EXPLORE America250: Celebrating One Year of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act

House Natural Resources Committee
   Federal Lands Subcommittee
1324 Longworth

01/21/2026 at 10:15AM

On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold an oversight hearing titled “EXPLORE America250: Celebrating One Year of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act.”

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

Panel I (Administration Witnesses)

  • Thomas Heinlein, Assistant Director for National Conservation Lands and Community Partnerships, Bureau of Land Management, Washington, DC
  • Gordon “Gordie” Blum, Associate Deputy Chief, U.S. Forest Service, Washington, DC

Panel II (Outside Experts)

  • Jess Turner, President, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, Washington, DC
  • Taylor Schmitz, Senior Vice President, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Washington, DC
  • Jason Curry, Director, Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation, Salt Lake City, UT
  • David Duncan, President, American Battlefield Trust, Washington, DC
  • Matt Wade, Executive Director, American Mountain Guides Association, Boulder, CO [Minority Witness]
  • Louis Geltman, Vice President of Policy & Government Relations, Outdoor Alliance, Washington, DC [Minority Witness]

Sponsored by Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR-04) and the late Ranking Member Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-07), EXPLORE was the first-ever comprehensive outdoor recreation package and passed both the House and the Senate unanimously.

EXPLORE supported a variety of recreation activities through improved trail development, updated and digital recreation maps, campsite restoration, and facility upgrades. First, Sections 141 through 143 improved visitor experiences by facilitating increased broadband deployment in national parks and developed recreation sites, such as campgrounds. Second, the legislation supported the growing mountain biking industry by incentivizing the creation of new longdistance bike trails. Increases in ridership have pushed current trails to the limit, necessitating the creation of new trails to meet high demand for biking opportunities. Finally, Section 127 modernized motorized and non-motorized access by directing USFS and BLM to update vehicle and over-snow route maps, expanding opportunities for motorized and non-motorized vehicles.