Modernizing Access to Our Public Land Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. MOORE of Utah. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3113, the Modernizing Access to Our Public Land Act, or MAPLand Act.

Access to America's lands is critical. Driven in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing more people hunt, fish, hike, and bike than ever before. Recreating on these lands creates fond memories, improves the physical and mental health of Americans, and contributes significantly to our economy.

Each year, outdoor recreation across the country injects $887 billion into our economy. These dollars support communities in Utah and nationwide, contribute to high-paying jobs, and connect us through our shared hobbies and interests.

There are roughly 640 million acres of land in the Federal estate. Of these, more than 9 million acres in the Western United States have no permanent legal means of access.

Land users understand firsthand the shortage of information that exists on which lands are opened, how they can be accessed, and more. In fact, tens of thousands of important land access files are currently outdated or only in paper form, filling up cabinets in office building basements. This just simply isn't good enough for the 21st century.

This lack of access to crucial information prevents us from enjoying all that our lands have to offer, and it makes it more difficult for the hardworking employees at our land management agencies to do their jobs.

It is time to fix these problems by modernizing the data behind our Federal lands. My bill, H.R. 3113, the MAPLand Act, will do just that.

Madam Speaker, this bipartisan and bicameral commonsense legislation will help our Federal land management agencies work together better by creating shared data standards and improving the digital information available to all who visit our lands.

Making this information more detailed and accessible in the digital age is one of the many reasons why this bill enjoys such broad support. This is about helping families spend more time together outside, about improving the way that our government works, and about fostering and sharing the joy of the great outdoors.

I am grateful to Ranking Members Fulcher and Westerman and Chairmen Neguse and Grijalva for cosponsoring the MAPLand Act and helping drive it forward.

I am also grateful for staff members and stakeholder groups who worked closely with my office at all hours on this important effort that will bring our lands into the 21st century. This has truly been a collaborative effort that will reverberate for years to come and one that I have been proud to be a part of.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support my legislation, and I hope my colleagues in the Senate will consider and pass this important bill expeditiously.

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