Five Things Outdoor Recreationists Want to See in the Farm Bill

The Farm Bill is must-pass legislation that Congress updates every five years. This year, the Farm Bill is up for renewal and is one of the most consequential packages of legislation for the outdoors that Congress will consider. Though much of the Farm Bill is focused on food production and agriculture, there is a critical public lands and recreation angle, since some of the bill directs policy for the Forest Service, which is part of the Department of Agriculture, and many Farm Bill programs address conservation and restoration policy on private lands.

The last Farm Bill, which was passed in 2018, included report language that recognized the importance of outdoor recreation and the outdoor economy, and explicitly clarified that rural development funds from the Farm Bill could be used to support recreation-based economic development in rural communities. This language sets an important precedent for addressing recreation programs via the Farm Bill, which the outdoor community can expand on in 2023.

Outdoor Alliance, along with our partners at the Outdoor Industry Association and The Conservation Alliance, sent a letter to legislators this week, which you can read here. Below are five of the most important things that outdoor recreationists could see in the Farm Bill, and for which we are advocating:

Wildfire management

The Farm Bill can include better policy that encourages prescribed fire and other forest health projects that have a co-benefit for outdoor recreation. The Forest Service plans to treat 50 million acres of forest lands over the next ten years. Many of these fire mitigation projects can also include benefits to outdoor recreation, such as restoring degraded trails or enhancing viewsheds.

Clarity on National Forest recreation closures

In recent years, the Forest Service has closed access to a significant amount of public land in response to wildfires. Without a clear process for determining how much land to close and for how long, some forest lands are left closed for months or years after fires are out. Many of these areas cover parts of the forest unaffected by fire or that post no real safety or resource protection issues. These extended closures affect recreationists as well as local economies. The Farm Bill can address this by establishing a clear policy on closures and a process for determining how to reopen forest lands.

Rural outdoor recreation economy development

There are a number of opportunities to encourage rural economic development in the Farm Bill. They include a pilot program to address housing needs for the recreation workforce, as housing costs can sometimes be prohibitively high in mountain towns or communities adjacent to public lands. In addition, some grant programs for rural development can be expanded to provide funding for recreational development, including trails, parks, and other recreation infrastructure.

Expand funding for recreation access on private lands

The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) provides funding to encourage private landowners to allow public access to their lands for recreation and wildlife-related purposes. This program was funded at $50M over five years in the 2018 Farm Bill and will expire in 2023 unless it is reauthorized. Reauthorizing and expanding funding for this program to $150M over five years would benefit both recreationists and private landowners.

Establish a Forest Conservation Easement Program

Privately-owned forestlands are important for their biodiversity and climate benefits, as well as their role in supporting recreation access and scenic values. The Farm Bill should establish a program to increase the use of forest conservation easements similar to what currently exists for other agricultural lands.

Click to read our joint letter to lawmakers.

Along with the Outdoor Industry Association and The Conservation Alliance, Outdoor Alliance sent a suite of recommendations to lawmakers for updates to the Farm Bill that would have broad, lasting benefits for outdoor recreation, the outdoor economy, and public lands and waters. You can read our full letter by clicking here or on the letter at right.