Outside in 5

The bipartisan Trees for Residential Energy and Economic Savings (TREES) Act (H.R. 6348) was reintroduced by Representatives Matsui (D-CA), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and John Sarbanes (D-MD) to create a grant program within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for states, local governments, Indian tribes and other entities to facilitate tree planting projects that reduce residential energy consumption. Under the program, the DOE must award grants to facilitate the planting of at least 300,000 trees annually in residential neighborhoods, working in consultation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Read the bill text on Congress.gov.

Read more about the TREES Act here.

Read more about the Tree Equity Score here.

The Living Schoolyards Act of 2023 (S. 1538) would provide grants to schools and districts to transform their schoolyards into dynamic outdoor learning environments through:

• Growing healthy foods, trees and polinator plants;

• Conserving water and wildlife habitats;

• Providing children with opportunities to observe nature, document seasonal changes and conduct outdoor experiments;

• Improving shade coverage or other measures that build resilience to climate change and lower the severity of heat waves and cooling costs to school buildings; and

• Designating creative spaces for students to celebrate the natural beauty of their communities.

The bill would establish funds for the Outdoor Learning Spaces Grants program to be administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Through grants, schools and school districts would receive resources to install canopies, tents, open-sided structures, generators, furniture, storage, wifi nodes and charging stations, outdoor food and distribution facilities, gardens and weather-related clothing. Educators would also receive resources to incorporate new outdoor spaces into lesson plans.

Read the bill text on Congress.gov

Read more about the Living Schoolyards Act here.

The new Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) was established in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), commonly referred to as the bipartisan infrastructure package of 2021. The bill authorized up to $500 million in funding each year’s program to help communities and regions across the country build connected "active transportation systems" that ensure people can get where they want to go safely by foot, bike or wheelchair—all while reducing carbon emissions and creating new jobs.

A recent analysis from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy found that a substantial investment in active transportation focused on mode shift to walking and biking could reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54 million metric tons annually.

Read the bill text on Congress.gov.

Read more about the Connecting America's Active Transportation System Act here.

The bipartisan Outdoors for All Act would create a dedicated source of funding for the Outdoors Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program, which supports projects that expand outdoor recreational opportunities in urban and low-income communities across the nation, including new trails, green spaces, playgrounds, cultural gathering spaces, and more.

Congress established ORLP in 2014. The program is run by the National Park Service and funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) as a nationally competitive grant program to increase access to the outdoors for disadvantaged communities. To date, ORLP has remained a discretionary grant program, which jeopardizes funding for underserved communities who don’t have access to outdoor recreation.

Read the bill text on Congress.gov.

Read more about the Outdoors for All Act here.