Public Lands Military Readiness Act of 2025
Public Lands Military Readiness Act of 2025 would extend the period of military land withdrawals for specified training ranges in Alaska, New Mexico, and California by 25 years, effectively renewing the government’s ability to use these public lands for military purposes well into the 2040s and early 2050s. Specifically, the bill updates end dates for withdrawn lands at Fort Greely and Fort Wainwright (Alaska), McGregor Range at Fort Bliss (New Mexico), and Fort Irwin (California), and it also corrects land area descriptions and map references to ensure accurate boundaries and acreage. In addition to the extensions, the bill adjusts certain land descriptions so the official withdrawal areas align with updated measurements and maps. The measure is aimed at ensuring long-term military training readiness on these lands by providing a predictable, legal framework for continued use. It codifies extensions for a 25-year period and makes targeted technical corrections to acreage figures and mapping references. The bill was introduced by Rep. Begich and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Armed Services.
Key Points
- 1Extends withdrawal and reservation of military lands for training in three locations: Alaska (Fort Greely and Fort Wainwright ranges), New Mexico (McGregor Range), and California (Fort Irwin) for 25 more years, with end dates set to November 6, 2051 (Alaska/NM) and December 31, 2051 (Fort Irwin).
- 2Technical corrections to land descriptions:
- 3- McGregor Range: adjusts stated withdrawal land area from 608,385 acres to 605,401 acres.
- 4- Fort Irwin: updates acreage from 110,000 acres to 117,710 acres and changes the withdrawal map reference to a 2025 map titled “Fort Irwin Withdrawal.”
- 5Map updates: Replaces the older withdrawal map reference for Fort Irwin with a new 2025 map to reflect current boundaries.
- 6Purpose: Provide long-term certainty for military training infrastructure and readiness by renewing withdrawals and ensuring accurate land descriptions.
- 7Legislative process: Introduced in the House (Sept. 4, 2025) by Rep. Begich; referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Armed Services.