Press Releases

WASHINGTON — Congressman John Duarte (CA-13) joins a coalition of Democrats and Republicans in co-sponsoring the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act introduced by Chairman Westerman and Ranking Member Grijalva of the House Committee on Natural Resources. This bill improves access to recreational activities like biking, camping, and fishing by creating accessible trails, removes the red tape to streamline the permitting process for small businesses that depend on reliable access to public lands, and supports gateway communities with housing shortages and infrastructure issues through innovative technology modernization.

“I am proud to be supporting such a comprehensive bill that not only promotes outdoor recreation activities to our service members and veterans, but also improves accessibility to these activities, to all,” said Rep. Duarte. “Outdoor recreation has a $1.1 trillion economic output and supports 5 million jobs annually. To overlook the significance of our public lands and waters to the well-being of our communities and economic vitality is to ignore the heartbeat of our nation’s natural beauty. The EXPLORE Act is not just about fostering enjoyable outdoor experiences, it’s an investment in the future of our communities, small businesses, and the well-being of all Americans."

“Exploring the great outdoors is part of the fabric of this nation and our identity as Americans. Our beautiful lands and waters should be easily available for the enjoyment of all," said Rep. Westerman, Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources. "The EXPLORE Act is a comprehensive, bipartisan bill that will improve access and opportunities for recreation across our public lands and waters. We're taking important steps to modernize visitor experiences, reduce overcrowding, improve access for those with disabilities, address infrastructure issues and reduce burdensome permitting processes for small businesses that depend on access to our public lands."