FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2021
Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced $150 million in grant funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP), a program Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán fought to reinstate after the previous administration attempted to end it.
The ORLP helps fund urban parks in communities lacking equal access to parks and outdoor recreation and is an important part of meeting the Biden Administration’s 30×30 land and water conservation goal. This is a record amount of funding for urban parks.
In late January, Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán led a letter to President Joe Biden requesting he immediately overturn a last-minute decision by the Trump Administration to divert all funding for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program to unauthorized uses. On February 11, 2021, President Biden’s Interior Department reinstituted ORLP funding.
Congresswoman Barragán released the following statement celebrating this record amount of investment into America’s urban parks and underserved communities:
“This announcement by the Biden Interior Department is more proof of its commitment to environmental justice and park equity. With this historic amount of funding, we will see critically needed investments in our urban parks that will provide outdoor access to underserved communities, preserve urban green spaces, and create jobs.
“These investments are critical in my district and in Los Angeles County, where low-income communities and communities of color lack equal access to local parks. Former President Trump stripping funding from urban parks on his way out the door was another example of turning his back on urban communities and communities of color.
“This funding comes when we need to be making additional stimulus investments in our urban parks to create jobs and provide outdoor access to communities of color that have been denied it.
“By restoring and reinvesting in the OLRP program, the Biden Administration is walking the walk in upholding its commitment to environmental justice.”
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Nanette Diaz Barragán is proud to represent California’s 44th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Carson, Compton, Florence-Firestone, Lynwood, North Long Beach, Rancho Dominguez, San Pedro, South Gate, Walnut Park, Watts, Willowbrook and Wilmington. She serves as chairwoman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Border Security.