The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act of 2025 would designate approximately 9.3 million acres of federal land across Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as protected wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, and biological wildlife corridors. The legislation establishes hundreds of new wilderness designations and expands existing ones to preserve ecosystems, protect threatened species like grizzly bears and lynx, maintain water quality, and allow wildlife movement across fragmented habitats. The bill also designates over 30 river segments as wild and scenic rivers, creates approximately 2.9 million acres of "biological connecting corridors" that prohibit timber harvesting and mining, and establishes roughly 1 million acres of "wildland recovery areas" to be restored to natural conditions within three years. The legislation protects tribal treaty rights and existing water rights, exempts major highways and existing roads from restrictions, and requires an interagency monitoring team to track implementation. The bill does not include specific funding amounts in the sections provided.
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