Federal agencies must map public waterways so you know where you can fish and boat
H.R. 187 — Modernizing Access to our Public Waters Act of 2025 · Filed by Blake Moore (R-UT) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Jan 3, 2025 · Signed
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What it does
This bill requires federal agencies managing public waterways (National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and Fish and Wildlife Service) to standardize, digitize, and publish online maps and data about where people can fish, boat, and access federal waters—including restrictions, seasonal closures, boat ramp locations, and fishing rules. Within 5 years, all this information must be available in a unified, searchable format so the public knows which waterways are open, what activities are allowed, and where access points are located.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is mandating federal agencies to standardize and publish existing data about public waterway access and restrictions. It is fundamentally an information-transparency and interagency coordination measure, not a regulatory or appropriations bill.
What the text implies
- Standardized public data on fishing and waterway restrictions may indirectly increase recreational pressure on popular federal waters, potentially straining infrastructure or requiring agencies to manage crowding.
- The bill allows agencies to partner with private technology and geospatial data companies to meet publication requirements, creating potential for private firms to commercialize or resell federal geospatial data.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
geospatial data companies; technology companies providing data standardization and publication services; GIS software vendors