Senator Barrasso Praises Outdoor Recreation Act in US Senate
Written by Andrew-Rossi on May 4, 2022
Yesterday, U.S. Senator John Barrasso addressed the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to promote America’s Outdoor Recreation Act,
America’s Outdoor Recreation Act is “a first-of-its-kind comprehensive recreation package to improve and expand America’s outdoor recreation economy.”
The bipartisan package contains several ground-breaking recreation bills, including the following:
- Outdoor Recreation Act
- Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act
- Recreation-Not-Red-Tape Act
- Gateway Community and Recreation Enhancement Act
- Federal Interior Lands Media Act
- Biking on Long Distance Trails Act
“This legislation is a monumental achievement for all who enjoy our public lands and shared natural resources, “Barrasso said. “It contains numerous provisions to increase access to the outdoors, streamline and simplify agency processes, and improve America’s recreation infrastructure.
Barrasso introduced two bills included in America’s Outdoor Recreation Act – the F.I.L.M. Act and the C.A.P.E Act.
“America’s Outdoor Recreation Act includes two other measures I introduced—the FILM Act and the C.A.P.E. Act, Cape and Antler Preservation Enhancement Act.
“The Federal Interior Land Media Act modernizes film and photography permitting on public lands. The senator says this is a “win” for Americans’ First Amendment freedoms.
“It gives outdoor enthusiasts the ability to share their adventures without having to deal with burdensome red tape,” Senator Barrasso says. “It does away with an unconstitutional permitting scheme that requires permits and fees for some types of filming and photography content, but not others.
Meanwhile, the C.A.P.E. Act makes the removal of mountain goats more beneficial for people and wildlife.
In Grand Teton National Park, non-native mountain goats threaten struggling native bighorn sheep herds. Park officials have used volunteers to remove mountain goats through aerial hunts to counter this, but what happens next?
Senator Barrasso says, “Current law gives discretion to the Park Service to donate the meat obtained during these authorized wildlife management activities. Unfortunately, the rest of the animal goes to waste. The C.A.P.E. Act remedies this by allowing for the donation of hides and horns, including donating to volunteers who help protect our native bighorn sheep.
In addition, America’s Outdoor Recreation Act includes legislation modernizing public campgrounds and establishing shooting ranges in federal forests. It also has ways to “leverage private funding to create new recreational opportunities on our public lands.”
“America’s Outdoor Recreation Act will benefit everyone who enjoys the outdoors in Wyoming and across the nation,” Barrasso said.
“Wyoming is proud of the world-class outdoor recreation opportunities we have for our citizens and visitors – they improve the quality of life in our state and enhance the economy. We applaud the work being done on this federal legislation to expand and enhance outdoor recreation through increased collaboration between state, local, and federal land managers,” said Governor Mark Gordon.
“Wyoming is an outdoor recreation state; the citizens and visitors in Wyoming take pleasure in their ability to access high-quality opportunities to enjoy our great outdoors. We support this legislation and its ability to increase coordination between the federal government and the state, and we are excited to work with them to deliver these high-quality outdoor recreation outcomes to the public,” said Darin Westby, director of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.
