California Seeks Input on Outdoors For All Initiative

In December 2021, California committed to a statewide Outdoors for All Initiative to expand parks and outdoor spaces in communities, support programs to connect people who lack access, and foster a sense of belonging for all Californians in the outdoors.

Outdoors for All is an initiative goal is to strengthen and engages all Californians can benefit from the state’s iconic landscapes. The Outdoors for All initiative aims to advance equitable access to nature and the outdoors which aligns with the Agency priorities, Nature Based Solutions and 30x30, by investing in California’s public lands and natural resources. This summer, the state released the “Outdoors for All draft strategy” and solicited feedback from Californians on the plan.

Outdoor Alliance California has been deeply involved in the state’s Outdoors for All Initiative when the announcement was made back in 2021, and submitted feedback on its draft strategy. As the state pursues its Outdoors for All initiative, it can also seek to improve sustainable and equitable outdoor recreation on the state’s public lands and waters. There are numerous potential projects that would provide immediate benefits for access and local communities while helping the state make progress towards the Outdoors for All initiative.

You can read our full letter to the state here, and below are the takeaways from our comments:

Create adult and youth-centered programming at outdoor spaces to inspire and build confidence across a broad range of recreational users. Access to the outdoors is a key focus of the Outdoors for All strategy, we feel that access itself is not enough. To truly develop a sense of connection to a place, a landscape, or a park, people need to experience and connect with nature in that place.
Develop recreational opportunities around post-fire recovery. We recommend including strategies to consider how post-fire restoration work by CAL FIRE and other relevant state agencies might contribute to equitable outdoor access in the period following wildfires. As trails are repaired or restored, there is an opportunity to improve their sustainability and resilience through realignment, trail hardening, improved drainage, etc, thereby increasing access for all trail users.
Congress is considering several protective designation bills, including four in California that would provide immediate benefits for equitable access to California’s lands and waters.

California and the federal government can both be working toward more equitable and sustainable access to the outdoors. Everyone in America deserves safe and sustainable access to green spaces and the outdoors, and Outdoor Alliance is thrilled to collaborate with state’s efforts to fund and improve equitable access to the outdoors. These efforts have a ripple effect on communities, on conservation goals, and on climate resilience and we are excited to be a key partner in these efforts.