WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, Chairman of the Senate National Parks Subcommittee, have joined a bipartisan resolution to empower young people and their families to get outdoors and promote healthy outdoor recreation. The “Kids to Park Day” resolution designates this Saturday, May 18^th as National Kids to Parks Day. The resolution passed the Senate this week unanimously.

Starting in 2011 with the National Park Trust, the fourteenth annual Kids to Parks Day kicks off a summer-long series of events at local, state and national parks.

“National Parks offer countless opportunities for children to engage in recreational and educational activities and cultivate a lifelong love of the outdoors,” Senator Collins said. “Our bipartisan resolution would recognize the important role parks like Acadia have in encouraging children to play outside and stay healthy. I encourage every family to take the time to visit and experience all that our National Parks have to offer.”

“From the rocky coasts of Acadia to the lush greenery of the Katahdin woods, Maine’s outdoor spaces provide the best recreation and economic opportunities – for centuries, they have restored and inspired Maine people of all ages,” Senator King said. “The passage of the Kids to Parks Day resolution acknowledges that the Senate believes in our children having access to the great outdoors. By encouraging our children to get outside, we can not only support the health benefits of outdoor recreation, but also we can instill the importance of conservation of our natural lands in our children for generations to come.”

The resolution is also cosponsored by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

“Since the National Park Trust established Kids to Parks Day fourteen years ago, our goal has been to encourage families nationwide to discover the many benefits of our country's parks, public lands, and waters. We thank our Senate champions who have co-sponsored this resolution, including Senators Ron Wyden, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Angus King, Susan Collins, Steve Daines, Martin Heinrich, and Mazie Hirono for their help in amplifying this important message through this Senate resolution,” said Grace Lee, Executive Director of National Park Trust. 

Last month, Chairman King celebrated National Park Week from April 20th through April 28^th  to encourage all Americans to get outside so they can experience all that these beautiful lands have to offer.

The text of the resolution can be found here.

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