In his latest attempt to sow chaos amongst public land advocates across the United States, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced legislation that would not only alter over 9.5 million acres of wilderness in U.S. border lands; it also would fundamentally change the Wilderness Act and its ability to protect wild places like the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from development. This comes months after Sen. Lee introduced legislation that would permanently sell off millions of acres of public lands in the western United States. 

S. 2967, The “Border Lands Conservation Act,” introduced on Oct. 2, 2025, is a bill that would allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to construct tactical infrastructure on federal public lands within a 100-mile zone along the United States’ northern and southern borders in the name of border security. The bill would specifically amend the 1964 Wilderness Act to allow DHS to conduct the following activities in Wilderness Areas:

‘‘(A) Access structures, installations, and roads. (B) Execute search and rescue operations. (C) Use motor vehicles, motorboats, and motorized equipment. (D) Conduct patrols on foot and on horseback. (E) Notwithstanding any other law, including regulations, relating specifically to the use of aircraft in a wilderness area or in the airspace above a wilderness area, use aircraft, including approach, landing, and takeoff. (F) Deploy tactical infrastructure and technology. (G) Construct and maintain roads and physical barriers.’’

Given that the entirety of Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) is within 100 miles of the Canadian border, this bill, if passed, could impact the most visited wilderness in the United States and one of the most pristine ecosystems in the lower 48 states, in addition to millions of acres of other public lands around the country.

The Border Lands Conservation Act would unravel the foundation on which Wilderness areas are built. Take action below by telling your legislators that allowing tactical infrastructure in designated wilderness areas is a terrible idea!