The PUBLIC Lands Act aims to protect and invest in significant Federal lands across California by establishing new conservation designations and promoting ecological restoration and recreation. It seeks to enhance the management of these areas for the benefit of current and future generations.

Title I focuses on forest restoration, establishing the South Fork Trinity-Mad River Restoration Area across approximately 871,414 acres. Its purposes include restoring fire-resilient forests, protecting aquatic habitats and anadromous fisheries, safeguarding water quality, reducing wildfire threats, and allowing public enjoyment of scenic and recreational values. The bill mandates collaborative restoration and fire management plans for this area, emphasizing the use of prescribed fire and shaded fuel breaks.

Additionally, Title I creates the California Public Land Remediation Partnership to coordinate efforts among Federal, State, Tribal, and local authorities, as well as the private sector. This partnership is tasked with remediating Federal land degraded by illegal marijuana cultivation or other illicit activities, including trash removal and ecosystem restoration. Its duties involve identifying priority lands, securing resources, supporting remediation efforts, and conducting research and education.

Title II addresses recreation by authorizing feasibility studies and potential designations for several trails, including the Bigfoot National Recreation Trail and the Trinity Lake Trail for nonmotorized uses. It also designates the Elk Camp Ridge Recreation Trail for off-highway vehicles and mountain bikes, with specific management requirements to minimize environmental impact. Studies are also mandated for the Condor National Scenic Trail and other trail opportunities within various National Forests. The bill further permits partnerships for trail and campground maintenance, visitor services, and authorizes the establishment of visitor centers in Weaverville and Del Norte County, along with a study for overnight accommodations near Redwood National and State Parks.

Title III is dedicated to conservation, significantly expanding protected areas within California. It designates numerous new wilderness areas and additions, totaling hundreds of thousands of acres, across National Forests and Bureau of Land Management lands. These areas will be administered under the Wilderness Act, with specific provisions for fire management, grazing, fish and wildlife, and the protection of valid existing rights.

The bill also designates potential wilderness areas in Redwood National Park and the Yuki Wilderness, which will be managed for ecological restoration until they can be fully designated as wilderness. Furthermore, it adds many new segments of rivers, such as the South Fork Trinity River, Middle Fork Eel River, and Redwood Creek, to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, classifying them as wild, scenic, or recreational. Studies are also initiated for additional Wild and Scenic River designations in the San Gabriel River system.

Two new Scenic Areas, Condor Ridge and Black Mountain, are established to conserve their ecological, scenic, and recreational resources, with prohibitions on permanent roads, structures, and most timber harvesting. Three Special Management Areas—Horse Mountain, Sanhedrin, and Fox Mountain—are created with specific purposes to enhance recreation and conserve natural resources, including provisions for management plans, motorized vehicle use restrictions, and exceptions for timber harvest necessary for area purposes. These special management areas also emphasize tribal agreements and partnerships for management.

Finally, Title IV includes miscellaneous provisions, such as requiring maps and legal descriptions for all newly designated areas and updates to existing land and resource management plans. It also protects existing Pacific Gas and Electric Company utility facilities and rights-of-way within the newly designated areas, ensuring continued operation and maintenance. The bill reauthorizes existing water facilities in the Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness and ensures tribal access to all designated areas for traditional cultural and religious purposes, allowing for temporary closures to protect privacy.