October 19, 2021
This month, Sierra Club Military Outdoors and researchers at the University of Utah presented findings from a study on the effects of outdoors exposure and wilderness trips on veterans’ mental health.
July 5, 2021
Albany, N.Y. -- Today, the New York State Outdoor Rx Task Force released a highly anticipated report on promoting veterans’ mental and physical health through outdoors therapy. The report recommends expanding nature-based therapy and programming for veterans and adjusting or eliminating entrance fees to state parks and public lands to allow for greater access to the outdoors, especially for veterans from diverse, historically marginalized, and underrepresented communities.
June 21, 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Sierra Club and YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) are launching a national partnership focused on improving the health and wellbeing of veterans, members of the military, and their families through outdoor experiences and establishing connections with nature and fellow veterans. Studies show that veterans who participate in outdoor adventure and experiential education programs report a significant reduction in depression and anxiety, as well as an increased willingness to seek mental health care.
February 8, 2021
This afternoon, the United States Senate voted to confirm Denis McDonough to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. McDonough previously served as Deputy National Security Advisor and White House Chief of Staff under President Barack Obama.
January 26, 2021
This month, First Lady Jill Biden made moves toward reviving the Joining Forces initiative, a program to support military service members, veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors, naming Rory Brosius as executive director of the initiative. Biden and then-First Lady Michelle Obama originally launched the program in 2011, focusing on three areas: employment, wellness, and education.
December 23, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- After weeks of threatening to block the major military spending bill, President Trump vetoed the 2020 National Defense Authoritzation Act. The $740 billion bill is the major vehicle for funding the U.S. military and passed both the House of Representatives and Senate with veto-proof majorities. The 2020 bill includes a provision that would redesignate military installations currently named after prominent Confederate military and political leaders.
December 21, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Last night, a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee was quietly removed from the National Statuary Hall Collection at the United States Capitol. The statue was one of two statues in the collection representing the Commonwealth of Virginia. The other statue depicts George Washington. Gov. Ralph Northam announced that Virginia would seek to replace the Lee statue with a statue to civil rights activist Barbara Johns, who as a teenager led a student boycott against school segregation.
December 18, 2020
Albany, N.Y. -- The New York State Division of Veteran Services has appointed Lt. Col. (retired) Aaron Leonard to co-lead the task force charged with implementing the state’s recently enacted Outdoor Rx Act. Leonard currently serves as a Sierra Club Military Outdoors campaign representative. The law, originally sponsored by Assemblymember Didi Barrett and Sen. Brian Benjamin, seeks to remove barriers that prevent New York veterans from accessing the state’s public lands to heal from service-related injuries and trauma.
December 6, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors (AVRO) Act was signed into law as part of the Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment (COMPACT) Act (H.R.8247), a package of bills addressing healthcare and suicide prevention for veterans.
November 11, 2020
Albany, N.Y. -- Today, November 11, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Outdoor Rx Act into law. The bill seeks to removes barriers that prevent New York veterans from accessing the state’s public lands to heal from service-related injuries and trauma. The bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Didi Barrett and Sen. Brian Benjamin, passed both houses of the New York State Assembly in February. In response, Lt. Col. (retired) Aaron Leonard, Sierra Club Military Outdoors Campaign Representative, released the following statement: