December 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 39

put hundreds of thousands of
young people to work on public and
private lands, providing them with
jobs and training to tackle the crises
of the Dust Bowl and the Great
Depression.
P&R: The Biden
administration under
your leadership has taken
a proactive approach to
supporting urban parks
through the reinstatement
of the Outdoor Recreation
Legacy Partnership (ORLP)
program and other initiatives
to support local parks. Can
you share why you view local
parks as so important?
Secretary Haaland: The Outdoor
Recreation Legacy Partnership
(ORLP) program is a crucial tool
to advancing environmental justice
and ensuring equitable access to
nature and its benefits. The ORLP
program is especially important to
helping underserved communities
that historically have had inequitable
access to the outdoors connect
with surrounding wildlife and its
habitats. Providing opportunities
for outdoor recreation is also vital
to the health of communities
and individuals. Time outdoors
improves overall physical, social
and
psychological
well-being.
Communities need playgrounds,
ballfields, parks and trails and the
outdoor recreational opportunities
that accompany them. They
are places of civic pride that bring
neighbors together.
P&R: How can local park
departments better interact
with your department and
strengthen the relationship
between local parks, the
National Park Service and
the DOI?
Secretary Haaland: The National
Park Service provides a variety of
grant and support opportunities that
create or enhance close-to-home
outdoor recreation experiences for
communities. Since its inception in
1965, the LWCF has supported $4
billion worth of projects in every
county in the country. Last year,
Congress permanently funded the
LWCF at $900 million per year with
wide bipartisan support. At no cost
to taxpayers, the LWCF supports
increased public access to and protection
for federal public lands and
waters - including national parks,
forests, wildlife refuges and recreation
areas - and provides matching
grants to state governments for
the acquisition and development of
public parks and other outdoor recreation
sites. We strongly encourage
local parks departments to continue
working with the Department on issues
of access and equity.
P&R: Local parks proved to
be an indispensable source
of support and resources for
their communities during
the pandemic. What role do
you see for local parks in the
post-COVID-19 world?
Secretary Haaland: The pandemic
reminded everyone of the
importance
of
recreational
close-to-home
opportunities. We
were all looking for places where
we could just get outside and enjoy
physical activity, some fresh air, and
perhaps, a chance to socialize safely.
We will continue to work with
communities to provide financial
and technical support to provide
nearby safe and accessible places to
recreate and experience nature.
P&R: How will the DOI
continue to support the
needs of park and recreation
Secretary Haaland says providing
opportunities for outdoor recreation is vital to
the health of communities and individuals.
professionals, so that they
can better serve their
communities?
Secretary Haaland: We will continue
to provide funding and technical
assistance to park planners
and communities throughout the
country. The LWCF will continue
to provide money to federal, state
and local governments to purchase
land, water and wetlands for the
benefit of the public. The funds can
also enable state and local governments
to improve park and other
recreation areas in their communities
by rehabilitating and upgrading
existing parks, creating brand
new parks in places that have none,
and developing and expanding trail
systems that link communities to
each other and to additional recreation
opportunities.
Kristine Stratton is President and CEO
of NRPA.
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | DECEMBER 2 0 2 1
| Parks & Recreation
39
December 2021 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2021 - Parks & Recreation
