What Is the EXPLORE Act?

The EXPLORE Act (Public Law 118-234) is not a disc-golf-specific statute. It is a public-lands recreation law that gives the Bureau of Land Management new tools around inventories, accessibility, permitting, gateway communities, visitor data, and partnerships. Those tools fit disc golf unusually well — but disc golf is one of many recreation uses that can leverage these authorities.

Signed by President Biden on January 4, 2025, this 83-page law authorizes mandatory recreation inventories, expanded categorical exclusions for recreation permits, volunteer-built facilities on BLM land, Good Neighbor Authority for recreation construction, and 30-year partnership agreements.

Why disc golf fits

Disc golf is already a recognized BLM recreation use. BLM’s public “Visit” system includes disc golf as an activity category, and BLM Utah’s Cedar City pages currently promote disc golf at Three Peaks Recreation Area. A disc golf proposal starts from an activity the agency already recognizes — not a brand-new concept.

The Act’s authorities map directly onto disc golf’s development model:

• Title I gives disc golf a strong siting hook through mandatory recreation resource inventories
• Title II makes accessibility one of the best openings — BLM must select new accessible recreation opportunities in each region
• Title III matters immediately for disc golf events through updated permit categories and nominal-effects determinations
• Good Neighbor Authority and volunteer provisions match disc golf’s overwhelmingly volunteer-driven construction model
• Gateway community provisions align with disc golf near towns and underutilized day-use areas

The right framing

The smartest approach is to frame proposals as “a low-impact day-use/accessibility/stewardship package that includes disc golf” rather than claiming the statute expressly authorizes disc golf course construction.

“Disc golf is a low-cost, low-footprint, family-friendly, stewardship-ready recreation option that can help your office advance accessible recreation, youth and veteran engagement, underutilized day-use sites, shoulder-season visitation, and organized-group recreation management under authorities you are already implementing.”

Critical limitation

The EXPLORE Act is an authorization bill, not an appropriations bill. It creates legal authorities but does not provide dedicated funding. The strongest proposals arrive with volunteer capacity, maintenance commitments, local-government support, and in-kind contributions already lined up.

The gap

No disc golf entity participates in federal recreation policy. The PDGA is not a member of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable or Outdoor Alliance. No disc golf manufacturer has any involvement in federal recreation policy. No disc golf organization submitted comments during the Act’s development. The current situation is analogous to where climbing was in 1985–1990 — before the Access Fund existed.