UPDATE: President Joe Biden signed the EXPLORE Act into law on Jan. 4, 2024. -Ed.
Wyoming officials and outdoor recreation advocates are celebrating the U.S. Senate’s passage of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences, or EXPLORE Act.
The unanimous Senate approval on Dec. 19 of the omnibus outdoor recreation package follows decades of work crafting and negotiating different iterations and piecemeal parts of the bill. The final package includes more than a dozen policy measures aimed at supporting outdoor recreation on public lands.
Among other things, the bill would:
- Direct the Interior Department and the Forest Service to launch a pilot program utilizing public-private partnerships to modernize campgrounds on federal land.
- Support so-called gateway towns — rural communities near recreation destinations — by providing technical and financial assistance to local businesses like hotels, restaurants and campgrounds.
- Safeguard recreational climbing in designated Wilderness Areas.
- Identify and create more long-distance bike trails.
- Improve recreational permitting for outfitters and guides.
- Remove permitting challenges for professional outdoor filmmakers.
- Extend the popular free park pass program for fourth-grade students and their families.
U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), lauded the passage of the EXPLORE Act, the House companion to his America’s Outdoor Recreation Act of 2023. The legislation will keep Wyoming’s recreation industry thriving by spurring job creation, promoting small businesses and streamlining safety and access to our nation’s parks, he wrote on X.
“This is great news for every state,” Barrasso said on the Senate floor. “It’s a first-of-its-kind recreation package, and it will boost our nation’s outdoor economy.”
The bill now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk for approval.
A growing sector
Wyoming has embraced outdoor recreation in recent years, and the industry has grown in the state as more people venture out to mountain bike, climb and camp — including out-of-state visitors.
In 2023, the outdoor recreation industry contributed $2.2 billion to Wyoming’s economy, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. That amount, equivalent to 4.1% of the state’s gross domestic product, put the state fifth nationally in the comparative size of its sector.
Wyoming joined the growing list of states investing in the burgeoning industry when it created a new $6 million outdoor recreation trust fund in 2023. That fund made its first disbursements in 2023 and to date, has given more than $20 million to projects that focus on outdoor recreation infrastructure and economic impact.
The EXPLORE Act passed the House in April on a voice vote, with support from Wyoming’s sole Rep. Harriet Hageman.
In November, outdoor recreation advocates orchestrated a targeted offensive on Capitol Hill to push support in the Senate. The Western Governors’ Association, which includes Wyoming’s chief executive Mark Gordon, also penned a letter to Senate leadership endorsing the act.
What they said
“The passage of EXPLORE sends a clear message that outdoor recreation and our public lands are bipartisan priorities,” said Outdoor Alliance CEO Adam Cramer, whose organization was a major champion of the legislation. “Signing this bill into law represents a meaningful investment in our shared outdoor heritage and the vibrant outdoor recreation economy it sustains.”
Paul Sanford, director for equitable access policy at The Wilderness Society, called it a “milestone achievement” to ensure that outdoor recreation is “accessible, inclusive and representative of all people.”
Wyoming’s new Outdoor Recreation Business Alliance said the act will specifically benefit the state with provisions to protect waterways, create more shooting ranges, streamline outfitter permits and support local businesses.
“Thank you to everyone who advocated for and championed this legislation,” a WYORBA email message read. “It’s a victory for outdoor recreation enthusiasts, businesses, and future generations!”
right on
Nice to see support from Wyoming’s elected officials. Kudos to Barrasso, Hageman and Gordon! Oddly, Hageman’s and Gordon’s support of this common sense legislation seems to contradict their support of Utah’s nonsensical effort to have the Supreme Court declare unconstitutional the United States’ ownership of the property managed by the BLM.
Should be a good idea. What I’m faced with and I’m sure I’m not alone is most of these problems are for the young active people. Road closures is a big problem! Walk in is a great thing for the young people who can walk, but what about those who can no longer walk??? It’s very difficult and depressing to no longer enjoy areas you could access before but now the roads are closed! I manny country’s the older people are looked up to but not so much here, they need to realize, if their lucky, they will get old to!