Bennet Leads Colorado Lawmakers to Demand Trump Administration Maintain an Effective & Functional Recreation.gov Online Booking System 

Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology, led Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Representatives Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), and Jeff Crank (R-Colo.) in calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of the Interior to ensure the effectiveness and functionality of the Recreation.gov website as the agencies’ current contract ends and a new bidding process begins.

Recreation.gov is the primary link between millions of Americans and campgrounds, permits, passes, and other recreation opportunities on public lands. In Colorado, this website serves as an important connection between recreationists and the state’s public lands, National Parks, and National Forests, which contribute to an over $18 billion outdoor recreation economy.

Americans should have easy, unobstructed access to recreational opportunities on public lands, but many individuals have reported extreme challenges when attempting to obtain passes and permits due to autonomous bots and third-party actors that instantly reserve sought-after campsites, permits, and other recreation opportunities. With the current Recreation.gov contract expiring next year, it is important to identify the strengths and shortcomings of the current system, ensure operational continuity, and push for improvements that guarantee Americans’ seamless access to their public lands. 

“Any major change to the Recreation.gov system should be carefully evaluated to ensure it benefits taxpayers, improves service quality, maintains operational continuity, and avoids reducing the capabilities upon which land managers and visitors currently rely. In addition, while the system must continue to evolve to address changing conditions – including the reported use of autonomous bots by third-party actors that unfairly obtain reservations at the expense of the American public – those improvements should be pursued in a way that preserves continuity for visitors and land managers alike,” wrote the lawmakers. 

Bennet is a passionate advocate for public lands and safeguarding outdoor recreation. In February 2025, he led Hickenlooper and Neguse to reintroduce the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act. This legislation protects approximately 420,000 acres of public land in Colorado, establishes new wilderness areas, and safeguards existing outdoor recreation opportunities to boost the economy for future generations. That same month, Bennet joined Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) to introduce the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act, which would expand access to public lands for hunting, fishing, hiking, and other outdoor activities.

The text of the letter is available HERE and below. 

Undersecretary Boren and Deputy Secretary MacGregor:

We write to highlight the importance of maintaining an effective and functional Recreation.gov website. Created almost ten years ago, millions of Americans now use Recreation.gov every year to access campgrounds, permits, passes, and other recreation opportunities on federal lands. In Colorado, Recreation.gov enables Americans from all over the country to visit our state’s public lands, National Parks, and National Forests, facilitating the state’s $18.1 billion outdoor recreation economy. As the Departments’ reach the end of the current Recreation.gov contract, we urge you to ensure the system is able to continue serving as a reliable resource for Americans looking to take advantage of their public lands. 

Any major change to the Recreation.gov system should be carefully evaluated to ensure it benefits taxpayers, improves service quality, maintains operational continuity, and avoids reducing the capabilities upon which land managers and visitors currently rely. In addition, while the system must continue to evolve to address changing conditions – including the reported use of autonomous bots by third-party actors that unfairly obtain reservations at the expense of the American public – those improvements should be pursued in a way that preserves continuity for visitors and land managers alike. 

To that end, we respectfully request that you provide responses to the following questions: 

• Is the recompete process expected to result in a material change to the Recreation.gov system, including the types of services offered?
• What steps is the Administration taking to ensure reliable access to Recreation.gov for all users as the recompete process begins? 
• What efforts are being developed or implemented to combat automated bots, improve communication about reservation availability and high-demand sites, and provide guidance on alternative destinations? 
• How are Administration officials engaging with the Recreation One Stop program office and industry partners to identify opportunities to improve the system?
• Have DOI and USDA officials considered deviating from the current unified platform?

We look forward to working with you to ensure fair and open competition during the rebid process, and to guarantee Recreation.gov remains modern, reliable, secure, and responsive to the needs of the American people and the federal land managers who serve them. 

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