Back in June, when President Obama and his family toured a couple of national parks, the president took the opportunity to deliver some remarks on climate change.
That’s no surprise, but he also touched on some talking points shared by the Centennial Initiative, a coalition of “civil rights, environmental justice, conservation groups and community leaders and activists” whose goal is to “increase inclusion and representation of America’s communities of color in our national parks and other public lands.”
Among the changes encouraged by the Centennial Initiative is a redesign of all national parks to remove intimidating imagery, such as the vehicles driven by and uniforms worn by park rangers, both of which “have law enforcement connotations” and therefore “present a significant impediment to engaging all Americans.”
On Monday, a new study by the Center for American Progress and Conservation Science Partners suggested further actions were needed to promote access and inclusion as the National Park Service celebrated its centennial.
New study finds disparities in who has access to parks and natural areas https://t.co/LdlCcsDrHq pic.twitter.com/4szsoGZu8R
— ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) August 22, 2016
@thinkprogress "access"? Bullshit.
— staugy (@staugy) August 22, 2016
Hey, access is a very important, especially as the word is defined by progressives and Democrats; take a look:
President Obama: "Poor kids who need help the most, this lack of access to preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives."
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 13, 2013
FACT: The House Republican funding bill would deny women access to birth control and family planning services. #Shutdown
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 30, 2013
President Obama's #2016Budget would give every hardworking American access to higher education. #FreeCommunityCollege pic.twitter.com/1aaRPAcfyq
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 3, 2015
What happened to those two free years of community college everyone was promised anyway?
“If kids don’t have access to broadband and laptops…then they’re at a disadvantage to those kids who do.” —@POTUS pic.twitter.com/gJuXKmVgpa
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 14, 2015
Check out new steps we're taking to expand access to meals for the kids who need it most: https://t.co/y4MhWLiLyY pic.twitter.com/oQAcWxzPAk
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 27, 2016
All kids should have access to good books. Learn how we're helping kids #ReadAcrossAmerica: https://t.co/wKjZbW6Z5R pic.twitter.com/iKp5CeqW5g
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 2, 2016
It's time for Congress to act to expand access to paid leave for all America's workers. #LeadOnLeave pic.twitter.com/CALE62Yhgk
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 4, 2016
And now it’s time to expand access to nature to all.
Diversity access & inclusion should be prioritized for the centennial of our National Parks https://t.co/TJyd2Do5UU pic.twitter.com/07xJxsicKG
— American Progress (@amprog) August 22, 2016
The study found that “communities of color and low income communities in the West have disproportionately less open space and natural areas nearby than does the overall population in their states” and posits that “correcting for these types of inequities should be a priority when considering designating new public lands or expanding existing boundaries.”
@thinkprogress Take a friggin' bus.
— Kent Brockman (@KentBrockman13) August 22, 2016
Hey smart guy, not everyone can just “access” a bus. That’s why the 2009 stimulus included $8 billion to start construction of the high-speed rail system we all access and enjoy today.
FACT: 45% of Americans lack access to transit. It's time to modernize our infrastructure → http://t.co/VAevH7GBGF pic.twitter.com/n4EtzkIQMY
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 14, 2014
The president’s already juggling about a dozen No. 1 priorities, but we’re sure he’ll address access to natural areas too before his term is up.
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Related:
Which was scarier: President Obama’s bear impression, or the park rangers’ intimidating uniforms?
