IB 

Union Calendar No. 562 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3879 

[Report No. 116–678, Part I] 

To modify the procedures for issuing special recreation permits for certain 

public land units, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 23, 2019 

Ms. HAALAND (for herself, Mr. CURTIS, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. STEWART, Ms. 

DEGETTE, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. GIANFORTE, Mrs. DINGELL, 

and Mr. LAMALFA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee 

on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

DECEMBER 18, 2020 

Additional sponsors: Mr. KILMER, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. COOK, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico, Mr. 

LOWENTHAL, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. TIPTON, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. YOUNG, 

Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. NORTON, Mr. LAMB, and Mr. BLUMENAUER

DECEMBER 18, 2020 

Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with amendments 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 


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DECEMBER 18, 2020 

Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the 

Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July 23, 2019] 

A BILL 

To modify the procedures for issuing special recreation 

permits for certain public land units, and for other purposes. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act’’ or the 

6 ‘‘SOAR Act’’. 

7 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of this 

8 Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Definitions. 

Sec. 3. Sense of Congress regarding outdoor recreation. 

TITLE I—MODERNIZING RECREATION PERMITTING 

Sec. 101. Definitions. 

Sec. 102. Special recreation permit and fee. 

Sec. 103. Permitting process improvements. 

Sec. 104. Permit flexibility. 

Sec. 105. Permit administration. 

Sec. 106. Permits for multijurisdictional trips. 

Sec. 107. Forest Service permit use reviews. 

Sec. 108. Liability. 

Sec. 109. Cost recovery reform. 

Sec. 110. Extension of special recreation permits. 

Sec. 111. Availability of Federal and State recreation passes. 

Sec. 112. Online purchases of America the Beautiful—The National Parks and 

Federal Recreational Lands Pass. 

TITLE II—ACCESSING THE OUTDOORS 

Sec. 201. Access for servicemembers and veterans. 

TITLE III—MAKING RECREATION A PRIORITY 

Sec. 301. Extension of seasonal recreation opportunities. 

Sec. 302. Recreation performance metrics. 

Sec. 303. Recreation mission. 

TITLE IV—MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC LAND 

Subtitle A—Volunteers 

Sec. 401. Private-sector volunteer enhancement program. 

Sec. 402. Enhancing outdoor recreation through public lands service organizations. 


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Subtitle B—Priority Trail Maintenance 

Sec. 411. Interagency trail management. 

1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCY.—The 

4 term ‘‘Federal land management agency’’ has the 

5 meaning given the term in section 802 of the Federal 

6 Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 

7 6801). 

8 (2) FEDERAL RECREATIONAL LANDS AND

9 WATERS.—The term ‘‘Federal recreational lands and 

10 waters’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

11 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement 

12 Act (16 U.S.C. 6801). 

13 (3) SECRETARIES.—Except as otherwise pro14 vided in this Act, the term ‘‘Secretaries’’ means— 

15 (A) the Secretary of the Interior; and 

16 (B) the Secretary of Agriculture. 

17 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING OUTDOOR 

18 RECREATION. 

19 It is the sense of Congress that— 

20 (1) outdoor recreation and the outdoor industry 

21 that outdoor recreation supports are vital to the 

22 United States; 

23 (2) access to outdoor recreation on Federal rec24 reational lands and waters is important to the health 


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1 and wellness of all people of the United States, espe2 cially young people; 

3 (3) in addition to the overall economic benefit of 

4 outdoor recreation, the economic benefits of outdoor 

5 recreation on Federal recreational lands and waters 

6 creates significant economic and employment benefits 

7 to rural economies; 

8 (4) Congress supports the creation of outdoor 

9 recreation sector leadership positions within State 

10 governments, as well as coordination with recreation 

11 and tourism organizations within the State to guide 

12 the growth of this sector, as evidenced by recent exam13 ples in the States of Colorado, Utah, and Washington; 

14 (5) State and local recreation and tourism offices 

15 play a pivotal role in— 

16 (A) coordinating State outdoor recreation 

17 policies, management, and promotion among 

18 Federal, State, and local agencies and entities; 

19 (B) disseminating information, increasing 

20 awareness, and growing demand for outdoor 

21 recreation experiences among visitors across the 

22 United States and throughout the world; 

23 (C) improving funding for, access to, and 

24 participation in outdoor recreation; and 


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1 (D) promoting economic development in the 

2 State by coordinating with stakeholders, improv3 ing recreational opportunities, and recruiting 

4 outdoor recreation businesses; 

5 (6) it is vital— 

6 (A) to support the coordination and collabo7 ration of the Federal and State land and water 

8 management agencies in the delivery of visitor 

9 services and management of outdoor recreation 

10 for the United States; and 

11 (B) provide adequate staffing within Fed12 eral land management agencies to facilitate sus13 tainable and accessible outdoor recreation oppor14 tunities; and 

15 (7) volunteers and volunteer partnerships play 

16 an important role in maintaining public land. 

17 TITLE I—MODERNIZING 

18 RECREATION PERMITTING 

19 SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS. 

20 In this title: 

21 (1) ASSOCIATED AGENCY.—The term ‘‘associated 

22 agency’’ means the Federal land management agency, 

23 other than the lead agency, that manages a public 

24 land unit that is the subject of a single joint special 

25 recreation permit under section 106. 


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1 (2) LEAD AGENCY.—With respect to a single 

2 joint special recreation permit application submitted 

3 under section 106(a), the term ‘‘lead agency’’ means 

4 the Federal land management agency designated to 

5 administer the single joint special recreation permit 

6 under section 106(a)(2). 

7 (3) LONG-TERM SPECIAL RECREATION PERMIT.— 

8 The term ‘‘long-term special recreation permit’’ 

9 means— 

10 (A) for a public land unit managed by the 

11 Forest Service, a priority use permit; and 

12 (B) for a public land unit managed by the 

13 Bureau of Land Management, a multiyear spe14 cial recreation permit. 

15 (4) MULTIJURISDICTIONAL TRIP.—The term 

16 ‘‘multijurisdictional trip’’ means a trip that— 

17 (A) uses 2 or more public land units; and 

18 (B) is under the jurisdiction of 2 or more 

19 Federal land management agencies. 

20 (5) PUBLIC LAND UNIT.—The term ‘‘public land 

21 unit’’ means— 

22 (A) a unit of the National Forest System; 

23 (B) a unit of the National Park System; 

24 (C) a unit of the National Wildlife Refuge 

25 System; 


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1 (D) a district of the Bureau of Land Man2 agement; and 

3 (E) a project of the Bureau of Reclamation. 

4 (6) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec5 retary concerned’’ means— 

6 (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re7 spect to a public land unit described in para8 graph (5)(A); and 

9 (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with re10 spect to a public land unit described in subpara11 graph (B), (C), (D), or (E) of paragraph (5). 

12 (7) SPECIAL RECREATION PERMIT.—The term 

13 ‘‘special recreation permit’’ has the meaning given the 

14 term in section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation 

15 Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801). 

16 SEC. 102. SPECIAL RECREATION PERMIT AND FEE. 

17 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 802 of the Federal Lands 

18 Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801) is amend19 ed— 

20 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘section 3(f)’’ 

21 and inserting ‘‘section 803(f)’’; 

22 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘section 3(g)’’ 

23 and inserting ‘‘section 803(g)’’; 

24 (3) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘section 5’’ 

25 and inserting ‘‘section 805’’; 


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1 (4) in paragraph (9), by striking ‘‘section 5’’ 

2 and inserting ‘‘section 805’’; 

3 (5) in paragraph (12), by striking ‘‘section 7’’ 

4 and inserting ‘‘section 807’’; 

5 (6) in paragraph (13), by striking ‘‘section 3(h)’’ 

6 and inserting ‘‘section 803(h)’’; 

7 (7) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (3), (4), 

8 (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), and (13) as para9 graphs (15), (1), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (11), (10), 

10 and (14), respectively, and moving the paragraphs so 

11 as to appear in numerical order; 

12 (8) by inserting after paragraph (8) (as so redes13 ignated) the following: 

14 ‘‘(9) RECREATION SERVICE PROVIDER.—The 

15 term ‘recreation service provider’ means an indi16 vidual or entity that— 

17 ‘‘(A) provides outfitting, guiding, or other 

18 recreation services; or 

19 ‘‘(B) conducts recreational or competitive 

20 events, including incidental sales.’’; and 

21 (9) by inserting after paragraph (12) the fol22 lowing: 

23 ‘‘(13) SPECIAL RECREATION PERMIT.—The term 

24 ‘special recreation permit’ means a permit issued by 

25 a Federal Land Management Agency for specialized 


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1 individual or group uses of Federal recreational lands 

2 and waters, including— 

3 ‘‘(A) for outfitting, guiding, or other recre4 ation services; 

5 ‘‘(B) for recreation or competitive events, 

6 which may include incidental sales; 

7 ‘‘(C) for the use of— 

8 ‘‘(i) a special area; or 

9 ‘‘(ii) an area in which use is allocated; 

10 ‘‘(D) for motorized recreational vehicle use 

11 in compliance with an applicable travel manage12 ment plan or other regulation; and 

13 ‘‘(E) for a group activity or event.’’. 

14 (b) SPECIAL RECREATION PERMIT AND FEE.—Section 

15 803 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 

16 U.S.C. 6802) is amended— 

17 (1) in subsection (b)(5), by striking ‘‘section 

18 4(d)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 804(d)’’; and 

19 (2) by striking subsection (h) and inserting the 

20 following: 

21 ‘‘(h) SPECIAL RECREATION PERMIT AND FEE.— 

22 ‘‘(1) SPECIAL RECREATION PERMIT.—The Sec23 retary may issue a special recreation permit for spe24 cialized individual or group uses of Federal recVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:02 Dec 18, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3879.RH H3879

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1 reational lands and waters as defined in section 

2 802(13) of this Act (16 U.S.C. 6801). 

3 ‘‘(2) SPECIAL RECREATION PERMIT FEE.— 

4 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 

5 charge a special recreation permit fee in connec6 tion with the issuance of a special recreation 

7 permit under paragraph (1). 

8 ‘‘(B) FEES FOR CERTAIN LANDS.— 

9 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clauses 

10 (ii) and (iii), a special recreation permit 

11 fee under subparagraph (A) for use of Fed12 eral recreational lands and waters managed 

13 by the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land 

14 Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, or 

15 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service 

16 shall not exceed the difference between— 

17 ‘‘(I) the sum of— 

18 ‘‘(aa) 3 percent of the annual 

19 gross revenue of the recreation 

20 service provider for all activities 

21 authorized by the special recre22 ation permit; and 

23 ‘‘(bb) any applicable revenue 

24 addition; and 


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1 ‘‘(II) any applicable revenue ex2 clusion. 

3 ‘‘(ii) EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN REVE4 NUES AND PAYMENTS.—In calculating the 

5 amount of a fee for a special recreation per6 mit under clause (i), the Secretary con7 cerned shall exclude— 

8 ‘‘(I) revenue from goods, services, 

9 souvenirs, merchandise, gear, food, and 

10 activities provided or sold by a special 

11 recreation permit holder in a location 

12 other than the Federal recreational 

13 lands and waters covered by the per14 mit, including transportation costs, 

15 lodging, and any other service before or 

16 after a trip; and 

17 ‘‘(II) revenue from any rec18 reational services provided by a special 

19 recreation permit holder for activities 

20 on Federal recreational lands and 

21 waters for which a separate permit is 

22 issued. 

23 ‘‘(iii) ALTERNATIVE PER-PERSON

24 FEE.— 


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1 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—For Federal 

2 recreational lands and waters managed 

3 by the Forest Service, the Bureau of 

4 Land Management, the Bureau of Rec5 lamation, or the United States Fish 

6 and Wildlife Service, the Secretary 

7 may charge a per-person fee in connec8 tion with the issuance of a special 

9 recreation permit under paragraph 

10 (1). 

11 ‘‘(II) AMOUNT OF FEE.—The total 

12 amount charged by the Secretary in 

13 connection with the issuance of a spe14 cial recreation permit under para15 graph (1) using a per-person fee under 

16 subclause (I) shall not exceed the 

17 amount the Secretary may charge for a 

18 special recreation permit fee under 

19 subparagraph (A) and clauses (i) and 

20 (ii). 

21 ‘‘(iv) EFFECT.—Nothing in this sub22 paragraph affects any fee for a commercial 

23 use authorization for use of Federal rec24 reational lands and waters managed by the 

25 National Park Service. 


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1 ‘‘(C) DISCLOSURE OF FEES.—A special 

2 recreation permit holder may inform customers 

3 of any fee charged by the Secretary under this 

4 section. 

5 ‘‘(3) REPORTS.— 

6 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

7 make available to holders of special recreation 

8 permits under paragraph (1) and the public an 

9 annual report describing the use of fees collected 

10 by the Secretary under paragraph (2). 

11 ‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—The report under 

12 subparagraph (A) shall include a description of 

13 how the fees are used in each public land unit 

14 (as defined in section 101 of the SOAR Act) ad15 ministered by the Secretary, including an identi16 fication of the amounts used for specific activi17 ties within the public land unit.’’. 

18 (c) USE OF SPECIAL RECREATION PERMIT REV19 ENUE.—Section 808 of the Federal Lands Recreation En20 hancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6807) is amended— 

21 (1) in subsection (a)(3)(F), by striking ‘‘section 

22 6(a)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 806(a)’’; 

23 (2) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘section 5’’ 

24 each place it appears and inserting ‘‘section 805’’; 


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1 (3) by redesignating subsections (b) through (d) 

2 as subsections (c) through (e), respectively; and 

3 (4) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘(b) USE OF SPECIAL RECREATION PERMIT FEE REV6 ENUE.—Revenue from a special recreation permit fee may 

7 be used for— 

8 ‘‘(1) the purposes described in subsection (a); 

9 and 

10 ‘‘(2) expenses— 

11 ‘‘(A) associated with processing applications 

12 for special recreation permits; and 

13 ‘‘(B) incurred in the improvement of the op14 eration of the special recreation permit system.’’. 

15 (d) PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION.—Section 810 of the 

16 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 

17 6809) is amended— 

18 (1) by striking ‘‘The authority’’ and inserting 

19 the following: 

20 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 

21 (b), the authority’’; and 

22 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

23 ‘‘(b) APPLICABILITY.—Subsection (a) shall not apply 

24 to— 

25 ‘‘(1) section 802; 


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1 ‘‘(2) subsection (d)(2) or (h) of section 803; or 

2 ‘‘(3) subsection (a), (b) or (c) of section 808.’’. 

3 SEC. 103. PERMITTING PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—To simplify the process of the 

5 issuance and renewal of special recreation permits and re6 duce the cost of administering special recreation permits, 

7 the Secretary concerned shall— 

8 (1) not later than 180 days after the date of en9 actment of this Act— 

10 (A) evaluate the special recreation permit11 ting process; and 

12 (B) identify opportunities— 

13 (i) to eliminate duplicative processes; 

14 (ii) to reduce costs; and 

15 (iii) to decrease processing times; and 

16 (2) not later than 180 days after the date on 

17 which the Secretary concerned completes the evalua18 tion and identification processes under paragraph 

19 (1), revise, as necessary, relevant agency regulations 

20 and policy statements to implement the improvements 

21 identified under paragraph (1)(B). 

22 (b) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSIONS.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

24 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary con25 cerned shall— 


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1 (A) evaluate whether 1 or more additional 

2 categorical exclusions developed in compliance 

3 with the National Environmental Policy Act of 

4 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) would reduce proc5 essing times or costs for the issuance or renewal 

6 of special recreation permits without signifi7 cantly affecting the human environment; and 

8 (B) if the Secretary concerned determines 

9 under subparagraph (A) that 1 or more addi10 tional categorical exclusions would reduce proc11 essing times or costs for the issuance or renewal 

12 of special recreation permits without signifi13 cantly affecting the human environment— 

14 (i) establish those categorical exclusions 

15 in compliance with the National Environ16 mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 

17 et seq.); 

18 (ii) fully document that a category of 

19 actions will not individually or cumula20 tively have a significant effect on the 

21 human environment; and 

22 (iii) revise relevant agency regulations 

23 and policy statements to implement those 

24 categorical exclusions. 

25 (2) ADMINISTRATION.— 


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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—In administering a cat2 egorical exclusion established under paragraph 

3 (1)(B), the Secretary concerned shall comply 

4 with the National Environmental Policy Act of 

5 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) (including regula6 tions promulgated pursuant to that Act). 

7 (B) EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.—In 

8 determining whether to use a categorical exclu9 sion established under paragraph (1)(B), the 

10 Secretary concerned shall apply, as applicable, 

11 the extraordinary circumstances procedures de12 scribed in— 

13 (i) section 220.6 of title 36, Code of 

14 Federal Regulations (or a successor regula15 tion); and 

16 (ii) section 46.215 of title 43, Code of 

17 Federal Regulations (or a successor regula18 tion). 

19 (c) NEEDS ASSESSMENTS.—Except as required under 

20 subsection (c) or (d) of section 4 of the Wilderness Act (16 

21 U.S.C. 1133), the Secretary concerned shall not conduct a 

22 needs assessment as a condition of issuing a special recre23 ation permit for a public land unit under this Act. 

24 (d) ONLINE APPLICATIONS.—The Secretary concerned 

25 shall make applications for special recreation permits 


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1 available to be completed and submitted online unless the 

2 Secretary concerned determines that making applications 

3 for special recreation permits available to be completed and 

4 submitted online would not improve the efficiency or acces5 sibility of the permitting process. 

6 SEC. 104. PERMIT FLEXIBILITY. 

7 (a) SIMILAR ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary concerned 

8 shall establish a permit administration protocol that au9 thorizes, to the maximum extent practicable, a permittee 

10 issued a special recreation permit for a public land unit 

11 under section 803(h) of the Federal Lands Recreation En12 hancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6802(h)) to engage in a rec13 reational activity that is substantially similar to the spe14 cific activity authorized under the special recreation per15 mit, if the substantially similar recreational activity— 

16 (1) is comparable in type, nature, scope, and ec17 ological setting to the specific activity authorized 

18 under the special recreation permit; 

19 (2) does not result in a greater impact on nat20 ural and cultural resources than the authorized activ21 ity; 

22 (3) does not adversely affect any other permittee 

23 issued a special recreation permit for a public land 

24 unit under that subsection; 


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1 (4) does not involve the use of a motor, including 

2 an electric motor, for a previously non-motorized use; 

3 and 

4 (5) is consistent with any laws and regulations 

5 (including land use or management plans) applying 

6 to a public land unit. 

7 (b) VOLUNTARY RETURN OF SURPLUS SERVICE

8 DAYS.—The Secretary concerned shall establish a program 

9 to allow a permittee issued a special recreation permit for 

10 a public land unit to voluntarily and temporarily return 

11 to the Secretary concerned 1 or more surplus service days, 

12 to be made available to any other existing or potential per13 mittee. 

14 (c) FOREST SERVICE AND BUREAU OF LAND MANAGE15 MENT TEMPORARY SPECIAL RECREATION PERMITS.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 

17 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary con18 cerned shall establish and implement a program to 

19 authorize the issuance of temporary special recreation 

20 permits for new or additional recreational uses of 

21 Federal recreational land and water managed by the 

22 Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. 

23 (2) TERM OF TEMPORARY PERMITS.—A tem24 porary special recreation permit issued under paraVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:02 Dec 18, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3879.RH H3879

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1 graph (1) shall be issued for a period of not more 

2 than 2 years. 

3 (3) CONVERSION TO LONG-TERM PERMIT.—If the 

4 Secretary concerned determines that a permittee 

5 under paragraph (1) has completed 2 years of satis6 factory operation under the permit proposed to be 

7 converted, the Secretary may provide for the conver8 sion of a temporary special recreation permit issued 

9 under paragraph (1) to a long-term special recreation 

10 permit. 

11 (4) EFFECT.—Nothing in this subsection alters 

12 or affects the authority of the Secretary to issue a spe13 cial recreation permit under subsection (h)(1) of sec14 tion 803 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhance15 ment Act (16 U.S.C. 6802). 

16 SEC. 105. PERMIT ADMINISTRATION. 

17 (a) PERMIT AVAILABILITY.— 

18 (1) NOTIFICATION OF PERMIT AVAILABILITY.— 

19 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

20 subparagraphs (B) and (C), if the Secretary con21 cerned has determined that the Department of 

22 Agriculture or the Department of the Interior, as 

23 applicable, is able to issue new special recreation 

24 permits to recreation service providers seeking to 

25 use a public land unit, the Secretary concerned 


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1 shall publish that information on the website of 

2 the agency that administers the relevant public 

3 land unit. 

4 (B) EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN PERMITS.— 

5 With respect to a public land unit managed by 

6 the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Man7 agement, subparagraph (A) shall apply only to 

8 a long-term special recreation permit for the 

9 public land unit. 

10 (C) EXCEPTION FOR RENEWALS AND

11 REISSUANCES.—Subparagraph (A) shall not 

12 apply to— 

13 (i) a renewal or reissuance of an exist14 ing special recreation permit; or 

15 (ii) a new special recreation permit 

16 issued to the purchaser of a recreation serv17 ice provider that is the holder of an existing 

18 special recreation permit. 

19 (D) EFFECT.—Nothing in this paragraph 

20 creates a prerequisite to the issuance of a special 

21 recreation permit or otherwise limits the author22 ity of the Secretary concerned— 

23 (i) to issue a new special recreation 

24 permit; 


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1 (ii) to add a new or additional use to 

2 an existing special recreation permit; or 

3 (iii) to make special recreation permits 

4 available to members of the public. 

5 (2) UPDATES.—The Secretary concerned shall 

6 ensure that information published on the website 

7 under this subsection is consistently updated to pro8 vide current and correct information to the public. 

9 (3) ELECTRONIC MAIL NOTIFICATION.—The Sec10 retary concerned shall— 

11 (A) establish a system by which potential 

12 special recreation permit applicants may sub13 scribe to receive notification of the availability of 

14 special recreation permits by electronic mail; 

15 and 

16 (B) direct employees of the Department of 

17 Agriculture or the Department of the Interior, as 

18 applicable, to use that system to notify the public 

19 of the availability of special recreation permits. 

20 (b) PERMIT APPLICATION ACKNOWLEDGMENT.—Not 

21 later than 60 days after the date on which the Secretary 

22 of the Interior receives a completed application or the Sec23 retary of Agriculture receives a complete proposal for a spe24 cial recreation permit for a public land unit, the Secretary 

25 concerned shall— 


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1 (1) provide to the applicant notice acknowl2 edging receipt of the application or proposal; and 

3 (2)(A) issue a final decision with respect to the 

4 application or proposal; or 

5 (B) provide to the applicant notice of a projected 

6 date for a final decision on the application or pro7 posal. 

8 SEC. 106. PERMITS FOR MULTIJURISDICTIONAL TRIPS. 

9 (a) SINGLE JOINT SPECIAL RECREATION PERMITS.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a multijuris11 dictional trip, the Federal land management agencies 

12 with jurisdiction over the multijurisdictional trip 

13 may offer to the applicant a single joint special recre14 ation permit that authorizes the use of each public 

15 land unit under the jurisdiction of those Federal land 

16 management agencies. 

17 (2) LEAD AGENCY.—In offering a single joint 

18 special recreation permit under paragraph (1), the 

19 applicable Federal land management agencies shall 

20 designate a lead agency for administering the single 

21 joint special recreation permit based on the following 

22 considerations: 

23 (A) The length of the multijurisdictional 

24 trip and the relative portions of the multijuris25 dictional trip on each public land unit. 


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1 (B) The congressional or administrative 

2 designations that apply to the areas to be used 

3 during the multijurisdictional trip and the de4 gree to which those designations impose limita5 tions on recreational use. 

6 (C) The relative ability of the Federal land 

7 management agencies with jurisdiction over the 

8 multijurisdictional trip to respond to the single 

9 joint special recreation permit application in a 

10 timely manner. 

11 (D) Other relevant administrative consider12 ations. 

13 (3) APPLICATION.—An applicant desiring to be 

14 offered a single joint special recreation permit under 

15 paragraph (1) shall submit to the lead agency an ap16 plication, as required by the lead agency. 

17 (4) OPTION TO APPLY FOR SEPARATE PER18 MITS.—An applicant for a special recreation permit 

19 for a multijurisdictional trip may apply to each ap20 plicable Federal land management agency for a sepa21 rate permit for the portion of the multijurisdictional 

22 trip on the public land unit managed by each appli23 cable Federal land management agency. 

24 (5) PROHIBITIONS.—Nothing in this section 

25 shall be construed to allow an activity that would othVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:02 Dec 18, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3879.RH H3879

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1 erwise be prohibited on the public land unit where the 

2 activity would take place. 

3 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—In issuing a single joint special 

4 recreation permit under subsection (a), the lead agency 

5 shall— 

6 (1) coordinate with each associated agency, con7 sistent with the authority of the Secretary concerned 

8 under section 330 of the Department of the Interior 

9 and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 (43 

10 U.S.C. 1703), to develop and issue 1 joint permit that 

11 covers the entirety of the multijurisdictional trip; 

12 (2) in processing the joint special recreation per13 mit application, incorporate the findings, interests, 

14 and needs of the associated agency; 

15 (3) in issuing the joint special recreation permit, 

16 clearly identify the agencies that have the authority 

17 to enforce the terms, stipulations, conditions and 

18 agreements of the joint special recreation permit, as 

19 determined under subsection (d); and 

20 (4) complete the permitting process within a rea21 sonable timeframe. 

22 (c) COST RECOVERY.—The coordination with the asso23 ciated agency under subsection (b) shall not be subject to 

24 cost recovery. 

25 (d) ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY.— 


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1 (1) DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO LEAD AGEN2 CY.—In administering a single joint special recre3 ation permit under subsection (a), the associated 

4 agency shall delegate to the lead agency the author5 ity— 

6 (A) to enforce the terms, stipulations, condi7 tions, and agreements of the joint special recre8 ation permit, as may be required by the regula9 tions of the Secretary of the associated agency; 

10 and 

11 (B) to suspend, terminate, or revoke the 

12 joint special recreation permit for— 

13 (i) noncompliance with Federal, State, 

14 or local laws and regulations; 

15 (ii) noncompliance with the terms of 

16 the joint special recreation permit; or 

17 (iii) failure of the holder of the joint 

18 special recreation permit to exercise the 

19 privileges granted by the joint special recre20 ation permit. 

21 (2) RETENTION OF AUTHORITY BY THE ASSOCI22 ATED AGENCY.—The associated agency shall retain 

23 the authority to enforce the terms, stipulations, condi24 tions, and agreements in the joint special recreation 

25 permit that apply specifically to the use occurring on 


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1 the public land unit managed by the associated agen2 cy. 

3 (e) WITHDRAWAL.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The lead agency or an associ5 ated agency may withdraw from a joint special recre6 ation permit at any time. 

7 (2) ISSUANCE OF SEPARATE PERMITS.— 

8 (A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a with9 drawal by 1 or more agencies under paragraph 

10 (1), if the holder of the joint special recreation 

11 permit is in compliance with the requirements of 

12 the joint special recreation permit, the lead agen13 cy and each associated agency shall issue to the 

14 holder of the joint special recreation permit a 

15 new, separate special recreation permit for any 

16 use occurring on the public land unit managed 

17 by the agency. 

18 (B) REQUIREMENTS.—A special recreation 

19 permit issued under subparagraph (A) shall con20 tain the same or substantially similar terms, 

21 conditions, and operating stipulations as the 

22 joint special recreation permit from which an 

23 agency has withdrawn under paragraph (1). 

24 (C) NO NEW APPLICATION.—The holder of a 

25 joint special recreation permit from which an 


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1 agency has withdrawn under paragraph (1) 

2 shall not be required to submit a new applica3 tion for a separate special recreation permit 

4 under subparagraph (A). 

5 (f) TREATMENT OF PUBLIC LAND UNITS CHARGING

6 ENTRANCE FEES.—Entrance fees may still be collected in 

7 addition to any special recreation permit fees for any trip 

8 that originates on, or outside of but passes through, a public 

9 lands unit that charges such fees. 

10 SEC. 107. FOREST SERVICE PERMIT USE REVIEWS. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary of Agriculture (re12 ferred to in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’) conducts a spe13 cial recreation permit use review in renewing a special 

14 recreation permit or adjusting allocations of use in a spe15 cial recreation permit, the Secretary shall— 

16 (1) take into consideration the performance of 

17 the special recreation permit holder during the re18 viewed period; and 

19 (2) if the special recreation permit holder re20 ceives a satisfactory performance review, allocate to 

21 the special recreation permit holder the highest level 

22 of actual annual use during the period under review 

23 plus 25 percent of that use, not to exceed the level al24 located to the special recreation permit holder on the 


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1 date on which the special recreation permit was 

2 issued. 

3 (b) ADDITIONAL CAPACITY.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—If additional use capacity is 

5 available the Secretary may, at any time, assign ad6 ditional use capacity to 1 or more qualified recre7 ation service providers. 

8 (2) ASSIGNMENT NOT SUBJECT TO CAP ON

9 USE.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), in assigning 

10 additional use capacity under paragraph (1), the Sec11 retary may assign additional use capacity to an ex12 isting special recreation permit holder even if that as13 signment would exceed the amount of use allocated to 

14 the special recreation permit holder on the date on 

15 which the special recreation permit was issued. 

16 (c) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive a special 

17 recreation permit use review for any period during which 

18 use of the assigned capacity has been prevented by a cir19 cumstance beyond the control of the special recreation per20 mit holder, such as— 

21 (1) unfavorable weather; 

22 (2) fire; 

23 (3) natural disaster; 

24 (4) wildlife displacement; 

25 (5) business interruption; 


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1 (6) insufficient availability of hunting and fish2 ing licenses; or 

3 (7) significant seasonal variability or off-peak 

4 periods within the allocated period of use. 

5 (d) APPROVAL OF NON-USE.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—In any circumstance for 

7 which the holder of a special recreation permit would 

8 qualify for a waiver under subsection (c), on request 

9 of the holder of the special recreation permit, the Sec10 retary may approve non-use by the holder of the spe11 cial recreation permit without reducing the number of 

12 service days assigned to the special recreation permit. 

13 (2) TEMPORARY REASSIGNMENT OF USE.—The 

14 Secretary may temporarily assign any period of non15 use approved under paragraph (1) to any other exist16 ing or potential permittee. 

17 SEC. 108. LIABILITY. 

18 (a) EXCULPATORY AGREEMENTS.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—A Federal land management 

20 agency shall not implement, administer, or enforce 

21 any regulation, guidance, or policy regarding the use 

22 of an exculpatory agreement between a special recre23 ation permit holder and a customer of the special 

24 recreation permit holder relating to services provided 

25 under a special recreation permit. 


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1 (2) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this sub2 section preempts, displaces, modifies, or eliminates 

3 any State law (including common law) regarding ex4 culpatory agreements. 

5 (b) INDEMNIFICATION BY GOVERNMENT ENTITIES.— 

6 The Secretary concerned may not require a recreation serv7 ice provider to indemnify the United States as a condition 

8 for issuing a special recreation permit for a public land 

9 unit under this section 803(h) of the Federal Lands Recre10 ation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6802(h)) if— 

11 (1) the recreation service provider is prohibited 

12 by State or local law from providing indemnification 

13 to the United States; and 

14 (2) the recreation service provider— 

15 (A) carries the minimum amount of liabil16 ity insurance coverage required by the issuing 

17 agency for the activities conducted under the spe18 cial recreation permit; or 

19 (B) is self-insured for the same amount. 

20 SEC. 109. COST RECOVERY REFORM. 

21 (a) REVISION OF REGULATIONS.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

23 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Ag24 riculture shall revise section 251.58 of title 36, Code 

25 of Federal Regulations, and the Secretary of the InteVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:02 Dec 18, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3879.RH H3879

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1 rior shall revise subsections (e) and (f) of section 

2 2932.31 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations, to be 

3 consistent with this section. 

4 (2) LIMITATION.—In carrying out paragraph 

5 (1), the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of 

6 the Interior shall not include anything in the revised 

7 regulations that would limit the authority of the Sec8 retary concerned to issue or renew special recreation 

9 permits. 

10 (b) DE MINIMIS EXEMPTION FROM COST RECOV11 ERY.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Any regulation promulgated 

13 by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of 

14 Agriculture to establish fees to recover the costs of 

15 processing an application for a special recreation per16 mit issued by the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau 

17 of Land Management, or for monitoring an author18 ization under a special recreation permit issued by 

19 the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Man20 agement, shall include an exemption providing that 

21 fees may not be recovered for not less than the first 

22 50 hours of work necessary in any 1 year to process 

23 the application or monitor the authorization. 

24 (2) MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS.—In situations in25 volving multiple applications for special recreation 


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1 permits issued by the U.S. Forest Service or the Bu2 reau of Land Management for similar services in the 

3 same public land unit or area that, in the aggregate, 

4 require more hours to process than are exempt under 

5 the regulations promulgated under paragraph (1), the 

6 Secretary concerned shall, regardless of whether the 

7 applications are solicited or unsolicited and whether 

8 there is competitive interest— 

9 (A) determine the share of the aggregate 

10 quantity of hours to be allocated to each applica11 tion on an equal or prorated basis, as appro12 priate; and 

13 (B) for each application, apply a separate 

14 exemption as specified in the regulations pro15 mulgated under paragraph (1) to the share of the 

16 aggregate hours allocated to the application. 

17 (c) COST REDUCTION.—To the maximum extent prac18 ticable, the agency processing an application for a special 

19 recreation permit shall use existing studies and analysis to 

20 reduce the quantity of work and costs necessary to process 

21 the application. 

22 SEC. 110. EXTENSION OF SPECIAL RECREATION PERMITS. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), if the 

24 holder of a long-term special recreation permit makes a 

25 timely and sufficient request for renewal of the long-term 


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1 special recreation permit, the expiration of the permit shall 

2 be tolled in accordance with the undesignated matter fol3 lowing section 558(c)(2) of title 5, United States Code, until 

4 such time as the request for renewal has been finally deter5 mined by the Secretary concerned. 

6 (b) LIMITATION.—Any tolling under subsection (a) 

7 shall be for a period of not more than 5 years. 

8 (c) RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SECRETARY CON9 CERNED.—Before allowing the expiration of a permit to be 

10 tolled under subsection (a), the Secretary concerned, to the 

11 maximum extent practicable, shall complete the renewal 

12 process. 

13 SEC. 111. AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL AND STATE RECRE14 ATION PASSES. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Federal Lands Recreation En16 hancement Act is amended by inserting after section 805 

17 (16 U.S.C. 6804) the following: 

18 ‘‘SEC. 805A. AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL AND STATE RECRE19 ATION PASSES. 

20 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.— 

21 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To improve the availability 

22 of Federal and State outdoor recreation passes, the 

23 Secretaries are encouraged to consult with States to 

24 coordinate the availability of Federal and State recre25 ation passes to allow a purchaser to buy a Federal 


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1 recreation pass and a State recreation pass in the 

2 same transaction. 

3 ‘‘(2) INCLUDED PASSES.—Passes covered by the 

4 program established under paragraph (1) include— 

5 ‘‘(A) an America the Beautiful—the Na6 tional Parks and Federal Recreational Lands 

7 Pass under section 805; and 

8 ‘‘(B) any pass covering any fees charged by 

9 participating States and localities for entrance 

10 and recreational use of parks and public land in 

11 the participating States. 

12 ‘‘(b) AGREEMENTS WITH STATES.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries, after con14 sultation with the States, may enter into agreements 

15 with States to coordinate the availability of passes as 

16 described in subsection (a). 

17 ‘‘(2) REVENUE FROM PASS SALES.—The agree18 ments between the Secretaries and the States shall en19 sure that— 

20 ‘‘(A) funds from the sale of State passes are 

21 transferred to the appropriate State agency; 

22 ‘‘(B) funds from the sale of Federal passes 

23 are transferred to the appropriate Federal agen24 cy; and 


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1 ‘‘(C) fund transfers are completed by the 

2 end of a fiscal year for all pass sales occurring 

3 during the fiscal year. 

4 ‘‘(3) NOTICE.—In entering into an agreement 

5 under paragraph (1), the Secretaries shall publish in 

6 the Federal Register a notice describing the agree7 ment.’’. 

8 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents for 

9 the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 

10 6801 et seq.) is amended by inserting after the item relating 

11 to section 805 the following: 

‘‘Sec. 805A. Availability of Federal and State recreation passes.’’. 

12 SEC. 112. ONLINE PURCHASES OF AMERICA THE BEAU13 TIFUL—THE NATIONAL PARKS AND FEDERAL 

14 RECREATIONAL LANDS PASS. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 805(a)(6) of the Federal 

16 Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6804(a)(6)) 

17 is amended by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 

18 following: 

19 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries shall 

20 sell the America the Beautiful—the National 

21 Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass— 

22 ‘‘(i) at all Federal recreational lands 

23 and waters at which an entrance fee or a 

24 standard amenity recreation fee is charged 

25 where feasible to do so; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) at such other locations as the Sec2 retaries consider appropriate and feasible; 

3 and 

4 ‘‘(iii) through the website of each of the 

5 Federal land management agencies and the 

6 websites of the relevant units and subunits 

7 of those agencies, with— 

8 ‘‘(I) a prominent link on each 

9 website; and 

10 ‘‘(II) information about where 

11 and when passes are needed.’’. 

12 (b) ENTRANCE PASS AND AMENITY FEES.—The Secre13 taries shall make available for payment online, if appro14 priate and feasible, for each public land unit where passes 

15 and fees are required— 

16 (1) all entrance fees under section 803(e) of the 

17 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 

18 U.S.C. 6802(e)); 

19 (2) all standard amenity recreation fees under 

20 section 803(f) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 6802(f)); and 

21 (3) all expanded amenity recreation fees under 

22 section 803(g) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 6802(g)). 


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1 TITLE II—ACCESSING THE 

2 OUTDOORS 

3 SEC. 201. ACCESS FOR SERVICEMEMBERS AND VETERANS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries are encouraged to 

5 work with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 

6 Veterans Affairs to ensure servicemembers and veterans 

7 have access to outdoor recreation and to outdoor-related vol8 unteer and wellness programs as a part of the basic services 

9 provided to servicemembers and veterans. 

10 (b) INCLUSION OF INFORMATION.—Each branch of the 

11 Armed Forces is encouraged to include information regard12 ing outdoor recreation and outdoors-based careers in the 

13 materials and counseling services focused on resilience and 

14 career readiness provided in transition programs, includ15 ing— 

16 (1) the benefits of outdoor recreation for physical 

17 and mental health; 

18 (2) resources to access guided outdoor trips and 

19 other outdoor programs connected to the Department 

20 of Veterans Affairs; and 

21 (3) information regarding programs and jobs fo22 cused on continuing national service such as the Pub23 lic Land Corps, AmeriCorps, or a conservation corps 

24 program. 


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1 (c) OUTDOOR RECREATION PROGRAM ATTENDANCE.— 

2 Each branch of the Armed Forces is encouraged to permit 

3 members of the Armed Forces on active duty status, at the 

4 discretion of the commander of the member, to use not more 

5 than 7 days of a permissive temporary duty assignment 

6 or terminal leave allotted to the member to participate in 

7 a program related to environmental stewardship or guided 

8 outdoor recreation following deployment. 

9 (d) VETERAN HIRING.—The Secretaries are strongly 

10 encouraged to hire veterans in all positions related to the 

11 management of Federal recreational lands and waters. 

12 TITLE III—MAKING RECREATION 

13 A PRIORITY 

14 SEC. 301. EXTENSION OF SEASONAL RECREATION OPPOR15 TUNITIES. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.— 

17 (1) EXTENSION OF RECREATIONAL SEASON.—The 

18 relevant unit managers of Federal recreational lands 

19 and waters managed by the Forest Service, the Bu20 reau of Land Management, and the National Park 

21 Service may— 

22 (A) identify areas of Federal recreational 

23 lands and waters in which recreation use is 

24 highly seasonal; 


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1 (B) where appropriate, extend the recre2 ation season or increase recreation use in a sus3 tainable manner during the offseason; and 

4 (C) make information about extended season 

5 schedules and related recreational opportunities 

6 available to the public and local communities. 

7 (2) CLARIFICATION.—Nothing in this subsection 

8 precludes the Secretaries from providing for addi9 tional recreational opportunities and uses at times 

10 other than those referred to in paragraph (1). 

11 (b) INCLUSIONS.—An extension under subsection 

12 (a)(1) may include— 

13 (1) the addition of facilities that would increase 

14 recreation use during the offseason; and 

15 (2) improvement of access to the area to extend 

16 the season. 

17 (c) REQUIREMENT.—An extension under subsection 

18 (a)(1) shall be compatible with all applicable Federal laws, 

19 regulations, and policies, including land use plans. 

20 SEC. 302. RECREATION PERFORMANCE METRICS. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Chief of the Forest Service and 

22 the Director of the Bureau of Land Management shall 

23 evaluate land managers under their jurisdiction based on 

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1 ism metrics as described in applicable land management 

2 plans. 

3 (b) METRICS.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The metrics used to evaluate 

5 recreation and tourism outcomes shall ensure— 

6 (A) the advancement of recreation and tour7 ism goals; and 

8 (B) the ability of the land manager to en9 hance the outdoor experience of the visitor. 

10 (2) INCLUSIONS.—The metrics referred to in 

11 paragraph (1) shall include— 

12 (A) the extent of positive economic impacts; 

13 (B) visitation by families; 

14 (C) the number of visiting school and youth 

15 groups; 

16 (D) the number of available recreational op17 portunities; 

18 (E) the quality of visitor experience; 

19 (F) the number of recreational and environ20 mental educational programs offered; 

21 (G) visitor satisfaction; and 

22 (H) the maintenance and expansion of ex23 isting recreation infrastructure. 


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1 SEC. 303. RECREATION MISSION. 

2 (a) DEFINITION OF FEDERAL AGENCY.—In this sec3 tion, the term ‘‘Federal agency’’ means each of— 

4 (1) the Corps of Engineers; 

5 (2) the Bureau of Reclamation; 

6 (3) the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; 

7 and 

8 (4) the Department of Transportation. 

9 (b) MISSION.—With respect to the mission of the Fed10 eral agency, each Federal agency shall consider how land 

11 and water management decisions can enhance recreation 

12 opportunities and the recreation economy. 

13 TITLE IV—MAINTENANCE OF 

14 PUBLIC LAND 

15 Subtitle A—Volunteers 

16 SEC. 401. PRIVATE-SECTOR VOLUNTEER ENHANCEMENT 

17 PROGRAM. 

18 (a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to pro19 mote private-sector volunteer programs within the Depart20 ment of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to 

21 enhance stewardship, recreation access, and sustainability 

22 of the resources, values, and facilities of the Federal rec23 reational lands and waters managed by the Federal land 

24 management agencies. 

25 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec2 retary concerned’’ means— 

3 (A) the Secretary of Agriculture (acting 

4 through the Chief of the Forest Service), with re5 spect to National Forest System land; and 

6 (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with re7 spect to land managed by the Bureau of Land 

8 Management. 

9 (2) VOLUNTEER.—The term ‘‘volunteer’’ means 

10 any individual who performs volunteer services under 

11 this section. 

12 (c) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary concerned shall 

13 carry out a program under which the Secretary concerned 

14 shall— 

15 (1) enhance private-sector volunteer programs; 

16 (2) actively promote private-sector volunteer op17 portunities; and 

18 (3) provide outreach to, and coordinate with, the 

19 private sector for the purposes described in para20 graphs (1) and (2). 

21 (d) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS FOR STEWARDSHIP

22 OF FEDERAL LAND.— 

23 (1) AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO AGREEMENTS.— 

24 The Secretary concerned may enter into cooperative 

25 agreements (in accordance with section 6305 of title 


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1 31, United States Code) with private agencies, orga2 nizations, institutions, corporations, individuals, or 

3 other entities to carry out one or more projects or pro4 grams with a Federal land management agency in 

5 accordance with this section. 

6 (2) PROJECT AND PROGRAM INSTRUCTIONS.— 

7 The Secretary concerned shall include in the coopera8 tive agreement the desired outcomes of the project or 

9 program and the guidelines for the volunteers to fol10 low, including— 

11 (A) the physical boundaries of the project or 

12 program; 

13 (B) the equipment the volunteers are au14 thorized to use to complete the project or pro15 gram; 

16 (C) the training the volunteers are required 

17 to complete, including agency consideration and 

18 incorporation of training offered by qualified 

19 nongovernmental organizations and volunteer 

20 partner organizations; 

21 (D) the actions the volunteers are author22 ized to take to complete the project or program; 

23 and 

24 (E) any other information that the Sec25 retary concerned determines necessary for the 


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1 volunteer group to complete the project or pro2 gram. 

3 (3) AUTHORIZED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS.— 

4 Subject to paragraph (4), the Secretary concerned 

5 may use a cooperative agreement to carry out projects 

6 and programs for Federal land that— 

7 (A) promote the stewardship of resources of 

8 Federal land by volunteers; 

9 (B) support maintaining the resources, 

10 trails, and facilities on Federal land in a sus11 tainable manner; 

12 (C) increase awareness, understanding, and 

13 stewardship of Federal land through the develop14 ment, publication, or distribution of educational 

15 materials and products; and 

16 (D) promote the use of Federal land as out17 door classrooms. 

18 (4) CONDITIONS ON USE OF AUTHORITY.—The 

19 Secretary concerned may use a cooperative agreement 

20 under paragraph (1) to carry out a project or pro21 gram for the Federal land only if the project or pro22 gram— 

23 (A) complies with all Federal laws (includ24 ing regulations) and policies; 


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1 (B) is consistent with an applicable man2 agement plan for any Federal recreational lands 

3 and waters involved; 

4 (C) is monitored by the relevant Federal 

5 land management agency during the project and 

6 after project completion to determine compliance 

7 with the instructions under paragraph (2); and 

8 (D) satisfies such other terms and condi9 tions as the Secretary concerned determines to be 

10 appropriate. 

11 SEC. 402. ENHANCING OUTDOOR RECREATION THROUGH 

12 PUBLIC LANDS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. 

13 In carrying out projects on public lands that would 

14 directly or indirectly enhance recreation, the Secretaries 

15 shall— 

16 (1) to the maximum extent practicable— 

17 (A) use qualified youth or conservation 

18 corps as defined in section 203(11) of the Public 

19 Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1722(11)); 

20 and 

21 (B) use non-profit wilderness and trails 

22 stewardship organizations; 

23 (2) consult with the Corps Network, the National 

24 Wilderness Stewardship Alliance, American Trails, 

25 and other public lands stewardship organizations for 


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1 the purpose of identifying appropriate projects, ac2 tivities, and workforce development outcomes; and 

3 (3) waive any matching funds requirements, in4 cluding under section 212(a)(1) of the Public Lands 

5 Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1729(a)(1)). 

6 Subtitle B—Priority Trail 

7 Maintenance 

8 SEC. 411. INTERAGENCY TRAIL MANAGEMENT. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries shall establish an 

10 interagency trail management plan to manage and main11 tain in a uniform manner trails that cross jurisdictional 

12 boundaries between Federal land management agencies. 

13 (b) REQUIREMENT.—The plan established under sub14 section (a) shall ensure compliance with all Federal laws. 

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to promote innovative approaches to outdoor recreation on Federal 

land and to increase opportunities for collaboration with 

non-Federal partners, and for other purposes.’’. 


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Union Calendar No. 562 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3879 

[Report No. 116–678, Part I] 

A BILL 

To modify the procedures for issuing special recrefor other purposes. ation permits for certain public land units, and 

DECEMBER 18, 2020 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


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