Heinrich Welcomes Establishment Of Federal Interagency Council On Outdoor Recreation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a member of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus and Senate Outdoor Recreation Caucus, is welcoming today’s announcement that the Council on Environmental Quality is signing a memorandum of understanding that establishes the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR).

“I have called for years to reorient the driving missions of our federal land management agencies to focus more on conserving the common lands and waters that we all love, and providing improved and more equitable access to outdoor recreation,” said Heinrich. “Outdoor recreation—from hunting, fishing, and hiking to boating, biking, camping, and wildlife viewing—improves our health, employs millions of U.S. workers, and connects Americans to their heritage. All of this drives local economies—particularly in rural communities.”

Heinrich continued: “This new Council will foster coordination across our federal land management agencies to enhance outdoor recreation on our public lands, which continues to provide some of our best opportunities for strong economic growth all across the country. We must also dedicate resources and attention to expanding opportunities for those in communities who have been historically excluded from our public lands and ensure we are supporting the next generation of stewards of our air, land, water and wildlife.”

The FICOR’s mission will be to strengthen coordination across the Department of Interior, Department of Agriculture, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Commerce for the benefit of Federal resources and the public who enjoy, rely upon, and benefit from America’s public lands and outdoor places. The FICOR will also enhance coordination with State, local, Territorial, and Tribal governments and agencies, and with nearby communities, recreation organizations, visitor service providers, and stewardship partners.

You can find more information about the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation in this White House Fact Sheet.

Background:

• Heinrich recently welcomed a new internet-based portal created by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)—and resulting from his legislation, the HUNT Act—to more easily and efficiently nominate public lands that are currently inaccessible but could provide valuable opportunities for hunting, fishing and other recreational activities.
• In April, Heinrich celebrated the signing of the Modernizing Access to our Public Land (MAPLand) Act, bipartisan legislation that he cosponsored to enhance access to the nation’s outdoor recreational opportunities by digitizing and standardizing mapping information like access points and permissible uses on federal public lands.
• Heinrich is working to pass the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act, bipartisan legislation that he introduced to improve the permitting process for outfitters, educational organizations, and community groups to access public lands.
• Heinrich secured major provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to take the climate crisis head on, move the clean energy transition forward, and power America’s economic recovery. That included tens of billions of dollars of new federal resources for forest restoration, remediation, and fire management.
• Heinrich has led the call among Senate Democrats to prioritize historic investments in natural infrastructure restoration, resilience, and reclamation. He has also championed the establishment of the Civilian Climate Corps to provide national service opportunities to a new generation and help power our economic recovery.
• Last year, Heinrich also welcomed the launch of Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E., a national outdoor equity initiative created by Black, Indigenous, and leaders of color from across the country, which aims to address the chronic and systemic inequities that exist in this country that prevent underserved youth and communities of color from engaging in meaningful outdoor recreation and educational experiences on public lands.
• In 2020, Heinrich hailed the Senate passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, bipartisan legislation he introduced to fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and make record investments in our outdoor economy.
• Heinrich led the effort to pass the Every Kid Outdoors Act into law as part of the broader 2019 John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. The Every Kid Outdoors Act provides America's fourth graders and their families free entrance to America's public lands, waters, and historic sites, including national parks – more than 2,000 sites in all.