This story originally appeared on Spotlight PA.
Anthony David Jr. wasn’t comfortable exploring state parks and forests while attending college in Harrisburg.
As a Black man, David worried about accidentally walking onto private property while on a hike, an activity he grew up in Washington, D.C., thinking was a “white person thing,” he told Spotlight PA.
“We never got that opportunity to pass hiking down through generations because we’ve been living in so many centuries of terror and lynchings,” he said.
But after serving on the state’s Environmental Justice Advisory Board, which helped update a statewide policy to guide environmental decisions, David learned more about conservation, environmental improvements, and the value of spending time outdoors. He graduated in 2023 and moved back to the nation’s capital, where he now feels comfortable outdoors and advocates for environmental issues, including recreation. If he were to return to Pennsylvania, he said, he would explore state trails and bring more people with him to share the experience.
His story demonstrates why the commonwealth is investing millions in projects and advisory boards to ensure all Pennsylvanians enjoy the state’s more than 3 million acres of public lands and numerous outdoor recreation opportunities.
Commonwealth agencies that handle outdoor recreation and their local partners have taken steps to expand the use of these spaces by connecting kids with the outdoors, improving accessibility, and challenging assumptions that certain activities are exclusive to white people.
Still, more work is needed to ensure everyone who wants to can visit and feel safe using public lands.
Pennsylvania must develop a recreational plan to guide policies and programs every five years to qualify for federal grant dollars from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which has distributed more than $178 million statewide over the last 55 years, according to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The most recent Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, which runs through 2024, identified safety and transportation as barriers to wider use of state facilities. Some communities of color also reported feeling unwelcome and unrepresented in the outdoor industry.
The report recommended that the state work with schools to connect kids to outdoor recreation facilities, build and promote easier trails, increase the number of adaptive equipment — such as kayak launches, playgrounds, and fishing access — and find more ways to include young people and diverse groups in programming decisions.
Wesley Robinson, a DCNR spokesperson, told Spotlight PA that Pennsylvania has made headway with some of the recommendations. However, vacancies within the department have slowed the pace of developing new programs, he said.
He cited the 2022 launch of the NextGen Advisory Council as one accomplishment. The council, which includes high-schoolers to 35-year-olds, weighs in on policies and programs aimed at increasing public land use and addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.
The Office of Outdoor Recreation, established with $422,000 as part of this year’s state budget, will also play a role in developing new policies, Robinson said. Additionally, a $52.5 million investment announced earlier this fall funded 23 trail projects, land protection and conservation efforts, and 99 development or rehabilitation initiatives.
DCNR is looking to hire a specialist to oversee the outdoor recreation plan, Robinson said. Whoever fills the role, which is funded by a National Park Service grant, will work with other state departments, including transportation and health, and outside groups.