So, we are here to talk about good things, recreation and im going to keep my, to brief because i know colleagues are very engaged in a couple of you want to make opening comments as well but we have three pieces this morning were considering, 1665 which is simple fight Outdoor Access for recreation act, senator heinrich calls at the sort act, i like the acronym there. In 1723, the ski area retention act from senator gardner, we all love skiing. I cant wait. 1967, the recreation. This hearing is building off one that we held in march where we focus in improving access and permitting to meet the increasing demands to provide highquality recreation opportunities on our land. Proposals that were looking at today are a good start in addressing those issues. Senator heinrich, white and have put forward legislation to streamline and simple by the system to process permits for our outfitter guide and nonprofit for those who operate across the spectrum and federal lien. Senator gardner will facilitate for infrastructure to meet the demands for four season recreation and ski areas the operated internation force. All of these majors recognize the Important Role that recreation is playing in our economy. According to the bureau of economic analysis, and 2016 anaconda for twopoint to percent of gdp for about 427 billion. This includes not only impact sectors like outfitting, but all of the associated impacts as well, lodging, transportation, restaurants. It has a big impact from recreation unit 2018 we will come about 1. 17 million cruciate visitors and next year were up to 1. 3 in the state of 720,000 people. We certainly feel the impact is exciting but sometimes a little overwhelming and as the Visitor Center you have hundreds of people who want to get in to the facility every day but the facility is designed to hold a fraction of that for service and they need a master plan to respond to the increased visitation but it is a challenge. I was with senator lee this past friday and we had an opportunity to go to the National Park to see the pressures everybody wants to get into the park but how do we accommodate, how do we facilitate. Our outfitters and guides are trained to respond to growing good man in the backcountry ski guide going to new areas in the blm, there being delayed very lengthy for Environmental Review process and the agency to process, these are all things that we hear about. What were trying to do is ensure to increasing act and i appreciate the colleagues on these very important bills. Im going to turn to senator mentioned before a introducer panel and another members would like to make introductions. If i can elect to defer to senator wyden. Thank you, senator mentioned in chairman county, not only do i want to thank you for your courtesy but i also very much appreciate on the recreation issue, the work we do in a bipartisan way and i think we understand every member particularly, we understand the recreation efforts are very compatible and are clearly a boost both for our quality of life in the west and for our economy in a chance to bring americans together for better health. I appreciate this, my bill with congressman bishop, r r recreation is basically one that updates the policies from yesteryear because in yesteryear recreation was not the big economic recreation that solid popout. Point number two, he knows a lot about recreation, he was responsible for the guide permits with the most days and the state of oregon and also helped create an organ state office of Outdoor Recreation. So im going to go back and forth and ive had the courtesy of the chair and the Ranking Member and my colleagues are really in the Gold Standard when you hear from my fellow oregonians. Last but am not interested in starting a controversy but i want to make sure he talks of the chair in the vice chair in the days ahead. Colleagues, we all know because we read the paper about the wildfires that are ravaging the west. There are a host of issues that we will have to tackle and i just want to put two on the board. One is Climate Change and i think there are ways we can work collaboratively on that in the second is collaboration which is what we try to stress on the ground and thats what borrowing is about an stewardship has been all about and if we want to have colleagues, wonderful places to recreate we will have to do something to get an update of the policies. Madam chair in the vice chair, i look forward to working with you on both and ill be back and forth. Thank you monitor. Senator mansion. I want to thank all of you for being here today. I commend the sponsors for explain innovative ways to improve Outdoor Recreation and businesses that support it. After recreation has been a powerful economic driver in states including West Virginia is been no exception. Ive seen firsthand how the economy has brought West Virginia. After recreation in my state generate 2 of her growth under Gross Domestic Product of 22000 jobs. And 3 of the workforce is not employed in the recreational sector earning over 688 million in salaries. This is a topic is near and dear to my heart as i know everybody here. As her Committee Reviews legislation for recreation i believe we must ensure the idea being discussed will grow the economys communities in all three bills attempt to do that and will have impacts, i believe in the states not only being introduced but for all of us especially in West Virginia. Senators bill would provide assistance to the federal lands end why we will hear from mr. Maguire about how this will impact, i want to mention we have two skiers in West Virginia, that use force service plan and a third area that was located this year end now for sale. I look forward to the discussion about ways we can be better parties of the industry. The appropriate use of revenue and a fair return for the taxpayers. We also will discuss the bill sponsored by senator heinrich and capital. That provides assistant of backpacking trips on federal land. West virginia was home to the First NationalRecreation Area in the United States in 1965. Its a National Recreation area. These bills facilitate peoples ability to enjoy the public lands will supporting jobs in the local economy sprayed following this hearing chairman murkowski and i will get to work on a recreation package to report this committee. The heart and soul of the package will be the same as a bills today. Too not only make it easier for people to enjoy but also grow businesses coming from alaskan West Virginia we have firsthand experience of importance of recreation interstate and with that basis we developed for inclusion, for example one of the areas ive explored is how we can better supports gateway communities. Those of the communities that are next to the recreation that i mentioned were visitors eat, sleep before or after. Most of them testify before a Committee Earlier this year about how difficult it was to establish businesses in these communities. The trail system host 50000 annually but 57 or nonWest Virginia. Meaning they need hotels to stay in restaurants to eat. Unfortunately West Virginia continues to be a difficult established inventory that needed to accommodate increased visitation in the rural areas. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this and many other ideas with a bipartisan recreation passage in the coming weeks with that i want to think the witnesses and chairman thank you. Thank you, senator gardner i know you wanted to briefly speak about your bill, and i know you want to make introduction and senator heinrich you have a bill appear. Were never going to get to these guys. I just want to hear from her witnesses. Thank you, madam to be very quick. Im pleased to have before the committee Brenda Maguire who is Vice President for Public Affairs at the resorts testifying in behalf of the National Ski Area this morning. This resort in colorado or its namesake was started in 1962 by veterans of the Mountain Division of world war ii. Since then the resort has grown into a Success Story spanning 37 sku areas across 37 countries all linked together by the industry epic season pass Available Online around the country. It allows skiers and riders to access destination at a great value. The native colorado and former instructor in chair murkowski can attest to a pretty great guy and thank you very much to be here today and i think you have 86 acres open accused. Amazing. Great thinking. Thank you very much madame chair im pleased to help you welcome aaron into her committee as a witness, haner showed hometown of casper wyoming in the love and Natural Resources that wyoming has to offer. He spent more than a decade with the National OutdoorLeadership School where hes been extraordinary relating to outdoor education, efficient responsible use of public land and permitting when we think about publicly and in the history, Teddy Roosevelt carried a gun to all of them saw the land and they all arrived at the same collusion, we need to preserve and protect and pass on the resources and allow others to enjoy. I had many conversations about ways to avoid a process that persuades public use of public land. Wyoming relies on recreation and tourism is a key component of our state economy, much of the recreation occurs on public Land Management federal agencies. Its important we combine thoughtful evaluation of the impact will be effective and efficient permitting process that encourages Public Access to magnificent landscapes. I look forward to your expertise that you share with the committee and i want to congratulate you, monday you will start with american outdoors as the executive director, big news and i look forward to work with you in your new role. Thank you all. Most of you have been introduced but i will provide my welcome to each of you, we will start off the discussion this morning with an individual who has been before the committee we certainly had many dealings with chris who is a deputy chief of the forced in the u. S. For service in chris we think you for the many, many efforts that you have made and i know youre sending a lot of attention and time on the issues but thank you for your leadership. Nikki is with the committee this morning to acting assistant director for Community Partnerships at the blm and we thank you for being here this morning and look forward to your comments Brenda Maguire has been introduced and welcomed, it is always good to have somebody that can be against speaking with a firsthand relationship to the industry he represents and he certainly does and we welcome you to the committee. Lee davis has been introduced by senator wyden. Were pleased youre with us from oregon. Welcome to the committee and to mr. Aaron bannon. We appreciate what you will provide and we ask you keep your comments to about five minutes. Your full statement will be included as part of the record and will have an opportunity for questions after words. Im going to excuse myself to introduce an amendment and another committee and ill be back in five but we will lead off the committee with mr. French. Thank you. Thank you very much madame chair, vice chair and members of the committee. I appreciate the opportunity to talk about our views on these three bills, recreation, the Outdoor Recreation act in the ski area ski retention act. When i glanced back on my 30 years that ive been with the Forest Service i started as a technician. Now as i sit here and think about my role that i achieved, i realize i voice had a passion for connecting people to the recreational opportunities on a public land and its where i take my family. I know when they closed it was hard to see that happen and they use many of the Services Provided by our outfitter guides. When i look at this i think that anything that we can do to improve our ability to survive Recreation Community and enhance those experiences connecting folks to the publicly and, thats a good day. After recreation is a significant use of a four system per the number recreation to the national for system rose from 143 million in 2009 and ten years later that was at 150 million. Recreation plan makes more private sector jobs than any other for Service Program and provides the single largest stimulus for gateway communities. Recreation contributes more than 11 billion to americas Gross Domestic Product and supports more than 480,000 jobs and the gateway in rural communities. After recreation opportunities and amenities are consistently ranked as one of the primary reasons people move to rural towns and a leading contributor to local communities. For service we minister more than 30000 recreation special use operated stations for activity that generate 2 billion to the holders. The four Service Managers 122 secur122ski areas and 8000 outfd guide permits. These permits and private sector professionals, Educational Institution that lead a wide range of activities and national for system lands whether white river rafting, downhill skiing, horseback riding, big game hunting or Youth Education trips or tours. Many of activities represent the first introduction that many folks have to the outdoors in the outfitter guide and employee are Small Businesses that generate jobs. We also managed nearly 159,000 miles of trails, the largest Trail Network in the nation. We host over 60 of the country ski Area Business and were proud of thousands of campsites in areas as well as opportunities for boating, fishing, hunting and hiking. Usda supports overall goals to improve recreational access and national for system lands. The recreation safe act in the store act will complement Agency Efforts to stream myanmar process, reduce inefficiencies and provide a higher level of Customer Service to republic and value partners. This key area will increase the valuable resources to improve the ministration in the experience. Finally, after recreation provides millions of americans for Job Opportunities to connect with land and heritage. Usda for service in the vital link in enormously vice opportunity to work to improve lives and livelihood of americans throughout the wreck creation. I think you to the committee for the opportunity to provide testimony and i look forward to working together on the important bills. Thank you mr. French. Good morning. I am nikki, acting assistant director for National Conservation lands end Community Partnerships. At the bureau of foreign management. Thank you for inviting me here today to testify on as 1967, the recreation act and s1665 the outdoor act recreation act or store act. These bills which amend the federal Land Recreation enhancement act game to improve the efficiency and the cost for ministry recreation permits. They also authorize single joint special permits for multiagency trips. The department supports the goals of both of these bills. Federal land mage and schmidt agencies oversee about 640 million acres including public Land Management of the blm. These lands host a remarkable variety recreational opportunities. Secretary bernhardt is improving recreational access to public land and is issued a number of orders and support of this. For example, 3373 promotes improved access to quick land and under this policy the bom has acquired new lands such as 13000 acres to improve access to the Blackfoot River in montana and the 3500 acres to improve access to the wilderness area in new mexico. Much of the changes proposed in the bull deal with special recreation permits and associated fees. Fees collected for each permit allow the federal government to implement projects that benefit visitors such as recreational sites. The blm issues over 1000 of these recreation permits a year end oversees about 4600 recreation permits at any one time. Land. We believe these bills have the potential to address longstanding challenges and we look forward to working with the sponsors and the committee to address a number of technical issues. Both bills authorize agencies to issue joint recreational permits for trips across the agency boundaries of more than one management agency. When a single joint recreation permit is proposed, the bull authorized the designation of a lead agency for the permit. The bills authorize agencies to delegate the respective Enforcement Authority to the lead agency. The department has bee