[House Report 119-511]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 119-511
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WINTERGREEN EMERGENCY EGRESS ACT
----------------
February 23, 2026.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
----------------
Mr. Westerman, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 6365]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 6365) to require the Secretary of the Interior
to issue a right-of-way for an emergency exit on certain
National Park Service land in the State of Virginia, and for
other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably
thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill as
amended do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Wintergreen Emergency Egress Act''.
SEC. 2. RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR EMERGENCY EXIT, BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY.
Section 2 of the Act of June 30, 1936 (49 Stat. 2041, chapter 883; 54
Stat. 250, chapter 277; 16 U.S.C. 460a-3), is amended--
(1) by striking ``Secretary of the Interior may issue'' and
inserting the following: ``Secretary of the Interior--
``(1) may issue'';
(2) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``;
and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) shall issue the right-of-way generally depicted as
`Proposed Egress' on the map entitled `Blue Ridge Parkway,
Proposed Wintergreen Emergency Egress Near Milepost 9.6',
numbered 601/194,694, and dated September 2024, if the
Secretary reports to the Committee on Natural Resources of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources of the Senate that--
``(A) an evaluation has been completed of
alternatives to the right-of-way for egress that do not
cross Federal land that includes evaluating whether
existing trails can be converted to roads;
``(B) an analysis of expected fire ecology behavior
in the event of a fire emergency has been completed
with respect to the right-of-way; and
``(C) any required reviews with respect to the right-
of-way have been completed in accordance with--
``(i) the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); and
``(ii) division A of subtitle III of title
54, United States Code.''.
Purpose of the Legislation
The purpose of H.R. 6365 is to require the Secretary of the
Interior to issue a right-of-way for an emergency exit on
certain National Park Service land in the State of Virginia,
and for other purposes.
Background and Need for Legislation
Wintergreen is a resort and residential community located
off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Nelson County, Virginia. The
community has only one road in and out, a longstanding safety
concern for residents and first responders.\1\ Over the past
decade, Wintergreen's population has grown from roughly 150 to
nearly 500 year-round residents, in addition to thousands of
seasonal visitors who depend on the same narrow access point
during peak periods. Local officials warn that this single
chokepoint slows emergency response and would severely impede
evacuation during a wildfire, winter storm, or medical
emergency.\2\ The danger posed by limited evacuation routes is
well documented. For example, the 2023 Lahaina Fire claimed the
lives of more than 100 people, many of whom were trapped in
their vehicles on clogged roads as flames overtook
neighborhoods.\3\ The 2025 Eaton Fire in Altadena, California,
and the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California, similarly
choked designated evacuation routes with fleeing traffic,
costing numerous lives and preventing first responders from
accessing residents in distress.\4\ The lesson learned from
each of these instances is that the difference between survival
and catastrophe often comes down to whether there is more than
one way out during times of emergency.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Charlotte Matherly, ``At Wintergreen, a gravel road to nowhere
prompts a bill in Congress,'' Cardinal News, February 5, 2024, https://
cardinalnews.org/2024/02/05/at-wintergreen-a-gravel-road-to-nowhere-
prompts-a-bill-in-congress/.
\2\Id.
\3\Jennifer Kelleher, ``Lahaina wildfire victims made it just
blocks before becoming trapped by flames, report says,'' PBS News,
September 14, 2024, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/lahaina-
wildfire-victims-made-it-just-blocks-before-becoming-trapped-by-flames-
report-says.
\4\Jean Lee, et al., ``The families of L.A. wildfire victims
confront the failures that prevented escape,'' NBC News, February 8,
2025, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/los-angeles-
california-wildfires-victims-no-escape-rcna191087. J. Matt, ``Paradise
Redux,'' Places Journal, March 2024, https://placesjournal.org/article/
paradise-redux-five-years-after-camp-fire/#::text=
The%20Camp%20Fire%20in%20November,85%20percent%20of%20its%20buildings.
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As a town that faces similar structural vulnerabilities,
the Wintergreen community proposed constructing a secondary,
emergency-only egress route connecting to a secondary
evacuation route to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The route follows
an existing dirt path on National Park Service (NPS) land and
requires approximately 30 feet of gravel to make it passable
for emergency vehicles.\5\ This route would not serve daily or
public use and is deliberately designed to be non-intrusive,
for emergency use only.\6\ Wintergreen spent more than 24 years
navigating federal processes, and the community invested over
$100,000 in environmental studies to complete this road.\7\
However, despite strong community support, the project stalled
for decades due to an NPS legal interpretation that new road
connections cannot be authorized unless they existed at the
time the Parkway was established.\8\ The town has already
constructed all portions of the road that traverse non-federal
lands and requires access to only a small footprint of federal
land to fully complete this project.\9\ Without this right-of-
way, completing the final gravel segment, even during a life-
threatening evacuation, could expose responders to federal
penalties.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\Charlotte Matherly, ``At Wintergreen, a gravel road to nowhere
prompts a bill in Congress,'' Cardinal News, February 5, 2024, https://
cardinalnews.org/2024/02/05/at-wintergreen-a-gravel-road-to-nowhere-
prompts-a-bill-in-congress/.
\6\Id.
\7\Id.
\8\Id.
\9\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To address this clear and preventable danger, Rep. John
McGuire (R-VA-05) introduced H.R. 6365, the ``Wintergreen
Emergency Egress Act,'' which directs the Secretary of the
Interior to issue a right-of-way to Wintergreen for its
emergency route upon the completion of any required reviews.
This legislation ensures that residents, visitors, and first
responders are not trapped in a catastrophic event with no safe
way to escape, while minimizing disturbances to federal land.
Committee Action
H.R. 6365 was introduced on December 2, 2025, by Rep. John
McGuire (R-VA). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee
on Federal Lands. On December 11, 2025, the Subcommittee on
Federal Lands held a hearing on the bill. On January 22, 2026,
the Committee on Natural Resources met to consider the bill.
The Subcommittee on Federal Lands was discharged from further
consideration of H.R. 6365 by unanimous consent. Chairman Bruce
Westerman (R-AR) offered an amendment designated Westerman_050.
The amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent. The bill, as
amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by unanimous consent.
Hearings
For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure:
hearing by the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held on December
11, 2025.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1. Short title
Section 1 names the legislation the ``Wintergreen Emergency
Egress Act.''
Section 2. Right-of-way for emergency exit, Blue Ridge Parkway
Section 2 of the bill amends Section 2 of the Act of June
30, 1936, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue the
right-of-way depicted on the reference map of NPS land in
Virginia. This issuance of this right-of-way is contingent on
the Secretary of the Interior reporting to the House Committee
on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources that an evaluation of alternative routes,
analysis of fire ecology behavior, and all environmental
reviews have been completed.
Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
Rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
Compliance With House Rule XIII and Congressional Budget Act
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of House rule XIII and section
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and pursuant to
clause 3(c)(3) of House rule XIII and section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has requested
but not received from the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office a budgetary analysis and a cost estimate of this bill.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or
objective of this bill is to require the Secretary of the
Interior to issue a right-of-way for an emergency exit on
certain National Park Service land in the State of Virginia,
and for other purposes.
Earmark Statement
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act Statement
An estimate of federal mandates prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair of
the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee, if such
estimate is not publicly available on the Congressional Budget
Office website.
Existing Programs
Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any
directed rule makings.
Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was
not included in any report from the Government Accountability
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law
98-169) as relating to other programs.
Applicability to Legislative Branch
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
Preemption of State, Local or Tribal Law
Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the
U.S. Constitution.
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no
change is proposed is shown in roman):
SECTION 2 OF THE ACT OF JUNE 30, 1936
AN ACT To provide for the administration and maintenance of the Blue
Ridge Parkway, in the States of Virginia and North Carolina, by the
Secretary of the Interior, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2. In the administration of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the
[Secretary of the Interior may issue] Secretary of the
Interior--
(1) may issue revocable licenses or permits for
rights-of-way over, across, and upon parkway lands, or
for the use of parkway lands by the owners of lessees
of adjacent lands, for such purposes and under such
nondiscriminatory terms, regulations, and conditions as
he may determine to be not inconsistent with the use of
such lands for parkway purposes[.]; and
(2) shall issue the right-of-way generally depicted
as ``Proposed Egress'' on the map entitled ``Blue Ridge
Parkway, Proposed Wintergreen Emergency Egress Near
Milepost 9.6'', numbered 601/194,694, and dated
September 2024, if the Secretary reports to the
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate that--
(A) an evaluation has been completed of
alternatives to the right-of-way for egress
that do not cross Federal land that includes
evaluating whether existing trails can be
converted to roads;
(B) an analysis of expected fire ecology
behavior in the event of a fire emergency has
been completed with respect to the right-of-
way; and
(C) any required reviews with respect to the
right-of-way have been completed in accordance
with--
(i) the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.);
and
(ii) division A of subtitle III of
title 54, United States Code.
[all]