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From Mirror reports
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The House of Representatives passed the Modernizing Access to our Public Land Act earlier this week, which would enhance outdoor recreation opportunities on public land by investing in modern mapping systems that provide Americans with the public access information they need while using handheld GPS technology commonly found in smartphones.
Introduced by U.S. Representatives Blake Moore (R-Utah), Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), and Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), the MAPLand Act has been a top priority for hunters and anglers. It was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee this past July.
The MAPLand Act will direct federal land management agencies to consolidate, digitize, and make publicly available recreational access information as geospatial files, such as:
n Legal easements and rights-of-way across private land.
n Year-round or seasonal closures on roads and trails.
n Road-specific restrictions by vehicle-type.
Boundaries of areas where special rules or prohibitions apply to hunting and shooting
Companion legislation in the Senate passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in November 2021 with unanimous support.
The bill now needs to clear the full Senate before it can be delivered to the president and signed into law.
"Hunters want more information on where to gain access to public lands but often don't know where to start and the information can be incomplete. The MAPLand Act will make it easier for sportsmen and women to enjoy our outdoor heritage now," said Land Tawney, president and CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.