Why this act signed by Biden means so much for the West

• The measure, signed Jan. 4, won bipartisan support in both chambers and broke through the partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C., with provisions to support hunting, fishing, climbing and other sports.

What they're saying: "It has taken decades to get to where we are," said Jessica Wahl Turner, president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, an advocacy organization.

The intrigue: The modernization efforts include digital national park passes, broadband internet access at recreation sites and campgrounds, and better data collection about visitor numbers.

• Other provisions give more flexibility to guides and outfitters with permits to operate on federal lands and encourage the development of more accessible wilderness opportunities for children and those with disabilities.
• An Obama-era program that gave every fourth grader and their family free entry into federal lands was extended.

Zoom in: A dozen individual bills are part of the package, including a handful of provisions pushed by the Colorado delegation.

• U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Lafayette) incorporated a provision to add at least 10 long-distance bike trails on federal lands.
• U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D) advocated for language that will continue to allow climbers to install fixed bolts for routes in national recreation sites.
• U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D) and U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Windsor) championed a portion of the bill that continues to allow the U.S. Forest Service to leave sites for affordable housing in mountain communities.

The bottom line: Everyone who goes outdoors will be impacted by the new law.