The U.S. Senate is expected to vote soon on a policy change North Dakota conservationists say could have major implications for the state’s public lands.

Resource Management Plans do not sound flashy but for outdoor enthusiasts and commercial developers, they set the tone for divvying up sections of land for activities like hunting access, protecting wildlife habitat and energy use. The plans are updated with a lot of public input about every decade or so and one for North Dakota was finalized in January but Republicans want to repeal it using what’s known as the Congressional Review Act.

John Bradley, executive director of the North Dakota Wildlife Federation, said it would be a big mistake.

“It really comes down to a loss of regulatory certainty,” Bradley said. “The provisions for habitat protection, for water quality and water quality is a big one with the Missouri River drinking water here in North Dakota. Those can be removed and weakened.”

If approved, about 58,000 acres of public lands in North Dakota would fall back under older management guidelines. Other states swept up in the current vote include Montana and Alaska. The proposal has already cleared the House, with North Dakota’s Congressional delegation arguing the newly implemented plans unfairly target coal and oil production around the state.

Bradley countered a heavy focus on opening up public lands for fossil fuel production bypasses the viewpoints of constituents. He said a typical plan strikes a balance in which all those involved, including residents who submit comments, force a compromise. He argued the repeal vote undermines the idea of local control.

“That’s where ranchers, recreationists, North Dakotans actually made comments on these plans,” Bradley said. “Now Congress thousands of miles away in D.C., they are taking over kind of that everyday role of managing our public lands.”

Bradley pointed out the current process still allows for Congress to go back in and make modifications, arguing it is more effective than completely upending an entire management plan. The Wildlife Federation further noted the debate touches on tribal sovereignty issues, with the Missouri River serving as a key water source for Native Americans in the North Dakota region.