Trip Report: Outdoor Alliance Washington Talks Equitable Outdoor Access with Rep. Marilyn Strickland
Outdoor Alliance partners with Rep. Strickland and her staff at Meridian Habitat park in Puyallup, WA. Photo by Conor Marshall.
Last year, we announced a re-energized Outdoor Alliance Washington network, a group of organizations representing the human-powered outdoor recreation community in Washington State. Outdoor Alliance Washington meets with elected officials to advocate for funding to improve outdoor recreation opportunities and conserve our public lands. While we often meet through Zoom or in an office, it’s much more fun—and effective—to meet in their district in parks and public lands.
Outdoor Alliance Washington partners recently visited Washington Trails Association’s South Puget Sound gear rental library at Meridian Habitat Park in Puyallup and discussed the importance of equitable access to the outdoors and federal funding for trails with Representative Marilyn Strickland (WA-10).
Staff from The Mountaineers, Washington Trails Association, American Whitewater, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, Pierce County Parks, and Leafline Trails Coalition met to talk about the importance of equitable outdoor access and federal funding for trails. We even fitted the congresswoman for a backpacking pack.
Increasing equitable access to the outdoors is a goal shared by all Outdoor Alliance Washington’s member groups. We believe that everyone deserves to have access to outdoor opportunities and the benefits of the outdoors for improving mental and physical health. Our organizations work to break down barriers to accessing the outdoors, both through policy and programs like gear libraries.
Washington Trails Association opened its second gear library in October 2021 to provide outdoor gear to organizations that take historically marginalized communities outdoors in the South Puget Sound region. Outdoor gear can be expensive and intimidating to learn to use, so the gear library provides gear and training for folks newer to the outdoors. The gear library doesn’t just provide gear, WTA’s Outdoor Leadership Training program provides information for how to use the gear, training, and grant assistance to cover transportation expenses that help increase access for local groups.Rep. Strickland was eager to hear of these efforts to connect area youth to nearby experiences in nature, and suggested several ideas of new community partners for the program.
Washington Trails Association’s MJ Sampang and Jaime Loucky pose for a gear library photo with Rep. Strickland. Photo by Conor Marshall.
A longtime Tacoma resident and former mayor of the city, Rep. Strickland is the newest member of Washington’s congressional delegation, and serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Washington’s 10th congressional district—which includes parts of the city of Tacoma and parts of Pierce, Thurston, and Mason counties—is a gateway to many of our region’s popular public lands, including Mount Rainier National Park and Puget Sound. However, many communities in Pierce County experience barriers to accessing the outdoors because of systemic inequities and historic underinvestment in those communities.
The congresswoman’s motivation to advance outdoor equity is personal. While growing up in South Tacoma, she was disconnected from the city’s waterfront and the parks and natural areas surrounding it.
“We didn’t own a boat, so we thought the waterfront wasn’t for us. I didn’t have a sense of all the natural assets so close by. All of these areas belong to us all, and education and action to remove barriers to access is so important,” she explained.
She went on to acknowledge that lack of access to nature can impact your physical and mental health: “Unfortunately you can judge someone’s life expectancy based on their zip code. As a policy-maker, everything I do is through the lens of equity,” she underscored.
Congresswoman Strickland is a co-sponsor of the Transit to Trails Act of 2021, legislation that aims to connect public transportation with public lands and the outdoors, making it easier for people to get outside.
Following the gear library tour, we sat down for a policy roundtable discussion centered around the importance and impact of the Federal Highway Administration’s Recreational Trails Program (RTP). The program provides grant funding to government agencies and nonprofits for trail maintenance and restoration; trailside facilities, education of trail users, and other important uses. If you enjoy trails in Washington, the Recreational Trails Program has likely maintained, improved, or built a trail you enjoy.
To date, funds have gone towards 760 projects in Washington state, and our Washington partners including Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance have used this funding for trail projects across the state. Rep. Strickland co-sponsored a bill that would increase the funding for the program from $84 million to full funding of $150 million.
We often hear from decision-makers about the value of coalitions—when many organizations can unite their voices, as they do through Outdoor Alliance Washington, it helps advance advocacy priorities. Rep. Strickland underscored the power of hearing a collective voice when considering funding requests. Given the importance of funding in the outdoors, Outdoor Alliance Washington will continue to build support for increased funding for the Recreational Trails Program.
Outdoor Alliance Washington partners discuss the impact of the Recreational Trails Program with Rep. Strickland. Photo by Conor Marshall.
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