Congressional Public Lands Score by More Than Just Parks

Bernie Sanders

Independent · U.S. Senate · Vermont

97%

Ranked #10 (tied) of 98 scored

Scored 90% or higher.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Independent from Vermont, earns an A on the Congressional Public Lands Score. Of the 19 scored Senate votes, Sanders cast 18 for public lands and 0 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. Sanders's seat is not on the 2026 ballot.

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
Missed
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
Did not vote · May 14, 2025 · Roll call 250, 54 to 40
Pro-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 Nay · 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
Pro-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 Nay · 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 Sanders through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Open the full record in the scorecard

Public lands bills Sanders sponsors or cosponsors

In the 119th Congress, Sanders sponsors 0 and cosponsors 11 public lands bills.

S.2179 Canyon’s Law
Original cosponsor · Signed on June 26, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.2042 Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025
Original cosponsor · Signed on June 11, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.1926 Reducing Waste in National Parks Act
Original cosponsor · Signed on June 2, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.1578 Nulhegan River and Paul Stream Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2025
Original cosponsor · Signed on May 1, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.1519 Arctic Refuge Protection Act of 2025
Original cosponsor · Signed on April 29, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.1193 America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act
Cosponsor · Signed on March 31, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.1187 Deerfield River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2025
Original cosponsor · Signed on March 27, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.1198 Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act
Original cosponsor · Signed on March 27, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.859 Mining Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Prevention Act of 2025
Original cosponsor · Signed on March 5, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.356 Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025
Cosponsor · Signed on February 20, 2025 · Not yet rated
S.416 Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Establishment Act Amendments Act of 2025
Original cosponsor · Signed on February 5, 2025 · Not yet rated

Bills and cosponsors from the congress.gov API, read September 7, 2026. A bill is rated only when a named person approves a rating that quotes its provision; none of these has one yet.

Sanders's committees

Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight; Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Innovation and Safety; Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water
Senate Committee on Finance
Health Care; Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy (Ranking Member); Taxation and IRS Oversight
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (Ranking Member)
Education and the American Family (Ex Officio); Employment and Workplace Safety (Ex Officio); Primary Health and Retirement Security (Ex Officio)
Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Senate Committee on the Budget

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

Public lands in Vermont

34 federal land units lie in or reach into Vermont.

Listed by size.

Green Mountain National Forest 412,402 acres
Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area 36,442 acres
Silvio O. Conte National Fish And Wildlife Refuge 27,090 acres
Breadloaf Wilderness 24,985 acres
Glastenbury Wilderness 22,330 acres
Lye Brook Wilderness 18,122 acres
Moosalamoo National Recreation Area 15,914 acres
Joseph Battell Wilderness 12,336 acres
National Guard Training Site Ethan Allen Range Defense Department · 11,077 acres
Appalachian National Scenic Trail 9,867 acres
Devil'S Den 09083 Roadless Area 9,169 acres
Wilder Mountain 09082 Roadless Area 8,759 acres
Peru Peak Wilderness 7,796 acres
Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge 7,292 acres
Big Branch Wilderness 6,625 acres
George D. Aiken Wilderness 4,800 acres
Bristol Cliffs Wilderness 3,750 acres
Woodford 09086 Roadless Area 2,456 acres
Griffith Lake 09084 Roadless Area 1,833 acres
Bread Loaf Roadless Area 1,769 acres
Green Mountain Other Forest Service · 1,696 acres
Maquam Bog Rna Fish and Wildlife Service · 1,555 acres
North Hartland Lake Army Corps of Engineers · 1,477 acres
Lye Brook Addition 09085 Roadless Area 1,111 acres
Union Village Dam Recreation Area 998 acres
Townshend Recreation Area 960 acres
Union Village Reservoir Army Corps of Engineers · 841 acres
National Guard Ethan Allen Air Force Base Military Training Area 657 acres
Missisquoi Proposed Wilderness Area 599 acres
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park 557 acres
The Cape Research Natural Area Forest Service · 297 acres
Burlington International Airport Defense Department · 249 acres
Maidstone Bends Natural Area Fish and Wildlife Service · 154 acres
North Springfield Reservoir Army Corps of Engineers · 132 acres

Threatened public lands in Vermont

Green Mountain National Forest Developing

Federal land units from PAD-US, matched to the state's districts in the More Than Just Parks record, refreshed October 20, 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 Sanders on lands issues

PACs and other committees gave Sanders's campaign -$5,000 in the 2025-26 cycle. Across the 3 cycles on record, oil, gas, mining and timber PACs gave nothing, and conservation PACs gave $2,112.

Cycle	All PACs and committees	Oil and gas	Mining and coal	Timber	Conservation
2019-20	-$7,500	none	none	none	none
2023-24	$95,612	none	none	none	$2,112
2025-26	-$5,000	none	none	none	none

Itemized contributions from committees to the candidate (FEC H8VT01016, FEC S4VT00033), 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 Sanders compares

The median senator scores 5%. Sanders scores 97% and ranks #10 (tied) of 98.

More from Vermont

Sen. Peter Welch B · Rep. Becca Balint A

What to ask Sanders

Washington office: 332 Dirksen Senate Office Building. Phone (202) 224-5141. Write to Sanders · Official site

From Sanders's own record:

Why did you miss the vote on MacGregor Deputy Interior (PN13-10)?

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

Questions people ask

How did Bernie Sanders vote on One Big Beautiful Bill?

Bernie Sanders 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 Bernie Sanders up for election in 2026?

No. Bernie Sanders's Senate seat from Vermont is not on the 2026 ballot. Sanders's grade on the 19 scored Senate votes so far is an A.

What public lands are in Vermont?

34 federal land units lie in or reach into Vermont. The largest are Green Mountain National Forest (412,402 acres), Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area (36,442 acres) and Silvio O. Conte National Fish And Wildlife Refuge (27,090 acres).