S.Amdt. 6074

This amendment, known as the Management of Federal Eastern Lands Act of 2026, aims to add a new subtitle (Subtitle H) to the bill to handle various land management, conservation, and property transfers across several states.

The amendment seeks to change or add the following:

• Land Transfers and Releases:

  • Releases federal interests in land in Tennessee to resolve an encroachment issue involving Bethel Baptist Church.
  • Conveys National Forest land in Mississippi to the Scenic Rivers Development Alliance for fair market value.
  • Releases federal interests in Wisconsin land to allow an exchange between the state and Deli, Inc.
  • Conveys a small parcel of Forest Service land to Perry County, Arkansas, for public purposes.

• Conservation and Wilderness Designations:

  • Adds acreage to the Rough Mountain and Rich Hole Wilderness Areas in Virginia.
  • Establishes the Camp Hutchins Wilderness and three Special Management Areas in Illinois.
  • Creates the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area and five new Wilderness Areas in Virginia.
  • Expands the Flatside Wilderness in Arkansas, renaming it the Flatside-Bethune Wilderness.
  • Modifies the boundaries of the Talladega National Forest.

• Special Studies and Memorials:

  • Requires a feasibility study to determine if the Benton MacKaye Trail should be designated as a national scenic trail.
  • Authorizes the installation of an Air Force memorial at the Stratton Ridge rest area in North Carolina.

• Legal Adjustments:

  • Updates the Thye-Blatnik Act regarding how appraised values are determined.