vision
“The goal is to grow the recreational economy of all recreation. So, hikers, bikers, hunters, anglers, skiers, snowmobilers, boats, art bars – we all see that we agree. And we all agree to access for everyone.”
– Jessica Caturner, president of outdoor recreation round tables
Spotlight
In today’s political landscape, it rarely gains bipartisan support regardless of climate or environmental equity. However, just before the end of the year, one of the final acts of the 118th U.S. Congress was to pass the Explore Act, a bill aimed at expanding access to the outdoors. Legislative cleaning piece It will include measures to develop new long-distance bike trails and improve outdoor access for veterans and disabled people, addressing housing shortages and even other stocks in the outdoor gateway community. And it passed both the House and Senate with unanimous approval.
“The bill is an undefeated congressional champion,” said the Republican representative of Arkansas, who is the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, who sponsored and introduced the bill in the House, along with Arizona’s Democratic leader Raul Grialba. “I think outdoor recreation shows how outdoor recreation can unite people with many different interests, different worldviews, and many different priorities.”
The Explore Act, which shortens the expansion of the outdoor recreation experience on public land, was supported by hundreds of outdoor advocacy groups and has won 51 co-sponsors.
“This is a place I think is pretty unique in our current environment and it seems to have a lot of support,” says Public Land, a nonprofit that works to create more green spaces. said Carie Besnette Hauser, president and CEO of the company. Connect more people outdoors.
Full support for communications for outdoor access dates back decades. Another bill, the Great American Outdoor Act, was passed by a considerable majority in 2020, and was signed by President Donald Trump in his first term. The bill provided funding to address the backlog of maintenance projects in national parks. Land Conservation Fundthis was passed with bipartisan support, dating back to 1964 due to the widespread popularity of the national park.
The stories are similar at the state and local level. Hauser noted that, in addition to federal laws like the Explore Act, trust in public lands focuses on supporting the US community. Voting measurement In relation to conservation, from creating new green spaces to protecting rivers and wildfire mitigation initiatives. “We worked on 23 people who were in the November poll, including small communities, large communities, rural, cities, red and blue,” Hauser said. “All 23 people passed.”
Exactly, it is difficult to question outdoor access, which could potentially overcome political disparities like this. Outdoor recreation will not hurt growing The 1.2 trillion dollar industrycovers over 5 million jobs. Its economic power gives the industry a political influence. But the core of the problem may be more about emotions than numbers. “I think anyone who has had experience outside has felt that in their own life,” said Jessica Turner, president of Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, a coalition of the Outdoor Recreation Industry Association and organizations.
This emotional connection was important to many people who gathered behind this bill. Westerman says he “grown outdoors” and enjoys as much time as he can do activities like hunting, fishing, hiking and mountain biking. Hauser pointed out that she herself grew up next to the Grand Canyon and enjoys its natural wonders and surrounding national forests as one large outdoor playground. She sees her current career as a result of the “complete circle” of connections that have permeated her from a very young age, leading an outdoor advocacy organization.
Certainly, there are certainly several aspects of outdoor recreation and preservation, where different stakeholders can have conflicting priorities. It’s easy to imagine, for example, hunters and anglers could face conflict with wildlife conservationists. But Turner said the exploration method was zoomed out enough to gain a wide range of appeal.
“We’re not talking about this place. This trail means horse riders and e-bikers don’t do well,” she said. “We’re talking about the whole ecosystem, the public lands being public places, the water is clean and our kids can ride the same bike paths I’ve been on.” She said. “People who don’t agree with that are really far away. I haven’t seen them.”
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable held a reception last week to celebrate the success of its exploration methods. Turner explained how camaraderie at the event felt not only among lawmakers across the aisle, but also among a range of rare conservation and outdoor recreation groups and businesses. Room together. “When you put on a big tent, everyone feels like they have a place in it,” she said.
This is where people working on outdoor access see opportunities for related issues, such as climate and justice. The biggest tent – a livable future for humanity – is something no one would oppose. And the best way to bring more people there might be to frame a conversation about what touches people’s lives and emotional connections.
“Climate change has become politically divisive,” says Mike Byby, the trust of senior director of federal relations on public lands. “What’s not splitting is the effects of floods, fires, droughts and heat,” these are concrete reality that people can see and feel where they live. And Bybee said the job of protecting open spaces, creating parks and playgrounds, and developing green infrastructure that can protect against the undeniable reality of new weather. Whether they see it as a climate solution or not, it’s something everyone can agree on. “These issues – outdoor recreation, access to nature – are nonpartisan,” said Bybee, following progress on the Explore Act in DC.
The Act was actually a package of items, including dozens of measures originally sponsored by various representatives and senators. Bybee focused on one of the sections that public land trust claimed. Outdoors of all actscodify measurements Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnershipa matched grant program to develop and improve parks in underserved communities. All Law Outdoors has expanded eligibility for its grant program.
“The bill also included a lot of funding, including improving the permitting process for guides and outfitters, and often non-sexy, such as improving trailheads and pit toilets.” says Bybee. They may not attract attention, but they are examples of the types of government services that many people interact with when they visit public spaces. And amenities that can make a real difference in the experiences of people in outdoor recreation.
Still, despite unanimous support for the law, the recent upheaval over federal funding – the Trump administration threatens to freeze federal grants and other programs, and Elon Musk’s new government efficiency Rockets to try to cut spending – Question the future of dollars intended for accessible amenities in underserved areas and new parks.
“The uncertainty of this moment when we found ourselves — it affects implementation,” Bybee said. “It will impact the National Park Service federal partners who manage these grants.” In addition to concerns about the future of federal funding, the administration’s employment freeze and staffing cuts This could affect staffing in national parkswhich can have a major impact on visitors. But despite the uncertainty, Bybee is confident that programs like the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership will not go anywhere. “It will be enacted by the Congress and will not disappear without another act of Congress,” he says, “We will strive to ensure that it will be realized in these communities. ” he added.
Hauser and Westerman repeated that confidence. “People care about these places,” Hauser said. “Our elected representatives recognize that these are important and truly universal.”
That doesn’t mean that politics never gets in the way. Hauser also noted that despite overwhelming support, the Exploration Act passed the House in April and then declined in the Senate for much of the year, with the 2024 election dominated everyone’s minds .
“I think the fact that it sat as long as it did in the Senate speaks to something like this unfortunate environment. Even with victory, the “opposite” is “opposite” I don’t want to see a victory in the film,” she said. But she sends a clear message when the 11th hour exploration passes. That means political division can be overcome when lawmakers recognize the opportunity to do something to improve the lives of their members. “Take the pressure that arises during election season, and I think people know, this is really good for my community and my district.”
– Claire Ellie Ze Thompson
More exposure
A farewell shot
In 2022, my team at Grist dedicated an entire special issue to the outdoors. The Centerpiece was an interactive project that showed off some of the formative outdoor experiences that inspired leaders to pursue a career in climate and conservation. In the form of postcards, contributors spoke of the memories of nature that shaped them (both positive and challenging) – like the founder of the hike, Debbie Nyay, the first hiking experience in Missouri I explained. Mile hike, but it was so perfect – sunlight on my skin, wind in my hair. I remember feeling free and happy. …When everyone can experience this same love outdoors, we will see a change in the way we care for our environment. ”
