The federal agencies responsible for managing America's public lands are asking for public input on a new recreation monitoring program required by the EXPLORE Act, and the results could influence future recreation planning and management decisions across the country. Comments are due July 29, 2026.
What Section 133 of the EXPLORE Act Requires
Section 133 of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act directs the Department of the Interior, U.S. Forest Service, NOAA, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop pilot projects that better measure recreation use on public lands. The agencies are proposing pilot protocols at a minimum of ten land management units for each participating agency to collect information on recreation use patterns, with a particular focus on activities that have traditionally been difficult to measure, including dispersed recreation and low-use activities.
Why Dispersed and Motorized Recreation Have Been Undercounted
For years, many public land decisions have relied on incomplete visitation data. Activities such as off-highway vehicle riding, dispersed camping, snowmobiling, hunting, and other forms of dispersed recreation often occur away from developed trailheads and visitor centers, making them difficult to capture through traditional counting methods. When recreation use is underestimated, it can lead to management decisions that fail to recognize how important these activities are to local communities, rural economies, and the millions of Americans who depend on access to public lands.
How the Agencies Plan to Measure Recreation Use
The agencies are proposing to use a combination of traditional monitoring methods, including trail counters, visitor logs, permit information, and on-site observations, along with newer technologies such as anonymized location data, publicly shared recreation information, and aerial or satellite imagery to better understand how recreation occurs across the landscape. According to the agencies, the goal is to develop more accurate recreation data that can be used to improve planning, visitor services, and long-term management decisions.
Where BlueRibbon Coalition Stands on Recreation Monitoring
BlueRibbon Coalition supports the development of more accurate recreation monitoring methods under Section 133 of the EXPLORE Act. For too long, dispersed recreation, motorized recreation, and other forms of outdoor recreation have been underrepresented in agency visitation estimates, leading to management decisions that often fail to reflect how Americans actually use their public lands. However, the monitoring framework should be designed to improve recreation management and public access, not to create a new mechanism for restricting it.
Visitation Data Should Not Justify Closures or Permit Systems
Visitation data alone should never be used as a standalone justification for closures, permit systems, or other access restrictions. Any future management actions should continue to rely on site-specific analysis demonstrating actual resource impacts, public safety concerns, or other statutory requirements rather than simply the popularity of an area.
Pilot Projects Should Measure the Full Value of Recreation
The agencies should also ensure the pilot projects measure the full value of outdoor recreation, including dispersed and motorized recreation, economic contributions to local communities, volunteer stewardship, and unmet demand for recreation infrastructure such as trailheads, staging areas, parking, and campsites. Recreation monitoring should identify opportunities to invest in and improve access before considering restrictions.
Methods Should Be Transparent and Open to Public Review
The methodologies used in these pilot projects should be transparent, scientifically validated, and subject to public review so stakeholders can have confidence that future management decisions are based on accurate, balanced, and objective information.
Comment Before the July 29, 2026 Deadline
This comment period is an opportunity to help ensure these pilot projects accurately capture the full spectrum of recreation occurring on our public lands. Better data today can help lead to better access decisions tomorrow. Comments are due July 29, 2026!
