Digital mapping and GPS technologies have become an essential part of outdoor recreation. By pinpointing on a handheld device a user’s precise location, hikers, hunters, anglers, boaters, and others can see exactly where they stand relative to landmarks and property boundaries. However, the full potential of these technologies to enhance our enjoyment of public lands is hampered by incomplete and inconsistent mapping data from agencies such as the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and Army Corps of Engineers. Thankfully, a bipartisan bill introduced in both chambers of Congress in March 2020, the Modernizing Access to our Public Land (MAPLand) Act, addresses this shortcoming.
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