By SEMA Washington, D.C., staff
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee unanimously passed the bipartisan
America's Outdoor Recreation Act of 2023 (AORA) (S. 873) by a voice vote. This SEMA-supported bill will help to expand access and increase the $862 billion outdoor recreation economy. As a result, this historic public lands and recreation legislation is the first comprehensive recreation package since 1963. It will help improve and grow America's outdoor recreation economy while delivering sustainable economic boosts to rural communities.
The bill requires federal land-management agencies to increase opportunities for motorized and non-motorized access to public lands, and it includes provisions to streamline the process and expenses associated with obtaining special recreation permits. Additionally, the legislation directs the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to make maps available to the public depicting where vehicles are allowed and prohibited and to update them periodically to ensure that the maps do not become outdated.
SEMA, along with our partners that comprise the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, thank Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY) for their leadership in passing this vital legislation that benefits public lands, access to the outdoors, and the economy.
Click here to sign a letter to your U.S. Senators asking them to support S. 873.
For more information on the American Outdoor Recreation Act, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.