OAK's Letter of Support for the EXPLORE Act 2024

Dear Members of Congress:

We, the undersigned members and partners of the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK), and the supporters of OAK’s mission, write to collectively urge support for the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act which contains key provisions that would improve recreational opportunities and facilitate greater access to public lands.

OAK is a leading national alliance of more than 100 businesses and nonprofit organizations representing more than 60 million individuals across the U.S., who share a common interest in connecting children, youth and families with the outdoors. One-hundred million people in the U.S. – including 28 million children – do not live within walking, biking, or rolling distance of a safe park or green space. The greatest disparities in access are unsurprisingly found in Black, Indigenous, Latin American, Asian and low-income communities—70% of low-income communities are located in areas with no outdoor access. Our members and supporters believe that the need for equitable opportunities to recreate and work in the outdoors has never been more apparent. Providing these opportunities will promote health and wellness and drive a sustainable outdoor recreation economy.

Access to the outdoors is extremely important to the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities. Access to nature has been found to provide many cognitive and emotional benefits that lead to improved mental wellness. Studies show that individuals who spend time in nature perform better on cognitive tests, are more happy overall, and have less stress and anxiety. These benefits are particularly important for America’s veterans.

In addition, time spent in nature often involves physical activity that improves physical health and wellbeing. Natural outdoor spaces also help to connect people to their local communities and contribute to local economies.

Unfortunately, many people are missing out on the benefits of time spent in nature. The EXPLORE Act will help address this situation.

The EXPLORE Act is bipartisan outdoor recreation legislation that was recently introduced in the House of Representatives. If enacted, the EXPLORE Act will increase access to the outdoors for youth, families, military veterans, and people with disabilities.

The Outdoors Alliance for Kids supports these key provisions in the EXPLORE Act that will increase people’s access to the outdoors:

The Every Kid Outdoors (EKO) extension would continue the Every Kid Outdoors Program for 7 years, thereby providing every 4th grader, or homeschooled 10-year-old, a free pass to access federal land and waters, along with their families.
The Outdoors for All Act would codify the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program. ORLP provides funding to develop or renovate public recreational facilities in areas of higher population density. This program also prioritizes providing job training and employment for youth and low-income communities.
The Military and Veterans in Parks Act would promote opportunities and enhance outdoor recreation experiences for veterans and active duty members on federal lands by improving facilities, signage, disability access, and information access. This would establish a jobs pilot program within the Department of the Interior, to employ veterans in jobs relating to conservation. The Military and Veterans in Parks Act would also create the Military Veterans Outdoor Recreation Liaison within the Departments of Interior, Agriculture and Veterans Affairs to better coordinate support as an interagency position in the administration.
Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) would simplify and streamline the process of obtaining permits for guides, outfitters, outdoor leaders and non-profit organizations. This would improve guided recreation opportunities on federal lands and waters, increasing access to the outdoors and providing economic benefits to gateway communities.