The Department of the Interior announced a funding opportunity for more than $224 million in grants for 2024 for local communities across the U.S. for the creation of new parks and trails, or substantial renovations to existing parks through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program. This announcement represents the largest grant funding for ORLP since the launch of the program.

The Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC) will partner with the Association of Aquatic Professionals (AOAP) to offer MAHC Tracks for the third consecutive year during the AOAP Annual Conference & Exposition, which is scheduled for Feb. 10 to 17, 2024 in Reno, Nev.

Trust for Public Land announced its support for six significant conservation funding measures on ballots across the country this Election Day, Nov. 7, 2023. These measures represent a collective effort to safeguard natural areas, protect wildlife habitat, mitigate wildfire risks, enhance park access and invest in climate resilience.

The USA Swimming Foundation states that a single month of formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning in children by 88%. And those lessons don't need to break the bank. The foundation says that this training can cost as little as $50 for children, and $60 for adults. And it helps stretch those dollars with its Learn-to-Swim Grant program, which helps fund learn-to-swim programs for youth and adults. 

This summer, the Department of Veterans Affairs awarded nearly $16 million in grant funding to 91 national, regional and community programs to help more than 13,000 veterans and service members with disabilities participate in adaptive sports.

A new report from the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the "2023 Engagement With Parks Report," revealed that local parks and recreation facilities are a crucial part of Americans' everyday lives. More than 280 million people in the United States visited a local park or recreation facility at least once during the past year, the report showed.

Americans are committed to fitness, according to a new report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).

Pickleball has exploded in popularity over the past few years, but along with it, some neighbors to pickleball courts have been negatively impacted by noise. USA Pickleball, the national governing body for the sport of pickleball, is taking action to address these complaints with the launch of its Quiet Category for pickleball products, an initiative that aims to reduce the sport's sound output.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) Pool Safely Grant Program will award more than $2 million to eight state and local governments. 

Just about every park and recreation agency across the United States has activities and policies in place to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) outcomes, according to the 2023 NRPA "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Parks and Recreation Report" from the National Recreation and Park Association.