Public Lands Bill Extends Military Control Over Key Training Areas Until 2051

This legislation, titled the Public Lands Military Readiness Act of 2025, is straightforward: it grants the Department of Defense (DoD) continued, long-term control over large tracts of federal land currently used for military training. Specifically, it extends the DoD’s withdrawal authority—meaning their exclusive use—for training areas in Alaska (Yukon, Donnelly East/West), New Mexico (McGregor Range at Fort Bliss), and California (Fort Irwin). Instead of expiring around 2026, the bill pushes the expiration date out to November 6, 2051, for the Alaska and New Mexico sites, and December 31, 2051, for Fort Irwin (SEC. 2).

The 30-Year Lock-Up

When the government "withdraws" public land, it essentially reserves it for a specific purpose, taking it out of the general pool for public access, recreation, or multi-use management (like grazing or resource extraction). This bill’s main impact is locking down these massive training grounds for nearly 30 more years. For the general public, this means that vast areas of federal land—like the 117,710 acres at Fort Irwin or the approximately 605,401 acres at McGregor Range—will remain off-limits until mid-century. If you’re a hiker, off-roader, or just someone who values the idea of public lands eventually reverting to public access, this bill puts that possibility on ice for a generation.

Technical Fixes and Administrative Cleanup

While the long-term extension is the big news, the bill also includes administrative clean-up that is useful for the military. It corrects minor errors in the official land descriptions (SEC. 2). For example, the official acreage for the McGregor Range at Fort Bliss is adjusted from 608,385 acres to 605,401 acres. More significantly, the Fort Irwin military lands acreage is officially corrected from 110,000 acres to 117,710 acres, and the official reference map is updated to one dated February 28, 2025. These corrections ensure the DoD’s legal boundaries are precise, which is important for avoiding accidental trespassing during live-fire exercises.

Who Benefits and Who Pays the Opportunity Cost

The clear beneficiary here is the Department of Defense, which gains stability and predictability for its training operations without needing to seek renewal every few years. This is a win for military readiness, ensuring critical training facilities remain available. However, the cost is borne by those who rely on public lands for other uses. Environmental groups concerned with habitat preservation on these lands will see continued exclusive military use, which often involves restricted access and potential environmental impacts from training. Local communities whose planning is constrained by the presence of these massive, off-limits military zones will continue to have their growth and land-use options limited until 2051. Essentially, the bill streamlines military operations but postpones any potential conversation about opening up these lands to the public for decades.