A Step Forward for Equitable Access to the Outdoors

Image: Clarisse Meyer. Ancestral Northern Paiute, Western Monache, and Eastern Monache lands.

Everyone deserves access to clean air, clean water, and outdoor recreation opportunities. However, low-income communities, communities of color, and Indigenous communities are the most affected by inequity in the outdoors—from lacking access to outdoor recreation opportunities and adequate green spaces to being disproportionately affected by pollution and environmental hazards. Last year, Rep. Raúl Grijalva and Sen. Duckworth introduced the Environmental Justice for All Act (H.R. 2021/S. 872), which proposes policy solutions to address inequities in environmental protection and outdoor access for affected communities.

The bill is the result of a multi-year approach, where lawmakers worked closely with frontline communities and environmental justice leaders. The Environmental Justice for All Act would establish and improve programs to increase access to the outdoors; improve how governmental decisions account for disproportionately affected communities; and improve how environmental laws and conservation programs address access to the outdoors, equity, and racism.

The House Natural Resources Committee recently held a hearing on the Environmental Justice for All Act. You can read Outdoor Alliance’s full testimony to the committee here, and below are a few sections of the legislation we think are particularly important for improving equity and outdoor recreation:

Providing dedicated funding for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) grant program, which would improve outdoor access to underserved communities.
Creating the Transit to Trails program, which would improve public transportation to provide better access to recreation opportunities for communities with insufficient green spaces.
Making Every Kid Outdoors a permanent program. Every Kid Outdoors provides free access to National Parks across the country for children in fourth grade.
Strengthening the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by requiring more robust comment opportunities on federal actions—a key step for better involving environmental justice communities in public lands and environmental decisions.
Improving the federal process for oil and gas leasing, and ensuring a just transition away from fossil fuels.

Outdoor Alliance will keep you updated on the progress of this bill and other opportunities to get involved — a great way to start is by writing to your lawmakers in support of this bill.