Outdoor Recreation Package passes in final days of 118th Congress
by American Sportfishing Association 23 Dec 2024 22:30 UTC
Last week, the Senate passed the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act.
The House passed the legislation back in April of this year. The EXPLORE Act includes many priorities for the sportfishing community, including:
- Improves collection of recreation visitation data on federal lands and waters.
- Streamlines the permitting process for fishing guides and outfitters on public lands and waters.
- Supports inspection and decontamination of aquatic invasive species in federal waters.
- Improved access to fishing for active duty and retired members of the military and youth anglers.
- Supports economic development and infrastructure improvements in rural areas and gateway communities.
We look forward to working with Congress and our partners to implement these provisions in the new year.