Why it Matters

With the 250th anniversary of American independence approaching in 2026, Congress is using the milestone to examine whether the country's national parks and public lands are actually accessible to all Americans including people with disabilities, veterans, and low-income visitors. The House Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Federal Lands has scheduled an oversight hearing for April 22 on "Explore America250: Enhancing Accessibility At Our National Parks And Public Lands" — and the lobbying record shows the outdoor recreation and conservation industries have been pressing Congress on exactly these questions for over a year.

The Policy Backdrop

The hearing arrives roughly 16 months after President Biden signed the EXPLORE Act into law on January 5, 2025. Sponsored by Natural Resources Committee member Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), the law created a Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation, extended the Every Kid Outdoors Program through fiscal year 2031, and — critically for this hearing — required comprehensive assessments of federal trails, campsites, and recreation facilities for accessibility by people with disabilities. It also established Military Veterans Outdoor Recreation Liaisons and directed agencies to develop strategies for expanding veteran and active-duty military access to federal lands.

A companion measure, the Promoting Accessibility on Federal Lands Act, introduced by committee member Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), focused specifically on mandating that those accessibility assessments be made publicly available on Department of Agriculture and Department of Interior websites. That bill advanced to floor consideration in December 2024 but did not become law.

The April 22 hearing appears positioned to examine how federal agencies are implementing the EXPLORE Act's accessibility mandates — and whether the America250 commemoration can serve as a catalyst for broader improvements.

Lobbying

The lobbying record shows sustained industry pressure on these exact issues in the year leading up to the hearing.

Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) filed disclosures across three consecutive quarters in 2025 — reporting $40,000 in the second quarter, $40,000 in the third quarter, and $50,000 in the fourth quarter — each time citing "issues related to accessibility on public lands" and the Public Lands in Public Hands Act alongside the EXPLORE Act.

The National Recreation and Park Association filed $20,000 in lobbying disclosures in the second quarter of 2025 focused on "implementation of the EXPLORE Act," with additional filings in the third and fourth quarters. The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Association reported $28,000 in fourth-quarter 2025 lobbying specifically on EXPLORE Act implementation and the Public Lands in Public Hands Act.

The International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association filed $15,000 each quarter beginning in the first quarter of 2025, consistently citing "National Parks and Forest Service accessibility." The National Association of State Park Directors filed disclosures across multiple quarters focused on EXPLORE Act implementation and the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Notably, America250.org Inc. — the nonprofit organizing the nation's semiquincentennial commemoration — registered as a new lobbying client in April 2026, citing budget and appropriations issues, just weeks before the scheduled hearing.

The Hearing

The subcommittee is chaired by Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), with Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-UT) serving as vice chair and Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) as ranking member. The full Natural Resources Committee is chaired by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ).

Tiffany has been active on national parks legislation. A bill he sponsored to redesignate the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore as Wisconsin's first national park cleared committee — with Tiffany arguing the upgrade "would honor our heritage, protect these Lake Superior gems, and strengthen local communities for generations."

The Stakes

For the roughly 61 million Americans with disabilities, accessibility at national parks remains uneven. The EXPLORE Act created the legal framework for assessments and improvements, but implementation depends on agency resources and political will — both of which are under pressure given the current administration's approach to federal land management and steep workforce reductions at the Interior Department and Forest Service.

The America250 framing gives the hearing a built-in deadline: if the federal government wants to use the 2026 anniversary as a showcase moment for public lands access, the window for meaningful infrastructure and policy changes is closing. Advocacy organizations have framed accessible outdoor recreation as both a civil rights issue and an economic one, with the outdoor recreation economy generating hundreds of billions in annual economic activity.

The subcommittee's membership spans members from Western states with large federal land footprints — including Reps. Russ Fulcher (R-ID), Mark Amodei (R-NV), Celeste Maloy (R-UT), and Cliff Bentz (R-OR) — alongside Democrats like Reps. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Jared Huffman (D-CA), and Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM), whose constituents include tribal communities with significant stakes in public lands policy.

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