BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 26, 2025
A new Senate bill, nicknamed the “Big Brother Bill,” could change how Mainers experience some of the state’s most treasured public lands — and that’s why hunters, anglers, hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts should pay attention. Senate Bill 2967, formally titled the Border Lands Conservation Act, was introduced by Sen. Mike Lee, R‑Utah, on Oct. 2. The bill gives the Department of Homeland Security and federal land management agencies authority to install roads, barriers and surveillance equipment on federal lands that directly share a boundary with the U.S. border. It also allows the use of motor vehicles, aircraft and other tactical means on wilderness lands along the border to enforce border security. Federal lands that physically touch the international boundary could fall under the bill’s provisions. In Maine, that includes portions of Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge that directly abut the line. The American Hunters & Anglers Action Network said the bill would “weaponize” federal lands and allow federal agents to secretly monitor law-abiding hunters and anglers.