By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office
As the clock wound down on the 2023-24 Congress, the U.S. Senate passed the SEMA-supported "Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act" (EXPLORE Act), H.R. 6492, putting our industry on the brink of securing a significant boost for those who enjoy, support and cater to outdoor recreation. The comprehensive public lands package, which increases access to outdoor recreation opportunities to help grow the outdoor recreation industry's $1.2-trillion annual economic impact, now awaits President Biden's signature.
"SEMA thanks U.S. Senators Joe Manchin III (D-W.V.) and John Barrasso (R-Wy.) for their continued advocacy for the EXPLORE Act, which was critical in securing the broader Senate support needed to pass this bill and send it to the president's desk," said SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola. "The opportunity of outdoor recreation is one of our nation's treasures, an asset that unites us across state and party lines. The people whose passion is to traverse the outdoors is matched only by those who innovate and develop the products that help them do so, and that's why this bill is so important. It's about our economy, our quality of life and our ability to share with more people all of our nation's natural wonders."
The EXPLORE Act directs the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to create more motorized opportunities on public lands, addresses special recreation permits and fees that have been expensive and cumbersome for off-road groups to navigate on federal lands, attempts to improve visitor experiences, addresses the lack of affordable housing causing staffing shortages on public lands, and transforms outdoor recreation experiences for active-duty military members, veterans and Gold Star families.
You can find more information about the major provisions of the legislation by reviewing the section-by-section outline.
For additional information on the EXPLORE Act, contact Eric Snyder, SEMA's senior director of federal government affairs, at erics@sema.org.