The Great American Outdoors Act Is Law, Part I — Episode 073

Last month, we witnessed history as the Great American Outdoors
Act was officially signed into law. This legislation will
definitively fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund
(LWCF). LWCF is the most important source of federal funding to
create and develop local parks, trails, boat launches, sports
fields, and other recreation areas and park infrastructure that
enrich our communities. Permanent full funding of LWCF has been a
priority of NRPA’s for decades, and the passing of the Great
American Outdoors Act is a huge win for every person in our
country, as this critical funding advances our goal of ensuring
everyone has access to the benefits of quality parks and
recreation.


The Great American Outdoors Act had strong bipartisan support
throughout the legislative process because it provides critical
resources to local communities for parks, recreation and
conservation initiatives. Thanks to the hard work of our
Congressional champions, coalition partners, and the many
stakeholders who advocated on behalf of parks and recreation, our
goal of permanently funding LWCF is now a reality.


One of those strong advocates is Allegra “Happy” Haynes, the
executive director of parks and recreation for the City and
County of Denver. We’re thrilled to be joined by Happy today to
talk about what this means for her community — and the country as
a whole — for the first part in our double-header of Great
American Outdoors Act episodes. Part two will be released on
Tuesday, September 22, where we’ll explore how the Great American
Outdoors Act was passed in Congress. In part two, we welcome two
members of Congress who championed this legislation,
Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Senator
Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, to share their perspective.


Tune in to today’s full episode below to learn:


Why it’s so important that we make sure our voices are heard
by our elected officials about these kinds of things.

Why the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act such a big
deal for local parks and recreation.

What securing full and permanent funding of LWCF means for
park and recreation projects in Denver.

What the future of advocating for parks and recreation looks
like, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and more!