I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION H. R. 10162 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement with 
the National Academy of Sciences to carry out a study on reservation 
systems for Federal land. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 18, 2024 
Ms. PORTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agri-
culture, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an 
agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to 
carry out a study on reservation systems for Federal 
land. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Review and Evaluation 
of Strategies for Equitable Reservations for Visitor Expe-
riences Federal Land Act’’ or the ‘‘RESERVE Federal 
Land Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) BOOKING
WINDOW.—The term ‘‘booking 
window’’, with respect to a Federal reservation sys-
tem, means the time period during which a reserva-
tion or lottery entry is available to the public. 
(2) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ 
means— 
(A) public lands (as defined in section 103 
of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702)); 
(B) National Forest System land; 
(C) units of the National Park System; 
(D) units of the National Wildlife Refuge 
System; 
(E) sites administered by the Bureau of 
Reclamation; and 
(F) sites administered by the Corps of En-
gineers. 
(3) FEDERAL RESERVATION SYSTEM.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Federal res-
ervation system’’ means any platform or meth-
od used by managers of Federal land to manage 
the quantity, type, distribution, and timing of 
recreational activities. 
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(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘Federal res-
ervation system’’ includes reservation, permit, 
lottery, metering, pricing, merit-based, and 
other similar management methods via online, 
telephone, paper, in-person, or other methods. 
(4) RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY.—The term ‘‘rec-
reational activity’’ includes camping, backpacking, 
climbing, paddling sports, fishing, hiking, driving, 
and other recreational opportunities. 
(5) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ 
means— 
(A) the Secretary of the Interior; 
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture; and 
(C) the Secretary of the Army, acting 
through the Chief of Engineers. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES STUDY OF FED-
ERAL 
RESERVATION 
SYSTEMS 
FOR 
REC-
REATIONAL ACTIVITIES ON FEDERAL LAND. 
(a) STUDY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretaries, acting 
jointly, shall, not later than 60 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, enter into an agreement 
with the National Academy of Sciences to carry out 
a study of Federal reservation systems for rec-
reational activities on Federal land. 
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(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the study 
under paragraph (1), the National Academy of 
Sciences shall consult with the Secretaries to carry 
out the following: 
(A) A review of the history of Federal res-
ervation systems, such as recreation.gov, includ-
ing a review of— 
(i) the considerations, including data, 
that led to the establishment of the appli-
cable Federal reservation system; 
(ii) the iterations of the applicable 
Federal reservation system over time to 
meet the needs of the applicable Federal 
agency; 
(iii) any visitor feedback provided with 
respect to the applicable Federal reserva-
tion system; and 
(iv) scientific literature or studies ex-
amining the efficacy of Federal reservation 
systems, including user preferences with 
respect to Federal reservation system de-
sign and implementation. 
(B) Based on available data and existing 
research, answer the following questions: 
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(i) What are the benefits and chal-
lenges of implementing Federal reservation 
systems to achieve management goals for 
Federal land, including resource protec-
tion, enjoyable visitor experiences, and sus-
tainable operations and facility use? 
(ii) What data are available, and what 
additional data are needed, to understand 
demand for recreation on Federal land? 
How can the data be used to balance vis-
itor management and conservation goals? 
(iii) What information is available re-
garding Federal land users and Federal 
reservation system users? What informa-
tion is available or needs to be collected re-
garding demographics and characteristics 
of successful and unsuccessful applicants 
using the Federal reservation systems? 
(iv) Do Federal reservation systems 
pose a barrier for certain communities and 
user groups to access appropriate recre-
ation opportunities on Federal land? If so, 
what is the nature of any barriers identi-
fied? 
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(v) What best practices should be con-
sidered in Federal reservation system de-
sign, including visitation management sys-
tem options and booking windows, options 
to respond to the needs specific to indi-
vidual Federal land management units, 
and equitable access to recreational activi-
ties? What metrics can be used to record 
outcomes of Federal reservation system de-
sign? 
(vi) How have fees been collected for 
Federal reservation systems over time to 
meet the needs of the applicable Federal 
agency? How are the revenues from fees 
for Federal reservation systems split be-
tween, and spent by, Federal land units, 
Federal agencies, and third-party contrac-
tors? How is the fee structure dissemi-
nated to users? How could dissemination 
of information with respect to the fee 
structure be improved? 
(vii) What are the odds of success 
with respect to securing a reservation 
under Federal reservation systems? How 
are the odds of success disseminated to 
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users? How could dissemination of infor-
mation with respect to the odds of success 
be improved? 
(viii) How are data, including data 
collected by contractors, on Federal res-
ervation systems shared with Federal land 
managers, researchers, and the public? 
How can transparency be improved to in-
form the decisionmaking of users of Fed-
eral reservation systems? 
(ix) How are Federal reservation sys-
tems incorporating and adapting to emerg-
ing technologies, such as geofencing, bots, 
or third-party websites monitoring and re-
selling reservations? Are Federal reserva-
tion systems resilient to cyber threats? 
(x) How can Federal reservation sys-
tems be improved to reduce ‘‘no shows’’ 
and ensure that recreation sites are being 
used during periods of high demand? 
Would an increase in first-come, first- 
served opportunities increase equitable ac-
cess to outdoor recreation on Federal land? 
(b) REPORT.—The agreement entered into under 
subsection (a)(1) shall include a requirement that, not 
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later than 18 months after the date on which the agree-
ment is entered into, the National Academy of Sciences 
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress 
a report that describes the results of the study carried out 
under that subsection. 
Æ 
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