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Filming on Public Land
America’s public lands, including national parks and monuments, offer stunning natural beauty and important cultural and historical landmarks. These shared spaces have the potential to inspire awe and wonder in all who visit them, but the ability to experience them in person is limited to those who can physically travel to these locations. For many others, content creators provide an opportunity to experience the beauty of public lands from afar. However, current regulations surrounding commercial filming on public lands may be limiting this access.
Filming permits are required for any commercial filming activity on federal lands, including national parks, national monuments, BLM land, and national forests. Even if content creators do not monetize their content, any posting to YouTube or TicTok is usually considered commercial filming and therefore requires a permit. As a full-time content creator who visits these areas frequently, I have seen firsthand the impact that these regulations can have on our ability to produce content and share the beauty of our public lands with others.
It’s not just content creators who are affected by these regulations. Many people who are unable to travel for health or other reasons rely on content creators like me to experience the beauty of these places through our eyes. By limiting our ability to produce content, we’re also limiting the access that others have to these amazing natural wonders.
The impact of these regulations goes beyond just accessibility. These shared spaces are part of our national heritage and culture. By limiting the ability of content creators to produce and share content, we’re denying future generations the opportunity to experience these places through our eyes, which could impact the shared heritage and culture of national parks and monuments.
However, there is hope for change. U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), introduced the Federal Interior Land Media Act (FILM Act) in 2021. This legislation seeks to modernize film permitting on public lands to keep pace with changing technology and social media. It also aims to eliminate burdensome and unnecessary regulations.
According to Senator Barrasso, “Wyoming is home to some of the most beautiful national parks and public lands in the country. Americans should be able to fully enjoy them and share their experiences. The FILM Act will streamline the permitting process for filming on public lands. It gives outdoorsmen and women the ability to share their adventures without having to deal with burdensome red tape. The FILM Act allows Americans across the nation to experience all that Wyoming has to offer.”
The FILM Act would exempt certain video, digital, and audio recording activities from fees and permitting, address content creation uniformly across all federal lands, and streamline permit processing and coordination. The FILM Act is supported by many groups such as Safari Club International, National Press Photographers Association, North American Nature Photography Association, Teton Gravity Research, and others. The legislation is currently stalled in committee and needs support from the public.
Content creators and anyone who values the accessibility and cultural significance of our public lands should consider contacting their US Senators and expressing support for the FILM Act. The ability to experience and share the beauty of these shared spaces is essential to their preservation and impact on our national heritage and culture.
In the end, it’s important to remember that our national parks and monuments are not just beautiful landscapes, but they’re also part of our shared heritage and culture. By limiting our ability to produce content and share these places with others, we’re denying future generations the opportunity to experience these places through our eyes. Let’s work together to find a solution that balances protection and accessibility and ensures that our national parks and monuments remain a source of inspiration and wonder for all.