16 U.S.C. § 8442 — Improved recreation visitation data

(a) Consistent visitation data. (1) The Secretaries (the federal officials managing the relevant lands) must set up a single system to report accurate, consistent annual visitation numbers for each unit of federal recreational lands and waters, and for land held in trust for an Indian Tribe if that Tribe asks for it. (2) Within that system, the Secretaries must create categories of recreation activities that are reported the same way across agencies, and must estimate the number of visitors in each category for each unit. (b) Real-Time Data Pilot Program. (1) Within 5 years after January 4, 2025, using money the Secretaries already have, the Secretaries must run a "Real-Time Data Pilot Program" that gives the public, for each selected unit: real-time or predicted visitation data (including data already published by outside platforms) for the unit itself, for areas within it where practical, and for nearby recreation sites run by other federal, state, or local agencies where practical; and, through multiple types of media, information about lesser-known nearby recreation sites (including ones run by other agencies), to help spread out visitors. (2) Locations. When the program starts, the Secretaries must pick 10 units managed by the Secretary (of the Interior), 5 units managed by the Forest Service (under the Secretary of Agriculture), 1 unit managed by NOAA (under the Secretary of Commerce), and 1 unit managed by the Army Corps of Engineers (under the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works). Within 6 years after January 4, 2025, the Secretaries must report to Congress on how the pilot program is going, with recommendations for expanding it. The Secretaries must also ask nearby communities and the public for feedback, and may only include a unit in the program if the community next to it supports its participation. (3) The Secretaries may share this information directly or through the outside partners described in subsection (c). (4) In running the pilot program, the Secretaries may rely, where practical, on assessments or data gathered before January 4, 2025. (c) Community and outside partners. To carry out this section, the Secretary in charge may coordinate or partner with nearby communities, state and local tourism offices, local governments, Indian Tribes, trade associations, local recreation marketing groups, permitted recreation providers, or other relevant stakeholders, and may coordinate or make agreements with private and nonprofit partners, including tech companies, geospatial data companies, data-science experts, or other data companies. (d) Existing programs. The Secretaries may use programs or products they already have to carry this section out. (e) Privacy limits. Nothing in this section lets the Secretaries: monitor or record where a visitor goes; restrict, interfere with, or monitor a visitor's private communications; or collect information from owners of land next to a federal recreation unit, or information about non-federal land. (f) Reports. Starting 1 year after January 4, 2025, and every year after, the Secretaries must publish on their website a report on the annual visitation of each unit, broken down by recreation activity as much as practical. (g) Definitions. "Federal recreational lands and waters" has the meaning given in section 6801 of this title, and also includes federal lands and waters managed by NOAA and the Army Corps of Engineers. "Secretaries" means: the Secretary (of the Interior), for lands under their jurisdiction; the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Forest Service Chief, for Forest Service lands; the Secretary of Commerce, acting through NOAA's Administrator, for NOAA's federal waters; and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, for lakes and reservoirs run by the Army Corps of Engineers.