Silverton, Colorado: The Little Town That Could
On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Federal Lands held an oversight hearing titled, “EXPLORE America250: Celebrating One Year of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act.” The hearing marked the one-year anniversary of the historic EXPLORE Act and offered Congress, federal agencies, and outdoor recreation partners an opportunity to reflect on implementation progress and what comes next. Notably, mountain biking was referenced no less than 18 times during the one hour and fifty-nine minute course of this federal oversight hearing.
Oversight hearings like this one are not about passing new legislation; they are about accountability. Lawmakers use them to assess how agencies are carrying out congressional direction, whether timelines are being met, and how partnerships on the ground are supporting success. In this case, the message was clear: implementation of the EXPLORE Act is underway, and collaboration will be critical as agencies approach their first major reporting deadlines in 2026.
“EXPLORE is a reminder of what Congress can do when we come together in a bipartisan basis and work with each other across the aisle…It was a first-of-its-kind, bipartisan, comprehensive outdoor recreation package, and the single most important measure is how many Americans are able to access and enjoy our public lands and the abundant recreation opportunities those lands afford.” -Chairman, Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR).
Reinforcing the Power of Partnerships
A central theme of the hearing was the importance of partnerships between federal land managers and the outdoor recreation community. Oral testimony from IMBA’s partners at Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and Outdoor Alliance reinforced that the EXPLORE Act was designed not only to expand access but to leverage the expertise of nonprofits, local trail organizations, and user groups that already maintain and steward recreation infrastructure nationwide.
Witnesses highlighted how coordinated efforts between agencies and partners improve data collection, trail planning, and public engagement, ensuring that recreation investments reflect real community needs. This alignment is exactly what the EXPLORE Act envisioned: federal leadership paired with grassroots knowledge and long-term stewardship.
IMBA’s Perspective: Trails, Access, and the BOLT Act
In its written testimony, IMBA thanked the Subcommittee for recognizing the one-year anniversary of the EXPLORE Act and for continuing to elevate outdoor recreation and conservation as national priorities. Representing more than 8 million mountain bikers and a network of over 200 local organizations, IMBA emphasized its mission to create, enhance, and protect great places to ride, both close to home and in iconic backcountry settings.
While IMBA supported the full EXPLORE package, its primary legislative focus has been the Biking on Long-Distance Trails (BOLT) Act, a key component of EXPLORE that recognizes the importance of long-distance bike trails on federal lands. The BOLT Act directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to:
Identify at least 10 existing long-distance bike trails over 80 miles and 10 areas with potential for future trail development;
Coordinate with stakeholders on feasibility and resource needs;
Publish maps, signage, and promotional materials; and
Issue a comprehensive report on existing and proposed trails, with stakeholder input.
IMBA highlighted how well-known trails such as the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, the Maah Daah Hey Trail in North Dakota, the Ouachita National Recreation Trail in Arkansas, the High Country Pathway in Michigan, and the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in Utah stand to benefit from this recognition.
These trails are more than recreation corridors: they are economic engines. IMBA pointed to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis showing the outdoor recreation economy now accounts for $454 billion in GDP, surpassing traditional sectors such as oil and gas, air transportation, and the performing arts. Long-distance bike trails in particular bring sustained visitation and new opportunities to rural communities across the country.
Implementation in Motion
With the EXPLORE Act now in its implementation phase, agencies are approaching their first Congressionally mandated deadlines. IMBA and its partners have not waited on the sidelines. Beginning in early 2025, IMBA led a coalition of off-road bicycling organizations to collect and share data on long-distance trails, drawing on the collective knowledge of hundreds of trail groups nationwide.
The response from the trail community was overwhelmingly positive. Organizations submitted nominations and information on existing and potential long-distance trails, helping build a comprehensive picture of trail-based recreation infrastructure across federal lands. IMBA has been in regular communication with federal agency partners, sharing this data as agencies prepare to publish their report on long-distance trails in July 2026.
IMBA is confident that the agencies will deliver a strong, detailed report and remains ready to assist federal partners in ensuring successful implementation of the BOLT Act.'
Coalition Work and What Comes Next
The hearing underscored that the EXPLORE Act’s success depends on continued collaboration. For the outdoor recreation coalition, next steps are clear: support agencies as they meet their reporting requirements, ensure stakeholder input remains central, and keep building momentum around the BOLT Act’s vision for a national network of long-distance bike trails.
This moment is not an endpoint: it is a checkpoint. One year after passage, the EXPLORE Act is moving from promise to practice. With strong partnerships, clear direction, and active engagement from organizations like IMBA, the opportunity now is to turn policy into places: more trails, better access, and stronger communities connected by outdoor recreation.
As implementation continues, IMBA and its partners stand ready to help shape the next chapter of EXPLORE, ensuring that America’s public lands remain places of discovery, connection, and opportunity for generations to come.
