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S2548119th Congress

Shawnee National Forest Conservation Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

In Committee

Summary

Creates new conservation protections in parts of Shawnee National Forest by designating the Camp Hutchins Wilderness and three Special Management Areas to conserve habitat, guide restoration, and limit extractive uses. It would require maps, management plans, and annual reporting to steer public use, research, and restoration.

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  • Visitors and private landowners: People who use the forest get a new Camp Hutchins Wilderness of about 750 acres and three Special Management Areas totaling about 12,700 acres. Roads would be closed to public vehicles in the wilderness and motor vehicles would be generally prohibited in SMAs except for administration, emergencies, access to trailheads, inholdings, cemeteries, and campgrounds, and the Secretary must seek to acquire private inholdings from willing sellers.
  • Forest managers and restoration partners: SMAs must have a comprehensive management plan within 3 years and are managed to conserve biodiversity and control invasive species. The Secretary could use prescribed fire, herbicides, insect control, mechanized equipment, and selective thinning, while commercial timber harvest would be barred except for fire, insect, disease control, or safety.
  • Resource and legal effects: All federal land in the new wilderness and SMAs would be withdrawn from public land entry, mining claims, and mineral and geothermal leasing. Maps and legal descriptions would be filed with Congress, have the force of law, and the Forest Service must publish annual updates on progress toward management objectives.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

New Camp Hutchins wilderness protections

If enacted, the bill would set aside about 750 acres in Shawnee National Forest as the Camp Hutchins Wilderness. The Secretary would manage it under the Wilderness Act and file maps with Congress as soon as practicable. The bill would also block mining, mineral leasing, and public-land disposals on those lands while honoring valid existing rights.

Shawnee Special Management Areas

If enacted, the bill would create three Special Management Areas of about 2,953, 3,445, and 6,310 acres in Shawnee National Forest. The Secretary must file maps with Congress, post them online, and adopt a long-term management plan within 3 years and report progress each year. Motor vehicles would be banned except for specific admin, emergency, or access needs (trailheads, inholdings, cemeteries), and Road 211 would be closed to cars and may become a hiking trail. The Secretary could use tools like prescribed fire, herbicides, aircraft, drones, and mechanized equipment for restoration and invasive-species control. Commercial timber harvest would be banned except for fire, insect, disease, or safety needs; trapping would be prohibited; private inholdings keep access and may be bought from willing sellers. The bill would also withdraw these SMA lands from mining, mineral leasing, and most public-land disposal laws.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

IL • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 9/8/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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