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In a unanimous vote on Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, a sweeping outdoor recreation package that will significantly expand and improve recreation opportunities on public lands.
The EXPLORE Act includes a collection of bills that outdoor recreation groups have sought for decades. Most notably are the Biking on Long Distance Trails Act (BOLT) to identify and create more long-distance bike trails, the Protecting America's Rock Climbing Act (PARC) to safeguard climbing in wilderness areas, and the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act (SOAR) to improve recreational permitting for outfitters and guides, just to name a few. In total, the EXPLORE Act includes over a dozen policy measures to support recreation on public lands.
"The passage of EXPLORE sends a clear message that outdoor recreation and our public lands are bipartisan priorities," said Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance, a public lands conservation and recreation advocacy group. "Signing this bill into law represents a meaningful investment in our shared outdoor heritage and the vibrant outdoor recreation economy it sustains."
The bill will now be sent to President Joe Biden, who will likely sign it into law.
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We want to make sure that the climbing community continues to climb in the wilderness with humility and restraint and that climbers are part of the solution for how to improve and protect wilderness.”
