The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) congratulated Secretary Doug Burgum and the Interior Department for elevating implementation of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act.
The legislation passed with bipartisan and unanimous support in Congress late last year and was signed into law by President Joe Biden.
The secretarial order, signed by Burgum, establishes the department’s framework to ensure the law’s successful rollout across public lands and waters nationwide.
RVIA President Craig Kirby said, “We commend the secretary’s order for its positive impact on the countless communities and businesses that will benefit from a bolstered outdoor recreation economy.”
ORR President Jessica Turner, who was joined by ORR members and partners for the signing, said the implementation showed the progress ORR leaders can make for the outdoor recreation industry.
“This is what pragmatic and bipartisan solutions look like,” Turner said, “and we again thank the secretary and the EXPLORE Act sponsors. By laying out a coordinated implementation plan utilizing the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation, the department is honoring the bipartisan spirit of the EXPLORE Act.”
The secretarial order directs Interior Department agencies to collaborate with state, local and Tribal governments, as well as private sector partners, to:
- Break down government silos to address pressing recreation challenges and opportunities.
- Expand parking at highly visited destinations, additional trail development and enhancing broadband connectivity.
- Improve access, including accessibility enhancements, for people with disabilities, programs for military servicemembers and veterans, and youth access initiatives.
- Modernize recreation permitting.
- Increase stakeholder engagement through meaningful coordination and/or consultation.
- Coordinate with the private sector to guide and enhance the act’s implementation.
ORR is hosting the inaugural Outdoor Recreation Technology and Innovation Summit in September in Washington, D.C., to advance the EXPLORE Act’s implementation with Burgum, land management agencies and key congressional members.
