Wintergreen Emergency Egress Act

What it does

• •Amends the 1936 Blue Ridge Parkway Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to issue a right-of-way for an emergency egress route on National Park Service land near Milepost 9.6 in Virginia.
• •Conditions the right-of-way issuance on completion of three prerequisites: evaluation of non-federal alternatives (including existing trails conversion), fire ecology impact analysis, and compliance with National Environmental Policy Act and applicable federal land management reviews.
• •Requires the Secretary to report findings to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources before the right-of-way can be issued.

Why it matters

• •Mandates a specific emergency exit route on federal parkland, shifting discretionary authority to a mandatory requirement contingent on meeting defined environmental and planning standards.
• •Establishes a procedural framework requiring alternatives analysis and fire safety assessment before federal land commitment, ensuring emergency access decisions account for ecological impacts.

Who is affected

• •The Secretary of the Interior and National Park Service, who must complete required evaluations and issue the right-of-way meeting statutory conditions.
• •The Wintergreen area and surrounding communities in Virginia that would gain the emergency egress route through Blue Ridge Parkway federal land.

What happens next

The bill was reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources without amendment on September 17, 2026; further legislative action or passage is required for enactment.