House Passes EXPLORE act- biggest rec/land bill ever

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This isn't headline grabbing, but the impacts will be huge
Some good stuff in the bill.

www.standard.net/news/government/2024/apr/17/key-takeaways-from-the-explore-act-one-of-the-largest-outdoor-recreation-bills-ever/

Known as the Explore Act, the 220-page package seeks to streamline the permitting process for outdoor recreation companies, study internet access at National Parks, identify potential long distance bike trails and paths, support recreation and tourism economies and towns, and allow for new rock climbing routes on public land.

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Also, I think this is separate, but another big land move.

myfox8.com/news/ap-business/ap-biden-administration-moves-to-make-conservation-an-equal-to-industry-on-us-lands/

The Biden administration on Thursday finalized a new rule for public land management that’s meant to put conservation on more equal footing with oil drilling, grazing and other extractive industries on vast government-owned properties.

Officials pushed past strong opposition from private industry and Republican governors to adopt the proposal. GOP members of Congress said in response that they will seek to invalidate it.

The rule from the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management — which oversees more than 380,000 square miles (990,000 square kilometers) of land, primarily in the U.S. West — will allow public property to be leased for restoration in the same way that oil companies lease land for drilling.

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Here's a better description of the new BLM rule
www.huffpost.com/entry/biden-administration-public-lands-rule_n_66214fade4b0868a1b901dae

The rule directs BLM — the nation’s largest land manager — to “protect intact landscapes, restore degraded habitat, and make wise management decisions based on science and data.” The agency will also be tasked with incorporating land health assessments into its decisions about how lands are used.

[mrspez07]

That is a great cross-section of support!
Hopefully there is money to not only complete the studies but fund the recommended improvements, especially the higher price ticket items.
I read a book recently where the author visited every NP in the system in 2016. One of his chapters talked about (I think) Mount Royal, where there’s not cell service and whether that is good or bad. Some people think it’s necessary to keep new generations interested in the parks, and others who appreciate the forced disconnect. He also touches on the safety aspect of having that cell access.

[neverfstop]

Here's a better article about the BLM land rule
GIFT wapo.st/4d1TOBj

For decades, the federal government has prioritized oil and gas drilling, hardrock mining and livestock grazing on public lands across the country. That could soon change under a far-reaching Interior Department rule that puts conservation, recreation and renewable energy development on equal footing with resource extraction.
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The final rule released Thursday represents a seismic shift in the management of roughly 245 million acres of public property — about one-tenth of the nation’s land mass. It is expected to draw praise from conservationists and legal challenges from fossil fuel industry groups and Republican officials, some of whom have lambasted the move as a “land grab.”

[bee20]

Hmm, I am surprised that the Sierra Club supports this one, it looks like a lot of provisions to increase recreational users on the land through some higher impact activities and the increased use of private users and guides in our public lands.

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More environmental good news
From Emily in your Phone
open.substack.com/pub/emilyinyourphone/p/big-environmental-news-and-big-personal?r=1vmdm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email


On Tuesday 4/9 and Wednesday 4/10 the Biden Administration announced two new federal regulations to protect Americans from dangerous environmental and health impacts:

1) More than 200 chemical plants will be required to cut their emissions of toxic pollution by more than 6,200 tons per year; and

2) Municipal water systems will be required to eliminate “forever chemicals” (the PFAS we want out of our water bottles and pans) from the water supply