Vista Outdoor Voices Support for the EXPLORE Act

12/13/2023

During a recent Congressional Fly-In, Vista Outdoor joined OIA and other industry representatives to promote passage of the outdoor recreation legislative package.

ANOKA, Minn. — Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE: VSTO), the parent company of 42 renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products to consumers around the globe, today announced its support of the EXPLORE Act — or Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act — a package of bills specific to the outdoor recreation industry. The bill was introduced in late November by House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and an 18-member bipartisan group.

Vista Outdoor, along with other outdoor industry stakeholders, urges Congress to pass the EXPLORE Act, formerly known as America’s Outdoor Recreation Act (AORA), to boost local and regional economies, protect public lands and increase access to outdoor recreation for all.

“Policies within the EXPLORE Act will enable long overdue permit streamlining, update outdoor recreation infrastructure, improve mountain bike trails and increase access to green spaces in underserved communities,” said Fred Ferguson, Vista Outdoor’s VP of Public Affairs and Communications. “These policies have strong bipartisan support and are commonsense solutions to maintain and enrich the places we love most.”

Joining Ferguson in Washington for meetings and advocacy were members of Vista Outdoor and several of the company’s Outdoor Products brands. They included Vishak Sankaran, Group President, Outdoor Accessories and Golf, Vista Outdoor; Jeff Sposito, President, Stone Glacier; and Diane Bristol, VP Community and Culture, Simms Fishing Products.

On Dec. 7, Vista Outdoor Corporate Communications Manager Eric Smith joined leaders from the Outdoor Industry Association and other outdoor businesses to push for passage of the bill. Smith, who is a member of OIA’s Recreation Advisory Council, and representatives from REI Co-op, Orvis, NEMO Equipment and OIA’s general counsel discussed the benefits of the legislation with key Congressional staff on Capitol Hill.

Below are several key provisions in the EXPLORE Act that Vista Outdoor and other outdoor stakeholders have been pushing Congress to pass:

SOAR Act: This bill intends to create parity within permitting, including on guided bike trips, fundamentally improving the way people access and experience the outdoors.

BOLT Act: Long-distance bike trails are one of the fastest-growing segments of gravel riding, and this bill will attract more users to federal lands.

Range Access Act: Recreational shooting and hunting have grown to include more diverse and active shooting sports participants. Expanding range infrastructure will promote safety, minimize dispersed target shooting and support wildlife conservation funding, as target shooting is the leading contributor to Pittman-Robertson.

The fight for passage of the EXPLORE Act has been ongoing. Last fall, every brand in Vista Outdoor’s portfolio called on leadership in Washington to pass AORA. In March, Ferguson delivered remarks before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Federal Lands, asking leadership in Washington to pass several groundbreaking recreation bills.

And last May, when the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources was making progress on AORA by reporting the legislation out of committee, Vista Outdoor sent a letter to the Committee’s two ranking senators — Joe Manchin, D-W.V., Chairman, and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Ranking Member — to thank them for supporting and championing the bipartisan legislation that will benefit the now $1.1 trillion outdoor recreation industry.

Vista Outdoor thanks OIA and all outdoor industry stakeholders for uniting in support of this bipartisan opportunity to protect our public lands, ensuring we sustain the outdoors for generations to come.

About Vista Outdoor Inc.
Vista Outdoor (NYSE: VSTO) is the parent company of more than three dozen renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products. Brands include Bushnell, CamelBak, Bushnell Golf, Foresight Sports, Fox Racing, Bell Helmets, Camp Chef, Giro, Simms Fishing, QuietKat, Stone Glacier, Federal Ammunition, Remington Ammunition and more. Our reporting segments, Outdoor Products (Revelyst) and Sporting Products (The Kinetic Group), provide consumers with a wide range of performance-driven, high-quality and innovative outdoor and sporting products. For news and information, visit our website at www.vistaoutdoor.com.