Congressional Public Lands Score by More Than Just Parks

Tina Smith

Democrat · U.S. Senate · Minnesota

92%

Ranked #25 (tied) of 98 scored

Scored 90% or higher. Seat on the 2026 ballot.

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

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

Pro-lands
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.
Voted Nay · August 7, 2026 · Roll call 225, 51 to 47
Pro-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 Nay · May 18, 2026 · Roll call 125, 46 to 43
Pro-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 Nay · April 16, 2026 · Roll call 84, 50 to 49
Pro-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 Nay · December 4, 2025 · Roll call 632, 49 to 45
Pro-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 Nay · November 20, 2025 · Roll call 623, 51 to 43
Pro-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 Nay · October 30, 2025 · Roll call 599, 52 to 45
Pro-lands
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.
Voted Nay · October 9, 2025 · Roll call 560, 50 to 46
Pro-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 Nay · October 8, 2025 · Roll call 549, 52 to 47
Pro-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 Nay · October 8, 2025 · Roll call 556, 50 to 45
Pro-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 Nay · October 7, 2025 · Roll call 547, 51 to 47
Pro-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 Nay · August 1, 2025 · Roll call 470, 54 to 43
Pro-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 Nay · July 1, 2025 · Roll call 372, 50 to 50
Pro-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 Nay · June 10, 2025 · Roll call 301, 51 to 44
Pro-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 Nay · May 14, 2025 · Roll call 250, 54 to 40
Missed
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
Did not vote · May 8, 2025 · Roll call 239, 50 to 43
Pro-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 Yea · April 5, 2025 · Roll call 181, 48 to 51
Pro-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 Yea · February 20, 2025 · Roll call 68, 48 to 52
Pro-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 Nay · 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 Smith through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Open the full record in the scorecard

Public lands bills Smith sponsors or cosponsors

In the 119th Congress, Smith sponsors 1 and cosponsors 6 public lands bills.

S.1366 Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection Act
Sponsor · Introduced April 9, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.Res.837 Designating the week of August 22 through August 30, 2026, as "National Park Week"
Original cosponsor · Signed on August 6, 2026 · Not yet rated
S.2042 Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025
Original cosponsor · Signed on June 11, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.1519 Arctic Refuge Protection Act of 2025
Original cosponsor · Signed on April 29, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.Res.180 Designating the week of April 19 through April 27, 2025, as "National Park Week"
Original cosponsor · Signed on April 10, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.1193 America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act
Cosponsor · Signed on March 31, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.950 Save Our Forests Act of 2025
Original cosponsor · Signed on March 11, 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.

Smith's committees

Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research; Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, and Food Safety; Rural Development, Energy, and Credit
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Digital Assets; Economic Policy; Housing, Transportation, and Community Development (Ranking Member)
Senate Committee on Finance
Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth (Ranking Member); Health Care; International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

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

Public lands in Minnesota

119 federal land units lie in or reach into Minnesota. The park with a More Than Just Parks guide: Voyageurs National Park.

Listed park guides first, then by size; the largest 40 of 119 are named.

Voyageurs National Park 130,153 acres
Superior National Forest 2,093,604 acres
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness 1,098,788 acres
Chippewa National Forest 659,658 acres
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Mining Protection Area Mineral Reserve Area Forest Service · 227,499 acres
Leech Lake Army Corps of Engineers · 102,506 acres
Beltrami Wildlife Management Area 86,982 acres
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife And Fish Refuge 72,674 acres
Kabetogama Purchase Unit Forest Service · 68,258 acres
Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge 61,819 acres
Lake Winnibigoshish Army Corps of Engineers · 56,816 acres
National Guard Camp Ripley Defense Department · 52,758 acres
Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge 43,425 acres
Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge 30,670 acres
Otter Tail County Waterfowl Production Area Fish and Wildlife Service · 24,232 acres
Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge 23,249 acres
Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge 18,073 acres
Kawishiwi Lake To Sawbill Roadless Area 15,305 acres
Kandiyohi County Waterfowl Production Area Fish and Wildlife Service · 14,493 acres
Pope County Waterfowl Production Area Fish and Wildlife Service · 14,213 acres
Becker County Waterfowl Production Area Fish and Wildlife Service · 14,209 acres
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge 13,647 acres
Polk County Waterfowl Production Area Fish and Wildlife Service · 13,605 acres
Polk County Waterfowl Production Area Of Mn Fish and Wildlife Service · 13,604 acres
Clay County Waterfowl Production Area Of Mn Fish and Wildlife Service · 13,486 acres
Clay County Waterfowl Production Area Of Minnesota Fish and Wildlife Service · 12,817 acres
Big Stone County Waterfowl Production Area Fish and Wildlife Service · 12,811 acres
Brule Lake - Eagle Mountain Roadless Area 12,380 acres
Big Stone Lake Army Corps of Engineers · 11,926 acres
Douglas County Waterfowl Production Area Of Mn Fish and Wildlife Service · 11,679 acres
Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge 11,656 acres
Pigeon River Purchase Unit 11,475 acres
Douglas County Waterfowl Production Area Fish and Wildlife Service · 11,468 acres
Grant County Waterfowl Production Area Fish and Wildlife Service · 11,390 acres
Gull Lake Army Corps of Engineers · 11,230 acres
Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge 10,271 acres
Stearns County Waterfowl Production Area Fish and Wildlife Service · 10,147 acres
Stevens County Waterfowl Production Area Fish and Wildlife Service · 9,785 acres
Swift County Waterfowl Production Area Fish and Wildlife Service · 8,650 acres
Big Sandy Lake Reservoir Army Corps of Engineers · 8,619 acres

Fires burning on public land in Minnesota

Rl 151 Fire 0 acres, updated October 23, 2026

Drilling, mining and logging on record in Minnesota: 2,000 timber sales (53,496 acres).

Threatened public lands in Minnesota

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Critical

Federal land units from PAD-US, matched to the state's districts in the More Than Just Parks record, refreshed October 24, 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 Smith on lands issues

PACs and other committees gave Smith's campaign -$40,500 in the 2025-26 cycle. Across the 4 cycles on record, oil, gas, mining and timber PACs gave $30,000, and conservation PACs gave $12,500.

Cycle	All PACs and committees	Oil and gas	Mining and coal	Timber	Conservation
2019-20	$3,302,636	none	none	$27,500	$12,500
2021-22	$170,534	none	none	none	none
2023-24	$316,025	none	none	$2,500	none
2025-26	-$40,500	none	none	none	none

Itemized contributions from committees to the candidate (FEC S8MN00578), net of refunds, read June 10, 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 Smith compares

The median senator scores 5%. Smith scores 92% and ranks #25 (tied) of 98.

More from Minnesota

Sen. Amy Klobuchar B · Rep. Brad Finstad F · Rep. Angie Craig A · Rep. Kelly Morrison A+ · Rep. Betty McCollum A+ · Rep. Ilhan Omar A · Rep. Tom Emmer F · Rep. Michelle Fischbach F · Rep. Pete Stauber F

What to ask Smith

Washington office: 720 Hart Senate Office Building. Phone (202) 224-5641. Write to Smith · Official site

From Smith's own record:

Why did you miss the vote on Overturning Glen Canyon Safeguards (H.J.Res.60)?
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 Tina Smith vote on One Big Beautiful Bill?

Tina Smith voted Nay 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 Tina Smith up for election in 2026?

Yes. Tina Smith's Senate seat from Minnesota is on the ballot in November 2026. Smith's grade on the 19 scored Senate votes so far is an A.

What public lands are in Minnesota?

119 federal land units lie in or reach into Minnesota. The largest are Superior National Forest (2,093,604 acres), Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (1,098,788 acres) and Chippewa National Forest (659,658 acres).