Wyden, Ernst, Bishop, Dingell Introduce Bipartisan Recreation Not Red Tape Act

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senate RV Caucus co-chair Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee Rob Bishop, R-Utah, and Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., recently reintroduced legislation in the Senate and House to remove barriers to outdoor recreation and boost rural economies across the country.

The RV Industry Association’s federal affairs team applauds the reintroduction of this legislation and is actively lobbying Congress and the Administration to improve access to outdoor recreation and camping opportunities on federal lands and waters. The Recreation Not Red Tape Act helps to identify, protect and appropriately manage key areas for outdoor recreation purposes including RV camping. This legislation will also hold federal agencies accountable for making outdoor recreation a priority for the first time which will allow the $734 billion outdoor recreation economy and $114 billion RV industry to continue thriving.

Key aspects of the bill include: extending shoulder seasons so RVers have more opportunities to visit iconic national parks and camp on and around federal lands; creating “recreation-based metrics” for federal land managers and improving how places are managed to ensure the greatest recreation and economic benefits for local economies; encouraging more veterans to visit public lands; creating a system of National Recreation Areas managed specifically for recreation purposes; enhancing the use of volunteers to address deferred maintenance; creating an online system for obtaining federal recreation passes; and promoting better management of public lands close to urban areas to increase outdoor recreation participation.

“Twenty-five million Americans go RVing each year and many of their adventures lead them to our public lands and waters,” said RV Industry Association Vice President of Government Affairs Jay Landers. “The Recreation Not Red-Tape Act will improve the experiences of these RVers by making recreation a priority on federal lands, improving recreational access and removing unnecessary barriers so all Americans can enjoy outdoor recreation experiences. Of particular importance to RVers, this bill tasks federal land agencies with developing management plans for extending the recreation season or increasing recreation use in a sustainable manner during the off-season. This provision will help address federal campground overcrowding threatening the growth of the $114 billion RV industry, which drives economic growth in the surrounding local communities and economies.”

Click here to read a joint press release from the Senate and House bill sponsors.