May 11, 2022 (rt23 news) - TRENTON – At 10 a.m. Thursday, May 12 at North Pulaski Park in the City of Passaic, Passaic County, National Park Service Director Chuck Sams and DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette will announce a $3.3 million grant as well as a major renovation project at the park as part of the federal Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership.
Director Sams and Commissioner LaTourette will provide brief remarks and then do a short walking tour of the park. They will be joined by members of the DEP’s senior leadership team as well as local and regional partner organizations. Following the tour, Director Sams and Commissioner LaTourette will be available for media interviews.
North Pulaski Park is the only park in New Jersey included in the National Park Service’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program, which enables urban communities to create new outdoor recreation spaces, reinvigorate existing parks and foster a connection to the outdoors in underserved communities. The National Park Service is distributing $61.1 million in grants in this fifth round of funding to 26 communities nationwide for these types of projects. The National Park Service chose North Pulaski Park as the New Jersey model for how this funding will benefit urban neighborhoods.
On Earth Day, the DEP announced the launch of “Outside, Together!” a recreational initiative inviting extensive public engagement to ensure fairer and more equitable distribution of recreation and conservation funds throughout the state. The initiative will result in an update to the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, which sets the state’s priorities for, and access to, parklands and open space.