Congressional Public Lands Score by More Than Just Parks

Christopher Smith

Republican · U.S. House · New Jersey, District 4

Ranked #218 (tied) of 427 scored

Scored under 60%.

Rep. Christopher Smith, a Republican representing New Jersey's 4th District, earns an F on the Congressional Public Lands Score. Of the 17 scored House votes, Smith cast 0 for public lands and 17 against. The two closest: Yea on One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R.1), 215 to 214, and Yea on Overturning Powder River Basin Coal Protections (WY) (H.J.Res.130), 214 to 212. Every House seat, this one included, is on the ballot in November 2026.

Every scored vote: 17 of 17 U.S. House votes counted

Anti-lands
Protecting Domestic Mining Act H.R.1501
Bill writing mining permanently into the FAST-41 fast track and barring the Permitting Council from limiting that treatment to critical minerals projects. Any mining infrastructure project on BLM or National Forest land qualifies for compressed environmental review. Passed the House 218-201 on September 2, 2026.
Voted Yea · September 2, 2026 · Roll call 294, 218 to 201
Anti-lands
Lead Ammunition on Federal Lands (Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act) H.R.556
Bill barring the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service from banning lead ammunition or fishing tackle on federal land and water open to hunting or fishing, or regulating the lead in it, unless field data show lead is the main cause of a wildlife decline on that unit and the state agrees. Passed the House 215-202 on March 18, 2026.
Voted Yea · March 18, 2026 · Roll call 93
Anti-lands
Critical Mineral Dominance Act H.R.4090
Codifies provisions of Trump Executive Orders 14154 and 14241, directing Interior, in consultation with the Agriculture Department, to fast-track hardrock mining projects on BLM and National Forest land and inventory federal land for mining potential. The House rejected, 209-212, a motion to bar expedited treatment for mines owned by companies from China and other adversary nations.
Voted Yea · February 4, 2026 · Roll call 55, 224 to 195
Anti-lands
Overturning Boundary Waters Mining Ban H.J.Res.140
CRA resolution overturning the 20-year mineral withdrawal on about 225,000 acres of the Superior National Forest upstream of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, opening the watershed to sulfide-ore copper mining. Became Public Law 119-85.
Voted Yea · January 21, 2026 · Roll call 38, 214 to 208
Anti-lands
SPEED Act H.R.4776
Bill rewriting the National Environmental Policy Act to narrow and speed federal environmental reviews, including for energy and mining projects on public lands, and to limit court challenges
Voted Yea · December 18, 2025 · Roll call 356, 221 to 196
Anti-lands
Opening Public Lands to Mining H.R.1366
Bill letting mining companies claim additional mill sites on public land for waste rock, tailings and processing without a valid mineral discovery, reversing the Rosemont Copper court decision
Voted Yea · December 18, 2025 · Roll call 358, 219 to 198
Anti-lands
Gray Wolf Delisting (Pet and Livestock Protection Act) H.R.845
Bill requiring the reissue of the 2020 rule removing gray wolves in the lower 48 states, outside the Mexican wolf range, from the endangered species list, and barring court review of it. Sponsored by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO).
Voted Yea · December 18, 2025 · Roll call 360, 211 to 204
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 18, 2025 · Roll call 294, 214 to 212
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 · November 18, 2025 · Roll call 295, 217 to 209
Anti-lands
Opening Western Arctic to Drilling S.J.Res.80
CRA resolution reversing land management safeguards to expand oil and gas drilling across Alaska's 23-million-acre Western Arctic reserve
Voted Yea · November 18, 2025 · Roll call 296, 216 to 209
Anti-lands
Overturning Miles City BLM Protections (MT) H.J.Res.104
CRA resolution rolling back the Bureau of Land Management plan amendment for the Miles City Field Office in Montana, which had ended new federal coal leasing in the state's Powder River Basin
Voted Yea · September 3, 2025 · Roll call 224, 211 to 208
Anti-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 effectively resurrected the Ambler Road project through Gates of the Arctic. Signed into law as Pub.L. 119-50.
Voted Yea · September 3, 2025 · Roll call 225, 215 to 210
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 · September 3, 2025 · Roll call 226, 215 to 211
Anti-lands
One Big Beautiful Bill Final Passage H.R.1
Final passage of the reconciliation bill mandating quarterly oil and gas lease sales on public lands, requiring BLM to offer at least 50% of nominated acreage, and reducing royalty rates for drilling on federal land
Voted Yea · July 3, 2025 · Roll call 190, 218 to 214
Anti-lands
One Big Beautiful Bill H.R.1
Reconciliation bill mandating Arctic Refuge and National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska lease sales, a four-million-acre coal leasing mandate, and higher timber sale targets on federal land
Voted Yea · May 22, 2025 · Roll call 145, 215 to 214
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 · April 29, 2025 · Roll call 110, 219 to 205
Anti-lands
Fix Our Forests Act H.R.471
Bill expanding categorical exclusions from 3,000 to 10,000 acres for fuel-reduction and forest-health logging projects on national forests, letting large treatments skip environmental impact statements under NEPA
Voted Yea · January 23, 2025 · Roll call 25, 279 to 141

Roll calls and tallies from clerk.house.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 Representative 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 1 public lands bills.

H.R.10346 Stop China’s Exploitation of Congolese Children and Adult Forced Labor through Cobalt Mining Act
Sponsor · Introduced September 10, 2026 · Not yet rated
H.R.249 Redesignate certain facilities at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in honor of Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr
Original cosponsor · Signed on January 9, 2025 · Not yet rated

Bills and cosponsors from the congress.gov API, read September 30, 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

House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Africa (Chair); Western Hemisphere

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

Public lands in New Jersey's 4th District

4 federal land units lie in or reach into New Jersey's 4th District.

Listed by size.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst 41,615 acres
Naval Weapons Station Earle NJ Defense Department · 8,554 acres
Fort Monmouth Main Post 1,001 acres
National Guard Sea Girt NJ National Guard Training Center Defense Department · 174 acres

None of the places on the threatened public lands map is in New Jersey.

Federal land units from PAD-US, matched to the district in the More Than Just Parks record, refreshed October 25, 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 $250,533 in the 2025-26 cycle. Across the 4 cycles on record, oil, gas, mining and timber PACs gave $1,000, and conservation PACs gave $1,000.

Cycle	All PACs and committees	Oil and gas	Mining and coal	Timber	Conservation
2019-20	$407,650	none	none	none	$500
2021-22	$486,876	$1,000	none	none	$500
2023-24	$297,963	none	none	none	none
2025-26	$250,533	none	none	none	none

Itemized contributions from committees to the candidate (FEC H8NJ04014), net of refunds, read October 15, 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 representative scores 6%. Smith scores 0% and ranks #218 (tied) of 427.

More from New Jersey

Sen. Andy Kim A+ · Sen. Cory Booker B · Rep. Donald Norcross A · Rep. Jefferson Van Drew F · Rep. Herbert Conaway A · Rep. Josh Gottheimer A · Rep. Frank Pallone A+ · Rep. Thomas Kean F · Rep. Robert Menendez A+ · Rep. Nellie Pou A+ · Rep. LaMonica McIver A+ · Rep. Analilia Mejia A · Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman A+

What to ask Smith

Washington office: 2373 Rayburn House Office Building. Phone (202) 225-3765. Official site

From Smith's own record:

Why did you vote Yea on Protecting Domestic Mining Act (H.R.1501)?
Why did you vote Yea on Lead Ammunition on Federal Lands (Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act) (H.R.556)?
Why did you vote Yea on Critical Mineral Dominance Act (H.R.4090)?
Why did you vote Yea on Overturning Boundary Waters Mining Ban (H.J.Res.140)?
Why did you vote Yea on SPEED Act (H.R.4776)?
Why did you vote Yea on Opening Public Lands to Mining (H.R.1366)?
Why did you vote Yea on Gray Wolf Delisting (Pet and Livestock Protection Act) (H.R.845)?
Why did you vote Yea on Overturning Powder River Basin Coal Protections (WY) (H.J.Res.130)?
Why did you vote Yea on Opening Arctic Refuge to Drilling (H.J.Res.131)?
Why did you vote Yea on Opening Western Arctic to Drilling (S.J.Res.80)?
Why did you vote Yea on Overturning Miles City BLM Protections (MT) (H.J.Res.104)?
Why did you vote Yea on Overturning Central Yukon Protections (AK) (H.J.Res.106)?
Why did you vote Yea on Overturning North Dakota BLM Protections (H.J.Res.105)?
Why did you vote Yea on One Big Beautiful Bill Final Passage (H.R.1)?
Why did you vote Yea on One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R.1)?
Why did you vote Yea on Overturning Glen Canyon Safeguards (H.J.Res.60)?
Why did you vote Yea on Fix Our Forests Act (H.R.471)?

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

Questions people ask

How did Christopher Smith vote on One Big Beautiful Bill?

Christopher Smith voted Yea on One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R.1) on May 22, 2025. The House vote was 215 to 214, and the scorecard counts Nay as the vote for public lands.

Is Christopher Smith up for election in 2026?

Yes. Every House seat, including New Jersey's 4th District, is on the ballot on November 3, 2026. Smith's grade on the 17 scored House votes so far is an F.

What public lands are in New Jersey's 4th District?

4 federal land units lie in or reach into New Jersey's 4th District. The largest are Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (41,615 acres), Naval Weapons Station Earle NJ (8,554 acres) and Fort Monmouth Main Post (1,001 acres).