The bipartisan EXPLORE Act is likely one of the most consequential outside recreation acts proposed since 1963. It’s designed to reinforce and broaden outside recreation alternatives throughout the nation, from adaptive trails to long-distance biking to mountaineering and past.
The invoice handed the Home of Representatives in April 2024—with zero opposition—and REI Co-op, alongside the National Recreation and Park Association, PeopleForBikes, Outdoor Alliance, Access Fund, International Mountain Biking Association, Outdoor Alliance for Kids and Trust for Public Land, amongst others, has been a vital participant within the creation of this large coverage bundle. After some revisions, it might want to move once more, each the Home and the Senate, which might occur throughout the post-election “lame duck” session that’s utilized by a sitting Congress to deal with pressing payments and different issues earlier than the elected officers take workplace.
Right here’s what the EXPLORE Act is—and how one can assist get it throughout the end line.
What’s the EXPLORE Act?
Brief for “Increasing Public Lands Outside Recreation Experiences Act,” the EXPLORE Act is a legislative bundle developed in collaboration amongst policymakers and organizations like REI and Outside Alliance. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark) launched the bundle—which took greater than a decade to draft in full—to the Home in November 2023, and it handed voting in April 2024. Associated initiatives might be present in comparable, smaller packages just like the Recreation Not Red Tape Act (which might modernize the leisure allowing course of, amongst a number of different issues).
EXPLORE builds on the momentum for outside coverage, which has skyrocketed over the previous 10 years due to elevated consciousness in regards to the myriad social, emotional, mental and physical benefits of spending high quality time exterior.
In sum, the EXPLORE Act will enhance entry to our nation’s public lands and waters by:
- Streamlining the allowing course of for outfitters and guides, and lowering charges for small companies.
- Coordinating federal companies to help and promote outdoor-based missions, from recreation to conservation and administration.
- Defending rock-climbing in a few of the sports activities’ most iconic locations and creating new long-distance bike trails.
- Addressing outdated and missing infrastructure in gateway communities, and funding outside infrastructure in underserved communities.
- Bettering outside entry for present and previous navy service members, people with disabilities, and children.
Among the many greater than 100 outside teams supporting the EXPLORE Act, REI Co-op is a key participant working to make sure that insurance policies handle each outside fanatics’ and the broader neighborhood’s evolving wants. The legislative bundle is uniquely fashionable throughout the aisle—did we point out zero opposition in the home?—thanks partly to a 2006 financial affect research that discovered the outside trade generated greater than $731 billion {dollars} yearly. In 2024, that quantity is as much as $1.1 trillion, and the trade helps round 5 million jobs per yr.
What’s contained in the EXPLORE Act—and the way your voice might help
The co-op has been arduous at work each in its native communities and in Washington. REI Co-op Members have despatched hundreds of messages of advocacy and help for the EXPLORE Act by the Cooperative Action Network, and key REI workers has labored intently with D.C. policymakers on the whole lot from drafting language to incomes passage within the Home.
A primary-of-its-kind recreation coverage, EXPLORE includes seven legislative packages, every set to enhance a selected sector of outside recreation and administration.
Right here’s a bit about every facet, together with how REI has performed a job in shaping and supporting the bundle:
Open air For All Act: Funding new trails and inexperienced areas in underserved communities
The Outdoors For All Act codifies the Outside Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program, which gives grant funding to eligible organizations in city areas for brand spanking new trails, inexperienced areas and extra—with a give attention to economically deprived areas. This makes ORLP everlasting, altering the way forward for communities that want outside recreation most.
REI Co-op Members and staff have proven large help for this invoice, sending greater than 200,000 messages to Congress as a part of the Outside in 5 campaign and Cooperative Motion Community initiative.
Simplifying Outside Entry for Recreation (SOAR) Act: Modernizing permits for guides and outfitters
The SOAR Act transforms an outdated and cumbersome allowing system for guides, outfitters and recreationists. Beforehand, should you have been touring throughout land managed by completely different companies or collaborating in multiple exercise, you would possibly want a number of permits—a major barrier to outside entry. Passing this invoice will streamline the allowing course of, growing flexibility for guides and outfitters and eradicating administrative duplications (aka much less work for land managers). As a substitute of a number of permits, you’ll want only one.
REI has been on the desk on this cornerstone act for 9 years, serving to set up the unique coalition of guides and outfitters, companies and NGOs who labored collectively to kind the invoice.
Bettering Outside Recreation Coordination Act: Making FICOR everlasting
The Bettering Outside Recreation Coordination Act re-establishes a Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR). In brief, FICOR is a seven-agency council devoted to coordination and collaboration throughout authorities entities, enhancing entry to the outside, and responding to emergency conditions.
REI workers—together with the co-op’s former head of presidency affairs, Taldi Harrison—labored tirelessly behind the scenes to get FICOR reestablished throughout the Biden Administration after the Trump Administration disbanded the council. REI Co-op leaders imagine FICOR needs to be made a everlasting entity that may transcend political variations.
Biking on Lengthy-Distance Trails (BOLT) Act: Increasing America’s biking sources
Large information for cyclists: The BOLT Act will determine long-distance bike trails; broaden mapping sources for long-distance biking; and coordinate the event, completion and promotion of in-progress trails. It requires the Agriculture and Inside Secretaries to analysis and determine no fewer than 10 present long-distance bike trails, and 10 areas the place alternative exists for improvement. Three trails are already recognized as BOLT Act beneficiaries: North Dakota’s Maah Daah Hey path, the border-spanning Nice Divide Mountain Bike Path and Utah’s Bonneville Shoreline Path.
REI labored with organizations like Worldwide Mountain Bicycling Affiliation (IMBA) and Outside Alliance on this invoice’s improvement and inclusion within the bigger EXPLORE Act bundle. In complete, REI Co-op Members and workers have despatched near 3,000 messages to Congress in help of this invoice by the Cooperative Motion Community.
Navy Veterans in Parks (MVP) Act: Constructing adaptive trails for veterans and the broader incapacity neighborhood
The MVP Act spurs the constructing of adaptive trails, with a particular give attention to their use by navy veterans. (Improved entry for some means improved entry for all.) This invoice requires main federal companies to develop adaptive trails and campgrounds to extend accessible searching, fishing and kayaking alternatives. Veterans may also obtain free leisure passes and waived charges and allow necessities.
REI labored intently with policymakers to draft the invoice appropriately: Mark Berejka, REI divisional vp of neighborhood advocacy and affect, testified earlier than the Senate in favor of the MVP Act. The REI Co-op Member and workers neighborhood has despatched over 4,000 messages to Congress supporting this initiative.
Defending America’s Rock Climbing (PARC) Act: Standardizing leisure climbing in wilderness areas
The PARC Act directs the Agriculture and Inside Secretaries to publish steering on leisure climbing in wilderness areas, with a give attention to using fastened anchors and different tools. Current proposals to ban fastened anchors in wilderness areas (within the curiosity of conserving untouched rock faces) have threatened climbers’ entry to and security alongside a few of the nation’s most beloved routes.
Climbers are among the many most lively and enthusiastic members of the co-op neighborhood. To honor them, REI Co-op has invested within the Access Fund, the nationwide advocacy group for the climbing neighborhood, immediately facilitating the group’s coverage and advocacy work, ensuing on this invoice’s creation. The co-op has additionally helped draft legislative language and helped the Entry Fund with administrative conferences with the Division of Inside and United States Forest Service.
Extension of Each Child Open air Program (EKO): Getting extra households exterior
The EXPLORE Act’s passage will prolong the Every Kid Outdoors Program (EKO) for seven years, offering fourth graders and their households with free entry to nationwide parks and public lands nationwide. Initially launched in 2015, the EKO has been profitable however underfunded; the EXPLORE Act modifications that by designating $25 million in annual funding for this system. REI was a founding member of the Outdoor Alliance for Kids (OAK), a strategic bipartisan and multi-sector community that helped with this legislative bundle’s creation. REI Co-op Members and workers have despatched near 2,500 messages to Congress in help of this fashionable invoice by the Cooperative Motion Community.
Will the EXPLORE Act grow to be legislation?
We hope so—along with your assist.
The EXPLORE Act handed the Home in April of 2024, however after some tweaks and language updates, it might want to move once more in its present kind—each the Home and Senate. To hurry up the method, the bundle will probably be hooked up to a “must-pass” invoice, just like the National Defense Authorization Act. That ought to get a vote on the finish of the yr, within the “lame-duck” session between the election and the beginning of the following time period.
Though it’s approaching the end line, the EXPLORE Act’s race isn’t over but. “Maintain sending messages to your representatives,” says Tania Lown-Hecht, vp of communications and technique at Outside Alliance. “On the finish of the yr, everybody’s knocking on Congress’ door, saying, ‘We would like you to do that, we would like you to do this.’ We’d like to ensure the EXPLORE Act rises to the highest of their agenda, as it is a win-win.”
Elevate your voice to higher steward our public lands and enhance outside recreation in America.
It takes lower than one minute to take motion by telling your senators to make sure everybody can benefit from the open air, for generations to come back. Assist move the Increasing Public Lands Outside Recreation Experiences Act with the Cooperative Action Network.
The publish The EXPLORE Act Is Set to Make History—With Your Help appeared first on Uncommon Path – An REI Co-op Publication.