The Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Coalition commended the Senate markup of America’s Outdoor Recreation Act (AORA) and the inclusion of the Outdoors for All Act in the package in the following statement:
“The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Coalition applauds Senators Manchin and Barrasso for their leadership promoting outdoor recreation access through the America’s Outdoor Recreation Act and particularly for including the Outdoors for All Act in the package. We also thank Senators Padilla (D-CA) and Collins (R-ME) for reintroducing the Outdoors for All Act earlier this year so it could be included in AORA, as the bill would codify the LWCF-funded Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program that provides grant funding opportunities to disadvantaged communities with little access to publicly available outdoor recreation, and ensure the prioritization of equitable outdoor access for all Americans by lowering the qualifying threshold population for communities to apply. Our Coalition is excited for the inclusion of language in this bill that would make more communities eligible and allow Native American Tribes, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiian communities to apply directly for this critical funding. Equitable access to close-to-home outdoor space hasn’t always been available but it should be, and this bill moves us significantly closer to that goal,” said Lesley Kane Szynal, Chair of the LWCF Coalition.