A House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing intended to showcase the first-year of a bipartisan public lands law instead became a forum for Democrats to hammer their conservative colleagues over the Trump administration’s efforts to cut the federal workforce.
The Subcommittee on Federal Lands met Wednesday to celebrate one year of the EXPLORE Act — the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act — which boosted internet connectivity on public lands and streamlined permitting across federal agencies.
The law also mandated the creation of 10 new long-distance bike trails and recognized rock climbing as an appropriate use of natural resources in wilderness areas, allowing the use of fixed anchors.
Committee Chair Westerman (R-Ark.) called the law “a reminder of why our public lands policy should always be rooted in the following principles I’ve promoted throughout my chairmanship of the Natural Resources Committee: Access, conservation, innovation and transparency.”
