Gateway Community and Recreation Enhancement Act
Bill: S.3551 | Sponsor: Sen. Daines, Steve (R-MT)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

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
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.

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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Gateway Community and Recreation 
Enhancement Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Gateway community.--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, in the 
        determination of the Secretaries, seasonal or year-round 
        visitation.
            (2) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means--
                    (A) the Secretary of the Interior; and
                    (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through 
                the Chief of the Forest Service.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 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.
                                 <all>