Legislation to improve access to public lands and address issues related to rising usage has been introduced in the U.S. House.
The is sponsored by Arkansas Republican Bruce Westerman, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, and its cosponsors are pretty evenly divided between the two parties. It addresses like overcrowding, a lack of affordable housing in communities near public lands and aging infrastructure.
Jessica Turner, president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, highlighted its provisions for making trails and other facilities easier to use by veterans and those with disabilities.
鈥淲e can open up as many public lands as possible, we can protect public lands, but if people can't get there, or people with disabilities or veterans don't feel that those places are for them, or people from urban areas, you know, are we really doing our job?鈥� she said.
The bill also would streamline permitting for guides and outfitters, allow for online purchase of park passes and incentivize the building of long-distance bike trails, among many other measures.
Congress has been frequently dysfunctional in recent months, including a weeks-long stretch when the House didn鈥檛 have a speaker. But Turner said the bill鈥檚 substantial bipartisan support makes her hopeful that it will pass in a timely fashion.
A companion Senate bill made it out of committee over the summer.
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