Natasha Blakely, natasha.blakely@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of the Interior announced today $254.68 million in grants to communities through the National Park Service’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program.
ORLP was started in 2014 to help economically disadvantaged communities with little to no access to public outdoor recreation spaces by funding the creation or improvement of parks and outdoor recreation amenities. It has funded dozens of projects over the past 10 years, including the Belle Isle Park Athletic Complex in Detroit, Michigan, Three Mile Creek Greenway Project in Mobile, Alabama, and Buchanan Street Mall in San Francisco, California. This is the third round of ORLP grants this year after $47 million in August and $58.3 million in March.
The grants will be distributed to 54 projects in 24 states, including:
- Bowling Green, Kentucky
- The city will receive $3,640,000 for Riverfront Park, Barren River.
- Cleveland Metroparks, Ohio
- The metropark will receive $2,950,000 for Cuyahoga Riverfront Property.
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- The city will receive $2,181,000 for Carter Park.
- Genesee County, Michigan
- The county will receive $5 million for Flint Riverbank Park.
- Houston, Texas
- The city will receive $11,353,000 for Burnett Bayland Park.
- Los Angeles County, California
- The county will receive $15 million for Puente Hills Landfill Park.
- Rochester, Minnesota
- The city will receive $1,522,000 for Dr Martin Luther King JR (MLK) Park.
- South Fulton, Georgia
- The city will receive $1,081,000 for Burdett Park Natural Area.
- Washington, DC.
- The city will receive $15 million for 11th Street Bridge Park.
In response, Jackie Ostfeld, Campaign Director of Sierra Club’s Outdoors for All, released the following statement:
“The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program has transformed communities for 10 years, investing in urban and disadvantaged communities to ensure that millions of people get to enjoy safe, accessible, beautiful outdoor spaces. The Interior Department announcing its largest grant investment into the program yet only shows how impactful and valuable the program has been for these communities. When an estimated 100 million people don’t live within walking distance of a quality park, this program – and this most recent round of projects – is a huge leap toward closing that gap.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.