S. 2968: Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act

This bill, called the Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act, aims to enhance access to certain public lands for individuals with disabilities. Below are the main provisions of the bill:

Definitions

The bill defines key terms related to its provisions:

• Disability-accessible land: Public land that has at least 2.5 miles of authorized roads accessible to motorized or off-road vehicles for each square mile.
• Off-road vehicle: A motorized vehicle designed for travel on various terrains, including land and water.
• Public land: Includes National Forest System land and land overseen by the Secretary of the Interior.
• Secretary concerned: Refers to the Secretary of Agriculture for National Forests and the Secretary of the Interior for other public lands.

Updates to Management Plans

The bill mandates that the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior prioritize updating travel management and vehicle use plans for public lands to improve accessibility.

Motor Vehicle Use Maps and Public Land Designations

The Secretaries are required to:

• Consider the total length of traversable roads in each square mile of public land when creating motor vehicle use maps.
• Ensure the inclusion of accessible roads that provide various recreational activities, such as hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities, while accounting for diverse recreational needs.
• Coordinate with different government levels and tribal authorities to identify routes that should remain accessible for individuals with disabilities.
• Revise routes on public lands as needed based on changing conditions.
• Keep roads under litigation open until the legal issues are resolved.

Road Closures and Maintenance

Specific guidelines for road closures are established, stating that:

• Roads cannot be closed if it would reduce the quantity of accessible roads unless it is deemed necessary for safety or if the road is newly established for emergencies.
• The Secretary should consider reopening roads closed in the past ten years unless they are unsafe.
• Public notice and the opportunity for comments should be provided before any proposed closure.

New Roads and Regulations

The bill promotes the establishment of new roads by ensuring that:

• New road nominations can be made for inclusion in management plans
• New roads must be completed within one year of existing road closures.

New closures may be exempt from certain environmental review requirements, thereby streamlining the process of implementing new access routes or modifying existing ones.

Effect of the Act

The legislation does not prevent the development of new roads or trails intended for motorized usage and does not allow the establishment of new roads within certain protected areas like the National Park System, other than designated recreation areas.

Relevant Companies

• PLTR (Palantir Technologies): This company provides data integration and processing solutions that could be utilized by federal agencies implementing this bill, particularly in analyzing land accessibility data.
• AVAV (AeroVironment, Inc.): They manufacture small unmanned aircraft systems which could be employed in monitoring public land safely, particularly for accessibility-related improvements.