One of former President Biden's final acts will leave a lasting impact on outdoor recreation in California and across the West.

State of play: The bipartisan Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act is hailed as a first-of-its-kind effort to boost the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation industry by modernizing and improving public lands access.

• The measure, signed Jan. 4, won bipartisan support in both chambers and broke through the partisan gridlock in Washington with provisions to support hunting, fishing, climbing and other sports.
• U.S. Rep. Mike Levin, who represents parts of North County, was an original co-sponsor of the bill.

Why it matters: California has 28 national parks, monuments and recreation areas — more than any other state — including Cabrillo in San Diego and Joshua Tree nearby. And the list is growing.

The intrigue: The new law's 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 people 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 EXPLORE Act package, including ones from California Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán that would fund more urban parks and trails, particularly in low-income communities.

• Last year, San Diego's park system ranked higher than most big U.S. cities', but scored poorly on equity. Low-income neighborhoods and neighborhoods of color have less park space than more affluent, predominantly white areas, a report by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land found.
• The city is upgrading local parks and expanding outdoor programs in underserved areas, while working to make parks more equitable across neighborhoods.

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Outdoor recreation's economic impact in California grew to $81.5 billion in 2023, a nearly 9% increase from the prior year, according to figures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

• It has nearly doubled since 2012.

By the numbers: The industry accounts for 2.1% of the state's economy, and hovered around that share of California's GDP for the past decade.

• It generated about 545,500 California jobs in 2023, growing to about 2.9% of the state's total employment.

Zoom in: The biggest drivers of revenue are industries that support outdoor recreation, like construction, travel and tourism.

• The top activities are boating, fishing, and RVing.

🪧 Thousands marched through downtown yesterday and in National City on Friday protesting President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. (NBC7)

❎ The California Department of Public Health responded to a request from Axios, clarifying that public health officials do not collect information on the citizenship or visa status of parents after a birth, because state law does not call for it, and there has been no change in that guidance. (Axios)

• Collecting that information would be necessary to implement the Trump administration's order attempting to end birthright citizenship.

🎸 Colabo, a new music venue, is opening next month on El Cajon Boulevard in the same space that was a once a popular punk club in the 1980s. (Union-Tribune)

Pure Project was just named one of the best breweries in the world.

Why it matters: San Diego's beer industry had a rough 2024, with more locations closing in than in any previous year, but Pure Project's distinction shows the region can still claim its elite reputation.

State of play: The Beer Connoisseur magazine released its year-in-review issue in January, naming Pure Project runner-up for best brewery.

• It was tied with pFreim Family Brewers, in Hood River, Oregon, and came in behind Kloster Andechs in Andechs, Germany.

Between the lines: Pure Project finished with three beers in the magazine's 2024 top 25 list, two of which received a "world class" rating.

• Corylus, a bourbon-barrel aged imperial stout, came in third place, with a 97 out of 100.
• Rain, the brewery's easy-drinking, crisp pilsner, came in 10th, with a 96 out of 100.
• Tropical Mist, a refreshing citrus blonde ale, came in 24th, with a 94 out of 100.

Worthy of your time: Pure Project has tasting rooms with great outdoor areas in North Park, Bankers Hill, Carlsbad, Miramar and Vista.

• Try the award winners, but this being San Diego, don't skip Pure West, their core West Coast IPA that delivers the dry flavor with giant hop aroma that made us famous.

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Polite Provisions reopened Friday with a larger, revamped menu and vibe.

Driving the news: The 1920s apothecary-inspired cocktail bar, and popular holiday drinking destination, closed for three months after a liquor license violation.

• Now, the North Park institution is serving up new, creative concoctions with a "whole lot of showmanship," including draft cocktails, spirited floats and non-alcoholic, housemade sodas.
• The bar also upgraded its old-fashioned pharmacy exterior and interior decor.

Some of the new drinks on the extended menu with sweet and strong options:

• Say Less - raspberry, juniper berry, vodka, triple berry jam, rose hip, lemon and sparkling wine
• Expect the Unexpected - gin, strawberry amaro, Dr. Pepper cordial, pineapple and Benedictine
• Easy Does It - tequila, rye whiskey, cognac, red berry, pomegranate, cacao and lemon

If you go: Polite Provisions is open from 4pm-2am Monday-Thursday, and noon-2am on weekends.

• Cocktails range from $12-$18 and non-alcoholic drinks cost $8-10.