GO AZ celebrates $6 million awarded in federal funds to support outdoor recreation and conservation in Arizona

AZPM reported that Arizona State Parks and Trails got a six-million-dollar investment from the Department of Interior this year! The federal funding was awarded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to make park and trail improvements — like ADA accessibility upgrades — and expand outdoor recreation opportunities for tribes and underserved communities.

GO AZ members advocated for the full and permanent funding of LWCF in 2020 when it was a part of the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act.

Our members and other local businesses continue to benefit from the passage of the bill and the investments it has brought to Arizona’s gateway communities and outdoor recreation areas. 

This round of LWCF funding matches the $6 million Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs allocated to the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund in her 2024 state budget (read more about her budget here). According to Arizona State Parks and Trails, the Heritage Fund supports “opportunities for trail projects, outdoor environmental education programs, local, regional, and state parks, as well as historic preservation projects through legislatively appropriated funds.”

Both the LWCF grant and Arizona’s Heritage Fund are important steps towards safeguarding and investing in Arizona’s unique outdoor recreation opportunities and our local economies.

GO AZ is proud of the strong advocacy of our business members. That advocacy helped their communities – and Arizona – secure this annual federal investment opportunity; funding that comes at no cost to taxpayers yet helps create sustainable and thriving local outdoor recreation economies.

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