The Omnibus Public Land Management Act, considered one of the most important public land conservation measures in decades, designated more than 2 million acres of public lands as wilderness in nine states and established three new national park units, a new national monument, three new national conservation areas, more than 1,000 miles of national wild and scenic rivers and four new national trails. The Act enlarged the boundaries of more than a dozen existing national park units and established ten new national heritage areas. It also formally established the National Landscape Conservation System, containing millions of acres of wilderness, monuments, and conservation areas that are managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

The Omnibus Public Land Management Act also authorized numerous land exchanges and conveyances to help Western communities, addressed water resource and supply issues, and launched programs to study the effects of climate change on natural resources. A provision not supported by the conservation community was a measure that may permit a road within the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

On January 11, in its first vote of the session, the Senate invoked cloture on the public lands bill by a vote of 66-12 (Senate roll call vote 1). YES IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE. The House passed H.R. 146 on March 25, and the President signed the bill into law on March 30.