Environmental Justice in Recreation Permitting Act

To require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to complete an interagency report on the effects of special recreation permits on environmental justice communities, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Environmental Justice in Recreation Permitting Act 2. Interagency report on the benefits of special recreation permits to environmental justice communities (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Environmental justice community The term environmental justice community (2) Federal land management agency; federal recreational lands and waters; secretaries The terms Federal land management agency Federal recreational lands and waters Secretaries 16 U.S.C. 6801 (3) Recreation service provider The term recreation service provider (A) provides outfitting, guiding, or other recreation services; or (B) conducts recreational or competitive events, including incidental sales. (4) Special recreation permit The term special recreation permit (A) for outfitting, guiding, or other recreation services; (B) for recreation or competitive events, which may include incidental sales; (C) for the use of— (i) a special area; or (ii) an area in which use is allocated; (D) for motorized recreational vehicle use in compliance with an applicable travel management plan or other regulation; and (E) for a group activity or event. (b) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report that describes— (1) the estimated use of special recreation permits by recreation service providers serving environmental justice communities; (2) any national, regional, State, local, or site-specific policies, including any policies required under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act ( 16 U.S.C. 6801 et seq. (3) any case studies that may provide illustrative examples of the manner in which special recreation permits, partnerships, or cooperative agreements are being effectively used by land managers for the purpose of providing public land access to recreation service providers serving environmental justice communities; (4) any barriers to public land access for recreation service providers serving environmental justice communities; and (5) any recommendations for agency policy, or if necessary, action by Congress, to encourage and simplify public land access for recreation service providers serving environmental justice communities. (c) Voluntary participation by recreation service providers For purposes of preparing the report under subsection (b), the Secretaries— (1) shall contact all existing or prospective recreation service providers to request a voluntary estimate of the number of user days used by or, in the case of a prospective recreation service provider, expected to be used by, individuals from environmental justice communities during the period covered by the report; (2) shall request from recreation service providers and interested members of the public any other information required for the report; and (3) shall not use the participation of, or the provision of information to the Secretaries by, a recreation service provider under this subsection as a condition of a special recreation permit.

Summary: Environmental Justice in Recreation Permitting Act This bill requires the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to complete an interagency report on the use of special recreation permits by recreation service providers serving environmental justice communities. The bill defines an environmental justice community as a community with significant representation of communities of color, low-income communities, or tribal and indigenous communities, that experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more adverse human health or environmental effects than other communities. Interior and USDA (1) shall contact all existing or prospective special recreation service providers to request a voluntary estimate of the number of user days used by, or, in the case of a prospective recreation service provider, expected to be used by, individuals from environmental justice communities; (2) shall request from recreation service providers and interested members of the public any other information required for the report; and (3) shall not use participation or the provision of information to Interior and USDA by a recreation service provider as a condition of a special recreation permit.