Most important conclusions from the law on outdoor recreation

Kyle Dunphey

(Idaho Capital Sun) The U.S. House of Representatives last week expressed support for one of the largest bills ever focused on outdoor recreation, sending the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Act to the U.S. Senate with unanimous approval.

The 220-page package, known as the Explore Act, aims to streamline the permitting process for outdoor recreation businesses, study internet access in national parks, identify potential long-distance bike paths and trails, support recreation and tourism economies and cities, and create new possibilities. rock climbing routes on public land.

Many of the provisions come from Utah Republican Rep. John Curtis, who called it “a testament to our collective commitment to improving and preserving access to America’s beautiful public lands and waters.”

In addition to bipartisan support in the U.S. House of Representatives, the bill also received strong support from outdoor and environmental advocacy groups such as the Sierra Club, the Outdoor Industry Association and the Specialty Equipment Market Association, which promotes motorized recreation and off-roading.

The law on simplifying access to outdoor recreational activities is designed to ease the burden on businesses that rely on outdoor recreation permits to operate on public lands, such as outfitters, educational organizations or community groups. It would:

Shorten the waiting time and environmental assessment in the permit application process. Establish a sharing program for unused permits, create more short-term permits to expand recreational opportunities, and allow outfitters and guides to participate in recreation that is similar to but somewhat outside the scope of their permit. Allow a joint permit for trips and activities that enter public lands managed by different agencies – for example, a guided ski trip that spans lands owned by the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service.

The protection of American rock climbing This provision would recognize rock climbing as an accepted practice within the National Wilderness Preservation System, a network of approximately 112 million acres of wilderness managed by the US Forest Service. It makes it possible to maintain fixed climbing routes that are already located in nature reserves and to create new routes.

The Connect Our Parks The offering would explore where the “greatest need” is for broadband internet and mobile services in the country’s national parks. Once the investigation is complete, the U.S. Department of the Interior would develop a plan to expand services in the flagged areas.

Cycling on long-distance trails The provision would study routes that could support a long-distance bike path, creating a public comment process that would result in a two-year report. The bill would also expand map resources for trail users, including publishing and distributing maps of identified trails. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail, which winds along the foothills of the Wasatch Front, could be identified and expanded under this law.

The range access The provision is similar and directs the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to identify areas suitable for a shooting range. Depending on funding, the agencies are then tasked with building and maintaining a shooting range.

Supporting gateway communities and addressing park overcrowding This provision directs the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to work with state and local governments to address housing shortages and visitation management. The USDA could use low-cost loan and job training programs to help gateway communities – such as Moab or Springdale – “expand infrastructure to enable and manage sustainable visitation, including hotels, campgrounds and restaurants.”

The parking and toilet facilities for federal recreational areas and waters The provision aims to improve parking and bathroom infrastructure on federal lands by enabling public-private partnerships. The federal government could contract with a local government or private entity on non-federal land to expand parking access — it’s also directing the Department of the Interior to develop “innovative” new public restroom designs or partnerships to develop.

Access for people with disabilities The provision requires the Department of the Interior to investigate the accessibility of camping facilities, shooting ranges, boat ramps and more on federal lands. It would also require the government to investigate and improve the accessibility of routes for people with disabilities. Public land agencies such as the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management should create new “accessible recreation options” for people with disabilities – including bike trails, camp shelters, water or snow sports, or motorized recreation.