Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper urged support for his Parks, Jobs, and Equity Act during a hearing of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The legislation would create a new, one-time $500 million federal grant program to help state and local governments build new parks and greenspaces to increase access to the outdoors in underserved communities.
For high-quality video of the hearing, click HERE.
“One out of three Americans, which includes 28 million kids, don’t have access within half a mile to a greenspace,” said Hickenlooper. “They’re denied that opportunity of getting a different type of renewable energy – the energy that people bring back when they’ve been out exercising or recreating in a greenspace.”
The House-passed Build Back Better plan includes $100 million for local parks modeled after Hickenlooper’s Parks, Jobs, and Equity Act.
Background:
- The Parks, Jobs, and Equity Act would establish a one-time $500 million federal grant program administered by state and local governments, in order to ensure park investments happen quickly and respond to local priorities.
- All cities with a population of over 30,000 would be eligible without having to match funds received, allowing even the hardest hit cities and towns suffering from declining revenues to invest in new parks.
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