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Urge your members of Congress to support emergency park funding in the Build Back Better package!

During the pandemic, the outdoors have taken on a whole new meaning for many of us. Parks are where we turn for exercise, fresh air, and finding respite from anxiety and grief. But in too many communities, parks are too few and far between, unwelcoming, rundown, or unsafe. Elsewhere, open space is behind locked gates and “no trespassing” signs.

The Trust for Public Land is leading a coalition of over 300 nonprofits, community groups, and companies calling for a robust investment in local parks to be included in the Build Back Better package.

Robust funding for local parks would meaningfully reduce long-standing park inequities that plague our communities. Take action now and urge your members of Congress to support emergency park funding today!

If funding for local parks is included in the Build Back Better package, they could fund over 1,000 new or upgraded parks where they’re needed most. It would also save 100,000 at-risk seasonal jobs or create 8,000 new ones, while generating $1.37 billion in economic activity.

Public health and park access is too often determined by zip code. But you can help change that. Tell Congress to include robust funding for local parks in the Build Back Better package so that we can ensure every community has a safe place to play in nature close to home.

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Include funding for local parks in Build Back Better

To [Decision Maker],

I'm writing to urge you to support the inclusion of robust emergency funding for local parks in the upcoming Build Back Better package.

Parks and green space have always played an essential role in our communities, providing economic value, emotional and physical health benefits, and bringing people together. During the coronavirus pandemic, nature has taken on a whole new meaning for Americans, becoming the one place we go for exercise, fresh air, and respite from anxiety. But not everyone has equal access to the outdoors: Data shows that parks serving primarily nonwhite populations are half the size of parks that serve majority white populations and serve five times as many people per acre.

A historic, one-time investment in local parks would stimulate job creation and economic activity, expand park access for the one-in-three Americans who do not have a close-to-home park, and provide the health and social benefits to underserved communities feeling the impacts of this crisis most acutely.

Parks are drivers of local economies: in 2017 alone, local parks and recreation agencies generated $166 billion in economic activity and supported more than 1.1 million jobs nationwide. A 2018 report showed that parks and recreation spending on operations creates 23 jobs for every million dollars spent and 16 jobs for every million dollars spent on capital improvements.

For these reasons, I strongly urge you to support the inclusion of this funding. If we maximize the opportunities for all Americans to experience the health benefits of nature, then every community - regardless of zip code - will be stronger, healthier, and more connected for generations to come.

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