The Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last week. This first-ever recreation package debuted with strong bipartisan support from 23 members of Congress and a press conference on Capitol Hill that featured bill sponsors Reps. Bruce Westerman (R-Arkansas) and Raúl Grijalva (D-Arizona) as well as Ambreen Tariq, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable senior program director. The entire recreation economy is urging swift passage of this bill so that all Americans can enjoy outdoor recreation and its associated benefits to health, wellness, and economic resiliency.
“This bill prioritizes equitable access — not just physically for youth, veterans, and individuals with disabilities — but also access to information, including open public data and electronic passes,” said Tariq. “It simplifies and makes more transparent how to obtain permits thereby removing additional process barriers so we can get more people outdoors, especially minority communities unfamiliar with the old way of doing things.”
For more information on the EXPLORE Act, click here.
