EXPLORE Signed into Law
Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act (EXPLORE) was signed into law on January 4, 2025.
This law creates significant opportunities for recreational shooters, hunters, and other outdoorsmen. The United States government manages almost 30% of the nation’s landmass. This management is used for things like the preservation and development of natural resources. EXPLORE makes these lands accessible to outdoor enthusiasts.
The law was introduced by Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Arkansas). The law is "to improve recreation opportunities on, and facilitate greater access to, Federal Public land."
An important part of the law is the Range Access Act. This section calls for target shooting ranges in every national forest. Ranges will be maintained, or established by the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior. There will be a minimum of one target shooting range in every national forest. The same minimum will apply to suitable Bureau of Land management units.
As established in the law, the target shooting ranges will have certain requirements. Some of these requirements include:
1. It must accommodate rifles and pistols;
2. It can include skeet, trap, or sporting clay infrastructure;
3. It can accommodate archery.
A full list of the requirements and more information can be found in the law text.
The work to make this bipartisan law a reality took several years. In 2023, a legislative hearing was held and recorded. This hearing had 6 witnesses and included a lot of background information on the law. A Hearing Memo was released with key takeaways noted. “Reliable access to federal lands and waters is crucial for the approximately 32 million Americans who engage in target shooting annually and the 101.6 million Americans (or roughly 40 percent of the population over the age of 16) who engage in some type of hunting, fishing, or wildlife-related activity.”
At TSRA, we are happy to represent a portion of said 40% of the population. We believe that keeping our hunting heritage strong is critical. It is invaluable to preserving Second Amendment rights for future generations.
Our Hunting and Wildlife program focuses on two main areas:
1. Preservation of Hunting Rights
2. Teaching Young People
We have raffles each year for Youth and Women-Only hunts. Last year, our female winners were treated to a dove hunt at G2 Ranch in Pearsall, Texas.
We are working on partnerships with other facilities throughout Texas as well. We hope to secure additional hunting locations for our members. If you are a Texas hunting facility interested in a potential hunt for TSRA Members, please contact John Poole for more information. John can be reached at execdir@tsra.com or by calling 512-614-4200.
Story by Marissa Brinkman (sportsman@tsra.com)
January 31, 2025