House Passes “EXPLORE” Bipartisan Recreation Policy Package!
Photo credit: Patrick Hendry
On April 9, the House passed the EXPLORE Act by voice vote! The EXPLORE Act is a first-of-its-kind recreation policy package that will improve outdoor recreation on public lands and waters. We expect that the Senate will take up the bill in the coming weeks, but it will be important for them to hear from outdoor recreationists.
Millions of Americans get outside on public lands and waters each year. Outdoor recreation is growing in popularity, and there are many opportunities to improve how public lands and waters are managed to enhance outdoor experiences.
The EXPLORE Act is a bipartisan package of outdoor recreation policy introduced by Congressman Westerman (R-AR) and Congressman Grijalva (D-AZ), the chair and ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee. A companion bill, America’s Outdoor Recreation Act (AORA) has passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee, and we hope the Senate will act soon to pass the package.
The EXPLORE Act will improve outdoor recreation on America’s public lands and waters. It includes many key bills that Outdoor Alliance and our partners have helped develop. Among the highlights, the EXPLORE Act includes:
Biking on Long Distance Trails Act (BOLT)
The BOLT Act will help create more sustainable long-distance mountain biking trails. The bill directs land management agencies to identify existing and potential long-distance bike trails and then work with mountain bikers and other stakeholders to develop and promote these trails. A number of existing trails would benefit from recognition as a long-distance bike trail, including the Ouachita National Recreation Trail in Arkansas and the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail that runs from the Canada to Mexico border. You can also read IMBA’s full testimony on the bill here.
Protecting America’s Rock Climbing Act (PARC)
Rock climbing in the U.S. has a long history, and climbers have ranked among the most well-known conservationists in the last century. Recent proposals to prohibit fixed anchors in Wilderness have highlighted the need for consistent, common-sense guidance around climbing, especially climbing in Wilderness. Some of the most storied rock climbs in the country are in Wilderness—including El Capitan in Yosemite National Park and Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park—and are threatened by land management agencies' new interpretation of the Wilderness Act. The PARC Act will help safeguard Wilderness climbing, a historic use, by reaffirming the appropriateness of climbing on public lands and directing national-level guidance on placing and maintaining fixed anchors in Wilderness. The PARC Act would solidify Congress’s intent to allow climbing in Wilderness and would support continued safe and sustainable access for climbers. You can also read Access Fund’s full testimony on the bill here.
Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act (SOAR)
The SOAR Act has been a priority for Outdoor Alliance and its member groups for a decade now. The SOAR Act facilitates meaningful outdoor experiences by updating and streamlining recreational permitting for outfitters and guides, including Outdoor Alliance members like The Mountaineers. Special use permitting, the kind that allows guides to take people out to experience public lands for the first time, uses a dated and challenging system. The SOAR Act would simplify and modernize recreation permitting to make the outdoors more accessible.
Makes FICOR Permanent
The EXPLORE Act would make the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR) permanent. FICOR is a council that helps land managers coordinate and focuses on improving access to nature and expanding outdoor recreation opportunities.
Makes Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Permanent
The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program provides grant funding for urban areas to develop green spaces and outdoor access, with priority given to economically disadvantaged areas and neighborhoods without existing outdoor recreation opportunities. The EXPLORE Act would make ORLP permanent, expanding green space in communities that need it most.
The EXPLORE Act is the result of years of work from Outdoor Alliance and our partners, who have been working closely with lawmakers to develop thoughtful policy proposals that could improve outdoor recreation access. This began with Senator Wyden’s Recreation Not Red-Tape Act and included more than a decade of work to develop the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act (SOAR).
Now that the House has passed EXPLORE, we can help get it across the finish line by sending a thank you to House members and asking Senators to take action in passing the package. The voices of outdoor recreationists matter tremendously to help move this package along. We’ve made it easy to send a message:
What our coalition has to say:
OUTDOOR ALLIANCE
“Outdoor Alliance is thrilled to see the House pass the EXPLORE Act, a first-of-its-kind package of outdoor recreation policy that will improve and protect outdoor recreation experiences on public lands and waters. Millions of Americans get outside each year, and the EXPLORE Act will improve management for climbing and mountain biking, enhance how agencies manage outdoor recreation, and invest in parks where they are needed most with the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership.” - Louis Geltman, VP of Policy and Government Relations, Outdoor Alliance
THE MOUNTAINEERS
“As outdoor recreation grows in popularity, we need more tools to get people outside safely and responsibly. The EXPLORE Act will streamline the federal recreational permitting process to enable more people to experience the outdoors through organized group experiences facilitated by outdoor leaders and educators. The Mountaineers is thrilled to see the House pass the EXPLORE Act, and is grateful to Representative Westerman and Representative Grijalva for their leadership to help connect more people with their public lands and waters.” - Tom Vogl, CEO, The Mountaineers
WINTER WILDLANDS ALLIANCE
"Winter Wildlands Alliance is excited that this legislation recognizes the need to improve recreation management and equitable access on public lands in all seasons. Among other positive elements of the bill, we are pleased that the EXPLORE Act would prioritize completion of meaningful travel planning in order to minimize resource impacts and use conflicts in winter, followed by the long overdue publication of practical winter use maps for the recreating public” - Hilary Eisen, Policy Director, Winter Wildlands Alliance
IMBA
“The International Mountain Bicycling Association is thrilled the House of Representatives understands the physical, mental, and economic importance of outdoor recreation on our public lands, evidenced by the passage of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act. The mountain bike community is specifically excited about the Biking on Long Distance Trails (BOLT) Act that has been included within the text of the underlying bill. The BOLT Act will identify at least 10 existing long-distance bike trails and identify at least 10 areas where there is opportunity to develop or complete such trails. The bill will also direct the Department of Interior to publish and distribute maps, install signage, and distribute promotional materials. We now look to the Senate for quick action this summer to pass the EXPLORE Act and get it to the President’s desk before the August recess.” - Todd Keller, Director of Government Affairs, International Mountain Bicycling Association
ACCESS FUND
"I applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a bipartisan recreation package that benefits climbers, our public lands, local communities, and all of us who love recreating and spending time in nature. And I urge the Senate to build on this momentum by quickly passing America's Outdoor Recreation Act so that President Biden can sign legislation protecting sustainable Wilderness climbing access into law."
Heather Thorne, Executive Director, Access Fund