Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, a bill supported by 19 bipartisan original cosponsors. Subcommittee Chairman Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) released the following statement in response: 

"Today, the House Federal Lands Subcommittee considered historic, first-of-its kind legislation to streamline permitting for recreation service providers, improve visitor experiences, and create new recreation opportunities for veterans, individuals with disabilities, and kids. House Republicans are committed to ensuring that all Americans have increased and improved access to their public lands and national parks."

Background

The EXPLORE Act is a comprehensive piece of legislation led by House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz). The bill addresses some of the most pressing issues for federal land managers and is the culmination of the subcommittee's yearlong effort to increase access to outdoor recreation opportunities.

Federal lands offer an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities, including hiking, biking, rock climbing, camping, kayaking, canoeing, skiing, hunting, fishing, recreational shooting and many more. More Americans than ever are choosing to recreate outdoors at national parks and public lands, and the major federal land management agencies saw more than 580 million visitors last year. This bill supports the outdoorsmen and women who enjoy our federal lands by:

• Improving public land access and opportunities across the country
• Modernizing technology to improve visitor experiences, like increasing broadband connectivity and creating digital passes
• Streamlining the permitting process and reducing fees for small businesses that depend on public land access
• Protecting rock climbing routes in iconic places and creating new long-distance bike trails
• Modernizing antiquated technology and facilities
• Addressing housing shortages and outdated infrastructure in gateway communities 
• Improving access and transforming outdoor recreation experiences for military service members, veterans, Gold Star Families, individuals with disabilities, and kids
• Creating new adaptive trails and recreation opportunities, as well as providing easily accessible and centralized information about these opportunities
• Ensuring recreation remains a priority among federal land managers in accordance with multiple-use mandates

The legislation is supported by more than 40 outdoor-oriented organizations, including advocates for hunting, fishing, horseback riding, recreational boating, camping, rock climbing, off-road driving and more. To learn more, click here.