Local parks get record $254 million boost from Interior Department. Here's a full list of cities benefitting

An aerial view of Parr Hill Park in Joplin, Missouri

This week, the United States Department of the Interior announced the single largest grant investment made from the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program.

Overseen by the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the National Park Service, ORLP will invest $254 million into 54 projects in 24 states for the redevelopment or creation of new local parks.

A major component of the ORLP is to provide safe outdoor spaces for historically marginalized communities. It is part of the Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to have 40% of the benefits of all federal funding flow to “disadvantaged communities.”

An aerial view of Parr Hill Park in Joplin, Missouri
Parr Hill Park in Joplin, Missouri. Photo courtesy of Joplin Parks & Recreation

In the U.S., park inequity — or the lack of access to recreational outdoor spaces — predominantly impacts people of color.

According to The Trust for Public Land, neighborhoods where residents predominantly identify as people of color have access to an average of 44% less park acreage than predominantly white neighborhoods, and low-income neighborhoods with 42% less park acreage, compared to areas boasting high-income residents.

This historic investment aims to change that.

A child with dark skin and braids pulled back into a ponytail climbs a rock formation at a public park in Colorado. She wears pink pants and a yellow tank top, as an adult watches on the sidelines in a blue tank top.
Kids rock climb on large boulders at Montbello Open Space Park in Denver, Colorado, which opened in 2021 with support from an Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant. Photo courtesy of Mundus Bishop / Scott Dressel-Martin

“Everyone deserves to experience the restorative power of nature, but increasing access to public outdoor spaces has not always received the investment and drive needed to make an impact,” Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement.

“Supporting the communities that benefit from the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program has been a top priority for our Administration, and a critical step to bringing more green spaces to urban and disadvantaged communities.”

She added that this program makes history with the largest investment “since its inception.”

In addition to facilitating park growth in underserved areas, the ORLP program also aims to address the nature and climate crises and strengthen the economy. This year’s major investment follows a $22 million slew of grants in 2023, which also went towards increasing outdoor access in urban areas.

A teal playground structure with slides and monkey bars sits atop tan wood chips in North Dakota
Mercer Memorial Park in North Dakota received a LWCF grant to replace second-hand park playground equipment. The new, accessible playground is open year-round and welcomes people of all ages. Photo courtesy of North Dakota Parks & Recreation

With the program first established in 2014, its massive growth in subsequent years indicates a need from local stakeholders. Grant applications were open to community-sponsored park projects where the population is greater than 30,000 residents. 

This year’s funds will go towards 54 projects in 24 states, matching up to 50% of total project costs. 

The announcement also follows a nationwide tour by Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz, who traveled the country to hear from community members to learn how to best connect people with access to the outdoors.

Secretary Haaland and Assistant Secretary Estenoz also toured in-progress ORLP projects in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, where they saw the construction of new park infrastructure, upgraded trails, and expanded play and picnic areas, according to the Department.

A boardwalk stretches out into a marsh at Manhattan Marsh Park in Toledo, Ohio
Manhattan Marsh Park in Toledo, Ohio. Photo courtesy of Timothy Robinson, Ohio Dept. Natural Resources

This round of funding aims to make those kinds of projects the norm in communities across the country.

“The enthusiasm for this program is wonderful, with the highest number of applications we’ve ever seen,” said Assistant Secretary Estenoz. “After traveling across the United States to increase awareness of the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Program, I’m thrilled to see so many cities receive grants for the first time.”  

See a full list of the newly funded park projects below.

State Park Name City/County Grant Amount
AL Downtown Gadsden Greenway City of Gadsden $2,996,000.00
CA La Palma Park City of Anaheim $6,000,000.00
CA Martin Luther King Jr. Park City of Bakersfield $11,909,000.00
CA Bryte Park City of West Sacramento $15,000,000.00
CA Spartan-Keyes Park City of San Jose $4,500,000.00
CA Central Park City of Glendale $5,950,000.00
CA Roadside Park City of Baldwin Park $2,109,000.00
CA Jordan Downs Central Park County of Los Angeles $10,999,000.00
CA Panorama Park City of Redding $4,000,000.00
CA Van Buskirk Revitalization Park City of Stockton $7,017,000.00
CA Puente Hills Landfill Park County of Los Angeles $15,000,000.00
CA Stewart Park City of Beaumont $3,100,000.00
CA Quail Valley Nature Park City of Menifee $750,000.00
CA Bellflower Park City of Adelanto $1,000,000.00
CA Veterans Memorial Park City of La Puente $1,000,000.00
CO La Alma-Lincoln Park Denver Parks and Recreation $8,400,000.00
CO Gold Strike Park Colorado Parks and Wildlife $7,329,000.00
CT Cummings Park/West Beach City of Stamford $5,000,000.00
CT Rockwell Park City of Bristol $1,930,000.00
DC 11th Street Bridge Park City of Washington D.C. $15,000,000.00
FL Carter Park City of Fort Lauderdale $2,181,000.00
FL Sunset Park City of Hollywood $7,581,000.00
FL Marva Bannerman Park Miami-Dade County $2,518,000.00
FL City Park City of Oakland Park $2,500,000.00
GA Burdett Park Natural Area City of South Fulton $1,081,000.00
IA Comiskey Park City of Dubuque $1,974,000.00
KY Riverfront Park, Barren River City of Bowling Green $3,640,000.00
MD Baltimore Greenway Trail Network Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City $1,375,000.00
MD Hill Street Park City of Frederick $1,000,000.00
MI Flint Riverbank Park Genesee County $5,000,000.00
MN Dr Martin Luther King JR (MLK) Park City of Rochester $1,522,000.00
MO Parr Hill Park City of Joplin $485,000.00
NC Deaverview Mountain Acquisition Buncombe County $4,475,000.00
ND Downtown Gateway and Greenway City of Grand Forks $3,490,000.00
ND Turtle Mountain Family Recreation Areas Turtle Mountain $1,000,000.00
NM Mesa Verde Park City of Albuquerque $1,350,000.00
NY Payne Park City of North Tonawanda $4,084,000.00
OH Reverend H.V. Savage Park City of Toledo $1,151,000.00
OH Irishtown Bend Cleveland Metroparks $10,813,000.00
OH Cuyahoga Riverfront Property Cleveland Metroparks $2,950,000.00
OH Cain Park City of Cleveland Heights $390,000.00
OK Dream Keepers Park City of Tulsa $3,612,000.00
PA Hillside Pool City of Reading $672,000.00
PA Weston Field City of Scranton $672,000.00
SC Regional Park City of Rock Hill $15,000,000.00
TN Gooch Park Memphis Parks $3,339,000.00
TX Community Park City of Dallas $8,663,000.00
TX Woodlawn Lake Park City of San Antonio $3,250,000.00
TX Burnett Bayland Park City of Houston $11,353,000.00
TX Teague Park City of Longview $1,318,000.00
TX John Trevino Jr. Metropolitan Park City of Austin $4,000,000.00
VA Patton Park City of Petersburg $3,407,000.00
WA Uplands Park City of Kent $3,150,000.00

Header image courtesy of Joplin Parks & Recreation

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September 26, 2024 10:41 AM
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