Assistant Secretary Estenoz Highlights New Investments for Urban Parks, Outdoor Access in Arizona, Tennessee

Date: Thursday, October 31, 2024
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz traveled to Arizona and Tennessee this week, where she highlighted historic investments from the Department of the Interior’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program to expand and rehabilitate urban parks. In September, the Department announced the largest investment ever in the program’s history. These investments will increase access to the outdoors, create safer spaces, enhance the visitor experience and improve accessibility. This week’s trips follow meetings held in both Tucson and Memphis by Assistant Secretary Estenoz to hear directly from community members on the need to connect communities with access to the outdoors, and to encourage state participation in the ORLP program.    

The ORLP program, established in 2014 and funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), enables urban communities to create new outdoor recreation spaces, reinvigorate existing parks, and form connections between people and the outdoors in economically underserved communities. The program helps advance the Biden-Harris administration's America the Beautiful initiative, a locally led, voluntary conservation and restoration effort that aims to address the nature and climate crises, improve equitable access to the outdoors, and strengthen the economy. Providing safe outdoor spaces for communities that are park-deprived is one of six areas of focus.   

In Tucson, Assistant Secretary Estenoz joined a community roundtable with Mayor Regina Romero, local partners, and community members to discuss $4 million in awards for the city and highlight the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to improve equitable access to the outdoors and strengthen local economies.   

Assistant Secretary Estenoz and Mayor Romero toured Jacobs Park and Joaquin Murrieta Park, two projects which have recently received funding from the Department. In August 2024, Jacobs Park received nearly $3 million through the ORLP program to create a softball complex, new skate park, two additional soccer fields, and futsal and pickleball courts, among other improvements. In addition to these new recreation facilities, the redevelopment project will address stormwater infrastructure and plant 310 new trees, providing much needed shade in a historically underserved and heat-vulnerable community. In July 2023, the Department also awarded nearly $1 million through the LWCF State and Local Assistance Program to build a splashpad in Joaquin Murrieta Park, which is located in a historically underserved and heat-vulnerable community.    

In Memphis, Assistant Secretary Estenoz toured Gooch Park with local leaders and community members. In September, the park received nearly $3.4 million through the ORLP program for improvements to include a turf football field with lighting, half-mile walking track, playground and the rehabilitation of existing outdoor pool. These assets will provide much-needed outdoor recreational and physical fitness opportunities for the North Memphis community, promote a healthy lifestyle and foster connections. 

During her visit to Memphis, Assistant Secretary Estenoz also highlighted the Department’s commitment to investing in and preserving Black history. She visited multiple historical lynching sites, currently the subject of the National Park Service’s Memphis Area Lynching Locations Special Resource Study to evaluate sites associated with eight lynchings that occurred within a 100-mile radius of the city, between 1869 and 1940. The NPS recently launched the process with opportunities for the public to engage and provide feedback.    

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