The Riparian Zone Bi-Monthly Update
Tracking the currents in public lands, wildlife, water, and environmental news. Week of April 18 to April 30, 2026 Issue No. 2.
This issue arrives during one of the most consequential stretches for public lands and environmental policy in recent memory. In just the past ten days, the Senate voted to open the Boundary Waters to copper mining, the House pulled a sweeping Endangered Species Act overhaul on Earth Day under pressure from its own members, and a bipartisan wildlife corridors bill was introduced the same day. Meanwhile, federal border wall plans for Big Bend National Park changed, changed again, and then disappeared from a government website entirely, all within 72 hours.
The pace is relentless. That is the point. I am are here to help navigate those waters.
Public Lands
Federal
The Boundary Waters Vote and the CRA Wildfire It Started
The Senate voted 50–49 on April 16 to overturn a 20-year mineral withdrawal protecting the Superior National Forest, the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota, clearing the way for Twin Metals Minnesota, a subsidiary of Chilean mining giant Antofagasta, to pursue a long-stalled copper, nickel, cobalt, and platinum mine. The resolution was signed by Trump on April 27, 2026.
Environmental and tribal groups have signaled legal challenges are coming. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and the state DNR are being urged to cancel Twin Metals’ state mineral leases, a move that could block the project even if Trump signs the federal resolution.
Sources: H.J. Res. 140 — Congress.gov
Grand Staircase-Escalante: The Next CRA Target And the Clock Is Ticking
On March 4, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT-02) introduced joint resolutions of disapproval to overturn the management plan for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument — the first time the CRA has ever been used to target a national monument management plan. The 1.9 million-acre monument is world-renowned for its paleontological discoveries, cultural sites, and intact desert ecosystems. Its management plan, finalized in January 2025, was developed over years of public engagement and Tribal consultation.
If the resolution passes, requiring only a simple majority, BLM would be permanently barred from issuing another plan that is “substantially the same,” effectively locking out conservation-focused management for the foreseeable future. Legal experts warn the precedent could expose every national monument management plan in the country to the same treatment. Three-quarters of Utah voters, including a majority of Republicans, support keeping Grand Staircase-Escalante as a national monument, according to polling.
The 60-day legislative clock from March 4 means a floor vote could come as soon as late May 2026. More information can be found here.
Sources: Earthjustice | NPCA | Inside Climate News | Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance National Wildlife Federation
Developing
Big Bend Border Wall: Maps Changed Three Times, Then Disappeared
The situation at Big Bend National Park became one of the most chaotic public lands stories of the spring during the week of April 20. On April 22, CBP updated its “Smart Wall Map” to show vehicle barriers and patrol roads planned across southern portions of Big Bend National Park and neighboring Big Bend Ranch State Park alarming conservation advocates who said local communities had “received little to no notice.” After media inquiries, the map changed again, reclassifying those areas as “technology and patrol roads.” Then on April 23, CBP pulled the map from its website entirely.
The revolving-door mapping has left landowners, park advocates, and local communities in deep uncertainty. Some private landowners have already received letters from the Army Corps of Engineers about construction access. Former park superintendent Bob Krumenaker warned the proposed barriers would extend the impact zone “far from the river.” Sheriffs from five West Texas counties,wrote an open letter stating that “construction of a continuous physical border wall in the Big Bend region would not represent the most practical or strategic approach to border security.” The Big Bend Sector recorded just 3,096 migrant encounters in FY2025 which is 1.3% of total the national encounters.
On April 16, the Center for Biological Diversity and local residents filed a federal lawsuit arguing the Trump administration unconstitutionally waived environmental regulations to fast-track construction. Survey crews were expected in mid-April, with groundbreaking potentially in June.
Sources: Center for Biological Diversity | NPCA — Big Bend coverage | Texas Tribune
National Park Service Staffing Crisis, By the Numbers
At a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on April 23, senators from both parties condemned the administration’s approach to NPS staffing and budget. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) described the FY2027 proposal, which includes a 38% cut to park facilities and operations, a 35% cut to support staff, and more than a 50% cut to resource stewardship as “a recipe for disaster.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) warned that even the administration’s own energy development ambitions in Alaska can’t happen without sufficient agency staff to manage them. Senators also criticized a $10 billion “Presidential Capital Stewardship Program” for Washington, D.C. beautification included in the same budget.
By the numbers: the National Park Service has lost 24% of its permanent workforce since January 2025. A third voluntary early retirement window opened in April with an April 29 stop-work date. Seasonal hiring is lagging badly, with roughly 4,500 of a promised 5,000-plus seasonal positions filled heading into peak summer. The FY2027 budget proposes a further $736 million reduction, which NPCA warns could eliminate thousands more positions. On the ground: Assateague Island National Seashore has zero lifeguards for the entire summer. The National Parks of Boston have lost their Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, and Director of Science and Stewardship. At Yosemite, every building at the Pioneer History Center was closed after artifacts were stolen, a direct consequence of unstaffed facilities.
Sources: Alaska Public Media | NPCA Staffing Data | GearJunkie | NPCA Budget Analysis
White House Withdraws NPS Director Nominee
The White House announced Monday that it is withdrawing Scott Socha’s nomination to serve as Director of the National Park Service. Socha, an executive at park concessionaire Delaware North, had faced significant criticism from conservation groups since his February nomination over his lack of government experience and his company’s prior legal dispute with the NPS. No reason was given for the withdrawal. The agency continues to operate without a permanent, Senate-confirmed director, remaining under the interim leadership of comptroller Jessica Bowron.
Court Blocks Wind and Solar Restrictions on Public Lands For Now
A federal judge halted the Trump administration’s restrictions on wind and solar energy development on public lands and offshore areas, ruling that policies requiring high-level personal sign-off on individual renewable energy projects created bureaucratic bottlenecks threatening to derail numerous installations. The injunction allows federal agencies to resume previous approval processes while the legal challenge continues.
Sources: Earthjustice | Center for Biological Diversity
Wildlife
Federal
ESA Amendments Act Pulled on Earth Day But May Return
On April 22 Speaker Mike Johnson unexpectedly pulled H.R. 1897, the “ESA Amendments Act of 2025,” from the House floor without explanation, delivering what conservation groups called a major win. The bill, sponsored by House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman (R-AR), would have been the most sweeping rollback of the Endangered Species Act in the law’s 53-year history: extending listing timelines, fast-tracking delistings, removing judicial review of delisting decisions, requiring economic and national security analyses before listing species, narrowing critical habitat designations, expanding the “God Squad” exemption, and allowing states to take over management of listed species.
The reason it got pulled? Opposition from six Florida Republican lawmakers concerned about the God Squad expansions. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) posted publicly: “Protected means protected.” Conservation groups report that over 58,000 emails and hundreds of calls flooded congressional offices in the days before the vote was canceled.
Westerman told reporters the bill will return to the floor “in the next couple of weeks.” Since January 2025, lawmakers have introduced more than 60 bills that would undermine the ESA or weaken wildlife protections, H.R. 1897 is considered the most comprehensive. Legal experts note that congressional amendments pose a more existential threat than administrative actions, which can be reversed. This is not over.
Sources: Endangered Species Coalition | Sierra Club | Rep. Huffman Statement | NPCA Position | H.R. 1897 Congress.gov | GovTrack Tracker
Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act (H.R. 8438)
Also on Earth Day, a bipartisan coalition introduced H.R. 8438, the Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act of 2026, sponsored by Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). The bill would create a National Wildlife Corridor System on federal public lands and waters built around a foundational recognition: protected areas alone aren’t enough if the landscapes connecting them are no longer functional.
The legislation directs the U.S. Geological Survey to develop a comprehensive mapping and science program identifying wildlife corridors and connectivity gaps, drawing on federal, state, tribal, academic, and NGO data. It requires federal agencies to coordinate when corridors cross jurisdictional boundaries rather than planning in isolation. It also emphasizes collaboration with transportation agencies to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions through overpasses, underpasses, fencing, and culverts. The $350 million in wildlife crossing funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law runs out this year making this bill the necessary successor. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources and is supported by the Endangered Species Coalition and Defenders of Wildlife.
Sources: Defenders of Wildlife | Endangered Species Coalition | Congress.gov H.R. 8438 | Rep. Beyer Press Release
Florida Panther Habitat Threatened by 10,000-Acre Development
Conservation groups sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Army Corps of Engineers to block “Rural Lands West,” a 10,264-acre residential and commercial development in Collier County, Florida, located within occupied breeding habitat for the endangered Florida panther, just miles from the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. The lawsuit, filed April 8 in federal district court, argues agencies violated the Endangered Species Act when authorizing the project. The panther’s own recovery plan requires three viable populations of at least 240 individuals to be considered recovered.
Sources: Center for Biological Diversity | Earthjustice
Gray Whales Break Migration Patterns as Arctic Food Supply Collapses
Scientists are sounding alarms as gray whales venture into risky new territory including San Francisco Bay, as climate change disrupts their Arctic food supply. Many of the whales entering the bay are not surviving the detour. The behavioral shift represents a fundamental disruption of a migration route that has remained stable for thousands of years.
Sources: NOAA Fisheries | The Wildlife Society
D.C. Circuit: EPA and FWS Violated ESA on Florida Water Permitting
On March 27, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that EPA and the Fish and Wildlife Service violated the Endangered Species Act when granting Florida authority to administer its own Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting program. The court vacated key program approvals, citing inadequate species impact analysis, improper use of streamlined consultation processes, and failure to meet interagency consultation requirements. The ruling has implications for how states across the country administer federally delegated environmental programs.
Sources: Harvard Environmental & Energy Law Program | Earthjustice
Bison Targeted for Removal from Public Lands in Montana
The Trump administration’s Interior Department has moved to cancel seven federal grazing lease allotments held by American Prairie, a nonprofit that manages bison herds on BLM land in Phillips County, Montana. Interior’s legal rationale: that the 1934 Taylor Grazing Act covers only “domestic” animals used for “production-oriented purposes” an interpretation critics say fundamentally distorts the law. A March 31 Memorandum of Understanding separately mandates that livestock production be given priority use on public lands, a “no net loss” grazing policy conservation advocates say will come at the expense of wildlife and ecosystem function across BLM-managed rangelands.
Sources: High Country News | Montana Free Press | Western Watersheds Project
Water
Federal & State
PFAS in Drinking Water: 176 Million Exposed, and Protections Are Being Rolled Back
New data from EPA’s own national monitoring program shows approximately 176 million Americans are now exposed to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in their drinking water, an increase of 4 million from prior monitoring. At the same time, the Trump administration is rolling back federal limits for four of the six PFAS chemicals regulated under the Biden-era drinking water rule, leaving GenX, PFBS, PFNA, and PFHxS unregulated in tap water. The administration plans to retain standards for PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion, but is pushing to extend the compliance deadline from 2029 to 2031.
On April 14, EPA launched a new initiative called “PFAS OUT” to proactively work with approximately 3,000 drinking water systems known to have PFAS challenges. Critics note the tension: the same agency expanding outreach is simultaneously rolling back the legal standards utilities would need to meet. A new draft Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 6) which includes microplastics, pharmaceuticals, PFAS, and disinfection byproducts as candidates for future regulation is open for public comment through June 5, 2026.
Sources: Environmental Working Group | EPA PFAS OUT Launch |EPA Draft CCL 6 | Harvard EELP PFAS Tracker | Environment America
WOTUS: Finalization of Wetlands Rollback Expected This Spring or Summer
The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers’ proposed rule to significantly narrow the definition of “Waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act closed its public comment period on January 5. A final rule is expected this spring or summer. If finalized as proposed, the rule could strip federal protection from up to 80% of wetlands and over 5 million miles of streams. Currently, 24 states rely on federal WOTUS protections for clean water enforcement, and because most watersheds cross state lines, critics warn the rule would push protections toward the lowest common denominator within each watershed.
Sources: The Wildlife Society | Federal Register WOTUS Proposed Rule 2025 |Earthjustice WOTUS tracker
EPA Proposes to Strip States’ Clean Water Act Section 401 Powers
EPA published a proposed rule to narrow the Section 401 water quality certification process, removing requirements that allow certifying authorities which are states and tribes, to impose conditions on federally permitted projects based on water quality impacts. The rule frames Section 401 certification as having been “weaponized” by states to block infrastructure. Critics argue it strips states with strong water protections of a key tool for defending their watersheds from federally permitted projects including pipelines, dams, and LNG terminals. The public comment period on this rule has closed; a final rule is expected.
Sources: Federal Register CWA Section 401 Proposed Rule 2026 | Earthjustice Harvard Environmental & Energy Law Program
H.R. 5445 Federal-State Partnership for Clean Water Act of 2025
Would boost clean water program funding from $75 million to $300 million annually for FY2026 through 2030, with $100 million/year reserved for wetlands restoration.
Congress.gov H.R. 5445
M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act
Would protect nearly 450 miles of the Gila and San Francisco Rivers in New Mexico.
Sen. Heinrich Press Releases
What To Watch For Next
Grand Staircase-Escalante Vote
Late May CRA floor vote could come without warning. First-ever CRA use against a national monument management plan.
ESA Amendments Act Return
Westerman said “a couple of weeks.” Watch the House Natural Resources Committee schedule closely.
WOTUS Final Rule
One of the most consequential water policy decisions in decades. Full coverage when EPA publishes the final rule.
NPS Summer Staffing
As peak season begins, the gap between promised seasonal hires and filled positions will become visible at real parks in real time.
Big Bend Construction
Groundbreaking reportedly targeted for June, Army Corps letters to landowners already sent with a lawsuit proceeding in federal court.
The Confluence is an independent newsletter tracking the currents on public lands, wildlife, water, and environmental news. I try my best to capture everything, but I obv. will miss things.