[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 29, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6781-S6782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Schumer, Mr. 
        Booker, Mr. Hickenlooper, Ms. Rosen, Ms. Smith, Mr. King, Mrs. 
        Feinstein, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Wyden, Mrs. Murray, 
        Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Ossoff, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. 
        Baldwin, Mr. Markey, Mr. Peters, Ms. Warren, and Ms. 
        Duckworth):
  S. 2887. A bill to codify the existing Outdoor Recreation Legacy 
Partnership Program of the National Park Service, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the bipartisan 
Outdoors for All Act.
  This legislation would ensure that access to local parks and outdoor 
recreation is equitable and available to all.
  The Outdoors for All Act would codify and guarantee annual funding 
for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program, which provides 
grants to build new outdoor recreation spaces, improve existing parks, 
and form connections between underserved, urban communities and the 
outdoors.
  It specifically invests in parks and open spaces in areas where 80 
percent of Americans live. Any urban area with a population of at least 
30,000 can qualify for grants, which can benefit residents in all 50 
States.
  These grants would fund projects in park-poor, urban communities, and 
the bill would require the National Park Service to prioritize projects 
that support underserved communities, provide job-training to youth, 
and leverage resources through public-private partnerships.
  As our cities grow and the effects of climate change intensify, this 
bill will increase equitable access to the many benefits of local 
parks, from job creation, to shade and tree cover, to clean air.
  Nationwide, 100 million people, including 28 million children, do not 
have a park within a half-mile of home. That is almost one third of 
America.
  Additionally, in the 100 most populated cities, neighborhoods where 
most residents identify as Black, Latino, American Indian/Alaska 
Native, or Asian American and Pacific Islander have access to an 
average of 44 percent less park acreage than predominantly White 
neighborhoods.
  For example, in Los Angeles, low-income communities and communities 
of color lack equal access to parks; a Los Angeles County survey found 
that Compton reported only 0.6 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, 
in contrast to Malibu, which has 55.5 acres of parkland per 1,000 
residents.

[[Page S6782]]

  This bill would address this staggering inequity in Los Angeles and 
across the country and make equity and justice a key focus of park 
investment and planning.
  I thank my colead Senator Collins and all of the bill's cosponsors 
for championing this effort with me in the Senate. I also thank 
Congresswoman Barragan for her steadfast dedication to park equity.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the Outdoors for 
All Act as soon as possible.
  Thank you.
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