We had a big win in Congress after the Senate’s final passage of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoors Recreation (EXPLORE) Act.
Forests & Wildlife Stewards Janette Dean and Bill Pollnow were definitely celebrating. They were part of a volunteer team from 10 states who went to Washington in May to advocate for the act during Sierra Club’s Wildlands Lobby Days, while also asking for urgently-needed conservation elements and public lands protections. The latter are long overdue from the Farm Bill.
While in Washington, the volunteers got training and information from Sierra Club's Deputy Director of Federal Policy, Robert Scott, from Karen Yarnell of Sierra Club’s Wildlands and Wilderness team, and others. The EXPLORE Act’s final version includes all four parts discussed in Sierra’s Club’s December 19 press release, and received President Biden’s signature on January 6:
- The Outdoors For All Act will authorize the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program, which helps economically disadvantaged communities with little access to public outdoor recreation spaces.
- The Military and Veterans in Parks Act will promote opportunities and enhance outdoor recreation experiences for veterans and active duty members on federal lands and waters by improving disability access, and increase awareness of and access to assistive technology. Finally, the Act includes a jobs pilot program for veterans with the Department of the Interior.
- The Every Kid Outdoors program provides all 4th graders and their families free access to over 2,000 federally-managed parks, lands and waters.
- The Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act will simplify and streamline the permitting process for guides, outfitters, outdoor leaders and nonprofit organizations. This will reduce barriers encountered in organizing outdoor excursions and facilitate access to nature.
Nature can heal people! If we all do our part to help protect the environment, our wildlife, and the climate, more people everywhere will have the opportunity to honor and experience the outdoors. Better yet, join us to take action for sustainability, and demand the same from our government and governments around the world.
Visit Sierra Club North Star Chapter’s Outings page with a yearly calendar to share with friends, to see the outdoors events open to all, to contact a team about helping as an outings leader (including areas of the state without a leader yet), or to simply submit activity suggestions.