As the House struggled to fund the government past Friday, the Senate did pass the Explore Act Thursday afternoon, sending the outdoor recreation package on for President Joe Biden’s signature.
“This is really, really good news for our country,” said West Virginia Independent Sen. Joe Manchin, who led the charge with Wyoming GOP Sen. John Barrasso, to get the bill passed.
The bill aims to expand and improve outdoor recreation opportunities across the country and includes a number of Colorado priorities.
Introduced by House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman and Ranking Member Raul Grijalva, the package combines outdoor recreation policy and access with support for public-private partnerships and even broadband access for recreation sites. Colorado Reps. Joe Neguse, Doug Lamborn and Brittany Pettersen are co-sponsors of the House bill.
“It will help create more fun all across the country,” Westerman said after the passage. He sat in the Senate chamber as the package was brought up and debated. “This isn't something that just happened overnight. Some of this legislation has been going on for years, and we finally got it all packaged up and got it passed. So it's a great day for outdoor recreation.”
A number of efforts championed by Colorado lawmakers made it into the package That includes the Biking on Long-Distance Trails (BOLT) initiative, introduced by Neugse, which encourages the development of long-distance bike trails on federal lands. Sen. John Hickenlooper pushed Protecting America’s Rock Climbing, which would continue to allow fixed bolts for climbing on public lands.
“Our booming outdoor recreation economy creates jobs and drives local economies across Colorado,” said Hickenlooper in a statement. “We’re making it easier for our outdoor rec businesses and outfitters to thrive while improving access to our public lands.”
Hickenlooper also celebrated provisions of the bill that could lead to more parking at federal recreation sites.
The package also reauthorizes the U.S. Forest Service to lease administrative sites for housing. It’s an idea championed by Neguse and Sen. Michael Bennet to help mountain communities address affordable housing needs.
“It’s as simple as this: In Colorado, the preservation of our public lands and the strength of our outdoor recreation economy is not only integral to the spirit of our state but to the success of our people,” said Neguse in a statement. “I am proud to see these bills through to the finish line – and even more excited for the ways in which they will deliver for our communities.”
In his own statement, Bennet said, “By passing this legislation, Congress is finally recognizing its importance to rural economies and ensuring that as demand for outdoor recreation in Colorado grows, rural economies grow too.”
The package includes provisions to streamline permitting for outdoor guides and outfitters, set up new shooting ranges on public land, do more to increase youth recreation and military and veterans access to federal lands, and combat aquatic invasive species, like the zebra mussel, in federal waters.
Westerman also credited several outdoor groups for getting the bill over the finish line.
Jessica Wahl Turner, president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, called the bill transformative.
“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,” she said.
According to a survey from Colorado State University, “output related to outdoor recreation by Colorado residents amounted to $56.8 billion in 2023, contributing $36.5 billion to the state’s GDP and $11.2 billion tax revenue.”
There was some suspense around the vote.
Manchin passed the bill via unanimous consent. But Texas Sen. Ted Cruz rose to object. He was trying to get another bill, the Take It Down Act, which deals with deepfake AI and already passed through the Senate, but is awaiting a vote in the House. Westerman and Manchin pledged to do everything they could to get Speaker Johnson to bring it to the floor. And in the end, Cruz did not object to the passage of the EXPLORE Act.
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