EXPLORE Act Impact

In a rare act of the starkly divided U.S. House of Representatives, the historic Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act passed the chamber with no opposition following a voice vote in April.

The EXPLORE Act is the first-ever outdoor-recreation-specific bill package to pass the House, and it achieves this without cost to taxpayers. The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Congressman Bruce Westerman, R-AR, is poised to stimulate local and national economies, enhance access for Americans — including those in underserved communities — to green spaces and modernize policies to bolster the recreation businesses that bridge people with nature. The bill complements the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s America’s Outdoor Recreation Act.

“One of the main barriers to getting people into the outdoors for recreational opportunities, especially hunting, is that it is oftentimes difficult to find places to go,” NWTF co-CEO Jason Burckhalter said. “The EXPLORE Act will increase access and infrastructure on our nation’s public lands for all types of outdoor enjoyment, offering everyone greater opportunities to experience the life-changing power of the outdoors.”

The outdoor recreation economy, recently valued at over $1.1 trillion, continues to build upon the success of the Great American Outdoors Act of 2022 — one of the most significant public lands and waters legislations enacted in our nation’s history.

The NWTF is a member of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, a coalition made up of outdoor recreation manufacturers and businesses, stakeholder and user associations, state government agencies as well as nonprofits in the outdoor recreation space. ORR has been the driving force behind the development and advocacy for EXPLORE and AORA, and the NWTF has worked with them for the past two congresses to move the important legislation forward.

The NWTF and its membership applaud this significant progress in the House and call for the expedient passage of the outdoor recreation package through the Senate. This action is vital for the protection and enjoyment of our public lands, waters, and the communities prospering from them.

The EXPLORE Act will:

• Facilitate permit streamlining, alleviating challenges for outfitters and guides, and enhancing access to outdoor adventures.
• Expand recreation on public lands and waters.
• Guarantee green space access in underserved communities.
• Develop, improve and complete longrange trails.
• Boost rural economic development.

America’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act took a step forward in April as the House Committee on Natural Resources approved the important conservation bill and reported it to the House Floor calendar for a full vote at a later date.

Introduced by Westerman, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, and 21 co-sponsors, the America’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act seeks to enhance state and tribal conservation efforts and improve wildlife habitats for at-risk species across the nation.

AWHCA authorizes $300 million yearly for five years in grant funding to state governments to enact their congressionally mandated state wildlife action plans. Those action plans function as a roadmap to recovering species listed under the Endangered Species Act and species that are in jeopardy of being listed under the act. In addition, this grant funding can be used to conduct activities such as additional habitat restoration projects, forest management projects, remove invasive species, and to collaborate with private partners to conserve habitat for species of greatest conservation need. The bill provides $20 million in annual funding for tribes to work on vulnerable species recovery.

Also in the bill is a solution to curtail frivolous lawsuits from anti-forest management special-interest groups that force the USDA Forest Service to re-consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on finalized forest management plans, which have already undergone a stringent cooperative process that includes environmental reviews and public comments. These lawsuits can halt important forest and habitat restoration efforts on National Forest System lands for years.

“We thank Chairman Westerman for his steadfast efforts to bolster state and tribal wildlife and habitat conservation potential,” NWTF co-CEO Kurt Dyroff said. “Funding for species recovery plans are vital to protecting biodiversity on the landscape and conserving our critical ecosystems. And the protection of forest plans from targeted special-interest intervention is key to creating resilient forests, habitats and communities through the Wildfire Crisis Strategy and other NWTF work on Forest Service lands.”