Sunday marked the four-year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). This landmark legislation was a testament to bipartisan cooperation powered by diverse groups coming together to push a shared agenda to expand and conserve our public lands. As we look back on GAOA’s successes, it can help guide us on how to continue momentum for outdoor recreation policy going forward.
GAOA was the culmination of years of advocacy by the outdoor recreation, conservation, and environmental community, as well as lawmakers who recognized the urgent need to address the maintenance backlog and expand outdoor recreation spaces through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). As a reminder, GAOA funded maintenance backlog at $1.9 billion annually for five years and created mandatory funding for LWCF programs at $900 million annually. The bill received overwhelming support, passing the Senate with a 73-23 vote and the House with a 310-107 vote.
While momentous, it was (and is) clear that there’s still a lot of work to do. The introduction of the EXPLORE Act (and the original Senate version: America’s Outdoor Recreation Act) shows a continued commitment to expanding access to public lands. The bill is perhaps the largest outdoor recreation package in history, addressing everything from enhancing the visitor experience through increased access to broadband to expanding bike trails and local parks.
The EXPLORE Act has passed out of the House by voice vote and a similar bill passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on a unanimous vote of approval. The bill is now an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act in the Senate – a must-pass bill every year.
Like GAOA, EXPLORE Act has unified multiple communities around the bill. While different organizations have voiced support for policies most impacting their constituency, the community has largely stayed unified in support of the broader bill. Also, like GAOA, this bill is maintaining bipartisan support during an election year. This is a rare feat in a time of year when opposing parties are trying to score partisan wins. We see this as one more example of the outdoors transcending party lines and bringing elected officials together when other policy issues seem difficult to find consensus.
As we look to the next Congress and a new administration, the outdoor recreation and conservation community have an opportunity to carry on this momentum. The following policy areas will need to be addressed – whether in the next Congress or beyond – and stakeholders would do well to follow a similar path to GAOA and EXPLORE:
Innovative Funding Mechanisms: As the demand for outdoor recreation grows, finding innovative ways to fund conservation and maintenance projects will be critical. This could include public-private partnerships, grants, and community-driven initiatives.
Reauthorizing Funding for Maintenance Backlog: The $1.9 billion for the Legacy Restoration Fund will be up for reauthorization next year, and finding ways to pay for the program will be key to extending funding.
Accessibility in the Outdoors: There’s a growing acknowledgement that public lands agencies could be doing much more to make trails, campsites, boat docks, etc. more accessible to the disability community. Finding innovative ways to expand these opportunities is a bipartisan issue.
Wildfire Solutions: The outdoor recreation community is significantly impacted by extreme wildfires. Finding a unique voice and advocating for solutions will be critical as wildfires become even more damaging.
As we celebrate the four-year anniversary of GAOA, we should acknowledge the hard work that stakeholders and federal officials have put into elevating outdoor recreation as a formidable sector in Washington, DC. We have a unique opportunity to continue this bipartisan work through the EXPLORE Act and other upcoming policy priorities to build a future where America's public lands are accessible, resilient, and welcomed to all.
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