At the end of 2024, something exciting happened: Congress passed the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act.
This was the first package of outdoor recreation bills developed by Congress and the measure will expand Americans’ access to public lands and waters. The new legislation encompasses federal public lands like national parks and forests, and areas overseen by the Bureau of Land Management.
Former President Joe Biden signed it into law on Jan. 4.
With more than a dozen existing individual bills, the EXPLORE Act is a massive piece of legislation. Outdoor recreation advocates have been working on individual components of the bill since approximately 2014. I have personally been working on aspects of the bill with the Coalition for Outdoor Access and the American Mountain Guides Association since 2017.
So what does this legislation do?
The core components of the act concern the expansion of access for outdoor recreationists, not-for-profit organizations, guided programs, universities and schools. Additionally, pieces of the bill address access issues surrounding specific user groups like rock climbers, cyclists, veterans and people with disabilities.
Here are some key elements of the law:
Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act
Recreational permitting will be improved for outfitters, guides, instructors, schools and universities. Expansive changes in the process will decrease barriers and confusion around commercial and not-for-profit permitting.
Protect America’s Rock Climbing (PARC) Act
The use of unobtrusive fixed anchors in federally mandated wilderness has long been contentious with land management agencies. The PARC Act protects the ability of climbers to place, use and maintain fixed anchors in wilderness areas throughout the United States.
Biking on Long Distance Trails (BOLT) Act
The Department of the Interior will identify at least 10 long-distance bike trails and then identify an additional 10 areas where long-distance trails could be constructed or linked. These continuous routes must be 80 miles or more and may be designed for any kind of cycling activity. The intent is to create something similar to the National Scenic Trails for bikes.
Outdoors For All Act
This codifies the relationship between the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR) and the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP).
FICOR is an agency that works to increase public land usage while decreasing costs. The ORLP provides grants for green spaces in cities and counties. Their missions are primarily to provide disadvantaged communities with outdoor access. It only makes sense for them to work together.
Military and Veterans in Parks (MVP) Act
This element of the law will help fund the construction of new trails for people with disabilities. It will direct federal agencies to promote outdoor recreation for veterans and promote the use of veterans in outdoor jobs.
The Every Kid Outdoors Program
This program allows fourth graders and their families free admission to national parks and it will be extended seven years.
Other elements of the law
Gateway communities — those impacted by tourism on the periphery of public lands and waters — are getting more expensive. One element of the law will require federal agencies to work with local businesses to develop better housing opportunities for those who work on public lands. This will include the leasing of property on federal lands.
The act requires that one or more free designated public shooting ranges be built in each national forest. This will consolidate target shooting, making these spaces safer, while decreasing litter.
A grant program will be developed to decrease the spread of aquatic invasive species through inspection and decontamination.
Finally, neglected recreation facilities and campgrounds will be updated.
What’s the impact?
Many parts of this law directly impact the mountain climbing school and guide service that I run. The SOAR Act has a direct impact on our business and all other outfitters and guides in Washington state. Commercial permitting is one of the most complicated and expensive parts of an operation and SOAR will make this process much easier.
As climbing instructors, fixed anchors have long been controversial. The PARC Act takes this essential climbing tool off the table, allowing for intelligent fixed anchor placement, similar to that seen in Canada.
Jessica Wahl Turner, a leader in outdoor recreation advocacy and the president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, said in a statement the act will “supercharge the outdoor recreation industry.”
“The EXPLORE Act … is a victory for our economy, our communities, our quality of life, and our shared connection to the outdoors, Turner said in the statement. “By advancing this transformative legislation, Congress has shown its commitment to ensuring every American has access to world-class outdoor experiences, from our backyard to the backcountry, while supporting the businesses, workers, and communities who make those experiences possible.”
This year it was reported that the outdoor recreation economy is now worth over $1.2 trillion. This is 2.3% of the Gross Domestic Product and it accounts for five million jobs. The outdoor recreation economy contributes $22.5 billion in value annually to Washington state and supports over 121,000 direct jobs, according to Sen. Maria Cantwell’s office.
The EXPLORE Act demonstrates that the government is paying attention to outdoor recreation in a way that it hasn’t in the past. It marks the beginning of a new relationship, one that will likely bring many more positive changes to outdoor recreation in our country.
Jason Martin's outdoors column appears monthly. Email: jason@alpineinstitute.com. Threads: @OutdoorPolitics.
