S 446
A bill to prohibit Big Cypress National Preserve from being designated as wilderness or as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill prohibits the Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida from being designated as wilderness or as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The National Park Service currently manages Big Cypress National Preserve, which is a freshwater swamp ecosystem of 729,000 acres. In general, development activities, commercial activities, permanent structures, and roads are prohibited in wilderness areas. In contrast, natural preserves typically allow some development activities, such as hunting or oil and gas exploration.
Bill status
- Status
- Reported
- Sponsor
- Sen. Rick Scott [R-FL]
- Cosponsors
- 0
- Policy area
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Introduced
- 2025-02-06
- Latest action
- 2026-02-04: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably and an amendment to the title.
Committee referrals
Recent actions
- 2026-02-04: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably and an amendment to the title.
- 2025-12-09: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.
- 2025-02-06: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 2025-02-06: Introduced in Senate