From the SEMA Washington, D.C., office
U.S. Representative Mike Kennedy (UT) recently introduced H.R. 9221, the "Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act," a SEMA and ORBA-supported bill that protects motorized trail access for individuals with disabilities and the broader OHV community.
The bill would effectively create a minimum amount of road and trail access on lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forrest Service and requires the agencies to consider the impacts that road and trail closures would have on disability access to public lands. Click here to send a letter to your members of Congress in support of the Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Kennedy's bill serves as companion legislation to S. 2968, the "Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act," from Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee Chairman Mike Lee (R-UT).
Currently, large portions of federally managed lands restrict motorized access, which creates a barrier that prevents individuals with disabilities––including wounded warriors, aging Americans and others who may face mobility challenges––from accessing public lands. The bill ties disability access to the availability of open roads by requiring that one square mile of public land must have at least 2.5 miles of authorized roads accessible to motorized vehicles.
"The Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act would ensure that federal lands, including our nation's natural treasures, can be enjoyed by and are accessible to all Americans," said SEMA Senior Vice President for Public and Government Affairs Karen Bailey-Chapman. "For far too long, federal land management policies have reduced motorized recreational access to public lands at the expense of the disabled and large segments of the U.S. population who are not physically able to enjoy them. Rep. Kennedy's bill is a welcome policy shift in the name of access for the American people."
Listed below are key provisions in the "Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act"
- Protects access to government lands, including those managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forrest Service, for individuals with disabilities.
- Defines "disability-accessible land" as public land on which at least 2.5 miles of authorized roads accessible to motorized or off-road vehicles exist for each square mile.
- Directs the Interior Department and the Forest Service to update travel management plans to ensure that each square mile of public land has a minimum of 2.5 miles of roads accessible to motorized vehicles.
- Requires land managers to coordinate with state, county, local and tribal governments to identify which roads provide the best opportunities for recreation and to give local stakeholders a voice before any road is closed.
- Prevents roads from being closed if doing so would cause an area to fall short of accessibility requirements, except in cases of emergency or significant safety threats.
- Requires road closures to be paired with the designation of alternative routes.
Through their ongoing advocacy efforts, ORBA and SEMA have supported policies that promote responsible recreation, public access, stewardship and multiple-use management of public lands. The Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act represents another opportunity to improve access while maintaining responsible management and protection of natural resources.
For additional information, contact SEMA Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.
Image Courtesy of Shutterstock | Ceri Breeze
