URGENT: Tell your senators to vote NO on the EXPLORE Act

The EXPLORE Act, an omnibus recreation bill that the U.S. House passed in April, contains specific provisions that threaten Wilderness and the Wilderness Act.

While Congress is set to adjourn on December 20, the Senate may now consider an up-or-down vote on the EXPLORE Act passed by the House.

Time is of the essence, so please write your senators and urge them to vote NO on the EXPLORE Act!

After emailing your senators, please also call them at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to vote NO on the EXPLORE Act.

Section 122 of the EXPLORE Act would allow a subset of the climbing community to drill installations—“fixed anchors”—in Wilderness. Fixed climbing anchors are not necessary for recreational climbing in Wilderness, but a vocal subset of climbers have convinced some Congress members to carve out this exception from the protections of the Wilderness Act. For 60 years, Congress has not adopted a nationwide amendment to the Wilderness Act. This first major carveout for a recreation interest—at a time when Wilderness and its wildlife are under greater human pressure than ever—will set precedent for other special interests to seek their own nonconforming uses.

Section 141 of the EXPLORE Act could allow the National Park Service discretion to install cell towers in the backcountry of national parks, throughout protected areas. This section of the EXPLORE Act contains no restrictions prohibiting these networks and structures from metastasizing to designated, potential, recommended, or eligible Wilderness throughout the National Park system.

There are other provisions in the EXPLORE Act that loosen restrictions on commercial filming and reduce the public’s ability to review outfitter impacts to wild places on all public lands, including Wilderness.

There will be opportunities in the next session of Congress to reintroduce the provisions of the EXPLORE Act that don’t threaten Wilderness. But for now, Wilderness needs our voice!