That feel-good sensation when you get outside in the sunshine does more than just improve your mood. Numerous studies have shown that getting outdoors has a direct, positive impact on your physical health. These benefits include lower blood pressure, decreased diabetes, reduced obesity, and better sleep. The outdoors is also a major contributor in reducing anxiety and stress, which bring their own suite of health complications if they are not proactively managed. Investing in quality neighborhood parks and increasing access to outdoor places is essential for the wellbeing of all Americans.
Providing diverse access is key -- some communities need more playspaces, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, basketball courts, trails, dog parks, while others need picnic and gathering spaces, more trees and natural areas, access to rivers and lakes, or community-based environmental education facilities. As we think about the fact that most Americans spend 90% of their time indoors and 100 million Americans do not have a quality park within a 10 minute walk of their house, we have to get creative about the kinds of places people need, to provide outdoor resources, encourage recreation, connect to nature, and enjoy time outdoors. The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is the best tool for getting dollars to localities to buy land for parks, construct facilities, build trails and increase access to other nature-based resources. Additionally, LWCF invests in our iconic federal public lands that may not be places most Americans visit daily, but are where we go to truly escape, challenge ourselves and find solace in nature.
During the current COVID-19 global pandemic, people are turning to our outdoors as spaces to exercise as indoor facilities are restricted or even remain closed. Parks and other greenspace are places to recharge during this time of anxiety and uncertainty, and provide some of the safest and lowest-cost ways to socialize with others. We have seen an increase of usage at local parks, bike paths, ballfields, trails, and in our national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. The demand has never been as high and the benefits never as critical to our nation’s health.
Full funding for LWCF through the Great American Outdoors Act has the immense potential to increase the physical space we have to get outdoors and improve our health and ensure equitable access for all. Below are a handful of projects in our communities that have received LWCF funding over the years and have improved access to the outdoors.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (CA)
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (NRA) spans 60 miles along the Pacific Coast in and around San Francisco, providing much needed recreational opportunities for residents and visitors including hiking, biking, swimming, camping, wildlife viewing, and many other outdoor activities! For those who want to explore Golden Gate NRA, many areas are free entry and can be accessed via public transportation. Funding from LWCF, including $4.1 million in FY11, $5 million in FY10 and $4 million in FY09, was leveraged with funding from private donations and other sources to protect the 4,262 acre Rancho Corral de Tierra. Incorporating this land into Golden Gate NRA created a new southern gateway into the park and helped connect the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the California Coastal Trail. The project also provided permanent protection of four Coastside watersheds— Denniston, San Vicente, Montara and Martini creeks—and preserved critical habitat for unique and endangered plants and animals.
Credit: NPS
City of Wilmington, Father Tucker Playground & Spray Pad (DE)
In 2015, the City of Wilmington, DE was awarded LWCF funds to support the construction of the Father Tucker Playground and Spray Pad. The grant was through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program which is funded by LWCF and administered by the National Park Service. ORLP seeks to identify and highlight new ways of providing opportunities for expanding outdoor play in areas with great need, as well as promoting the development of new or enhanced partnerships for outdoor recreation in cities across the nation.
Credit: Town Square Live
Community Parks in Indiana (IN)
As our cities continue to grow, access to open spaces is critical for residents’ health and quality of life, as well as for economic vitality. Indiana mayors have prioritized park development, utilizing LWCF funding to guarantee locals have green spaces to play. Flowing Well Park in Carmel received $75,000 in LWCF funds to protect this natural spring which residents use as a water source and recreation space. Indianapolis’ Eagle Creek Park, one of the largest city parks in the nation, has used LWCF to provide spaces for outdoor activities such as kayaking, hiking, and swimming, for playgrounds, and for environmental education. Riverside Park, another in Indianapolis that has received LWCF funding, is a hub of Indy Parks activity with a golf course, aquatic center, fitness center, and event spaces availability to host community activities.
Credit: Indy Parks and Rec
Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historical Park (MD) and the Great Allegheny Passage (PA)
Stretching from Georgetown to Cumberland, Maryland, the C&O Canal National Historic Park is a critical outdoor educational and recreational resource for residents of Maryland and the D.C. metro area. The C&O Canal towpath spans over 180 miles and tells the story of our nation’s history of transportation, engineering, the Civil War, immigration, industry, and commerce. It connects to the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP), a former railroad track converted into a hiking and biking trail that traverses Pennsylvania. Today, residents of one of the densest areas of the country can enjoy hiking, kayaking and canoeing, biking paths, and beautiful views from the iconic Billy Goat Trail, and can plan a cycling adventure all the way to Pittsburgh. There has been over $44 million in LWCF funds invested in the C&O Canal – continuing to provide historic and recreational opportunities in Maryland. In 2001, a $2 million grant from LWCF made the connection to the GAP by rehabilitating the impressive 3,300-foot Big Savage Tunnel, which was built in 1911.
Credit: C.Dalpra ICPRB
Gasworks Park, Seattle (WA)
Seattle’s Gasworks is a truly unique park. The former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant has been partially preserved with surrounding greenspace providing park access in the Wallingford neighborhood. Two LWCF state and local grants totaling $350k helped to acquire parkland and establish the park. Visitors can walk the trails, take cool pictures of the gasworks and the Seattle skyline, have a picnic, and other outdoor activities.
Credit: Flickr/T. Cyphert
Lake Mead NRA (NV)
Located 24 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, Lake Mead is the largest manmade reservoir in the country and was created by the Hoover Dam along the Colorado River, supplying water to Arizona, California, and Nevada. It offers year-round recreation including water sports like boating, jet skiing, kayaking, water skiing, and swimming, as well as hiking, wildlife viewing, and more. Lake Mead has received nearly $5 million from LWCF, protecting this desert oasis and the first ever designated National Recreation Area. With nearly 8 million visitors in 2017, Lake Mead is the 8th most visited unit in the National Park Service, making it a highly sought after recreation destination serving the Las Vegas metropolis as well as visitors from all over the country and around the world.
Credit: NPS
Jesse Allen Park (NJ)
Out of the 100 most populated cities in America, Newark’s Park Score ranks 73rd in terms of meeting resident’s park needs--often, residents lack access to quality parks and green spaces. The Trust for Public Land and the City of Newark, however, are working to change that. Jesse Allen Park will be Newark’s second-largest city-owned park and is considered the primary recreational space for many in the community, especially for the nearly 13,700 residents living within a 10-minute walk of the park. A grant from LWCF will continue to revitalize Jesse Allen Park into a vibrant space for community gatherings, recreation, and athletics residents of the Springfield/Belmont neighborhood.
Credit: Trust for Public Land/F. Roberts
Cuyahoga Valley National Park (OH)
Located between Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park conserves the Cuyahoga River valley and the associated historic canal and railroad corridors in Summit and Cuyahoga counties. The park is a major year-round outdoor recreation attraction in northeastern Ohio. Each year it attracts almost 3 million visitors, making it one of the most visited National Parks in the country. Over $132 million in LWCF investments have been used to expand recreational opportunities, protect cultural and historical sites, and prevent the development of inholdings. Recently a project was completed at the 20,000-seat Richfield Coliseum, which was the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers professional basketball team for twenty years and hosted more than 200 events annually. When the arena closed in 1994, commercial developers expressed interest in building a mega-mall on the Coliseum's 327-acre site. At the request of local citizen groups and community leaders, The Trust for Public Land purchased the property, demolished the vacant arena, and transferred ownership of the land to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park using $10 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. By returning the land back to its natural state, the project eased the imminent threat of sprawl that would have impacted the small Cuyahoga Valley National Park communities and the surrounding area. In 2011, another project was completed at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, protecting 578 acres at the Blossom Music Center.
Credit: NPS
Cliff Walk (RI)
One of Newport’s most popular tourist destinations is Cliff Walk. Spanning from First Beach, along the magnificent Newport Mansions, and boasting stunning ocean views, Cliff Walk is a spectacular experience for visitors of all ages. Almost $1 million in LWCF funding has gone to protecting this Newport treasure and guaranteeing access for public use. The north end of Cliff Walk is accessible and a very easy journey, making it a great family friendly activity. The path becomes more challenging as it progresses and turns into rugged New England shoreline. Whether in the heat of summer or during fall colors, Cliff Walk is always a fun experience and is protected thanks to LWCF.
Credit: A. Springer
Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge (NM)
With over $3.2 million invested to date, LWCF has helped protect one of the largest remaining areas of undeveloped land on the Rio Grande in southern Albuquerque, creating new recreation opportunities for people to connect with nature close to home. Located within a 30 minute drive of nearly half of New Mexico’s population, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge is the first urban National Wildlife Refuge in the Southwest and protects wildlife habitat, air and water quality, provides environmental education programs, and creates jobs.
Credit: USFWS
Michigan’s Lakeshore
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore would not exist as it is today-- Good Morning America's "Most Beautiful Place in America"-- without LWCF. Over 85% of this pristine area’s powder-soft sandy beaches, crystalline waters, winding rivers, historic farmsteads, and majestic bluffs along the shores of Lake Michigan have been conserved using $96 million from LWCF—the largest single LWCF investment in any one place. Visitors can enjoy new beachfront access points at Good Harbor Bay and Big Glen Lake, an incredible recreation spot with very few other public access options. Over a million people visit the Dunes each year, which supports a booming local outdoor recreation and tourism sector. But LWCF investments in Michigan’s lakeshore reach deeper into communities than just this one gem. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Grandhaven State Park, and Ludington State Park are some places where LWCF has built Michigan's proud tradition of public access to the shoreline for all people. At places like Muskegon State Park and PJ Hoffmaster State Park, multiple LWCF state grants have invested not just in the initial acquisition of land, but development of campgrounds, boat launches, and educational facilities like the Nature Center to connect more Michiganders with their coastal heritage.
Credit: K.May
Sources
Frumkin, H., Bratman et al. (2017). Nature Contact and Human Health: A Research Agenda. Environmental health perspectives, 125(7), 075001. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1663
Gladwell, V. F., Brown, D. K., Wood, C., Sandercock, G. R., & Barton, J. L. (2013). The great outdoors: how a green exercise environment can benefit all. Extreme physiology & medicine, 2(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-7648-2-3
Klepsis, N., Nelson, W., Ott, W. et al. The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS): a resource for assessing exposure to environmental pollutants. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 11, 231–252 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500165
A prescription for better health: go alfresco. Harvard Health Letter.(2010) https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/a-prescription-for-better-health-go-alfresco
The Trust for Public Land Park Score https://www.tpl.org/parkscore