SOAR Act Summary

Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act

Improving the permitting process for outfitters, guides and other outdoor leaders on public lands

The permitting authority for outfitting and guiding permits, which is currently included in the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA), is sunsetting every year with little prospect for long-term reauthorization.  SOAR breaks out the permitting authority and renews it as an amendment to FLREA and makes important changes to simplify and improve permitting processes to enable more access for outfitters and organized groups.  New permitted uses of public lands are rarely authorized because permitting processes have become unnecessarily complex and costly in some agencies.  Land managing agencies are not even authorized to work together to issue one permit for a trip that crosses multiple agency boundaries.  SOAR is written to make common sense changes to the permitting processes and regulations to enable more access to public lands in a way that increases economic benefits of public lands while continuing environmental protections.

Bill Highlights:

• Reauthorizes outfitter and guide permitting authority for the Forest Service, the BLM, and brings the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Reclamation under FLREA so those agencies can keep permit fees;
• Authorizes agencies to issue one permit when a trip crosses multiple agency boundary, an authorization that includes NPS Commercial Use Authorizations and other agency permits;
• Reauthorizes permit fees and allows use for permit administration and simplifying processes as well as for previously authorized purposes;
• Eliminates fees based on goods and services delivered and consumed off federal lands and authorizes a flat, per person fee to simply permit calculations;
• Authorizes temporary permits to help facilitate access for new uses and provides for conversion to long term permits when appropriate (does not require conversion);
• Sets important deadlines for simplifying and revising permitting processes and regulations, a goal the Forest Service adopted internally but has never been able to deliver on;
• Provides more flexibility for use of permitted capacity by qualified service providers;
• Reforms cost recovery in the Forest Service and the BLM by giving a 50-hour credit for each permit when a group of permits is renewed and provides exceptions to the cost recovery requirement, a practice that the agencies have adopted although it is not authorized in their regulations;
• Prohibits the use of waivers for gross negligence, requires indemnification of agencies by permit holders and allows waivers for ordinary negligence.

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