Virginians rely on parks, trails, and other outdoor spaces for our health, welfare, and enjoyment. For instance:

• Historic and cultural sites provide a wealth of natural beauty and history, preserving the story of our Commonwealth. 
• Working farms and forests significantly contribute to the state’s economy, providing food, fiber, and wood and employing nearly 500,000 Virginians. 
• Virginia’s parks and trails draw tourists and boost local economies, contributing $3.8 billion in outdoor recreation-related tourism in 2022.
•  Access to the outdoors supports physical and mental health by lowering stress, anxiety, and depression while providing communities with places to gather and play.

Given the numerous benefits Virginia’s outdoors provide, at least 70% of Virginians support public funding to protect these spaces. Yet, Virginia lacks a dedicated source of funding to support its outdoor spaces. Funding has not kept up with the demand for trails, parks, public lands, and the staff and infrastructure needed to support them. Also, Virginia continues to lose its outdoors at an alarming rate, with 26,000 acres of forestland and over 99,000 acres of farmland lost each year. This hurts Virginia’s outdoors by reducing its potential to provide economic, social, and ecological benefits for all Virginians.

Virginia must take action to fund programs that will continue to protect its lands and waters. The Great Outdoors Act will provide annual funding to expand access to safe, enjoyable spaces, helping Virginia invest in healthy communities, a healthy economy, and a healthy environment. You can take a deeper dive into supporting increased funding for Virginia’s lands and waters in Our Common Agenda’s “Building a Strong Outdoor Economy” policy paper.

Legislators have introduced a bill to establish the Great Outdoors Act:

Ask your legislators to support Virginia’s Great Outdoors Act through The Nature Conservancy’s form!