Sept. 25 (UPI) — The Interior Department Wednesday announced a $254 million grant for local parks, the largest-ever grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program.
The money is going to 54 projects in 24 states for creation or redevelopment of new local parks.
According to the Interior Department, the ORLP program is being used to advance President Joe Biden‘s America The Beautiful Initiative.
That is a locally led voluntary conservation and restoration effort with the goals of addressing the nature and climate crises while improving equitable access to the outdoors and strengthening the economy.
“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,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement.
She added the program is “a critical step to bringing more green spaces to urban and disadvantaged communities.”
National Park Service DIrector Chuck Sams said in a statement, “This investment into these 54 locally led projects is a prime example of the vital work the National Park Service is doing to improve access to the outdoors in your community and beyond national park borders.”
Five projects will get $15 million each, the largest amounts of the 54 projects.
They are: Bryte Park in West Sacramento, Calif.; Puente Hills Landfill Park in Los Angeles County; 11th Street Bridge Park in Washington, D.C.; Regional Park in Rock Hill, S.C.; and Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Bakersfield, Calif.
Burnett Bayland Park in Houston will get $11,353,000.00 and Jordan Downs Central Park in Los Angeles County at $10,999,000.00.
Cleveland’s Irishtown Bend will get $10,813,000.00.
The smallest grants are $750,000 for Quail Valley Nature Park in Menifee, Calif., and $390,000 to Cain Park in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.