One year ago, the outdoor recreation community reached a historic milestone. On January 4, 2025, the EXPLORE Act was signed into law, becoming the first comprehensive outdoor recreation package ever enacted in the United States. For PeopleForBikes, this moment represented years of collaboration, advocacy, and partnership with a diverse group of national outdoor recreation partners, including ORR and IMBA, bike industry leaders, and lawmakers who recognize that access to the outdoors is essential to healthy communities, thriving local economies, and the future of recreation.

The EXPLORE Act marked a major turning point for how recreation is managed across America’s public lands and waters. It created a framework for modernization, access, and coordination at a scale the outdoor recreation sector had never seen before. Despite headwinds, meaningful progress was made over the past year to turn the promise of the law into action.

One of the most significant early signals of momentum came with the Department of the Interior’s issuance of Secretarial Order 3435, establishing a coordinated, cross-bureau structure for implementation. This step created clarity, accountability, and a shared roadmap for agencies charged with carrying out the law.

Concrete improvements in technology and innovation are also being felt on the ground. The launch of a nationwide digital America the Beautiful pass streamlined access for visitors, while the Every Kid Outdoors program continues to connect young people with formative outdoor experiences, with more than 150,000 fourth graders using their free passes this past year. At the Bureau of Land Management, efforts are underway to improve accessibility on trails across the country and expand public information through tools like the Accessible Recreation Opportunities map. Additional data releases tied to EXPLORE provisions, including range access, are expected in early 2026.

Equally important, the reinstatement of the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation reestablished a vital forum for collaboration across federal agencies. Regular meetings focused on the EXPLORE Act implementation are helping ensure that modernization and access improvements move forward in a coordinated, transparent way.

Additionally, following the passage of the EXPLORE Act, PeopleForBikes joined forces with IMBA, Bikepacking Roots, and a broad coalition of state and local mountain bike partners, advocacy organizations, and subject-matter experts to help ensure the law’s successful implementation. Alongside businesses, riders, and recreation stakeholders across the nation, this partnership continues to focus on practical, on-the-ground outcomes. Together, this coalition has worked closely with federal agencies, shared industry insights, elevated recreation user perspectives, and supported the development of coordinated implementation strategies that reflect the realities of managing public lands while expanding access. The coalition remains deeply invested in the next phase of EXPLORE Act implementation and is committed to helping federal and local agencies deliver the full promise of the law for communities, businesses, and outdoor recreationists nationwide.

For PeopleForBikes and our partners, this first year underscores what’s possible when bipartisan leadership, agency commitment, and industry engagement align. The EXPLORE Act is already helping modernize recreation management, support rural economies, and improve access to riding opportunities across our public lands.

While we celebrate its one-year anniversary, full implementation of the EXPLORE Act is still ahead, and continued leadership will be critical to realizing the law’s long-term benefits. As we move into year two, PeopleForBikes remains committed to working alongside ORR, federal agencies, states, Tribes, gateway communities, and industry partners to ensure this landmark legislation fully delivers on its promise.

The outdoors unite us, and the EXPLORE Act proves it. One year in, the foundation is strong, but there is still more work to do to keep the momentum going.