To improve recreation opportunities on, and facilitate greater access to, Federal public land, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The EXPLORE Act is comprehensive legislation to expand and improve outdoor recreation on federal public lands. It establishes a Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation to coordinate across 8 federal agencies, mandates inventories of recreation resources, identifies long-distance bike trails, protects rock climbing access including in wilderness areas, and requires construction of target shooting ranges on National Forests and BLM lands.
Who Benefits and How
Outdoor recreation users benefit broadly—hikers, mountain bikers, rock climbers, recreational shooters, and hunters gain expanded access and infrastructure. Mountain bikers get at least 10 identified long-distance trails. Rock climbers gain protected access to fixed anchors even in wilderness areas. Recreational shooters gain target ranges in every National Forest and BLM district. Gateway communities near federal lands benefit from coordinated recreation planning and potential economic development.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal land management agencies face significant new requirements: conducting recreation inventories, coordinating through a new interagency council, constructing target shooting ranges within 5 years, and issuing climbing guidance within 18 months. The Office of Management and Budget must publish annual recreation budget crosscuts. Taxpayers fund range construction and expanded federal coordination.
Key Provisions
- Establishes Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (8 agencies)
- Requires recreation resource inventory and assessment on all federal lands
- Identifies at least 10 long-distance bike trails (80+ miles each)
- Issues guidance protecting rock climbing and fixed anchors in wilderness
- Mandates at least one target shooting range per National Forest and BLM district
- Creates recreation budget transparency through annual OMB reports
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Comprehensive legislation to improve outdoor recreation access on federal public lands, establishing a Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation, creating long-distance bike trails, protecting rock climbing access, and mandating target shooting ranges on federal land.
Key Policy Areas
Public Lands, Recreation, Environment, Natural Resources
Primary Purpose
Comprehensive legislation to improve outdoor recreation access on federal public lands, establishing a Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation, creating long-distance bike trails, protecting rock climbing access, and mandating target shooting ranges on federal land.
Policy Domains
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedReceived
Additional sponsors: Mr. Tiffany, Mr. Stauber, Mrs. González-Colón, Mr. Gallego, …
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment
Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Agriculture discharged; committed to the …
Mr. Westerman (for himself, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Neguse, …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
BLM and Forest Service, Department of the Interior, Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation
BLM and Forest Service, Federal land management agencies, Forest Service and BLM face effects in multiple directions
Positive-direction: Forest Service and BLM permit offices, Forest Service employees needing housing, National Park Service, Tribal communities, Tribal governments, Veterans seeking federal employment
Negative-direction: Department of the Interior, Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation, Federal agencies implementing EXPLORE Act, Federal government, Federal land management agencies (BLM, Forest Service), Federal land management agencies (NPS, BLM, FWS, Forest Service), Forest Service, Forest Service and BLM budgets, Interior, Agriculture, and VA departments, National Park Service - American Battlefield Protection Program, Office of Management and Budget
Campers and outdoor recreation users in Arkansas/Oklahoma, Campground and recreation facility operators, Hikers and trail users with disabilities
Positive-direction: Campers and outdoor recreation users in Arkansas/Oklahoma, Campground and recreation facility operators, Hikers and trail users with disabilities, Individual volunteers seeking public lands service, Individuals with disabilities, Individuals with disabilities seeking hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing, Individuals with disabilities seeking outdoor recreation, Individuals with disabilities using assistive technology, Low-income and underserved communities, Military service members, veterans, and Gold Star families, Military veterans seeking outdoor recreation opportunities, Mountain biking and cycling industry, New outfitters and guides seeking market entry, Off-highway vehicle (OHV) users, Outdoor recreation industry, Outdoor recreation industry and users, Outdoor recreation users (hikers, campers, hunters, anglers), Outfitters and guides with special recreation permits, Outfitters operating across BLM and Forest Service lands, Outfitters, guides, and recreation service providers, Park visitors and outdoor recreation users, Park visitors and recreation users, Park visitors purchasing recreation passes, Prospective outfitters and guides seeking permits, Recreation pass purchasers and park visitors, Recreation service providers seeking to diversify offerings, Recreation users benefiting from coordinated services, Recreation users benefiting from maintained trails and facilities, Recreation users on multi-agency trips, Recreational shooters and hunters, Rock climbing community and climbing gyms, Small outfitters and educational groups (under 40 customers/year), Winter recreation enthusiasts (skiing, snowmobiling), Youth and underserved youth populations
Negative-direction: Outfitters and guides applying for or holding permits, Outfitters and guides with commercial permits
Battlefield preservation and heritage tourism organizations, Battlefield preservation organizations, Conservation nonprofits
Gateway communities dependent on seasonal tourism, Gateway communities near federal lands, Gateway communities near federal recreation lands
Counties and local governments near federal lands, Local governments in recreation areas, State and local governments near national parks
ATV and UTV manufacturers, Assistive technology manufacturers, Bicycle manufacturers and retailers
Accessibility consulting and construction firms, Accessible recreation facility contractors, Park and playground construction contractors
Film and television production companies
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_director"
- → Director of Office of Management and Budget
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Interior
- "the_secretaries"
- → Secretary of Interior and Secretary of Agriculture jointly
- "the_secretary_of_agriculture"
- → Secretary of Agriculture
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A community that serves as entry point or is adjacent to a recreation destination on federal lands with high seasonal or year-round visitation
A developed area authorized by Forest Service or BLM specifically for discharge of legal firearms, archery, or associated activities
A continuous route of at least 80 miles primarily using dirt or natural surface trails on federal lands
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology