Biking Credit: Bob Wick/BLM
December 3, 2023 - The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) reports on November 29, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) announced the introduction of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act (H.R. 6492).
The EXPLORE Act is a comprehensive, bipartisan, and bicameral initiative resulting from a yearlong effort to enhance legislation facilitating greater access to outdoor recreation opportunities. This legislation aims to streamline permitting processes, reduce bureaucratic hurdles for recreation service providers, modernize technology to enhance visitor services, and create new prospects for individual recreation activities such as biking and rock climbing.
Additionally, the EXPLORE Act seeks to improve access and transform outdoor recreation experiences for various groups, including military service-members, veterans, Gold Star Families, individuals with disabilities, and children. The bill addresses critical challenges faced by federal land managers, including park overcrowding, outdated technology, a lack of affordable housing, diminished visitor experiences, and deteriorating recreation infrastructure. Of great importance is the inclusion of the LODGE Act (H.R. 1314) which RCRC supported earlier this year; the LODGE Act would enable public-private partnerships for housing construction on federal park land for federal employees.
ABOUT RURAL COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES OF CALIFORNIA (RCRC)
The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) is a thirty-seven member county strong service organization that champions policies on behalf of California’s rural counties. RCRC is dedicated to representing the collective unique interests of its membership, providing legislative and regulatory representation at the State and Federal levels, and providing responsible services for its members to enhance and protect the quality of life in rural California counties. To learn more about RCRC, visit rcrcnet.org and follow @RuralCounties on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Source: RCRC
