Gateway Community and Recreation Enhancement Act

To require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to carry out certain activities to enhance recreational opportunities for gateway communities, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Gateway Community and Recreation Enhancement Act 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Gateway community The term gateway community (2) Secretaries The term Secretaries (A) the Secretary of the Interior; and (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service. 3. Visitation pilot program (a) In general Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, using existing funds available to the Secretaries, the Secretaries, in partnership with gateway communities, State and local outdoor recreation and tourism agencies, local governments, Tribal governments, data and technology companies, and other relevant stakeholders, shall carry out a pilot program for the purposes described in subsection (b). (b) Purposes Under the pilot program carried out under subsection (a), the Secretaries shall, with respect to each Federal land management unit selected for participation in the pilot program under subsection (c), make available to the public, either directly or through partner organizations— (1) data on visitation, including data and resources publicly available from existing nongovernmental platforms, at— (A) the Federal land management unit; and (B) to the extent available, recreation sites managed by any other Federal agency, a State agency, or a local agency located near the Federal land management unit; and (2) through different media platforms, information about lesser-known recreation sites (including recreation sites managed by any other Federal agency, a State agency, or a local agency) located near the Federal land management unit, in an effort to disperse visitation among recreational sites. (c) Locations (1) In general The Secretaries shall select Federal land management units to participate in the pilot program carried out under subsection (a) in accordance with this subsection. (2) Feedback; support of gateway communities In selecting a Federal land management unit to participate in the pilot program carried out under subsection (a), the Secretaries shall— (A) solicit feedback from gateway communities; and (B) select a Federal land management unit that is supported by the applicable gateway community. (3) Initial numbers of Federal land management units (A) In general The Secretaries shall select for participation in the pilot program carried out under subsection (a)— (i) 15 Federal land management units managed by the Department of the Interior; and (ii) 5 Federal land management units managed by the Forest Service. (B) Expansion Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, in addition to the Federal land management units selected for the pilot program under subparagraph (A), the Secretaries shall select for participation in the pilot program carried out under subsection (a) 80 additional Federal land management units managed by the Secretaries, not fewer than 50 of which shall be Federal land management units managed by the Department of the Interior. (d) Existing programs The Secretaries may use existing programs or products of the Secretaries to carry out this section. (e) Effect Nothing in this section authorizes the Secretaries— (1) to monitor or record the movements of a visitor to Federal land; (2) to restrict, interfere with, or monitor a private communication of a visitor to Federal land; (3) to take possession of any documents, data, or other personal effects of a visitor to Federal land; or (4) to collect— (A) information from owners of land adjacent to Federal land; or (B) information on non-Federal land. 4. Gateway community partnerships Using existing funds available to the Secretaries, the Secretaries shall— (1) collaborate with State and local governments, Tribal governments, housing authorities, applicable trade associations, nonprofit organizations, and other relevant stakeholders— (A) to improve the understanding of the economic impacts of visitation on gateway communities; and (B) to identify community needs in gateway communities, including housing shortages, demands on existing municipal infrastructure, and accommodation and management of sustainable visitation; and (2) in accordance with existing law, seek to address community needs in gateway communities identified under paragraph (1)(B) by— (A) entering into cooperative agreements, memoranda of understanding, or similar agreements with gateway communities; (B) offering leases, rights-of-way, or easements; (C) entering into public-private partnerships; or (D) providing financial assistance under existing programs.

Summary: Gateway Community and Recreation Enhancement Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service to carry out a pilot program to make available to the public, either directly or through partner organizations, data on visits to recreation destinations at a federal land management unit; and recreation sites managed by any other federal agency, a state agency, or a local agency located near the federal land management unit. In carrying out the program, Interior and the Forest Service must partner with gateway communities, state and local outdoor recreation and tourism agencies, local and tribal governments, data and technology companies, and other relevant stakeholders. The term gateway community means a community that serves as an entry point or is adjacent to a recreation destination (including a recreation destination on federal land) at which there is consistently high seasonal or year-round visitation. Also, under the pilot program, Interior and the Forest Service shall make available to the public information about lesser-known recreation sites (including recreation sites managed by any other federal agency, a state agency, or a local agency) located near a federal land management unit, in an effort to spread widely visitation among recreational sites. Interior and the Forest Service shall collaborate with state and local governments, tribal governments, housing authorities, applicable trade associations, nonprofit organizations, and other relevant stakeholders, to, among other things, improve the understanding of the economic impacts of visits to recreation destinations on gateway communities.