ARRA Members Urge Their Senators to Include the EXPLORE Act as Part of the National Defense Authorization Act
With just over 30 days left in the legislative calendar, the 118th Congress is quickly coming to a close, leaving few viable legislative vehicles available for the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act (EXPLORE Act). One likely vehicle is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets policy and authorizes appropriations for the Department of Defense. It is commonly used as a “legislative vehicle” for unrelated bills slated for consideration by the full Senate. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin (I-WV) submitted a version of the EXPLORE Act as an amendment to the fiscal 2025 NDAA. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), a supporter of the outdoor bill, is optimistic about the chances of the amendment being approved. “If we have a fairly open process, where the relevant chairs and ranking members all sign off on stuff, and we add additional provisions to the NDAA, that’s obviously an opportunity for that bill to move,” Heinrich said.
The broad-based legislation aims to improve recreational opportunities across all federal land management agencies. These provisions include providing a better understanding of recreational visitation patterns, increasing/improving broadband connectivity at developed recreation sites, improving parking and camping near recreational trails and areas, modernizing and improving accessible trails, and increasing youth participation in outdoor recreation. The EXPLORE Act has garnered the support of over 250 businesses and organizations across the recreation industry. Adding the EXPLORE Act to this year’s NDAA would virtually ensure its passage by the Senate.
The EXPLORE Act, sponsored by House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), passed the House in April by unanimous consent. The Senate companion bill, the America’s Outdoor Recreation Act (AORA), sponsored by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Joe Manchin (I-WV) and Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY), passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last year.
The NDAA is expected to pass sometime in September and will still need to be conferenced with the House, likely during the lame-duck session. ARRA sent a call to action to its members, urging them to write to their Senators to include HR 6492, the EXPLORE Act, in this year’s NDAA package. Thank you to the ARRA members who responded to the Call to Action.
Registration Is Open for the 2024 NOHVCC Annual Conference
The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) will hold its 2024 Annual Conference on October 17-19th in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Conference speakers are being confirmed and will feature representatives from the OHV industry, OHV clubs, and federal and state land management agencies. The host hotel is the Double Tree by Hilton—Park Place, 1500 Park Place Blvd, Minneapolis.
NOHVCC will again be using a mobile app for all participants. Once the app is available, an email will be sent to those who download it to stay connected with NOHVCC and other participants for a seamless conference experience.
This year’s mobile workshop will be held at the Polaris Testing and Research Facility in Wyoming, MN. To participate, participants must follow NOHVCC’s safety ethic. Anyone who operates a dirt bike, ATV, or ROV or rides as a passenger in an ROV MUST wear all appropriate safety gear. This includes a DOT-compliant helmet, eye protection, long-sleeve shirt or jersey, long pants, over-the-ankle boots, and gloves for all vehicles. All gear must be worn at all times while operating any of these vehicles, including loading and unloading.
Don’t miss out! Early Bird registration, an excellent saving opportunity, will close on August 15th, 2024. Click here to register.
Tennessee Establishes an Office of Outdoor Recreation
In early July, Tennessee became the latest state to establish an Office of Outdoor Recreation, making it the 23rd state to have such an office. The office will employ 20 staff members and span seven departments. The office will partly convene statewide partners to ensure collaboration while providing dedicated project management for outdoor initiatives, projects, and programs such as Bill Dance Signature Lakes, Tennessee Blueways, accessibility in parks, and Tennessee greenways and trails.
Additionally, the office will administer grants and align funding opportunities that support statewide goals for conservation and recreation, including administering the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the federal Recreational Trails Program (RTP) fund, the state Local Parks and Recreation Fund (LPRF), and the Tennessee Recreation Initiative Program fund (TRIP). Governor Bill Lee will announce the office’s creation in early August at the Governor’s Conservation Summit in Tennessee.
Legacy Restoration Fund Projects
As part of an ongoing series, we feature the 37 motorized and non-motorized infrastructure projects totaling $20 million funded through FY23 in the ARRA newsletters. Click here to access projects funded in your state. Below are the projects featured this month:
Mile 10 and Mile 22 Recreation Sites Renovation ($255,000)
Chugach National Forest, Alaska
Mile 22 Recreation Site is one of two public access points onto Alaganik Slough providing motorized/non-motorized access to national forest land, Native Corp land, and other private land; access to sport/subsistence fish/hunt and recreation cabins. This project will reconstruct two hardened day-use pads for three at the site, renovate one pad with a covered structure for two at the site, and complete deferred maintenance on an existing hardened boat launch.
Redeveloping and enhancing the Appleton Area Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Park ($1,034,196)
Swift County, Minnesota
As the region recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy’s recovery and resilience to future economic disruptions require improvements at the Appleton OHV Park. The project will ensure the Park’s long-term viability as a critical source of tourism-based economic activity, which will help increase employment opportunities, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 25 jobs, save 25 jobs, and leverage $50,000 in private investment.
Recent Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Activity
- Bakersfield, Calif. – The BLM Bakersfield Field Office issued an emergency closure of the Chimney Peak Campground, Long Valley Campground, and a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail in Tulare County due to wildland fire danger from the nearby SQF Lightning Fire. This temporary closure is effective immediately until further notice. The emergency temporary closure ordercan also be found on the BLM website.
- Worland, Wyo. – Due to dry conditions and high fire danger, stage 1 fire restrictions began July 19 on public lands administered by the BLM Cody, Lander, and Worland field offices. These restrictions include BLM-managed public lands within Big Horn, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Natrona, Park, Sheridan, and Washakie counties.
- Salmon, Idaho – The U.S. Forest Service, Idaho Department of Lands, and Bureau of Land Management in east-central Idaho began Stage 1 fire restrictions on Friday, July 19, 2024. Stage 1 fire restrictions apply to federal, state, state endowment, private forestland, and rangelands within the designated area.
- Dorena, Ore. – The BLM Northwest Oregon District temporarily closed BLM-managed public lands because of multiple fires southeast of Cottage Grove, within the Sharps Creek and Clark Creek areas. The closure is for public and firefighter safety and allows fire suppression crews to continue responding safely to the incident.
- El Dorado Hills, Calif. – The BLM increased fire restrictions and temporary target shooting limitations for BLM-managed public lands within the Central California District. Due to high fire danger, increased restrictions are in effect for the Central Coast Field Office, Mother Lode Field Office, and the Ukiah Field Office, effective July 24. These increased restrictions are in addition to the initial fire restrictions issued by the field offices and the year-round statewide fire prevention order. They will remain in effect until further notice.
- Lewiston, Idaho – The BLM Cottonwood Field Office temporarily closed some BLM-managed public lands in Nez Perce County due to the risk of the nearby Gwen and River Fires. This closure is essential to ensure public and firefighter safety and to allow firefighting crews to respond effectively. This closure will remain in effect until the risk of wildland fire subsides. The temporary closure includes the BLM-managed Mckay’s Bend Campground and Boat Launch, located 18 miles east of Lewiston, at milepost 18.6 on U.S. Highway 12. Due to multiple fires, the site was evacuated on Thursday, July 25, 2024.