Military Land Use Extended 25 Years: Public Access to Key Training Ranges Locked Down Until 2051

The aptly named Public Lands Military Readiness Act of 2025 is short, but its impact on federal land use is massive. In a nutshell, this bill extends the military’s control over several large training ranges for an additional 25 years, effectively locking them down until 2051. The core action is simple: it pushes back the expiration date for land withdrawals at Fort Greely and Fort Wainwright in Alaska, the McGregor Range near Fort Bliss in New Mexico, and Fort Irwin in California. If you’re a hiker, hunter, or just someone who values access to public land, this means these massive tracts are staying off-limits for another quarter-century.

The Quarter-Century Lock-Up

This extension is the main event (Sec. 2). For the installations mentioned—Fort Greely, Fort Wainwright, and McGregor Range—the current withdrawal period is extended to November 6, 2051. Fort Irwin gets a similar extension, pushing its use date to December 31, 2051. This isn't just a few acres; these are huge areas of federal land that the Department of Defense uses for training and testing. While continued military readiness is important, extending these withdrawals for 25 years straight means that future generations won't have the chance to review whether this land is still absolutely necessary for military use or if it could be repurposed for conservation or public recreation.

Paperwork and Acreage Cleanup

The bill also includes some crucial administrative cleanup, which sounds boring but is important for defining the boundaries of these military zones. For the McGregor Range, the official acreage is being reduced slightly, from 608,385 acres to 605,401 acres, correcting what appears to be an old paperwork error. More significantly, the land description for Fort Irwin is being updated. The official size is increasing from 110,000 acres to 117,710 acres, and the legal map reference is being swapped out for a newer one titled “Fort Irwin Withdrawal dated February 28, 2025.”

What This Means for Everyday People

If you live near these installations, the long-term impact is clear: the fences are staying up. For people who rely on public lands for recreation—like off-roading, camping, or hunting—this bill closes the door on accessing these areas for the next two decades and change. Furthermore, for environmental groups or local communities hoping to see some of this land returned to public use or conservation status in the near future, this bill postpones that conversation until 2051. While the military gains stability for long-term planning, the public loses the immediate opportunity to use, access, or advocate for alternative uses of these federal lands.