VICTORY: The EXPLORE Act

The bipartisan Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act (H.R. 6492) was introduced by Representatives Westerman (R-AR) and Grijalva (D-AZ) to improve and expand America’s outdoor recreation economy while delivering sustainable economic boosts to rural communities. It includes several bills celebrated by outdoor enthusiasts, including bills REI Co-op has advocated for and shaped.The comprehensive package contains several ground-breaking recreation bills, including the Military and Veterans in Parks (MVP) Act, Outdoors for All Act, Outdoor Recreation Act, Biking on Long-Dstance Trails Act, and many others. It is supported by a broad coalition of organizations, including America Outdoors, American Alpine Club, American Hiking Society, American Prairie, American Mountain Guides Association, American Sportfishing Association, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Delta Waterfowl, Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, International Mountain Bicycling Association, KABOOM!, Marine Retailers Association of America, National Forest Recreation Association, National Marine Manufacturing Association, National Parks Hospitality Association, National Recreation and Park Association, National Wildlife Federation, Outdoor Alliance, Outdoor Alliance for Kids, Outdoor Industry Association, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, People For Bikes, Professional Photographers of America, REI Co-op, RV Industry Association, Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, The Mule Deer Foundation, The Trust for Public Land, The Wilderness Society, Vista Outdoors, Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association and Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources.Read the bill text on Congress.govMore about the EXPLORE Act here.

The Military and Veterans in Parks (MVP) Act, introduced by Rep. Jen Kiggans (VA-02), will expand the 2021 Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks Act by building a cohesive national strategy to prioritize outdoor accessibility and programs for Veterans and people with disabilities to enjoy more of our public lands.The bill directs federal land management agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service to:

• Develop adaptive trails and recreational activities;
• Develop new signage, maps, and promotional materials to advertise adaptive options;
• Allow managing agencies to rent out adaptive equipment for recreational access;
• Create and inventory of existing adaptive recreational opportunities online;
• Provide free recreational passes and waive standard fees and common-use area permit requirements; and
• Create and promote outdoor volunteer and job opportunities prioritized for Veterans.

Read more on the MVP Act through the House Committee on Natural Resources here.

Since 2015, the Every Kid Outdoors program (EKO) has granted a full year of free entry to hundreds of national parks, lands, and waters for all U.S. fourth graders and their families. This simple program enables every fourth grader, regardless of ability to pay, the opportunity to establish a direct connection with nature — connections that can last a lifetime. .With the passage of the EXPLORE Act, EKO will now have permanent funding to provide a full year of free entry to hundreds of national parks, lands, and waters for all U.S. fourth graders and their families. Find your pass at EveryKidOutdoors.gov.

The bipartisan Outdoors for All Act creates a dedicated source of funding for the Outdoors Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program, which supports projects that expand outdoor recreational opportunities in urban and low-income communities across the nation, including new trails, green spaces, playgrounds, cultural gathering spaces, and more.Congress established ORLP in 2014. The program is run by the National Park Service and funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) as a nationally competitive grant program to increase access to the outdoors for disadvantaged communities. ORLP will now have a dedicated source of funding and will no longer be a discretionary grant program.Read the bill text on Congress.gov.Read more about the Outdoors for All Act here.

The Biking on Long-Distance Trails (BOLT) Act will improve long-distance biking on key federal lands across the United States. The bipartisan bill was introduced by Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO) and John Curtis (R-UT).The BOLT Act will improve existing biking infrastructure and mapping resources on 10 long-distance bike trails of no less than 80 miles in length across the U.S. and identify 10 areas to develop or complete long-distance bike trials for the enjoyment of all. These efforts also support local economies that rely on outdoor recreation and tourism revenue. The bill has been championed by the International Mountain Bikers Association (IMBA), PeopleforBikes, Adventure Cycling Association, Bikepacking Roots, and more.Read the bill text on Congress.govRead more about the BOLT Act here.