VIDEO: Heinrich Advances Bipartisan Bill To Provide Fourth Graders Free Access To National Parks

Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
Published: 19 July 2017 19 July 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks hearing, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M) advocated for bipartisan legislation he introduced to provide America's fourth graders and their families free entrance to all federally managed land, waters, and historic sites, including national parks – more than 2,000 sites in all.

During the hearing, the Every Kid Outdoors Act received strong bipartisan support from the committee, demonstrating growing momentum for the bill. Senator Heinrich expressed the importance of encouraging kids to get outdoors and experience America's public spaces, while engaging in healthy activity and educational programs. Senator Heinrich also raised concerns with the Trump Administration's bureaucratic attempts to delay implementation of programs like Every Kid Outdoors that have robust bipartisan support and proven success.

VIDEO: Heinrich Advances Bipartisan Bill To Provide Fourth Graders Free Access To National Parks

The legislation was introduced last week by Senator Heinrich and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and is supported by the Outdoors Alliance For Kids (OAK), National Recreation and Park Association, Sierra Club, YMCA of the USA, The Wilderness Society, National Park Trust, Girl Scouts of the USA, National Wildlife Federation, the Trust for Public Land, and the Outdoor Industry Association.

Senator Heinrich, co-chair of the bipartisan Outdoor Recreation Caucus, is a longtime supporter of enhancing educational outdoor recreation opportunities for communities in New Mexico. He played a key role in establishing the 570-acre Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, the Southwest's first urban wildlife refuge. Early in his career, Senator Heinrich served in AmeriCorps for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was the Executive Director of the Cottonwood Gulch Foundation where he led youth educational wilderness expeditions and outdoor programs in the American Southwest.

In recognition of the seventh annual National Kids to Parks Day, Senator Heinrich recently launched an online resource guide to provide New Mexico families with ideas and activities to explore the great outdoors.

Testimony and the archived webcast of today's hearing will be available here.

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.