In an op-ed to the Topeka Capital-Journal newspaper in Kansas, RVIA Chairman Jeff Rutherford called on Kansas’ congressional delegation to support the America’s Outdoor Recreation Act.
The bill, including numerous outdoor recreation priorities, passed a Senate committee and is awaiting approval from the full House and Senate before reaching the president’s desk.
“America’s Outdoor Recreation Act is the most valuable policy tool in front of us right now,” Rutherford wrote. “Kansas’ U.S. senators and representatives are some of the strongest supporters of outdoor recreation and I call upon Kansas members of Congress to continue their longstanding support of common-sense outdoor recreation policy by co-sponsoring America’s Outdoor Recreation Act.”
Rutherford said the legislation addresses infrastructure investments, permitting processes, broadband connectivity at recreation sites and public-private partnerships — where appropriate — to renovate and operate campgrounds on federal lands.
These measures are critical and will deliver long-term benefits for all Americans, particularly those in rural and underserved communities.
“These measures are critical and will deliver long-term benefits for all Americans,” he said, “particularly those in rural and underserved communities.”
Among the benefits, Rutherford said, are provisions helping update and modernize national park campgrounds, including upgraded cell and Wi-Fi service and electric vehicle accommodation.
“In a post-COVID world, where remote work is ubiquitous and many can work from anywhere, the need for more widely available cell and Wi-Fi service is imperative,” he said.
The full op-ed piece is available by clicking here.
