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Environmental Justice in Recreation Permitting Act
12/15/2023, 3:58 PM
Summary of Bill HR 3756
The key provisions of the bill include requiring federal land management agencies to consider the environmental justice implications of permitting decisions, including the potential impacts on low-income communities and communities of color. The bill also mandates that agencies consult with these communities when making decisions about recreational activities on public lands.
Additionally, the bill establishes a grant program to support community engagement and environmental justice initiatives related to outdoor recreation. This program will provide funding for projects that promote access to outdoor recreational opportunities for marginalized communities and address environmental justice concerns. Overall, the Environmental Justice in Recreation Permitting Act seeks to promote equity and inclusivity in the permitting process for recreational activities on public lands, ensuring that all communities have a voice in decisions that affect their access to outdoor recreation.
Congressional Summary of HR 3756
Environmental Justice in Recreation Permitting Act
This bill requires the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to complete an interagency report on the use of special recreation permits by recreation service providers serving environmental justice communities.
The bill defines an environmental justice community as a community with significant representation of communities of color, low-income communities, or tribal and indigenous communities, that experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more adverse human health or environmental effects than other communities.
Interior and USDA (1) shall contact all existing or prospective special recreation service providers to request a voluntary estimate of the number of user days used by, or, in the case of a prospective recreation service provider, expected to be used by, individuals from environmental justice communities; (2) shall request from recreation service providers and interested members of the public any other information required for the report; and (3) shall not use participation or the provision of information to Interior and USDA by a recreation service provider as a condition of a special recreation permit.
