II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3266 

To improve recreation opportunities on, and facilitate greater access to, 

Federal public land, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 18, 2021 

Mr. MANCHIN (for himself and Mr. BARRASSO) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To improve recreation opportunities on, and facilitate greater 

access to, Federal public land, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Outdoor Recreation Act’’. 

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

7 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Definitions. 

TITLE I—INCREASING RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES 

Sec. 101. Permit relief. 


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Sec. 102. Planning and managing for recreation. 

Sec. 103. Forest Service climbing guidance. 

Sec. 104. Target shooting ranges. 

TITLE II—IMPROVING RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES 

Sec. 201. Broadband internet connectivity at recreation sites. 

Sec. 202. Federal land and aquatic resource activities assistance. 

Sec. 203. Improved recreation visitation data. 

Sec. 204. Travel management. 

TITLE III—INVESTING IN RECREATION INFRASTRUCTURE AND 

RURAL COMMUNITIES 

Sec. 301. Gateway communities. 

Sec. 302. Forest Service conservation finance partnerships. 

Sec. 303. Availability of Federal land infrastructure during shoulder seasons. 

Sec. 304. Public-private partnerships to modernize campgrounds on Federal 

land. 

1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ 

4 means— 

5 (A) land under the jurisdiction of the Sec6 retary; and 

7 (B) National Forest System land. 

8 (2) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 

9 has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 

10 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

11 Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

12 (3) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ 

13 means each of— 

14 (A) the Secretary; and 

15 (B) the Secretary of Agriculture. 

16 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

17 the Secretary of the Interior. 


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

3 (A) the Secretary, with respect to land 

4 under the jurisdiction of the Secretary; or 

5 (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re6 spect to National Forest System land. 

7 TITLE I—INCREASING 

8 RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES 

9 SEC. 101. PERMIT RELIEF. 

10 (a) DEFINITION OF YOUTH GROUP.—In this section, 

11 the term ‘‘youth group’’ means any of the following that 

12 serves individuals not older than 25 years of age: 

13 (1) A nonprofit organization. 

14 (2) A youth service organization. 

15 (3) An educational institution. 

16 (4) A faith-based organization. 

17 (b) REMOVAL OF PERMIT REQUIREMENTS FOR CER18 TAIN AREAS.—If the Secretary concerned does not require 

19 the public to obtain a permit or reservation to access an 

20 existing picnic area, the Secretary concerned may not re21 quire an outfitter or guide serving fewer than 40 clients 

22 to obtain a permit to access that site. 

23 (c) STUDY ON ACCESS FOR YOUTH GROUPS TO FED24 ERAL LAND AND PERMITS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 4 years after 

2 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries 

3 shall— 

4 (A) conduct a study on impediments relat5 ing to permitting that are hindering the ability 

6 of youth groups to access and recreate on Fed7 eral land; and 

8 (B) submit to the Committee on Energy 

9 and Natural Resources of the Senate and the 

10 Committee on Natural Resources of the House 

11 of Representatives a report that describes the 

12 findings of the study under subparagraph (A). 

13 (2) TEMPORARY PERMITS AND DE MINIMIS USE

14 PERMITS.—For purposes of the study conducted 

15 under paragraph (1)(A), for the 4-year period begin16 ning on the date that is 1 year before the date of 

17 enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall— 

18 (A) assess the frequency and appropriate19 ness of the issuance of temporary permits or 

20 other special recreation permits for youth 

21 groups on Federal land; 

22 (B) assess the quantity of requests made 

23 by youth groups to access a publicly accessible 

24 site on a unit of the National Forest System, 

25 Federal land administered by the Bureau of 


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1 Reclamation, or Federal land administered by 

2 the Bureau of Land Management; 

3 (C) provide any recommendations to facili4 tate and streamline access and recreation by 

5 youth groups; and 

6 (D) consider any implications regarding 

7 the health and safety of participants and liabil8 ity exposure of the Secretaries and the youth 

9 groups. 

10 (d) VOLUNTARY RETURN OF SURPLUS SERVICE

11 DAYS.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary concerned 

13 shall establish a program to allow a permittee issued 

14 a special recreation permit for a public land unit to 

15 voluntarily and temporarily return to the Secretary 

16 concerned 1 or more service days, to be made avail17 able to any other existing or potential permittee. 

18 (2) EFFECT.—The return of surplus service 

19 days shall not affect future-year special recreation 

20 permits or the number of service days available to 

21 the permittee in future years. 

22 SEC. 102. PLANNING AND MANAGING FOR RECREATION. 

23 (a) POLICY.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—It is the policy of the Fed2 eral Government to foster and encourage recreation 

3 on Federal land, consistent with— 

4 (A) the multiple-use mission of the applica5 ble Federal land management agency; and 

6 (B) the laws applicable to specific areas of 

7 Federal land. 

8 (2) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary con9 cerned shall carry out the policy described in para10 graph (1) in administering programs and activities 

11 authorized by law. 

12 (b) DEFINITION OF LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN.—In 

13 this section, the term ‘‘land management plan’’ means— 

14 (1) a land use plan prepared by the Secretary 

15 pursuant to section 202 of the Federal Land Policy 

16 and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712); 

17 and 

18 (2) a land management plan prepared by the 

19 Forest Service for a unit of the National Forest 

20 Service pursuant to section 6 of the Forest and 

21 Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 

22 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604). 

23 (c) INVENTORY AND ASSESSMENT.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—In developing or revising a 

25 land management plan, the Secretary concerned 


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1 shall conduct, using public outreach, an inventory 

2 and assessment of recreation resources for the Fed3 eral land subject to the land management plan. 

4 (2) UNIQUE RECREATION VALUES.—An inven5 tory and assessment conducted under paragraph (1) 

6 shall recognize— 

7 (A) any unique recreation values and uses 

8 of each landscape that make a landscape, or a 

9 portion of a landscape, desirable for a par10 ticular type of recreation opportunity; and 

11 (B) points of concentrated use by 

12 recreationists. 

13 (3) INVENTORY.—The inventory under para14 graph (1) shall identify and list recreation resources 

15 by— 

16 (A) type of recreation and type of natural 

17 or manmade recreation infrastructure; 

18 (B) to the extent available, the level and 

19 demographics of use of the recreation resource 

20 as of the date of the inventory; and 

21 (C) any trend relating to recreation oppor22 tunities or use. 

23 (4) ASSESSMENT.—For any recreation resource 

24 inventoried under paragraph (1), the Secretary con25 cerned shall assess— 


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1 (A) the level of demand for the recreation 

2 resource; 

3 (B) the maintenance needs of, and ex4 penses necessary to administer, the recreation 

5 resource; 

6 (C) the benefits of current and projected 

7 future recreation use, including to the local 

8 economy; 

9 (D) the impacts of current and projected 

10 future recreation use on— 

11 (i) natural, cultural, and other re12 sources; and 

13 (ii) other authorized uses and activi14 ties on the Federal land subject to the land 

15 management plan; and 

16 (E) the suitability for developing, expand17 ing, or enhancing the recreation resource. 

18 (d) FUTURE RECREATION NEEDS AND MANAGE19 MENT.— 

20 (1) FUTURE NEEDS.—Based on the inventory 

21 and assessment under subsection (c)(1), the Sec22 retary concerned shall— 

23 (A) consider future recreation needs; 


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1 (B) identify underutilized locations that 

2 are suitable for developing, expanding, or en3 hancing recreation use; and 

4 (C) select additional high-value recreation 

5 resources at which to encourage recreation use. 

6 (2) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—The Secretary con7 cerned shall manage any high-value recreation re8 source identified under paragraph (1)(C) in a man9 ner that— 

10 (A) is consistent with applicable law; 

11 (B) recognizes other uses and activities in 

12 the area of the high-value recreation resource; 

13 (C) seeks input from the public, including 

14 adjacent landowners and individuals or entities 

15 with existing permits and leases; and 

16 (D) protects and enhances the recreation 

17 values of the high-value recreation resource. 

18 (3) FORECASTS.—In developing or revising a 

19 land management plan, the Secretary concerned 

20 shall predict the manner in which the following 

21 would change under the desired future conditions 

22 identified in the applicable land management plan: 

23 (A) The number of visitors to the respec24 tive unit of Federal land. 


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1 (B) The maintenance needs of, and the ex2 penses necessary to administer, the recreation 

3 resources on the respective unit of Federal land. 

4 (C) The benefits of recreation use, includ5 ing to the local economy. 

6 (D) The impacts of recreation use on— 

7 (i) natural, cultural, or other re8 sources; and 

9 (ii) other authorized uses and activi10 ties on the Federal land subject to the land 

11 management plan. 

12 SEC. 103. FOREST SERVICE CLIMBING GUIDANCE. 

13 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

14 (1) recreational climbing in wilderness areas on 

15 National Forest System land is being managed in16 consistently; and 

17 (2) recreational climbing is a legitimate and ap18 propriate use of wilderness areas on National Forest 

19 System land if the recreational climbing is conducted 

20 and managed in accordance with— 

21 (A) the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et 

22 seq.); 

23 (B) other applicable laws (including regu24 lations); and 


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1 (C) any reasonable terms and conditions 

2 that are determined to be necessary by the Sec3 retary of Agriculture. 

4 (b) CLIMBING GUIDANCE IN WILDERNESS.—Not 

5 later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this 

6 Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall issue guidance on 

7 climbing management for National Forest System land, 

8 including the placement, maintenance, or removal of fixed 

9 anchors and the appropriate use of other equipment in 

10 designated wilderness areas on National Forest System 

11 land under the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.). 

12 (c) PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENT.—Prior to taking 

13 any significant management action affecting recreational 

14 climbing on National Forest System land, the Secretary 

15 of Agriculture shall provide the public with notice and an 

16 opportunity to comment on the proposed action. 

17 SEC. 104. TARGET SHOOTING RANGES. 

18 (a) DEFINITION OF DESIGNATED SHOOTING

19 RANGE.—In this section, the term ‘‘designated shooting 

20 range’’ means a developed and managed area on Federal 

21 land that is designed and operated specifically for the pur22 poseful discharge of legal firearms, firearms training, 

23 archery, or other associated activities. 

24 (b) IDENTIFICATION OF DESIGNATED SHOOTING

25 RANGE.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries shall iden2 tify a suitable location for, and construct, designated 

3 shooting ranges on National Forest System land and 

4 public land administered by the Bureau of Land 

5 Management for the public to use for recreational 

6 target shooting. 

7 (2) MINIMUM NUMBER OF RANGES.—To the 

8 maximum extent practicable— 

9 (A) the Secretary of Agriculture shall en10 sure that each National Forest has not fewer 

11 than 1 designated shooting range; and 

12 (B) the Secretary shall ensure each Bu13 reau of Land Management district has not 

14 fewer than 1 designated shooting range. 

15 (3) REQUIREMENTS.—A designated shooting 

16 range under paragraph (1)— 

17 (A)(i) shall be able to accommodate rifles, 

18 pistols, and shotguns; and 

19 (ii) may accommodate archery; 

20 (B) shall include— 

21 (i) significantly modified landscapes, 

22 including berms, buffer distances, or other 

23 public safety designs or features; 

24 (ii) a designated firing line; and 

25 (iii) benches; and 


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1 (C) may include— 

2 (i) shade structures; 

3 (ii) trash containers; 

4 (iii) restrooms; and 

5 (iv) any other features that the Sec6 retary concerned determines to be nec7 essary. 

8 (c) REQUIREMENTS.— 

9 (1) EXISTING USE.—The Secretaries, in co10 operation with the entities described in subsection 

11 (d), shall— 

12 (A) consider the proximity of areas fre13 quently used by recreational shooters when 

14 identifying a suitable location for a designated 

15 shooting range; and 

16 (B) ensure a designated shooting range 

17 would not impact a non-Federal target shooting 

18 range, including a target shooting range located 

19 on private land. 

20 (2) CLOSURES.—Except in emergency situa21 tions, the Secretary concerned shall seek to ensure 

22 that a designated shooting range, or an equivalent 

23 shooting range adjacent to a National Forest or Bu24 reau of Land Management district, is available to 


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1 the public prior to closing Federal land to rec2 reational shooting. 

3 (d) COOPERATION.—In carrying out this section, the 

4 Secretaries shall cooperate, as applicable, with— 

5 (1) local and Tribal governments; 

6 (2) nonprofit organizations; 

7 (3) State fish and wildlife agencies; 

8 (4) shooting clubs; 

9 (5) Federal advisory councils relating to hunt10 ing and shooting sports; 

11 (6) nongovernmental organizations that, as of 

12 the date of enactment of this Act, are signatories to 

13 the memorandum of understanding entitled ‘‘Federal 

14 Lands Hunting, Fishing, and Shooting Sports 

15 Roundtable Memorandum of Understanding’’ and 

16 signed by the Forest Service and the Bureau of 

17 Land Management on August 17, 2006; 

18 (7) individuals or entities with authorized leases 

19 or permits in an area under consideration for a des20 ignated shooting range; and 

21 (8) the public. 

22 (e) RESTRICTIONS.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—The management of a des24 ignated shooting range shall be subject to such conVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:52 Nov 24, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3266.IS S3266

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1 ditions as the Secretary concerned determines are 

2 necessary for the safe, responsible use of— 

3 (A) the designated shooting range; and 

4 (B) the adjacent resources. 

5 (2) FEES.—The Secretary concerned may not 

6 require a user to pay a fee to use a designated 

7 shooting range established under this section. 

8 (f) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after 

9 the date of enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, 

10 the Secretaries shall submit to the Committee on Energy 

11 and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee 

12 on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a 

13 report describing the progress made with respect to the 

14 implementation of this section. 

15 TITLE II—IMPROVING 

16 RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES 

17 SEC. 201. BROADBAND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY AT 

18 RECREATION SITES. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary and the Chief of 

20 the Forest Service shall enter into an agreement with the 

21 Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service to install or 

22 construct broadband internet infrastructure at recreation 

23 sites on Federal land to establish broadband internet 

24 connectivity— 


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1 (1) subject to the availability of appropriations; 

2 and 

3 (2) consistent with applicable law. 

4 (b) IDENTIFICATION.—Not later than 1 year after 

5 the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, 

6 the Secretary and the Chief of the Forest Service, in co7 ordination with States, shall make publically available— 

8 (1) a list of the highest priority recreation sites 

9 on Federal land that lack broadband internet; and 

10 (2) an estimate of the cost to equip each of 

11 those sites with broadband internet infrastructure. 

12 (c) PRIORITIES.—In selecting recreation sites for the 

13 list described in subsection (b)(1), the Secretary and the 

14 Chief of the Forest Service shall give priority to recreation 

15 sites— 

16 (1) at which broadband internet infrastructure 

17 has not been constructed by traditional utilities due 

18 to— 

19 (A) geographic challenges; or 

20 (B) the location having an insufficient 

21 number of permanent residents, despite high 

22 seasonal or daily visitation levels; or 

23 (2) that are located in an economically dis24 tressed county that could benefit significantly from 


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1 developing the outdoor recreation economy of the 

2 county. 

3 SEC. 202. FEDERAL LAND AND AQUATIC RESOURCE ACTIVI4 TIES ASSISTANCE. 

5 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

6 (1) AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES TASK

7 FORCE.—The term ‘‘Aquatic Nuisance Species Task 

8 Force’’ means the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task 

9 Force established by section 1201(a) of the Non10 indigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control 

11 Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 4721(a)). 

12 (2) FEDERAL LAND AND WATER.—The term 

13 ‘‘Federal land and water’’ means Federal land and 

14 water operated and maintained by the Bureau of 

15 Land Management or the National Park Service, as 

16 applicable. 

17 (3) INSPECTION.—The term ‘‘inspection’’ 

18 means an inspection to prevent and respond to bio19 logical invasions of an aquatic ecosystem. 

20 (4) PARTNER.—The term ‘‘partner’’ means— 

21 (A) a Reclamation State; 

22 (B) an Indian Tribe in a Reclamation 

23 State; 

24 (C) an applicable nonprofit organization in 

25 a Reclamation State; or 


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1 (D) a unit of local government in a Rec2 lamation State. 

3 (5) RECLAMATION STATE.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Reclamation 

5 State’’ means any State in which a Bureau of 

6 Reclamation reservoir is located. 

7 (B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘Reclamation 

8 State’’ includes any of the States of— 

9 (i) Alaska; 

10 (ii) Arizona; 

11 (iii) California; 

12 (iv) Colorado; 

13 (v) Idaho; 

14 (vi) Kansas; 

15 (vii) Montana; 

16 (viii) Nebraska; 

17 (ix) Nevada; 

18 (x) New Mexico; 

19 (xi) North Dakota; 

20 (xii) Oklahoma; 

21 (xiii) Oregon; 

22 (xiv) South Dakota; 

23 (xv) Texas; 

24 (xvi) Utah; 

25 (xvii) Washington; and 


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1 (xviii) Wyoming. 

2 (b) AUTHORITY OF BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

3 AND NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WITH RESPECT TO CER4 TAIN AQUATIC RESOURCE ACTIVITIES ON FEDERAL LAND

5 AND WATER.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may inspect 

7 and decontaminate watercraft entering and leaving 

8 Federal land and water located within a river basin 

9 that contains a Bureau of Reclamation water 

10 project. 

11 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary, acting 

12 through the Director of the Bureau of Land Man13 agement and the Director of the National Park 

14 Service, shall— 

15 (A) in carrying out an inspection under 

16 paragraph (1), coordinate with 1 or more part17 ners; 

18 (B) consult with the Aquatic Nuisance 

19 Species Task Force to identify potential im20 provements in the detection and management of 

21 invasive species on Federal land and water; and 

22 (C) to the maximum extent practicable, in23 spect watercraft in a manner that minimizes 

24 disruptions to public access for boating and 

25 recreation in noncontaminated watercraft. 


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1 (3) PARTNERSHIPS.—The Secretary, acting 

2 through the Director of the Bureau of Land Man3 agement and the Director of the National Park 

4 Service, may enter into a partnership to provide 

5 technical assistance to a partner— 

6 (A) to carry out an inspection or decon7 tamination of watercraft; or 

8 (B) to establish an inspection and decon9 tamination station for watercraft. 

10 (c) GRANT PROGRAM FOR RECLAMATION STATES

11 FOR WATERCRAFT INSPECTION AND DECONTAMINATION

12 STATIONS.— 

13 (1) WATERCRAFT INSPECTION IN RECLAMATION

14 STATES.—Subject to the availability of appropria15 tions, the Secretary, acting through the Commis16 sioner of Reclamation, shall establish a competitive 

17 grant program to provide grants to partners to con18 duct inspections and decontamination of watercraft 

19 in reservoirs operated and maintained by the Sec20 retary, including to purchase, establish, operate, or 

21 maintain a watercraft inspection and decontamina22 tion station. 

23 (2) COST SHARE.—The Federal share of the 

24 cost of a grant under paragraph (1), including per25 sonnel costs, shall not exceed 75 percent. 


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1 (3) STANDARDS.—Before awarding a grant 

2 under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall determine 

3 that the project is technically and financially fea4 sible. 

5 (4) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this sub6 section, the Secretary shall coordinate with— 

7 (A) each of the Reclamation States; 

8 (B) affected Indian Tribes; and 

9 (C) the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task 

10 Force. 

11 SEC. 203. IMPROVED RECREATION VISITATION DATA. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries shall establish a 

13 single visitation data management and modeling system 

14 for public recreation to provide accurate, real-time visita15 tion data, at a site-specific level and in a consistent man16 ner, with respect to Federal land managed by each of— 

17 (1) the Chief of the Forest Service; 

18 (2) the Director of the Bureau of Land Man19 agement; 

20 (3) the Director of the Bureau of Indian Af21 fairs, in coordination with Indian Tribes; 

22 (4) the Director of the National Park Service; 

23 (5) the Director of the United States Fish and 

24 Wildlife Service; and 

25 (6) the Commissioner of Reclamation. 


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1 (b) THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS AND PARTNERS.—For 

2 purposes of carrying out this section, the Secretary con3 cerned shall coordinate or contract with private sector 

4 partners, including— 

5 (1) technology companies; 

6 (2) mapping companies; 

7 (3) experts in data science, analytics, and oper8 ations research; or 

9 (4) data companies. 

10 (c) INTERFACE.—The Secretaries shall coordinate 

11 with trade associations, State outdoor recreation offices, 

12 offices of tourism, and local outdoor recreation marketing 

13 organizations to design and deploy, for purposes of mak14 ing data available under subsection (a), the optimum user 

15 interface that balances ease of use by the public with the 

16 available resources of the Secretaries. 

17 (d) SMART PHONE TECHNOLOGY.—The Secretaries 

18 and any partner described in subsection (b) may make use 

19 of smart phone technology for purposes of making data 

20 available under subsection (a). 

21 (e) PRIVACY CLAUSE.—Nothing in this section pro22 vides authority to the Secretaries— 

23 (1) to monitor or record the movements of a 

24 visitor to Federal land; 


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1 (2) to restrict, interfere with, or monitor a pri2 vate communication of a visitor to Federal land; 

3 (3) to take possession of any documents, data, 

4 or other personal effects of a visitor to Federal land; 

5 or 

6 (4) to collect— 

7 (A) information from owners of land adja8 cent to Federal land; or 

9 (B) information on non-Federal land. 

10 (f) CATEGORIES OF USE.—To the maximum extent 

11 practicable, the Secretaries shall categorize the data col12 lected under subsection (a) by recreational activity. 

13 (g) LIMITATION.—Information or data collected 

14 under this section shall be limited only to actual recreation 

15 visitation information for recreation sites managed by the 

16 Secretary concerned. 

17 (h) REPORT.—Not later than January 1, 2024, and 

18 annually thereafter, the Secretaries shall publish on a 

19 website of the Secretaries a report that describes the an20 nual visitation of each unit of Federal land, including, to 

21 the maximum extent practicable, visitation categorized by 

22 recreational activity. 

23 SEC. 204. TRAVEL MANAGEMENT. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries shall— 


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1 (1) prioritize finalizing travel management 

2 planning activities of the Bureau of Land Manage3 ment and the Forest Service, as applicable, including 

4 evaluating and designating as open, limited, or 

5 closed applicable Federal land areas or routes, 

6 roads, trails, or staging areas on applicable Federal 

7 land for nonmotorized or motorized use, including 

8 for over-snow vehicles; and 

9 (2) not later than 5 years after the date of en10 actment of this Act, develop a ground transportation 

11 linear feature or motor vehicle use map and over12 snow vehicle use map for each district administered 

13 by the Bureau of Land Management and each unit 

14 of the National Forest System, in a printed and 

15 publically available format that is compliant with the 

16 format for geographic information systems. 

17 (b) PROCEDURES.—For purposes of meeting the re18 quirements of subsection (a), the Secretary concerned— 

19 (1) may use an existing evaluation or designa20 tion; 

21 (2) may evaluate and alter an existing designa22 tion for applicable Federal land areas or routes, 

23 roads, trails, or staging areas on applicable Federal 

24 land in accordance with applicable laws (including 

25 regulations); 


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1 (3) shall consider— 

2 (A) the protection of the resources of the 

3 Federal land; 

4 (B) the promotion of the safety of the 

5 users of the Federal land; 

6 (C) the minimization of conflicts among 

7 various uses of the Federal land; and 

8 (D) other designation criteria or route op9 tions developed by the Secretaries at the local 

10 level, such as seasonal restrictions, temporary 

11 or seasonal access, minimization of impacts to 

12 wildlife, and other appropriate criteria or op13 tions; 

14 (4) shall increase— 

15 (A) multiple-use recreation opportunities; 

16 and 

17 (B) opportunities for nonmotorized and 

18 motorized access and experiences on Federal 

19 land; 

20 (5) shall coordinate with States, local govern21 ments, Indian Tribes, other stakeholders, adjoining 

22 landowners, businesses that use the features on Fed23 eral land, and the public; and 


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1 (6) shall update any travel management plan 

2 that was finalized before the date that is 15 years 

3 before the date of enactment of this Act. 

4 (c) RULEMAKING.—The Secretaries may revise exist5 ing regulations to implement this section. 

6 (d) EFFECT.—Nothing in this section limits or re7 stricts— 

8 (1) emergency access use or the administrative 

9 use of the Federal land by the Secretary concerned 

10 by motorized or nonmotorized means, including any 

11 use or activity necessary to carry out terms and con12 ditions associated with an authorized permit, lease, 

13 or contract with respect to the Federal land; or 

14 (2) any other motorized or nonmotorized use or 

15 activity on the Federal land that is authorized on 

16 the applicable Federal land, as determined by the 

17 Secretary concerned. 

18 (e) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date 

19 of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall submit to 

20 the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 

21 Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the 

22 House of Representatives a report that describes the 

23 progress of the Secretaries in carrying out this section. 


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1 TITLE III—INVESTING IN RECRE2 ATION INFRASTRUCTURE 

3 AND RURAL COMMUNITIES 

4 SEC. 301. GATEWAY COMMUNITIES. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture (act6 ing through the Administrator of the Rural Business-Co7 operative Service), in coordination with the Secretary and 

8 the Secretary of Commerce, shall provide to businesses in 

9 rural communities that are adjacent to recreation destina10 tions (including recreation destinations on Federal land) 

11 the assistance described in subsection (b) to establish, op12 erate, or expand infrastructure to accommodate and man13 age sustainable visitation, including hotels, campgrounds, 

14 and restaurants. 

15 (b) ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary of Agriculture may 

16 provide assistance under subsection (a) through the use 

17 of existing, or the establishment of new, entrepreneur and 

18 vocational training programs, technical assistance pro19 grams, low-interest business loan programs, and loan 

20 guarantee programs. 

21 SEC. 302. FOREST SERVICE CONSERVATION FINANCE PART22 NERSHIPS. 

23 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 


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1 (1) innovative funding models are an appro2 priate way to develop and maintain recreation infra3 structure on Federal land; and 

4 (2) in carrying out this section, the Secretary of 

5 Agriculture should build on the successes of the Bai6 leys Mountain Bike Trail System project on the 

7 Wayne National Forest, which was designed specifi8 cally to make Athens County, Ohio, a more popular 

9 recreation destination. 

10 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

11 (1) CONSERVATION PARTNER.—The term ‘‘con12 servation partner’’ means— 

13 (A) a private nonprofit, for-profit, or chari14 table entity or other person; or 

15 (B) a unit of State, local, or Tribal govern16 ment. 

17 (2) INDEPENDENT EVALUATOR.—The term 

18 ‘‘independent evaluator’’ means an individual or en19 tity, including an institution of higher education, 

20 that is selected by the Secretary of Agriculture, in 

21 consultation with a conservation partner, to make 

22 the determinations and prepare the reports required 

23 under subsection (f). 

24 (3) PROJECT.—The term ‘‘project’’ means 1 or 

25 more activities conducted on National Forest System 


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1 land, or on other land if the activities would benefit 

2 National Forest System land, to enhance a rec3 reational opportunity for which the Secretary of Ag4 riculture has approved a record of decision, decision 

5 notice, or decision memo. 

6 (4) PROJECT AGREEMENT.—The term ‘‘project 

7 agreement’’ means a cooperative agreement, a mu8 tual benefit agreement, or a contract, as appro9 priate, executed by the Secretary of Agriculture and 

10 a project broker or a conservation partner in accord11 ance with applicable law. 

12 (5) PROJECT BROKER.—The term ‘‘project 

13 broker’’ means a nonprofit or for-profit intermediary 

14 that assists in establishing or implementing a project 

15 agreement. 

16 (c) ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The Sec17 retary of Agriculture shall establish a pilot program in ac18 cordance with this section to carry out 1 or more projects 

19 that are financed by conservation partners. 

20 (d) PROJECT AGREEMENTS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the Act of 

22 June 30, 1914 (commonly known as the ‘‘Coopera23 tive Funds Act’’) (16 U.S.C. 498), or subtitle C of 

24 title XX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

25 1397n et seq.), in carrying out the pilot program 


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1 under this section, the Secretary of Agriculture may 

2 enter into a project agreement with a conservation 

3 partner or a project broker under which the con4 servation partner or project broker agrees to pay for 

5 all or part of a project. 

6 (2) TERM.—The term of a project agreement 

7 shall be not longer than 20 years. 

8 (3) SIZE LIMITATION.—The Secretary of Agri9 culture may not enter into a project agreement 

10 under the pilot program under this section for a 

11 project valued at more than $10,000,000. 

12 (4) STRUCTURE OF AGREEMENTS.—Notwith13 standing any other provision of law, funds may be 

14 exchanged between non-Federal parties under a 

15 project agreement, if— 

16 (A) the project agreement uses an innova17 tive funding model, such as pay-for-perform18 ance, or pay-for-success, under which payments 

19 are paid when specified recreation-related out20 comes are met; and 

21 (B) an independent evaluator determines 

22 pursuant to subsection (f) that the outcome 

23 specified in the project agreement has been 

24 met. 


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1 (5) MAINTENANCE AND DECOMMISSIONING.—A 

2 project agreement shall— 

3 (A) include a plan for maintaining any 

4 capital improvement made as part of a project 

5 after the date on which the project is com6 pleted; and 

7 (B) specify the party that will be respon8 sible for decommissioning the improvements as9 sociated with the project— 

10 (i) at the end of the useful life of the 

11 improvements; or 

12 (ii) if the project fails. 

13 (6) ELIGIBLE PAYMENTS.—Under a project 

14 agreement, a conservation partner, a project broker, 

15 or the Secretary of Agriculture shall agree to pay to 

16 the other party to the project agreement any of the 

17 following: 

18 (A) A percentage of the estimated value of 

19 the outcomes achieved by the applicable project. 

20 (B) A percentage of the estimated cost 

21 savings to the conservation partner or the Sec22 retary of Agriculture as a result of the project. 

23 (C) A percentage of the enhanced revenue 

24 to the conservation partner or the Secretary of 

25 Agriculture as a result of the project. 


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1 (D) The cost of the project. 

2 (7) COST-SHARE.—Subject to the availability of 

3 appropriations, the Secretary of Agriculture may 

4 only contribute funding for a project if— 

5 (A) the Secretary of Agriculture dem6 onstrates the project will provide a cost savings 

7 to the United States; and 

8 (B) the contribution of the Secretary of 

9 Agriculture is in an amount equal to less than 

10 50 percent of the total cost of the project. 

11 (8) CONSULTANTS.—Subject to the availability 

12 of appropriations, the Secretary of Agriculture may 

13 hire a contractor— 

14 (A) to conduct a feasibility analysis of a 

15 proposed project; or 

16 (B) to assist in the formation or evaluation 

17 of a proposed project. 

18 (e) PROJECTS.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—All or any portion of a 

20 project may be implemented by— 

21 (A) the Secretary of Agriculture; or 

22 (B) a conservation partner or third party, 

23 subject to the conditions that— 


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1 (i) the Secretary of Agriculture shall 

2 approve the implementation by the con3 servation partner or third party; and 

4 (ii) the implementation shall be in ac5 cordance with applicable law. 

6 (2) RELATION TO LAND AND RESOURCE MAN7 AGEMENT PLANS.—A project carried out under this 

8 section shall be consistent with any applicable land 

9 and resource management plan developed under sec10 tion 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Re11 sources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604). 

12 (3) OWNERSHIP.— 

13 (A) IN GENERAL.—Each project shall be 

14 vested to the United States. 

15 (B) TREATMENT.—The carrying out of 

16 any action for a project does not provide any 

17 right to any party to a project agreement. 

18 (4) POTENTIAL CONFLICTS.—Before approving 

19 a project under this section, the Secretary of Agri20 culture shall consider and seek to avoid potential 

21 conflicts (including economic competition) with an 

22 existing authorization. 

23 (f) INDEPENDENT EVALUATIONS.— 

24 (1) PROGRESS REPORTS.—An independent eval25 uator shall submit to the Secretary of Agriculture 


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1 and each party to the relevant project agreement a 

2 written report— 

3 (A) by not later than 2 years after the 

4 date on which a project agreement is executed, 

5 and not less frequently than once every 2 years 

6 thereafter, summarizing the progress that has 

7 been made in achieving each outcome specified 

8 in the project agreement; and 

9 (B) before the first scheduled outcome pay10 ment date, and each subsequent payment date, 

11 summarizing the results of the evaluation con12 ducted to determine whether an outcome pay13 ment should be made, together with information 

14 relating to the factors contributing to the con15 servation partner achieving, or failing to 

16 achieve, an outcome. 

17 (2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 

18 after the date on which a project is completed, the 

19 applicable independent evaluator shall submit to the 

20 Secretary of Agriculture and each party to the rel21 evant project agreement a written report that in22 cludes— 

23 (A) an evaluation of the effects of the 

24 project with respect to each outcome specified 

25 in the project agreement; and 


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1 (B) a determination of whether the con2 servation partner has met each outcome speci3 fied in the project agreement. 

4 (g) TERMINATION OF PROJECT AGREEMENTS.—The 

5 Secretary of Agriculture may unilaterally terminate a 

6 project agreement, in whole or in part, for any program 

7 year beginning after the program year during which the 

8 Secretary of Agriculture provides to each party to the 

9 project agreement a notice of the termination. 

10 (h) DURATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.— 

11 (1) SUNSET.—The authority to enter into 

12 project agreements under this section terminates on 

13 September 30, 2032. 

14 (2) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in paragraph 

15 (1) affects any project agreement entered into by the 

16 Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to this section be17 fore the date described in that paragraph. 

18 SEC. 303. AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL LAND INFRASTRUC19 TURE DURING SHOULDER SEASONS. 

20 (a) COORDINATION.—The Secretaries shall consult 

21 and coordinate with outdoor recreation-related businesses 

22 operating on or adjacent to Federal land, State offices of 

23 outdoor recreation, local destination marketing organiza24 tions, Indian Tribes, local governments, and institutions 

25 of higher education— 


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1 (1) to better understand trends with respect to 

2 visitors to the Federal land; 

3 (2) to coordinate with outdoor recreation mar4 keting campaigns; and 

5 (3) to better understand— 

6 (A) the effect of seasonal closures of areas 

7 of, or infrastructure on, Federal land on out8 door recreation opportunities, adjacent busi9 nesses, and local tax revenue; and 

10 (B) opportunities to extend the period of 

11 time during which areas of, or infrastructure 

12 on, Federal land are open to the public to in13 crease outdoor recreation opportunities and as14 sociated revenues for businesses and local gov15 ernments. 

16 (b) AVAILABILITY OF INFRASTRUCTURE.—The Sec17 retaries shall make efforts to make infrastructure avail18 able to accommodate increased visitation to the Federal 

19 land during shoulder seasons— 

20 (1) to extend the outdoor recreation season and 

21 the duration of income to gateway communities; and 

22 (2) to provide more opportunities to visit re23 sources on Federal land to reduce crowding during 

24 peak seasons. 

25 (c) AGREEMENTS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries may enter 

2 into agreements with businesses, local governments, 

3 or other entities to share the cost of additional ex4 penses necessary to extend the period of time during 

5 which an area of, or infrastructure on, Federal land 

6 is made open to the public. 

7 (2) IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS.—The Secretaries 

8 may accept in-kind contributions of goods and serv9 ices provided by businesses, local governments, or 

10 other entities for purposes of paragraph (1). 

11 SEC. 304. PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO MODERNIZE 

12 CAMPGROUNDS ON FEDERAL LAND. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries shall establish a 

14 pilot program under which the Secretary concerned may 

15 enter into an agreement with a private entity providing 

16 for capital improvements (including the construction of 

17 structures and improvements), management, and mainte18 nance by the private entity of a campground, in existence 

19 on the date of enactment of this Act, on Federal land, 

20 subject to the requirements of this section. 

21 (b) MINIMUM NUMBER OF AGREEMENTS.—Not later 

22 than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 

23 Secretary concerned shall enter into at least 1 agreement 

24 under subsection (a) in— 


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1 (1) a unit of the National Forest System in 

2 each region of the National Forest System; and 

3 (2) Federal land administered by the Bureau of 

4 Land Management in not fewer than 5 States in 

5 which the Bureau of Land Management administers 

6 Federal land. 

7 (c) REQUIREMENTS.— 

8 (1) PLANS.—Before entering into an agreement 

9 under subsection (a), the private entity shall submit 

10 to the Secretary concerned a development plan 

11 that— 

12 (A) describes investments in the camp13 ground to be made by the private entity during 

14 the first 3 years of the agreement; 

15 (B) describes annual maintenance spend16 ing for each year of the agreement; and 

17 (C) includes any other terms and condi18 tions determined to be necessary by the Sec19 retary concerned. 

20 (2) AGREEMENTS.—An agreement entered into 

21 under subsection (a) shall— 

22 (A) be for a term of not more than 30 

23 years; 

24 (B) require that, not later than 3 years 

25 after the date on which the Secretary concerned 


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1 enters into an agreement the private entity ex2 pend, or place in an escrow account for expend3 iture, for the construction or improvement of 

4 structures and infrastructure relating to the op5 eration of, or access to, the applicable camp6 ground, not less than $2,000,000, or a specified 

7 percentage, as determined by the Secretary con8 cerned, of the anticipated receipts for the period 

9 of the agreement; 

10 (C) require the private entity to maintain 

11 the campground facility and any associated in12 frastructure designated by the Secretary con13 cerned in a manner acceptable to the Secretary 

14 concerned and the private entity; 

15 (D) include any terms and conditions that 

16 the Secretary concerned determines to be nec17 essary for a recreational special use permit 

18 issued under section 7 of the Act of April 24, 

19 1950 (commonly known as the ‘‘Granger-Thye 

20 Act’’) (64 Stat. 84, chapter 97; 16 U.S.C. 

21 580d), including the payment described in sub22 paragraph (E); 

23 (E) provide for payment to the Federal 

24 Government of a fee consistent with a special 

25 use permit under section 7 of the Act of April 


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1 24, 1950 (commonly known as the ‘‘Granger2 Thye Act’’) (64 Stat. 84, chapter 97; 16 U.S.C. 

3 580d), including a fee offset agreement for 

4 work to be performed that is separate from 

5 maintaining the campground facility and any 

6 associated infrastructure designated by the Sec7 retary concerned, if determined to be appro8 priate by the Secretary concerned, on consider9 ation of the probable value to the private entity 

10 of the rights provided by the agreement, taking 

11 into account the capital invested by, and obliga12 tions of, the private entity under the agreement; 

13 (F) include provisions that state— 

14 (i) the private entity shall obtain no 

15 property interest pursuant to the expendi16 tures of the private entity, as required by 

17 the agreement; and 

18 (ii) all structures and improvements 

19 constructed by the private entity under the 

20 agreement shall be the property of the 

21 United States; and 

22 (G) be subject to any other terms and con23 ditions determined to be necessary by the Sec24 retary concerned. 


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1 (d) FEE RETENTION.—A fee or revenue shared with 

2 the Secretary concerned under an agreement authorized 

3 by this section shall be available for expenditure by the 

4 Secretary concerned for recreation-related purposes on the 

5 unit of Federal land at which the fee or revenue is col6 lected, without further appropriation. 

Æ 


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