New Digital Accountability Tool Tracks Congressional Voting Records on Public Lands Ahead of 2026 Midterm Elections

A new digital advocacy platform has been launched to provide American voters with transparent, real-time data regarding how their federal representatives vote on the protection and management of the nation’s public lands. Developed by More Than Just Parks, a prominent advocacy group focused on the preservation of national parks and forests, the Congressional Public Lands Score serves as a comprehensive database and interactive map designed to hold members of the 119th Congress accountable. The tool arrives during a period of significant shifts in federal land management policy, marked by the Trump administration’s recent efforts to expand energy extraction and reduce the federal workforce responsible for overseeing millions of acres of wilderness.

The tool, which went live on April 22, 2026, to coincide with Earth Day, catalogs every vote cast in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate since the 119th Congress convened on January 3, 2025. By providing letter grades from A to F, the platform aims to simplify complex legislative records for the general public, particularly as the 2026 midterm election cycle begins to intensify. Founders Jim and Will Pattiz stated that the impetus for the project was the perceived need for a more aggressive, data-driven approach to public lands advocacy in response to what they describe as "sweeping changes" to the status of protected areas over the past year.

Context of the 119th Congress and Administrative Policy Shifts

The launch of the Congressional Public Lands Score follows a series of controversial executive and legislative actions that have redefined the federal government’s relationship with public lands. Since the beginning of 2025, the Trump administration has moved to roll back several environmental protections established by previous administrations. Key among these actions was the reduction of drilling buffers around Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico, an area of significant cultural importance to Indigenous tribes, and the reintroduction of the "God Squad"—the Endangered Species Committee—to bypass protections and fast-track oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

In addition to resource extraction, the administrative landscape has been altered by the relocation and downsizing of federal agencies. Thousands of federal employees within the USDA Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) were impacted by mandatory relocations to regional offices in states like Utah, a move critics argue was designed to encourage mass resignations and weaken the "frontline" workforce responsible for trail maintenance, wildfire mitigation, and ecological monitoring. According to the Pattiz brothers, these shifts necessitated a tool that could clearly show voters whether their representatives supported or opposed these administrative trajectories.

Methodology and Technical Features of the Scoring System

The Congressional Public Lands Score utilizes a proprietary algorithm that automatically tracks and categorizes votes based on four primary criteria: whether the land remains public, whether it remains protected from industrial development, whether it is properly funded, and whether it is managed by competent, adequately staffed federal agencies. Each vote is weighted equally, and a representative’s final score is calculated as a percentage of "pro-public land" votes out of the total number of relevant votes cast.

The interface includes several high-utility features for voters:

• Interactive National Map: A color-coded visualization where green represents high scores (A range) and red represents failing scores (F range).
• Legislative Watch Section: A detailed breakdown of pending and passed legislation, including an analysis of the potential ecological and economic impacts of each bill.
• Search Functionality: Users can filter results by state, zip code, or individual name, making it easier to identify the specific record of local representatives.
• Reelection Filter: A specific tool that allows users to isolate the records of lawmakers who are up for reelection in the November 2026 midterms.

Jim Pattiz emphasized that the tool is intended to be nonpartisan, focusing strictly on the legislative record rather than political rhetoric. However, the data reveals a stark partisan divide in the 119th Congress. As of May 2026, nine senators—all Democrats—hold a perfect A+ rating. Conversely, 54 senators have received an F rating, all of whom are members of the Republican party. The creators maintain that these results are a factual reflection of current voting trends rather than a built-in bias of the software.

Regional Implications and the "Mountain West" Factor

One of the most significant insights provided by the tool concerns the Mountain West, a region comprising states like Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Idaho. This region is traditionally conservative but possesses a unique political culture where public land access is a top-tier priority for voters across the political spectrum. Outdoor recreationists, including hunters, anglers, and hikers, often hold their representatives to a high standard regarding land conservation, regardless of the lawmaker’s stance on other fiscal or social issues.

Will Pattiz noted that the tool is particularly revealing in these areas, where representatives may campaign on a platform of "rugged individualism" and outdoor heritage while voting for measures that would privatize federal lands or reduce access for sportsmen. "It lets voters see the discrepancy between the campaign trail image—walking through the woods with a dog and a gun—and the actual voting record in Washington D.C.," he said. The data suggests that in the 2026 midterms, the "public lands vote" could be a decisive factor in several swing districts throughout the Intermountain West.

Supporting Data: The Economic Value of Public Lands

The debate over public lands is not merely environmental; it is a significant economic driver. According to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) updated in early 2026, the outdoor recreation economy accounts for approximately $1.1 trillion in annual economic output, representing over 2% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This sector supports nearly 5 million jobs, many of which are located in rural communities adjacent to national parks and forests.

The Congressional Public Lands Score highlights votes that impact the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and the Great American Outdoors Act, both of which provide essential funding for infrastructure and maintenance in national parks. Advocacy groups have raised concerns that recent legislative attempts to divert these funds toward deficit reduction or industrial subsidies could lead to a decline in tourism revenue for gateway communities. By tracking these financial votes, the tool provides a bridge between environmental conservation and local economic health.

Responses from Legislative and Advocacy Groups

The release of the scoring tool has prompted various reactions from Capitol Hill. While several Democratic lawmakers have touted their A+ ratings as proof of their commitment to climate and conservation goals, some Republican offices have criticized the tool as being overly narrow. Critics of the scoring system argue that it does not account for the "economic benefits of energy independence" or the nuances of state-led land management.

However, broader environmental organizations, such as the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and the Sierra Club, have welcomed the tool as a specialized addition to the advocacy landscape. While the LCV provides a broad "Environmental Scorecard" covering everything from air quality to renewable energy, the More Than Just Parks tool is the first to focus exclusively on the geographic and administrative integrity of public lands. This specialization allows for a deeper dive into specific land-use bills that might otherwise be overshadowed by larger climate change debates.

Chronology of Public Land Advocacy (2025–2026)

The development of the Congressional Public Lands Score can be traced through a timeline of escalating tensions over federal land policy:

• January 2025: The 119th Congress convenes; immediate introduction of bills aimed at streamlining oil and gas permitting on federal lands.
• March 2025: The Trump administration announces the relocation of Forest Service headquarters, leading to a 40% staff turnover in key conservation departments.
• August 2025: Massive public protests occur in New Mexico following the lifting of the 10-mile drilling moratorium around Chaco Canyon.
• November 2025: Jim and Will Pattiz begin development of the automated tracking software to monitor what they describe as a "rapidly accelerating" legislative agenda.
• March 2026: Reports surface regarding the removal of climate-related signage and educational materials from several National Park Service sites, further mobilizing advocacy groups.
• April 22, 2026: The Congressional Public Lands Score is officially launched to the public.
• May 20, 2026: The tool reaches a milestone of 500,000 unique users, signaling high public interest ahead of the primary season.

Broader Impact and Future Outlook

As the 2026 midterm elections approach, the Congressional Public Lands Score is expected to play a pivotal role in voter education. The tool’s ability to filter for lawmakers up for reelection provides a direct mechanism for accountability, allowing constituents to confront representatives with their specific voting records during town halls and debates.

The long-term goal of the Pattiz brothers is to foster a "voting bloc" dedicated to the preservation of wild spaces. By making legislative data accessible and visually engaging, they hope to move public lands from a secondary policy concern to a primary issue at the ballot box. "If the tool works as intended," Will Pattiz remarked, "the surprises voters find in their representatives’ records won’t just spark frustration, but a renewed commitment to keeping these spaces intact for the next generation."

With millions of acres of federal land currently under review for potential industrial use, the transparency provided by this tool comes at a critical juncture. Whether this data will influence the makeup of the 120th Congress remains to be seen, but for now, it provides a clear, factual baseline for the ongoing national conversation regarding the value and future of America’s public commons.