Outdoor Alliance (OA), a non-profit that works on behalf of the human-powered outdoor recreation community to protect public lands and waters, released new economic and participation data that illustrates ongoing, rapid growth in outdoor recreation, the need for improvement to public lands and necessary additional financial support to manage those new levels of use.
New legislation championed by OA and introduced in the House in recent weeks could foster some of those improvements. Voicing direct public support to legislators in December, the OA noted, may help it pass.
Outdoor Alliance and its partners have been working for years to develop and pass a package of recreation policy to improve outdoor recreation on public lands and waters. In recent weeks, the U.S. Senate and House each introduced complementary packages of outdoor recreation policy: America’s Outdoor Recreation Act (AORA) in the Senate and the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act in the House.
OA noted that the public can help move this legislation forward by contacting their representatives in December to support it. Outdoor Alliance has established a quick-action form to help people send personalized letters to their lawmakers.
With a U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) report last month showing outdoor recreation in the U.S. generating $1.1 trillion in economic output (2.2 percent of GDP) and 4.98 million jobs — the largest numbers ever recorded and a more than 18 percent increase from the year prior — these bills take important steps to expand and improve outdoor recreation opportunities, according to OA and its partners, a coalition of nonprofits representing different types of outdoor recreation.
Highlights include:
- The Biking on Long Distance Trails Act (BOLT), to identify and create more long-distance bike trails.
- The Protecting America’s Rock Climbing Act (PARC), to safeguard wilderness climbing.
- The Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act (SOAR), to improve recreational permitting for outfitters and guides.
- Permanent direction for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership and FICOR.
“Millions of Americans get outside each year, and the EXPLORE Act will improve management for climbing and mountain biking, enhance how agencies manage outdoor recreation, and invest in parks where they are needed most with the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership,” said Louis Geltman, VP of Policy and Government Relations with the Outdoor Alliance.
