Star-Spangled Summit Act of 2026
Click any stage to learn more about the legislative process.
The bill would require the Forest Service to issue a 10-year special use permit, free of land-use fees, allowing a seasonal American flag flagpole to continue flying at Kyhv Peak Lookout Point in Utah's Uinta National Forest.
It would also exempt the permit from standard environmental review, resolving a dispute after the Forest Service required a permit for a flagpole a local scout troop had raised seasonally since 2000.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would direct the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Forest Service, to issue a 10-year special use permit within 180 days of enactment for installing, operating, maintaining, and eventually removing a flagpole bearing the American flag at Kyhv Peak Lookout Point in Utah's Uinta National Forest. Priority would go to the individual who applied for such a permit before March 5, 2026, or who has already been raising the flag there seasonally; if that person declines, a qualified Utah County resident or organization could apply. The Forest Service could not charge a land use fee or cost-recovery fee, and the permit would be exempt from National Environmental Policy Act review. The bill would also require the Forest Service to renew or reissue the permit every 10 years, publish notice of permit availability, and limit any authorized access or activity to the smallest practicable area to protect public safety and natural resources.
Key provisions
- 1Would require the Forest Service to issue a 10-year special use permit for a flagpole at Kyhv Peak Lookout Point within 180 days of enactment
- 2Would establish priority order for who receives the permit, favoring existing applicants or those with a longstanding seasonal practice of raising the flag there
- 3Would prohibit the Forest Service from charging any land use fee or cost-recovery fee for the permit
- 4Would exempt the permit's issuance, renewal, and administration from National Environmental Policy Act review
- 5Would require the Forest Service to renew or reissue the permit every 10 years and allow revocation for noncompliance
Who would be affected
The individual or scout-affiliated group that has seasonally raised the American flag at Kyhv Peak, Utah County residents or nonprofit organizations eligible to hold the permit if that person declines, and the U.S. Forest Service, which administers the Uinta National Forest and must issue and renew the permit.
Why it matters
Without this bill, the Forest Service could deny or condition the flagpole permit under general policy requiring approval for structures on National Forest land, potentially ending the two-decade seasonal tradition. The bill guarantees fee-free permit issuance and exempts the process from environmental review, ensuring the flag-raising can continue with minimal bureaucratic obstacles.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Sec. 2(f))
Exempts issuance, renewal, and administration of this specific flagpole special use permit from NEPA review requirements.
Amends 36 C.F.R. § 251.58 (Forest Service cost recovery fee regulation) (Sec. 2(e))
Exempts holders of this special use permit from cost recovery fees otherwise assessed under this regulation.
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Deadline for the Forest Service to issue the initial special use permit
- Deadline to renew or issue a new permit after the prior one's 10-year term or termination
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates that H.R. 4684 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2026–2031 period, with no effect on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit.
CBO estimates that implementing the Star-Spangled Summit Act of 2026 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2026–2031 period; that spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds (i.e., Congress would need to provide the money). The bill would have no effect on direct (mandatory) spending, revenues, or the deficit in any scoring window, including the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2037. CBO identified no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill. The estimate reflects the cost of issuing a 10-year special-use permit allowing a local resident or organization to place and maintain a U.S. flag at Kyhv Peak Lookout Point, Utah, with no land-use or cost-recovery fees charged to the permit holder.
How implementation would work
The Forest Service would first determine whether a prior applicant or longstanding flag-raiser wants the permit; if declined, it would publish notice of availability on its website and in a local Utah County newspaper and accept applications from qualified persons. The Secretary could impose care and maintenance conditions, monitor compliance, and revoke the permit for violations. Every 10 years, or sooner if the holder requests revocation or the permit is terminated early, the agency must renew or reissue the permit within 180 days, with access and activity kept to the smallest practicable footprint.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill directs the Forest Service to issue a special use permit to maintain a flagpole bearing the American flag at Kyhv Peak Lookout Point in the Uinta National Forest, which is in Utah.
The Forest Service must issue the special use permit for a 10-year period and renew the permit as required by the bill. The Forest Service may impose terms and conditions on a permit holder to ensure the proper care and maintenance of the flagpole.
The bill prohibits the Forest Service from charging a land use fee for the special use permit.
The bill also exempts such permit from environmental review requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
As background, Scoutmaster Robert Collins and his scout troop raised the American flag at the point in 2000 and lowered it before winter. The flag was raised annually until the Forest Service cited policy that requires a permit for the construction or placement of any structure, including flagpoles, on National Forest lands. The bill directs the Forest Service to issue a special use permit so the flag may continue to be raised seasonally each year.
Legislative subjects
Forests, forestry, trees; Licensing and registrations; National symbols; Public Lands and Natural Resources; Utah
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-584