Congressional Public Lands Score by More Than Just Parks

Mitch McConnell

Republican · U.S. Senate · Kentucky

Ranked #54 (tied) of 98 scored

Scored under 60%. Seat on the 2026 ballot.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, earns an F on the Congressional Public Lands Score. Of the 19 scored Senate votes, McConnell cast 0 for public lands and 17 against, and missed 2. The two closest: Yea on One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R.1), 50 to 50, and Yea on Overturning Boundary Waters Mining Ban (H.J.Res.140), 50 to 49. McConnell's seat is on the ballot in November 2026.

Every scored vote: 19 of 19 U.S. Senate votes counted

Missed
Lilly Fish and Wildlife and Parks (En Bloc) S.Res.817
En bloc confirmation of 74 nominees under S.Res.817, including Kevin Lilly as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, the official overseeing the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Lilly, a Texas wealth manager, drew formal opposition from the National Parks Conservation Association, and senators from both parties questioned his lack of land management experience. Confirmed 51-47. Senators who voted Yea confirmed every nominee in the package.
Did not vote · August 7, 2026 · Roll call 225, 51 to 47
Anti-lands
Pearce BLM Director (En Bloc) S.Res.690
En bloc confirmation of 49 nominees under S.Res.690, including Stevan Pearce as Director of the Bureau of Land Management, the agency managing 245 million acres of public land. As a congressman, Pearce repeatedly backed transferring or selling federal public land. Confirmed 46-43. Senators who voted Yea confirmed every nominee in the package.
Voted Yea · May 18, 2026 · Roll call 125, 46 to 43
Anti-lands
Overturning Boundary Waters Mining Ban H.J.Res.140
CRA resolution overturning the 20-year mining ban on 225,000 acres of the Superior National Forest upstream of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the most visited wilderness in America. Became Public Law 119-85.
Voted Yea · April 16, 2026 · Roll call 84, 50 to 49
Anti-lands
Opening Arctic Refuge to Drilling H.J.Res.131
CRA resolution overturning the 2024 environmental protections for oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain, stripping safeguards from the 1.56-million-acre coastal plain calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd
Voted Yea · December 4, 2025 · Roll call 632, 49 to 45
Anti-lands
Overturning Powder River Basin Coal Protections (WY) H.J.Res.130
CRA resolution nullifying the Bureau of Land Management's 2024 Buffalo Field Office resource management plan amendment in Wyoming, which made approximately 413,000 acres of federal coal unavailable for future leasing in the Powder River Basin.
Voted Yea · November 20, 2025 · Roll call 623, 51 to 43
Anti-lands
Opening Western Arctic to Drilling S.J.Res.80
CRA resolution nullifying the 2022 management plan for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, which had closed about half of the 23-million-acre Western Arctic reserve to new oil and gas leasing
Voted Yea · October 30, 2025 · Roll call 599, 52 to 45
Missed
Overturning Central Yukon Protections (AK) H.J.Res.106
CRA resolution nullifying the Bureau of Land Management's Central Yukon resource management plan in Alaska, which designated 21 areas of critical environmental concern covering approximately 3.6 million acres. The resolution removed a land-plan barrier to the Ambler Road, which would cross Gates of the Arctic National Preserve; the administration had restored the road's federal permits three days earlier. Became Public Law 119-50.
Did not vote · October 9, 2025 · Roll call 560, 50 to 46
Anti-lands
Overturning Miles City BLM Protections (MT) H.J.Res.104
CRA resolution rolling back Bureau of Land Management resource management plans for the Miles City Field Office in Montana, opening public lands to expanded industrial use
Voted Yea · October 8, 2025 · Roll call 549, 52 to 47
Anti-lands
Overturning North Dakota BLM Protections H.J.Res.105
CRA resolution rolling back Bureau of Land Management resource management plans for the North Dakota Field Office, removing protections from public lands across the state
Voted Yea · October 8, 2025 · Roll call 556, 50 to 45
Anti-lands
Boren USDA Under Secretary (En Bloc) S.Res.412
En bloc confirmation of 108 nominees under S.Res.412, including Michael Boren as USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, the official directly overseeing the U.S. Forest Service. Confirmed 51-47. Senators who voted Yea confirmed every nominee in the package.
Voted Yea · October 7, 2025 · Roll call 547, 51 to 47
Anti-lands
Nesvik USFWS Director PN25-35
Confirmed Brian Nesvik as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency responsible for endangered species protections and the National Wildlife Refuge System
Voted Yea · August 1, 2025 · Roll call 470, 54 to 43
Anti-lands
One Big Beautiful Bill H.R.1
Reconciliation bill mandating four Arctic Refuge Coastal Plain lease sales, five National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska lease sales, a four-million-acre coal leasing mandate, coal royalty rate cuts from 12.5% to 7%, a 250-million-board-foot yearly increase in national forest timber sales through 2034, and rescinding Inflation Reduction Act conservation funding
Voted Yea · July 1, 2025 · Roll call 372, 50 to 50
Anti-lands
Vaden Deputy Agriculture PN12-43
Confirmed Stephen Vaden as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, second in command of the department that houses the U.S. Forest Service
Voted Yea · June 10, 2025 · Roll call 301, 51 to 44
Anti-lands
MacGregor Deputy Interior PN13-10
Confirmed Katharine MacGregor as Deputy Secretary of the Interior, the department's chief operating officer, who led first-term efforts to shrink national monuments and expand drilling on public lands
Voted Yea · May 14, 2025 · Roll call 250, 54 to 40
Anti-lands
Overturning Glen Canyon Safeguards H.J.Res.60
CRA resolution overturning the National Park Service rule limiting off-road vehicle use in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, reopening those routes to motorized use
Voted Yea · May 8, 2025 · Roll call 239, 50 to 43
Anti-lands
Preventing Public Lands Sell-Off S.Amdt.2107
Budget resolution amendment (H.Con.Res.14) to bar the use of proceeds from selling federal public land for deficit reduction, the Senate's recorded vote on public land sales ahead of the reconciliation bill
Voted Nay · April 5, 2025 · Roll call 181, 48 to 51
Anti-lands
Reinstating Fired Land Managers S.Amdt.540
Budget resolution amendment (S.Con.Res.7) creating a reserve fund to reinstate the federal employees fired from the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service
Voted Nay · February 20, 2025 · Roll call 68, 48 to 52
Anti-lands
Rollins Agriculture Confirmation PN11-12
Confirmed Brooke Rollins as Secretary of Agriculture, who oversees the U.S. Forest Service and 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands
Voted Yea · February 13, 2025 · Roll call 53, 72 to 28
Anti-lands
Burgum Confirmation PN11-3
Confirmed Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior, who oversees the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, despite his stated agenda to expand oil and gas extraction on public land
Voted Yea · January 30, 2025 · Roll call 26, 80 to 17

Roll calls and tallies from senate.gov, read October 26, 2026. Which side counts as pro-lands is the scorecard's call on each vote (methodology). Provision ratings: none of these bills has an approved rating yet, so none is named here.

Call Senator McConnell through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Open the full record in the scorecard

Public lands bills McConnell sponsors or cosponsors

In the 119th Congress, McConnell sponsors 1 and cosponsors 0 public lands bill.

S.1674 Mammoth Cave National Park Boundary Adjustment Act of 2025
Sponsor · Introduced May 8, 2025 · Not yet rated

Bills and cosponsors from the congress.gov API, read September 24, 2026. A bill is rated only when a named person approves a rating that quotes its provision; none of these has one yet.

McConnell's committees

Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Commodities, Derivatives, Risk Management, and Trade; Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research (Chairman); Rural Development, Energy, and Credit
Senate Committee on Appropriations
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Department of Defense (Chairman); Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Joint Committee of Congress on the Library (Vice Chairman)
Joint Committee on Printing (Chairman)
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration (Chairman)

Committee seats from unitedstates/congress-legislators, read July 3, 2026.

Public lands in Kentucky

76 federal land units lie in or reach into Kentucky. The park with a More Than Just Parks guide: Mammoth Cave National Park.

Listed park guides first, then by size; the largest 40 of 76 are named.

Mammoth Cave National Park 50,624 acres
Daniel Boone National Forest 563,866 acres
Redbird Purchase Unit Forest Service · 146,434 acres
Fort Knox 109,090 acres
Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area 107,587 acres
Land Between the Lakes Other Forest Service · 107,548 acres
Cumberland Recreation Area 90,149 acres
Barkley Recreation Area 52,513 acres
Lake Cumberland Army Corps of Engineers · 46,069 acres
Fort Campbell 37,150 acres
Lake Barkley Army Corps of Engineers · 36,798 acres
Green Rv Recreation Area 32,392 acres
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area 30,307 acres
Barren River Recreation Area 20,297 acres
Yatesville Recreation Area 20,111 acres
Fishtrap Recreation Area 15,592 acres
Blue Grass Army Depot Defense Department · 14,578 acres
Nolin Rv Recreation Area 13,303 acres
Paintsville Recreation Area 13,186 acres
Clifty Wilderness 12,551 acres
Grayson Recreation Area 11,668 acres
National Guard WH Ford Regional Tng Ctr Defense Department · 11,242 acres
Barren River Lake 9,795 acres
Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge 9,383 acres
Dale Hollow Recreation Area 9,182 acres
Green River Lake 8,406 acres
Cave Run Lake Army Corps of Engineers · 8,166 acres
Laurel River Lake 5,728 acres
Nolin River Lake 5,727 acres
Rough River Lake 4,956 acres
Dewey Recreation Area 4,902 acres
Beaver Creek Wilderness 4,854 acres
Dale Hollow Lake Army Corps of Engineers · 4,435 acres
Kentucky Lake Wildlife Management Area 3,856 acres
Carr Creek Recreation Area 3,847 acres
Red, Kentucky Wild and Scenic River 3,337 acres
Taylorsville Lake Army Corps of Engineers · 2,939 acres
Wolfpen Roadless Area 2,835 acres
Kentucky Reservoir Tennessee Valley Authority · 2,385 acres
Green River National Wildlife Refuge And Conservation Partnership Area 2,063 acres

Drilling, mining and logging on record in Kentucky: 77 timber sales (3,897 acres); 17 oil and gas leases (10,606 acres).

Threatened public lands in Kentucky

Daniel Boone National Forest Developing

Federal land units from PAD-US, matched to the state's districts in the More Than Just Parks record, refreshed October 23, 2026; acres are each unit's full size, and units overlap, so they are not added up. Easements on private land are left out. Fires from NIFC; mining claims, leases and timber sales from BLM and Forest Service records; read October 26, 2026.

Who funds McConnell on lands issues

PACs and other committees gave McConnell's campaign -$101,712 in the 2025-26 cycle. Across the 4 cycles on record, oil, gas, mining and timber PACs gave $223,900, and conservation PACs gave nothing.

Cycle	All PACs and committees	Oil and gas	Mining and coal	Timber	Conservation
2019-20	$3,770,695	$133,500	$67,300	$20,600	none
2021-22	$509,590	-$10,000	none	none	none
2023-24	$279,010	$10,000	none	$2,500	none
2025-26	-$101,712	none	none	none	none

Itemized contributions from committees to the candidate (FEC S2KY00012), net of refunds, read June 28, 2026. Industry is the giving PAC's industry in the More Than Just Parks record. A contribution says who gave, not why anyone voted as they did.

How McConnell compares

The median senator scores 5%. McConnell scores 0% and ranks #54 (tied) of 98.

More from Kentucky

Sen. Rand Paul F · Rep. James Comer F · Rep. Brett Guthrie F · Rep. Morgan McGarvey A+ · Rep. Thomas Massie F · Rep. Harold Rogers F · Rep. Andy Barr F

What to ask McConnell

Washington office: 317 Russell Senate Office Building. Phone (202) 224-2541. Write to McConnell · Official site

From McConnell's own record:

Why did you miss the vote on Lilly Fish and Wildlife and Parks (En Bloc) (S.Res.817)?
Why did you vote Yea on Pearce BLM Director (En Bloc) (S.Res.690)?
Why did you vote Yea on Overturning Boundary Waters Mining Ban (H.J.Res.140)?
Why did you vote Yea on Opening Arctic Refuge to Drilling (H.J.Res.131)?
Why did you vote Yea on Overturning Powder River Basin Coal Protections (WY) (H.J.Res.130)?
Why did you vote Yea on Opening Western Arctic to Drilling (S.J.Res.80)?
Why did you miss the vote on Overturning Central Yukon Protections (AK) (H.J.Res.106)?
Why did you vote Yea on Overturning Miles City BLM Protections (MT) (H.J.Res.104)?
Why did you vote Yea on Overturning North Dakota BLM Protections (H.J.Res.105)?
Why did you vote Yea on Boren USDA Under Secretary (En Bloc) (S.Res.412)?
Why did you vote Yea on Nesvik USFWS Director (PN25-35)?
Why did you vote Yea on One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R.1)?
Why did you vote Yea on Vaden Deputy Agriculture (PN12-43)?
Why did you vote Yea on MacGregor Deputy Interior (PN13-10)?
Why did you vote Yea on Overturning Glen Canyon Safeguards (H.J.Res.60)?
Why did you vote Nay on Preventing Public Lands Sell-Off (S.Amdt.2107)?
Why did you vote Nay on Reinstating Fired Land Managers (S.Amdt.540)?
Why did you vote Yea on Rollins Agriculture Confirmation (PN11-12)?
Why did you vote Yea on Burgum Confirmation (PN11-3)?

Offices and phones from the Senate and House member feeds and unitedstates/congress-legislators, checked October 22, 2026.

Questions people ask

How did Mitch McConnell vote on One Big Beautiful Bill?

Mitch McConnell voted Yea on One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R.1) on July 1, 2025. The Senate vote was 50 to 50, and the scorecard counts Nay as the vote for public lands.

Is Mitch McConnell up for election in 2026?

Yes. Mitch McConnell's Senate seat from Kentucky is on the ballot in November 2026. McConnell's grade on the 19 scored Senate votes so far is an F.

What public lands are in Kentucky?

76 federal land units lie in or reach into Kentucky. The largest are Daniel Boone National Forest (563,866 acres), Redbird Purchase Unit (146,434 acres) and Fort Knox (109,090 acres).