Environmental Spotlight: 3 Ways You Can Support the Outdoors for All Act
© American Hiking Society
Here at Atlas Studio, we’re committed to bringing awareness to environmental causes that are important to our team and our community.
This month, we are highlighting the Outdoors for All Act - an essential piece of legislation that would codify and establish a dedicated source of funding for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP).
Read on to learn more about this critical Act and how it would impact access to the outdoors for disadvantaged communities.
Across the country, people are reconnecting with nature and the great outdoors. People are putting down their devices and reconnecting with mother nature, from getting in touch with nature through hiking and swimming to joining outdoor clubs and organizations.
Yet the amount of time people spend outside varies widely by income and ethnicity. According to the research, low-income children spend half as much time outdoors as their higher-income peers, and Latino and African American children spend less time outdoors than Caucasian children.
While many reasons exist for these disparities, one significant barrier is a lack of safe and accessible places to play and explore nature.
The Outdoors for All Act would help address this issue by codifying and establishing dedicated funding for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP).
The hope of the ORLP is to increase access to the outdoors for disadvantaged communities by funding projects that create or enhance outdoor recreation opportunities in urban areas. But the law needs to be strengthened to provide more stability and certainty for the program.
The Outdoors for All Act would do just that – by making the ORLP a permanent part of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and authorizing dedicated funding for the program.
Learn a bit more about the need for the Outdoors for All Act - and how you can play a role in its passage and implementation!
The Benefits of the Outdoors for All Act
There are many reasons why lawmakers and conservationists are pushing for the Outdoors for All Act.
1. Increased Access to the Outdoors
The most obvious benefit of the Act is that it would codify and establish dedicated funding for the ORLP – making it a permanent part of the LWCF. This would provide much-needed stability and certainty for the program, which has been operating on a year-to-year basis since 2014.
2. Improved Health and Well-Being
There is a growing body of evidence that time spent in nature can positively impact our health and well-being. Studies show that outdoor play can help reduce obesity, stress, and anxiety while also improving social skills, concentration, and creativity.
3. Stronger Communities
When people have the opportunity to spend time together in nature, it can create a sense of community and belonging. The Outdoors for All Act would help create more opportunities for people to come together and connect with each other – something that is especially important in our increasingly digitized world.
4. Economic Benefits
The Outdoors for All Act would also have economic benefits. Outdoor recreation generates billions in consumer spending and supports millions of jobs – helping to boost local economies and prop up disadvantaged communities.
Helping Disadvantaged Communities Connect with Nature
Few things are as refreshing as a day spent in the great outdoors, surrounded by the beauty of nature.
But for many people living in urban areas, such opportunities are few and far between.
That is why the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) is working to provide funding for projects that create new outdoor recreation opportunities in cities and densely populated areas.
Established by Congress in 2014, ORLP is a nationally competitive grant program administered through the National Park Service. To date, the program has awarded more than $40 million to projects across the country, focusing on underserved communities.
From skate parks and climbing walls to hiking trails and playgrounds, ORLP-funded projects are making a difference in the lives of people who need it most.
So whether you're looking to take a hike or just take in some fresh air, keep an eye out for an ORLP project in your community – it might just be the best thing you do all day.
Enhancing ORLP
While the ORLP has made great strides in bringing outdoor recreation to disadvantaged communities, more work is still done.
ORLP still remains a discretionary grant program, which jeopardizes funding for underserved communities that don’t have access to outdoor recreation. This means that ORLP could be eliminated entirely if Congress doesn’t appropriate funds for the program each year.
The Outdoors for All Act would fix this issue by making ORLP a permanent part of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) – a reliable source of funding that has been used to protect our parks, forests, and public lands for more than 50 years.
In addition, the Outdoors for All Act would authorize dedicated funding for ORLP – ensuring that the program has the resources it needs to continue its important work.
By ensuring that ORLP is a permanent and well-funded program, we can help provide all Americans with the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.
How You Can Help
You can play an essential role in helping to pass the Outdoors for All Act!
Here are some things you can do to get involved and ensure that our outdoor spaces are protected:
1. Contact your Senators and Representatives and urge them to support the Outdoors for All Act.
When you contact your elected officials, be sure to mention that you are a constituent. You can find contact information for your Senators and Representatives here:
2. Spread the word about the importance of ORLP and the Outdoors for All Act on social media using the hashtag #OutdoorsForAll
The power of social media should not be underestimated! Use your platform to raise awareness about the Outdoors for All Act and the importance of ORLP.
3. Stay up-to-date on the latest news about the bill with your local media, or by following Atlas Studio on social media.
At Atlas Studio, we’re committed to advocating for the Outdoors For All Act. We will continue to provide updates on the bill and ways that you can take action to support it. Follow us to stay in the loop:
Together, we can help make the Outdoors for All Act a reality – and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of nature. Join us to give everyone a chance to breathe in some fresh air and protect our beautiful parks and public lands!
