lands as 
pristine as possible.
  The science is increasingly clear that we must conserve 30 percent of 
our lands and waters by 2030 as part of ongoing efforts to solve the 
climate crisis, protect nature, and save America's wildlife. I am proud 
that the State of California has made significant strides to achieve 
this goal, and I am determined to do my part to protect our public 
lands and waters at the Federal level.
  I would like to thank my colleagues and conservation champions, 
Representatives Jared Huffman, Salud Carbajal, and Judy Chu, for 
championing these bills in the House. I also want to thank Senator 
Schiff for cosponsoring this bill and working toward our shared goal of 
promoting restoration, recreation, and conservation throughout 
California. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the 
PUBLIC Lands Act as quickly as possible.
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