EXPLORE Act Aims to Increase Outdoor Recreation Opportunities
November 30, 2023
A new bill, referred to as the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, has been developed in conjunction with the National Wild Turkey Federation to increase outdoor recreation opportunities for people with disabilities, active-duty service members as well as hunters and anglers.
The comprehensive, bipartisan and bicameral legislation was introduced to improve access and transform outdoor recreation opportunities on our public lands and waters. Similar to the America’s Outdoor Recreation Act (AORA), introduced in the Senate earlier this summer, the bill:
- Modernizes technology to improve visitor experiences, such as increasing broadband connectivity at recreation sites, creating digital recreation passes, and creating new pilot programs to monitor visitation.
- Streamlines the permitting process and reduces burdensome fees for small businesses that depend on reliable access to public lands, including outfitters and guides.
- Reduces overcrowding by creating new and innovative models to encourage public recreation in less-traveled areas.
- Supports gateway communities by addressing housing shortages, parking and infrastructure issues, and challenges due to overcrowding.
- Transforms accessibility for individuals with disabilities by creating new accessible trails and recreation opportunities across our public lands.
“While we saw people getting outdoors, including hunting, in record numbers during the COVID pandemic, hunting participation has resumed its downward trend now that the country and our lives have normalized,” National Wild Turkey Federation co-CEO Jason Burckhalter said. “This bill, and the Senate’s AORA, will ease access to our nation’s public lands, improve the outdoor experience for millions of people and boost rural economies that depend on them.”
Across the nation, outdoor recreation supports more than 5 million jobs and represents more than 2.2% of the country’s GDP, translating to an annual gross impact of $1.1 trillion to the U.S. economy.
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