The new Outdoor Recreational Industry Roundtable recently released its second white paper, shared with President-Elect Donald Trump’s transition team, outlining the necessary expanded access to public lands and waters in order to grow and diversify outdoor recreation in the U.S.
According to a release, some of the key asks in the access white paper include:
- commit to granting access for diverse recreation activities on all federally-managed public lands and waters. The federal government must give diverse forms of recreation equal consideration with respect to all federal public lands and waters, although with an acknowledgement that not all forms of recreation are possible at all times in every location;
- require any agency that manages public lands and/or waters to publish a detailed economic assessment and justification before any access restriction or prohibition is implemented. The agency should demonstrate that this assessment and justification have been taken into account in the decision-making process leading to the access restriction or prohibition; and
- any closures or access denials must be subject to near-term periodic reviews with notice to the public and an opportunity to comment, with the potential for the management plan to be reopened and reconsidered. Periodic reviews especially must include an opportunity for local stakeholder input so that the front-line communities most affected by access restrictions and prohibitions have a voice in the process. At a minimum, local stakeholders must be allowed to participate in developing a collaborative access scheme.
The Outdoor Recreation Industry Roundtable (ORIR) is a coalition of 14 outdoor industry associations representing thousands of U.S. outdoor recreation businesses that produce equipment, gear, vehicles and apparel for the 142 million Americans who enjoy our nation’s parks, waterways, and byways. The ORIR has committed to strategically work together for the benefit of American outdoor recreation as a whole.
Spanning recreation vehicles (RVs), off-road vehicles, boating, fishing, hunting, camping, archery, shooting sports, powersports, outdoor equipment, and apparel, the ORIR is dedicated to growing diverse outdoor participation, expanding recreational access for Americans, promoting conservation, improving infrastructure, and bolstering sustainable domestic jobs. Combined, the outdoor recreation industry generates $646 billion-per-year in economic activity and provides an estimated 6.1 million direct jobs.
The roundtable includes the following associations: American Horse Council, American Recreation Coalition, American Sportfishing Association, Archery Trade Association, International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, Motorcycle Industry Council, Outdoor Industry Association, National Marine Manufacturers Association, National Park Hospitality Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association, Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, and Specialty Vehicle Institute of America.
