EXPLORE act

balzaccom

balzaccom

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This is good news. The new legislation (Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act, for those keeping score at home) generally funds improvements to our outdoor recreation infrastructure, from campgrounds to long-distance trails, as well as upgrading the permitting process and improving access to public lands for a wide range of people.

That's great news--I hope President Biden will sign it soon.

Meanwhile, if you want more information about the whole thing, there is a nice article on The Trek website about it: https://thetrek.co/the-explore-act-has-passed-in-congress-what-it-means-for-backpackers/

While you're there, you might also check out the other information---it's a good website for those interested in through hikes, or just hiking in general.

Nice way to start out the year.
 
More good than bad in the bill (especially telling NPS to pound sand over the climbing routes), but large parts of it are funded by more insane Government Math. BOLT? FICOR?

The Feds literally can't afford to keep themselves staffed at a level to maintain the enormous amount of outdoor resources they are already responsible for, so they pass a bill that mandates they create/maintain even more of these resources rather than attempting to fully fund their existing bureaucracies. And the Federal government has what business at all funding the development of parks in urban areas? That should be a budget priority discussion for local governments in those areas, who have clearly made other choices of where to spend their tax monies to date.

PS - the nation is $36 trillion in debt...
 
I volunteer quite a few hours each year to work on trails, clean up campsites, and generally try to improve the conditions (and minimize the impacts of visitors) in the wildernesses where I live. I am hopeful that this funding will help with those efforts.
 
balzaccom said:
I volunteer quite a few hours each year to work on trails, clean up campsites, and generally try to improve the conditions (and minimize the impacts of visitors) in the wildernesses where I live. I am hopeful that this funding will help with those efforts.
Click to expand...
I'm not gonna pretend it's perfect - or that I've read the whole thing - but this certainly seems like a net positive. Happy to see it.
 
I fear you will not see any money trickle down to the local trails....... Just in skiming the bill, seems to written give money to people, groups for access not to much to improve trails. Just my opinion.
 
To quote a post in Backpackinglight: "Target shooting, internet access, increased opportunities for commercial use? Really?"

Improvement in the National Parks is clearly needed. Both infrastructure and personnel. I'd like to leave wilderness as it is. There ain't much left.
 
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