As of late last week, Republicans will take control of the White House, Senate, and House come January. This will result in some big changes from Biden administration priorities, and we’ll be working to defend progress and climate and conservation while looking for places to continue making bipartisan progress on our community’s issues.

While there are changes to come, we also have a big opportunity to close out on some key conservation priorities in the final stretch of this congress. Outdoor Alliance and our partners are working hard to get the EXPLORE Act and a potential public lands package across the finish line.

This lame duck session, which will probably wrap up around Christmas, offers the last best opportunity to pass legislation this Congress, especially since there are must-pass bills that could serve as a vehicle for other vetted, popular legislation to pass.

Last week, more than 300 outdoor recreation organizations and businesses signed on to a letter to members of Congress asking them to make sure EXPLORE is passed by the end of the year. The House has already passed the bill, and leadership on the Senate has advanced a very similar bill (America’s Outdoor Recreation Act, or AORA) out of committee. A number of lawmakers, including Senator Manchin and Rep. Westerman, are working to get the final bill text of EXPLORE passed by the end of the year.

One moving piece we are watching closely is whether Congress makes an effort to pass a year-end spending package or pushes spending decisions into next year with another continuing resolution (which, at the moment, looks more likely). In addition to potentially providing a vehicle for priorities like EXPLORE and lands bills, passing a real appropriations bill could help to address pressing Forest Service budget issues and would help give all land managers a little much-needed certainty on the next year. We’re also working on supporting a likely disaster-relief spending package with an eye to making sure that recreational resources and the recreation community in the Southeast are supported in recovering from Hurricane Helene.

Pass Recreation Priorities

Going ahead into the next administration, Outdoor Alliance will be working hard to defend good policy and share our perspectives with decision makers. While constituent advocacy has always been important, public engagement has the potential to make a big difference in the coming years. The new president will be coming into office as a lame duck (because it is his final term), which means there will be a lot of members of Congress eyeing their own political futures. This makes lawmakers are more attuned to listening to what voters want. And both chambers, especially the House, are likely to have narrow majorities, which means a small group of lawmakers can make a big difference.

Outdoor recreation issues are bipartisan issues, and they have strong support from voters on both sides on the aisle. Protected public lands and waters are also the foundation of a $1.1 trillion outdoor recreation economy, with growing participation among Americans of all stripes. The path to progress on outdoor recreation issues is ensuring that the outdoors is a bipartisan priority, important to every member of Congress and decision makers in an administration. Outdoor Alliance works towards this goal by channeling the sentiments of our coalition’s collective quarter million members, bringing together policy experts from our ten member groups, and by using GIS data that reflects the on-the-ground needs of the outdoor community.

As always, Outdoor Alliance will continue to harness the energy and passion of the outdoor community to protect and improve outdoor recreation opportunities. Make a difference starting today by asking lawmakers to pass the EXPLORE Act before the end of the year.

What to Expect in the Lame Duck & The Future of Public Engagement