EXPLORE Act Becomes Law

On Jan. 4, the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreational Experiences (EXPLORE) Act was signed into law, a comprehensive public-lands management package that benefits every outdoor enthusiast, including hunters and conservationists. It will improve public land access, advance critical priorities in the sporting community and enhance recreational opportunities.

“The passage of the EXPLORE Act underscores the power of collaboration in advancing access to America’s public lands,” said Gray N. Thornton, president and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation. “From streamlining permitting for small film crews to enhancing recreational shooting opportunities, this bill delivers practical solutions to the challenges faced by federal land managers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. It reflects a shared commitment to conserving and promoting our outdoor heritage.”

Small film crews of six individuals or less are no longer subjected to the same regulations as large-scale productions on Federally managed lands. The change benefits photographers and videographers—including contributors to this website—previously required to have a permit to visually share the conservation, wildlife and natural-resource experience on public land.

“One of the most promising of the EXPLORE Act’s provisions for gun owners is its inclusion of the Range Access Act,” NRA-ILA explained in a Dec. 23 blog post. “This legislation would direct the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to identify and maintain, or establish, within five years, at least one target shooting range on every national forest and Bureau of Land Management unit that they determined to be suitable for that purpose. Ranges would be required to accommodate rifle and pistol shooting and could further include infrastructure for skeet, trap, sporting clay, and archery uses.”

The measure also provides additional flexibility for people serving as “qualified volunteers” in National Park Service management. It also renews the Every Kid Outdoors Act, which grants each fourth grader, and his or her family, free access to Federal lands and National Parks for the year.